Notre Dame pitcher Jack Findlay named Freshman All-American

On3 imageby:Ashton Pollard06/08/22

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A great last week for freshman Notre Dame pitcher Jack Findlay just got even better, as the rookie was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Wednesday.

The 6-3, 200-pound New Jersey native boasts a 5-2 record through 16 appearances this year, including eight starts on the mound. His 2.11 ERA leads the team, and Findlay has allowed just 27 hits and nine earned runs in 38.1 innings pitched. The lefty has struck out 44 batters while walking 12.

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Findlay’s two most notable performances came on Saturday and Sunday of the Statesboro Regional, as the freshman came on as a reliever. During Saturday’s game against host and No. 16 overall seed Georgia Southern, Findlay took the field in the eighth inning with a two-run lead, runners on first and third base, and zero outs. He struck out two to start his appearance and notched the final four outs of the game to preserve a 6-4 win.

With a trip to the super regionals on the line on Sunday, Findlay once again entered a sticky situation. Against Texas Tech, the bases were loaded in the eighth inning, although there were two outs. Notre Dame had a 2-1 lead. Findlay completed a three-pitch strikeout to send the game to the final inning. In the ninth, the bases were loaded once again, and Findlay forced a groundout to send Notre Dame to its second super regional in as many years.

“Findlay has been so unselfish, as he performed in virtually every role possible as a pitcher,” Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett said. “To handle that as a freshman is really exceptional.

“I was just named coach at Notre Dame, and Jack was in the camp that was going on. I will always remember thinking as I watched him pitch that this will be the first player I end up landing at Notre Dame. He is a poised competitor with a tremendous future, and we are proud of his well-deserved award.”

Findlay was listed in the category with starting pitchers by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, and Virginia Tech’s Drue Hackenberg was the only other ACC pitcher represented among the group.

Findlay is the first Irish freshman to earn the honors since third baseman Jack Brannigan did so in 2020.

Notre Dame will take on No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN2.

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