Notre Dame went 27-25 last year and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. They just missed qualifying for the ACC Tournament after going 9-21 in conference play. The Irish really struggled away from home in the ACC, going a combined 0-15 at Virginia Tech, Florida State, NC State, North Carolina, and Louisville. They started 0-6 before hosting Miami in late March for their first conference home series. Notre Dame was somewhat on the bubble towards the end of the year thanks to their RPI from playing on the road early in the year. Ultimately, losses to Central Michigan, Toledo, and a sweep to Louisville ended what small chance they may have had.
Despite the disappointing season, the Irish enjoyed some quality moments, including a 9-2 start to the season that included multiple three-run home games by sophomore Estevan Moreno. Despite the rough start to conference play, Notre Dame never stopped fighting and were quite the force on their home field, where they went 16-8 overall and 9-6 in conference play. They nearly swept Miami and their three losses to Clemson were by a combined 6 runs. They shocked Wake Forest and threw a 7-inning mercy-rule no-hitter in their sweep of Boston College.
The Irish are ranked last in the College Baseball Central Preseason ACC Power Rankings, but I actually expect them to surprise some people. Third year head coach Shawn Stiffler will need the offense to improve on their ACC-worst .268 batting average and 13th ranked slugging percentage. But Notre Dame had one of the best defenses in the country and a pitching staff that ranked in the top half of the ACC. If things go right in South Bend in 2025, they might just silence their critics.
Catchers (Starter Rank: 13, Group Rank: 13)
Last year, the Notre Dame catching duties were split amongst Joey Spence, Tony Lindwedel, and Carson Tinney. Spence served as the primary backstop down the stretch after Tinney suffered a season-ending injury in mid-April, Lindwedel has since graduated and with Tinney back and healthy, the battle for the everyday job is in full effect.
After playing sparingly over his first two years in South Bend, Joey Spence finally earned consistent playing time as a junior in 2024. The left-handed slugger hit .277 with five doubles, a triple, and five homes over 37 games. Spence is the veteran option that can handle a pitching staff and produce decently at the plate.
Sophomore Carson Tinney showed glimmers of greatness as a true freshman in 2024 and Notre Dame Assistant Ryan Munger believes he could be something special. “As far as talent goes, he might be the most talented individual in the program,” Munger told me in an interview last month. “He’s got the unique ability to really kind of change the game for us both defensively and offensively.”
Before his injury, the Colorado native had seven extra-base hits in just 56 at-bats for the Irish, which was good enough for an .897 OPS. In his final game of the year, Tinney went 2-for-3 with five RBIs and each of the hits had exit velocities over 105 MPH. The second hit was a backside grand slam. Even if Tinney doesn’t win the starting job to start the year, it likely his game changing bat will be in the lineup somewhere.
The Irish also have another pair of sophomore catchers that spent time on the bench last season developing and adjusting to the collegiate level. Davis Johnson is an outstanding defensive backstop and has taken step forwards offensively while Troy Reader will provide depth as the fourth catcher.
Infield (Starter Rank: 16, Group Rank: 16)
The infield will be anchored by returning star Estevan Moreno, who slides over to shortstop after two years of playing second base. The rising junior has already played in 100 career games for Notre Dame and is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him slash .275/.363/.625 with a .988 OPS. His 13 home runs were second on the team only to David Glancy, who hit 15. A team captain, Moreno will be expected to be a focal point both in the field and at the plate.
Notre Dame was happy to get first man Connor Hincks back for his senior year. “[Hincks] is a big bat in the lineup,” Munger said. “[Him coming back] helps a little bit with balancing out some of the youth.” The lefty veteran appeared in 52 games for the Irish last season and hit .272 with 23 extra base hits. He was tied for the team lead with 45 RBIs. Expect to see Hincks be a key bat for the Irish in the middle of the order.
