Game Thread | No. 8 Notre Dame at Northwestern

No. 8 Notre Dame (31-11) at Northwestern (22-25) 

When: May 17

Time: 4:00 PM ET 

Where: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park | Evanston, Ill.

Watch: B1G 10+

QUICK FACTS

- The Irish own a 32-13 record (.711) on the road under head coach Link Jarrett.

- Notre Dame is ninth in the NCAA and first in the ACC in fielding percentage with a .982 mark this season. The Irish have committed 29 errors in 1,136 putout opportunities this season.

- The Irish rank 14th nationally and are third in the ACC in team ERA with 3.76. They have given up 158 earned runs in 378.2 innings this season.

- Notre Dame is 12th in the NCAA and second in the ACC with a 1.25 WHIP this season. They have surrendered 310 hits and 162 walks in 378.2 innings pitched.

- The Irish are 13-1 in mid-week games during Link Jarrett’s tenure. They are 8-1 this season

PROBABLE STARTERS
 

WHAT TO WATCH 

- Tuesday’s game is an important one for NCAA Tournament seeding as every win counts with just one regular-season weekend left before the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. 

- It’s also a big day for starter Liam Simon as he’s been up and down this year. Simon’s appearances are down with the emergence of freshmen Jack Findlay, Roman Kimball and Radek Birkholz, but the junior will be counted on at some this in postseason play. Simon throws around 97-98 (and hit 99 a few times), so getting his confidence up on Tuesday could be a good omen for the next few weeks. 

- The non-conference game will also be another chance to work lineups as Jared Miller is out with a dislocated shoulder. Freshman Jack Penney got the call and responded over the weekend as he went 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and a double. 

If the Irish get up early, it could serve as a chance to get freshman Nick DeMarco work as he could play 2B, SS or possibly third base. Link Jarrett might want to get a look at who could play 3B if they have to use Jack Brannigan at pitcher in Miller’s absence. Penney has been Brannigan’s backup for most of the year, so shifting him to third and DeMarco to second could be a possibility. 

- Tuesday will also be a final tuneup before a top 10 clash at Miami this weekend. 

- The first matchup in South Bend with Northwestern was canceled as the Wildcats didn’t have a bus driver. 

Notre Dame Lineup

Northwestern Lineup 

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