Game Thread | Notre Dame at No. 1 Tennessee

Notre Dame (38-14) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (56-7) 

When: June 10

Time: 6:00 PM ET 

Where: Lindsey Nelson Stadium | Knoxville, Tenn. 

Watch: ESPN2 | Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson

QUICK FACTS

(Entering the weekend)

- Notre Dame is 50-20 (.714) away from Frank Eck Stadium under head coach Link Jarrett. In 2022, the Irish are 10-8 in true road games and 11-3 in neutral site games.

- The Irish are 83-29 (.741) since the start of the 2020 season. That winning percentage ranks second in the NCAA over the past three seasons, trailing only Tennessee.

- Notre Dame is 14th in the NCAA and first in the ACC in fielding percentage with a .980 mark this season. The Irish have committed 39 errors in 1,394 putout opportunities this season.

- The Irish rank seventh nationally and are first in the ACC in team ERA with 3.82. They have given up 197 earned runs in 464.2 innings this season.

- Notre Dame is 10th in the NCAA and first in the ACC with a 1.27 WHIP this season. They have surrendered 393 hits and 197 walks in 464.2 innings pitched.

- The Irish rank fourth in the NCAA and first in the ACC in strikeouts per nine innings with 11.0. The Irish pitching staff has struck out 569 batters in 464.2 innings this season.

- Notre Dame is 27-0 this season and 53-2 overall under Jarrett in games they allow three runs or less.

- The Irish allowed just seven runs in the three games at the Statesboro Regional.  It was the second fewest runs scored in the Regional Round behind Texas (6).

- Tennessee is 37-3 in games at home this season. 

- The Volunteers bring one of the top offenses in the country into the weekend as they lead the NCAA in home runs (150), runs (592) and slugging percentage (.607). Tennessee also leads the nation in ERA (2.38), hits allowed per nine innings (6.34) and WHIP (0.980).

- The Irish also have one of the best pitching staffs in the country heading into the weekend. They rank fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.0), seventh in ERA (3.72) and hits allowed per nine innings (7.61) and 10th in WHIP (1.27).

- This will be the second time in program history that the Irish will face the No. 1 overall seed in the Super Regionals. Back in 2002, Notre Dame traveled to Tallahassee to face the top-ranked Seminoles in the supers. The Irish won the first and third game to advance to the College World Series for the second time in program history.

PROBABLE STARTERS
 

WHAT TO WATCH 

- The atmosphere and environment are the best in college baseball, which also means it’s going to be the most hostile stadium the Irish have played in to this point. If the Vols get any momentum, Notre Dame will need to end it as Tennessee is capable of exploding at any point. 

- Pitch location will be crucial for Notre Dame. Tennessee’s lineup never ends and the Vols keep coming. The Irish have risen to the occasion all season, but they will need to take a step forward this weekend if they want to get to Omaha. 

- Notre Dame scored just 11 runs in three games in Statesboro and that won’t come close to cutting it against Tennessee. The Irish will need to find a way to get on base against one of the nation’s top pitching staffs, but then move runners around the bases. Notre Dame will need to find its offense that hasn’t been present the last two weekends. 

- Link Jarrett’s club will also need to maintain composure on Friday. As mentioned, the atmosphere will be different and it took Notre Dame a few innings to adjust to Starkville last year. That experience should help the Irish know what to expect in Knoxville, but executing is always a different story. 

- ISD’s John Brice will be returning home to Knoxville to provide boots on the ground. 

Notre Dame Lineup

Tennessee Lineup

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Engraved Shamrock Stemless Wine Glasses