Senior Nick DeMarco, who amassed just 68 at-bats combined over his first three years in South Bend, is set to start at third base after a strong summer and fall. The Illinois native played for the Rockford Riveters in the Northwoods League and had 15 extra base hits and 14 stolen bases in 122 at-bats this summer.
Munger was effusive in his praise of DeMarco. “He has a shot to have a really good year. He’s done a good job understanding who is as a player. It’s a huge testament to who Nick is as a player and as a person and the way he’s worked. This fall, we really saw how some of that worked and blossomed. I think he’s got a shot to be a really productive piece.”
True freshman Noah Coy is going to be the starter second and could bat towards the top of the lineup. Coy has a chance to be a spark plug ahead of the likes of Moreno, Hincks, and Brady Gumpf. The Indiana native has a mature approach at the plate and some pop in his bat despite his smaller stature.
Two other freshmen infielders that could force their way into the lineup are first baseman Bino Watters and third baseman Parker Brzustewicz. Both were ranked amongst the Top 500 freshmen to make it to campus by Perfect Game and both are athletic enough to see time in the outfield if needed. Waters is a 6’2”, 227 pounder with high power-upside while Brzustewicz is a 6' 3”, 197 pounder capable of spraying the ball to all fields. Expect his power ability to increase as he bulks up to match his height.
Outfield (Starter Rank: 15, Group Rank: 15)
The Irish have a myriad of options for the outfield, including the two aforementioned freshman infielders we just talked about. But don’t be surprised if Stiffler opts for a veteran outfield to begin the year. The key returner in the outfield is graduate student Brady Gumpf, who hit .284 last year with 12 doubles and nine home runs in 48 games. Also named a team captain, Gumpf will likely start in one of the corner outfield positions and bat in the middle of the order.
Joining Gumpf in the other corner outfield position is likely going to be returning senior DM Jefferson. After playing 45 games as a sophomore and boasting a .366 on-base percentage with 11 extra base hits, the Washington, DC native took a step back last year, starting just games and hitting .151. He’ll hope to recapture that 2023 form while providing Notre Dame with some speed on the base paths.
The Irish’s lone transfer bat will likely get the nod to leadoff and start in center field. Graduate transfer Jared Zimbardo, who comes over from Quinnipiac, hit .356 last year with 16 doubles, three triples, and seven homers. Zimbardo was also 26-for-27 in steal attempts and will give Stiffler another running threat alongside Jefferson.
Another pair of freshmen who could threaten for time in the outfield are highly-touted recruits Jayce Lee and Jaden Knight. Lee is a hometown kid that has serious star potential once he grows into his 6’5” frame. Even at 197 pounds, the youngster has shown serious offensive upside and maturity. Knight is Notre Dame’s highest ranked recruit by Perfect Game and has the potential to be a dynamic player at the plate and in all three outfield positions.
Projected Lineup
Rotation (Rank: 13)
Notre Dame returns two of their weekend starters in Jack Radel and Rory Fox. Radel made his first start as a true freshman on March 12th and remained in the rotation for the duration of the season, mostly as the Saturday arm. In his first five starts– which included games against Florida State, NC State, and Clemson– the freshman dazzled with a 1.88 ERA over 24 innings. Radel pitched at least four innings in every one of his weekend starts and only gave up more than three runs in one of them– his final start of the year at Louisville when he gave up five runs in 4.2 innings. Notre Dame will look to Radel to be the ace of the staff as a sophomore in 2025.
Rory Fox, the younger brother of former Duke standout Luke Fox, is a former two-way player that also became a fixture in the weekend rotation last March. While he didn’t have quite the same success as Radel, Fox helped stabilize a rotation and had moments quality throughout the year. He started the combined no-hitter against Boston College. Radel and Fox are under-rated weekend starters with experience that have taken major steps in their development. They might just be the most under-rated 1-2 punch in the conference.
