Game Thread | Miami at Notre Dame

March 24, 2024March 24, 2024 Admin

Miami (12-10, 4-4) at Notre Dame (14-8, 2-6)

When: March 24

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Where: Frank Eck Stadium | South Bend, Ind.

Watch: ACC Network Extra (ESPN+)

QUICK FACTS

– Miami leads the all-time series 23-10

– The Canes won the last series in 2022 2-1 in Coral Gables

– Entering the series, Notre Dame ranks No. 4 in the ACC and No. 10 nationally with 43 home runs entering the weekend. Miami is No. 5 in the ACC and No. 11 in the same category.

– Notre Dame’s .981 fielding percentage ranks No. 15 nationally.

PROBABLE STARTERS

FRIDAY

SCHOOL	NAME	RECORD	ERA	IP	STRIKEOUTS
Notre Dame	–	–	–	–	–
Miami	LHP Herick Hernandez	2-2	4.32	25.0	38

WHAT TO WATCH

Notre Dame’s pitching is having its best series of the season and is looking more of what we expected from the veteran group. The Irish have given up just four runs in two games, but more importantly, Notre Dame has gotten two quality starts from Matt Bedford and Jack Radel. Bedford went 4.1 innings giving up just one run on four hits and struck out a career-high seven batters on Friday. Radel went 4.0 innings with four hits and one run while striking out three during Saturday’s win.

The bullpen also came to play as Ricky Reeth went 5.0 innings on Saturday and he gave up five hits and one run. Caden Spivey earned his first win of the year for his efforts on Friday.

It’s a group that started to turn the tide last weekend in Tallahassee and has capitalized on momentum to win the first ACC series of the year.

As it relates to Sunday’s game, Notre Dame should have everyone but Reeth available out of the bullpen as the Irish have thrown just five pitchers this weekend. Spivey and Bennett Flynn threw less than 40 pitches in game one, so if they are needed for an inning, both should be able to go. Radek Birkholz, David Lally Jr. and Nate Hardman will likely get the first call. I also expect Rory Fox to get the ball to make his first start of his career in game three, given he hasn’t thrown this weekend, and he had been the first out of the pen over the last few weekends.

Notre Dame’s batters have also been having quality at-bats this weekend. The Irish have struck out 10 times in two games, which is a drastic improvement compared to the Florida State series that saw them strike out 17 times in game two alone.

What is more impressive is Notre Dame hasn’t hit a home run this weekend and it hasn’t mattered. Now, it’s not as if they are putting up 10 runs a game, but batting .357 on Saturday is a step in the right direction.

The Irish are also getting hits with two outs for essentially the first time all year. Notre Dame went 4-for-12 on Saturday and 6-for-13 on Friday with two outs. It might seem like a small step, but it’s one Notre Dame needed to make.

A sweep of Miami would go a long way to providing some much-needed momentum.

OFFENSIVE STATS (Entering the series)

STAT	MIAMI	NOTRE DAME
Batting Avg.	.311	.277
Runs	176	170
Hits	214	194
2B	43	40
3B	2	6
Home Runs	42	42
RBI	171	153
SLG%	.562	.536
Walks	123	87
Hit by Pitch	23	32
Strikeouts	165	182
OB%	.426	.379