Game Thread | (G3) Pitt at No. 8 Notre Dame

Pitt (26-22, 12-13) at No. 8 Notre Dame (31-10, 15-8)

When: May 15

Time: 12:00 PM ET 

Where: Frank Eck Stadium | South Bend, Ind.

Watch: ACC Network 

QUICK FACTS

(Entering the weekend)

- The Irish own a 31-9 record (.775) at home under head coach Link Jarrett. They are 19-8 in ACC games at home under Jarrett.

- Notre Dame is eighth in the NCAA and first in the ACC in fielding percentage with a .983 mark this season. The Irish have committed 27 errors in 1,055 putout opportunities this season.

- The Irish rank 18th nationally and are third in the ACC in team ERA with 3.84.

- Notre Dame is 18-3-1 all-time in regular-season series under Jarrett. The Irish are 7-1-1 in ACC series at Frank Eck Stadium.

- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 29-24 and Pitt’s last series win against the Irish came in 2016. 

PROBABLE STARTERS
 

WHAT TO WATCH 

- It’s the home stretch for Notre Dame as there are just two more ACC weekends of play and this weekend’s series against Pitt will be the final home series of the year. 

- Notre Dame enters the weekend No. 11 in RPI while Pitt has risen to No. 61. 

- The Irish pitching staff will need to be sharp as Pitt has been efficient hitting the long ball this year. Pitt enters the series No. 31 in the country in home runs per game (1.48) and No. 35 in home runs. Tatem Levins and Ron Washington Jr. lead the Panthers in home runs with 13 each. Freshman infielder Tommy Tavarez has hit four in the last 17 games. 

- The series is huge for both teams as they fight for the postseason. There is little doubt the Irish will be in the field of 64, but it’s about hosting a regional and possibly a super regional. Taking the series would be huge for Notre Dame, but a sweep would likely be enormous. No. 7 Louisville travels to No. 4 Virginia Tech this weekend and No. 6 Miami is on the road in Tallahassee. The Irish will wrap the regular season at Miami next weekend.

- Notre Dame cruised in game one as the Irish scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Brook Coetzee III went three-for-four from the plate and hit his 10th home run of the year. John Michael Bertrand earned his seventh win of the year after he want 7.0 innings with nine strikeouts. 

- On Saturday, Notre Dame cruised 8-1 to take the series and it marked the 22nd time this season the Irish held an opponent to three runs or less. Also of note, Notre Dame is 22-0 in those games, so that’s something to watch heading into the postseason.

- Austin Temple had another big performance for Notre Dame as he struck out 10 in 4.2 innings. It was a career-high for Temple as he had hit nine three times earlier this season. 

Notre Dame Lineup

Pittsburgh Lineup 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Baseball Stack Performance T-Shirt