My friend Tony and I have attended many DePaul, Northwestern and Loyola softball games over the last several seasons. After going to Madison for a Wisconsin Badgers game last season, we decided to go to at least one out-of-state game every season. Last weekend we went to Notre Dame.

I had previously been to Notre Dame for football games and a senior year retreat in high school, but I never had the chance to spend quality time and tour the campus. Since Tony only had one prior quick visit, we made a day of it.

Leaving at sunrise, we arrived at Notre Dame two hours later. Our first stop was the book store. Like true fans, we needed to be outfitted with Notre Dame softball shirts.

Our self-guided tour started with statues of former coaches Dan Devine and Knute Rockne. Along the way we saw several other beautiful sculptures.

Near game time we made our way to Melissa Cook Stadium. Opened in 2008, it is a beautiful facility seating 1,250 fans. The stadium was named after Cook, a standout athlete and 1994 Notre Dame grad tragically killed in a construction accident in 2002.

The Fighting Irish headed into Strikeout Cancer Weekend against Louisville with a record of 16–23. After winning Friday’s series opener, Notre Dame fell behind 2–0 in the first inning. They fought back to take a 3–2 lead heading into the fifth. Unfortunately, the Cardinals scored five runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. Although Notre Dame rallied back a bit, the game ended with an 8–5 loss.

We continued the tour after the game with a stop at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. Before leaving, we also saw St. Joseph’s Lake, where key scenes in Rudy were filmed.

It was an awesome day. Walking around campus, I could feel the history. Seeing such legendary sites in person gave me chills. A win would have been nice, but this was a special day anyway.

— John Wroblewski, podcaster