2021-22 Notre Dame Baseball Roster Finalized

Notre Dame baseball has kicked off fall ball and its highly touted freshman class is now on campus. 

Link Jarrett and recruiting coordinator Rich Wallace have put Notre Dame back on the map as the 2021 class was the first top 25 recruiting class in program history. 

The Irish had four prospects in the MLB Draft conversation and lost just one as outfielder Jaden Rudd was drafted in the 212th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. 

RHP Roman Kimball seems to be the gem of the class as he'll bring a 96 mph fastball to South Bend along with a changeup and slider. 

LHP Jack Findlay is another name to watch as he'll get into the 90s with his fastball and had a  ridiculous 17 strikeouts in 6.1 innings in April. 

Catcher Joey Spence was the fourth player to flirt with the MLB Draft and was drafted in the 18th round by Arizona. Spence decided to honor his commitment to Notre Dame, which was significant for the Irish program as the Wisconsin native was one of the best hitters in the Midwest as a junior and senior. 

RHP Radek Birkholz, the 2021 Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, might be the steal of the class. 

Birkholz went 6-0 as a senior with a 0.79 ERA, 71 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 35.2 innings. Oh, he also added a batting average of .473, seven home runs and 29 RBI. 

RHP/IF Nick DeMarco and outfielder David Jefferson might not get the hype of Kimball, but both will have a chance to be extremely exciting on the field over the next few years. 

DeMarco won the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year by hitting .423 with 11 home runs, 55 runs scored and 37 RBI. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder was also dominant on the mound as he went 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA, 60 strikeouts and eight walks in 38 innings. Oh, DeMarco also carried a 4.64 GPA. 

Notre Dame also added to its roster with grad transfers and the Transfer Portal. 

The Irish added two graduate transfer pitchers in RHP Ryan McLinskey (Seton Hall) and RHP Austin Temple (Jacksonville). LHP Matt Lazzaro (senior) transferred in from Houston and will reunite with LHP John Michael Bertrand after they were teammates at Furman. 

Sophomore infielder Connor Hincks is also a noteworthy addition from the Transfer Portal as he comes from Virginia. Hincks starred at Benet Academy (Ill.) and was the No. 11 player in Illinois as a senior in high school. 

Fresh faces are always exciting, especially when talented, but Notre Dame fans should be the most excited about the returning core of the roster. It’s talented, experienced and deep. 

In fact, Notre Dame returns every starter in the field except first baseman Niko Kavadas. Yes, Kavadas is a big loss, but last year's DH Carter Putz will likely take over at first. 

Returning Starters:
Catcher: David LaManna (Graduate Student)
2B: Jared Miller (Graduate Student)
SS: Zack Prajzner (Senior)
3B: Jack Brannigan (Junior)
LF: Ryan Cole (Graduate Student)
CF: Spencer Myers (Graduate Student)
RF: Brooks Coetzee (Senior)

Sophomore outfielder TJ Williams is the name to watch as Jarrett has spoken highly of the Maryland native multiple times. Reserve catch Danny Neri and outfielder Jack Zyska return and played key roles in 20201. 

On the mound, Notre Dame also returns its heart and soul from last year’s Super Regional run. LHP John Michael Bertrand, LHP Aidan Tyrell, LHP Will Mercer, RHP Liam Simon and RHP Alex Rao are all back. 

2021-22 Notre Dame Baseball Roster

Full 2021 Notre Dame Freshman Class