Link Jarrett, Irish focused on Super Regional Path
It is, of course, a homecoming of sorts for Notre Dame coach Link Jarrett.
The Fighting Irish skipper is returning to Tallahassee, Florida, and Florida State, the school and program that Jarrett helped entrench its reputation as a national collegiate baseball powerhouse. Jarrett’s star turn for the Seminoles yielded a brief professional career before he entered into the coaching profession.
But Jarrett doesn’t look back, not right now. Or, at least not that far into the past.
No, Jarrett again is going into this weekend against No. 5 FSU as he did Notre Dame’s last weekend of the 2021 season – and every other weekend through the Irish’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship run.
“It’s tough, like these are Super Regionals,” Jarrett said. “I told you guys last year, and I don’t know if people believed me until we got into the deep postseason how good these teams are.
“So, this will be a Super Regional. Louisville, ranked or not ranked, I’m just telling you that team is capable of getting into the Sweet 16 or the Elite 8 of like we’re all watching in basketball right now. That’s where we were last year, you’re down to the final group of teams.
“And everybody in this conference is capable of that. You can look at who’s ranked and who was ranked last year, and it’s tough. They’re all tough. To go execute and perform and play, you can’t just do it today. You’re going to have to do it Friday, you’re going to have to do it Saturday, and you’re going to have to do it Sunday to have a chance to win in these environments and these teams, period.”
The Seminoles (16-8, 6-3 ACC) already have won league series this season against Wake Forest, NC State and Duke – winning two of three games in each weekend set. They opened their season with an impressive sweep of James Madison.
A bit unsure earlier this week of how he would deploy his starting rotation, Jarrett opted to again start veteran and senior ace John Michael Bertrand for the series opener. The goal, after last year largely using Bertrand as the Saturday starter, is to get Bertrand deep enough into the first game that the Irish have a full complement of arms available for the remainder of the weekend.
“You can do what we did last year and you can get a little deeper in the game, and then if you have (Tanner) Kohlhepp (the team’s highest-drafted player off last year’s team),” Jarrett said. “But if our bullpen hasn’t been as strong, we’re trying to decide if Bertrand on Friday gives you a better chance to get into the weekend where before, him on Saturday with Kohlhepp … but every team is different. The flexibility and the execution of the bullpen guys (is key).
“That was the whole point of (Tuesday’s win against Northern Illinois). Can we continue to dial these guys up a little bit so that they’re more prepared, and I think comfortable. I think they go out there prepared, but any freshman who’s thrown into an ACC football game or basketball game, there’s that little bit of newness of how they react to it that we’re trying to continue to feel and force and kind of let them settle.”
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, 7 p.m., Game 1: ND LHP John Michael Bertrand (4-0, 2.19 ERA) vs. FSU LHP Parker Messick (4-1, 2.84 ERA) ACCN+
Saturday, 2 p.m., Game 2: ND TBA vs. FSU LHP Bryce Hubbart (5-1, 2.17 ERA) ACCN+
Sunday, 1 p.m., Game 3: ND RHP Austin Temple (2-0, 2.42 ERA) vs. LHP Ross Dunn (1-1, 2.00 ERA) ACCN+
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