Why a weekend series against Wake Forest will be a ‘dogfight’ for Notre Dame
It’s a Super Regional every weekend.
That’s the way Notre Dame baseball coach Link Jarrett has characterized his squad’s schedule this spring, and that is especially true this weekend as the Irish (23-8, 8-7 ACC) host a rising Wake Forest (29-8, 10-8 ACC).
“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Jarrett said. “They’re potent. They’ve got some left-handed bats and good balance.”
Balance is a great word for the Demon Deacons, as they rank third in the ACC in both home runs and total hits. Three Wake Forest players — Brendan Tinsman, Brock Wilken and Nick Kurtz — have hit at least 10 home runs each. To compare, Irish right fielder Brooks Coetzee III leads Notre Dame with eight home runs this year.
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Granted, as Jarrett pointed out on Wednesday, Wake Forest plays on one of the smaller fields in college baseball. At David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C., the fence measures 310 feet down the line in left from home plate, 370 in left center, 400 in center, 367 in right center and 300 down the right-field line. At Frank Eck Stadium it’s 330, 380, 400, 380 and 330, respectively.
“I hope this (park) may neutralize some of their juice,” Jarrett said. “But they’ve played really well all year. We’ll have our hands full.”
But it’s not all power hitting for Wake Forest. Their team batting average of .317 is tied for second in the conference, indicating this is a well-rounded group.
On the other hand, Notre Dame’s offensive play against conference foes has been sporadic. That was evident against Duke last weekend when the Irish bats posted just 10 runs in three games. In their previous three contests — two games against Clemson and one against Michigan — they drove in 31.
“Overall, the consistency of the quality of the at-bat isn’t right now what it was a month ago,” Jarrett said. “We’re trying to work on it and get it there.”
Wake Forest-Notre Dame preview
Where: Frank Eck Stadium (South Bend)
When: Friday at 5 p.m. ET, Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Watch: All games are on ACCNX.
Probable pitchers: Friday: RHP Rhett Lowder (7-1, 1.96 ERA) vs. LHP John Michael Bertrand (5-0, 1.68 ERA); Saturday: LHP Josh Hartle (4-3, 5.27 ERA) vs. RHP Austin Temple (3-1, 3.03 ERA); Sunday: RHP Teddy McGraw (3-2, 5.35 ERA) vs. TBA
Noting Wake Forest: Wake Forest batters lead the ACC in walks with 231; the pitchers have a team era of 4.10, which is fourth in the conference; the Demon Deacons are coming off a 2-2 week after going 1-2 against Clemson and beating Appalachian State; Wake Forest is 7-3 on the road this year; Notre Dame opened the 2021 season at Wake Forest and won the final two games to clinch the series.
Noting Notre Dame: The Irish pitching staff currently boasts a 3.40 ERA, which is 11th nationally; they are also only giving up 6.89 hits per nine innings, 4th in the country; 1.20 is Notre Dame’s WHIP, which leads the ACC; the Irish boast a .985 fielding percentage, third in the country; as the head coach at Notre Dame, Jarrett is 5-1-1 in ACC series at Frank Eck Stadium.