The third spot in the weekend rotation has several candidates in contention. Graduate student Tobey McDonough pitched 50 innings last season while serving multiple roles on the staff. He throws a mid-90s fastball paired with a slider that is probably best utilized as a key reliever. DJ Helwig, a sophomore who only threw 15.1 innings last year, enjoyed a strong summer that carried over into the fall. His stuff has major upside and while he could be a quality bullpen piece, I like him in the midweek role.
Transfers Dylan Heine and Jack Walker both have starting experience. Former Arkansas State right-hander Heine started 14 games last season and went 2-2 with a 4.65 ERA in 62 innings. The 6’6”, 240 pounder is a physical presence on the mound that doesn’t strike out a ton of batters. With his experience and quality defense behind him, he seems the best fit to serve in the Sunday role. Former Toledo hurler Walker is also a big bodied lefty who made 12 starts in 2023 after being injured for most of 2024. There are some concerns about control and command as evidenced by 44 walks in 54.2 innings. While he is a candidate for the rotation, the lack of left-handed relievers could see him in the bullpen.
Jackson Dennies, a team captain and former starter derailed by injuries, is back healthy and could also be an option for the bullpen. In 2023, when he was last healthy, he boasted a 3.11 ERA in 13 starts. He could once again be an option and a return to his 2023 form could be a gamechanger for Notre Dame.
Bullpen (Rank: 14)
If Dennies is relegated to the bullpen, he’ll join fellow team captain Radek Birkholz as co-relief ace. Munger expresses that the duo’s importance goes beyond their performances on the mound. “They're both A-plus human beings who take a lot of pride in their work. Coming back from injury has kind of really changed their perspective and challenged the way they think. They've had to do more from a leadership perspective and I think that has really helped the growth of this young group.”
Senior Ricky Reeth will also be featured in the late innings after throwing 48.1 innings last season. The right-hander pounds the strike zone and only walked 10 batters all year. He’ll be joined by returners Sammy Cooper and Keenan Mork, both of whom saw little time last year but should be important pieces of the bullpen.
The last of their four graduate transfers is former Dartmouth arm Clark Gilmore. The right-hander had a rocky 2024, going 0-5 with a 12.55 ERA that saw him walk more batters than he struck out, but reports indicate his command and stuff looked well-improved over the fall.
If the Irish want to have a successful season, they’ll need to rely on freshmen to contribute early and often. Their best southpaw on the staff might very well be freshman Brady Koester. Listed at 6’5”, 210 pounds, Koester throws a low 90s fastball mixed with an above-average curveball.
“We need left-hand pitching,” said Munger, “and he has been one of the more dominant guys in our program throughout the fall. He still needs to go out and prove it this spring, but he gave our hitters fits.”
Kellan Klosterman and Chase Van Ameyde are two young right-handers who could both see plenty of time on the mound in their first years. Klosterman might have the highest upside of the freshmen pitchers and throws a high velocity fastball complemented by a tight slider. It’s possible that he’s a dark horse candidate for the midweek starting role. Van Ameyde is another 6’6” arm with mound presence that could see velocity tick up as he grows into his frame.
“Chase had some really impressive outings on the mound and is unique,” Munger told me. “He's a two-way player as well that will probably help us more on the mound. It’s a low slot up to 92 MPH and it's really, really hard to find the barrel on.”
Projected Staff
Outlook
A number of publications, including our own, have placed Notre Dame at the bottom of the ACC projections. I don’t think that’s entirely fair given what the Irish bring back in the pitching staff. If Radel and Fox have taken steps forward in their development as has been reported, then that alone should see them avoid finishing last. Add in a healthy Dennies and Birkholz returning to their 2023 form and the pitching staff becomes a strength.
The offense should be improved with the addition of Zimbardo and a slew of impact freshmen. It’s a young team with a lot of unknowns that could end up a very dangerous squad. If a few things go right, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see the Irish return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Shawn Stiffler. But we know that no matter what happens, teams are not going to have an easy time playing in South Bend down the stretch.
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