Why the Miami series matters so much to Notre Dame baseball
A whole lot is on the line for Notre Dame baseball the next three days. A regular season ACC Championship, seeding for the ACC Tournament and seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
To head coach Link Jarrett, the first of those three things is the most important. He said there is nothing that better characterizes success than having the best record after a grueling stretch of 30 conference games. But if Jarrett wants to win college baseball’s ultimate prize, and everyone knows he does, then the last of those three things is absolutely paramount.
The good — and perhaps, bad — thing about it? All three go hand-in-hand.
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Notre Dame has to sweep its three-game series against Miami (37-15, 18-9) starting Thursday at 7 p.m. ET for the Fighting Irish to have a chance of winning the regular season ACC crown. That won’t be easy. The Hurricanes have been one of the most consistent teams all season.
But they haven’t necessarily been the most dominant, which gives Notre Dame a glimmer of hope.
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Miami ranks outside the top 50 nationally in team batting average (.296). The Hurricanes rank 34th in team earned run average (4.19). They can be had when they’re at the plate and on the mound. They can be had at home, too. Stetson beat Miami 12-4 at Alex Rodriguez Park in late April. Florida Gulf Coast beat Miami 7-3 at Alex Rodriguez Park two days ago.
Maybe the Hurricanes got caught looking ahead to the Irish, last year’s regular season champion. They’re still 26-7 at home this season. Alex Rodriguez Park hasn’t been particularly kind to opponents. Notre Dame hasn’t been a quiet guest anywhere during the Jarrett era though, either. The Irish are 33-13 on the road during Jarrett’s tenure.
Everything is pointing toward a competitive final weekend of the regular season. If Notre Dame is to host the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament next month — both a Regional and a Super Regional — the Irish have to win at least two games in Coral Gables. Period.
Two wins won’t be enough to win the season-long title, the one Jarrett has so much respect for and wants so badly. But it might be enough to keep Notre Dame in the conversation for a top-eight national seed, and that’s vital for the Irish’s chances of making it to Omaha for the first time since 2002 and the third time in program history.
