Game Thread | College World Series: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma

College World Series: Notre Dame (41-15) vs. Oklahoma (43-22) 

When: June 19

Time: 7:00 PM ET 

Where: Charles Schwab Field | Omaha, Neb.

Watch: ESPN2 

QUICK FACTS

(Entering the weekend)

- Notre Dame is 52-21 (.712) away from Frank Eck Stadium under head coach Link Jarrett. In 2022, the Irish are 12-9 in true road games and 11-3 in neutral site games.

- The Irish are 85-30 (.739) 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 13th in the NCAA and first in the ACC in fielding percentage with a .980 mark this season. The Irish have committed 41 errors in 1,475 putout opportunities this season.

- The Irish rank 12th nationally and are first in the ACC in team ERA with 3.95. They have given up 216 earned runs in 491.2 innings this season.

- The Irish are sixth in the NCAA and first in the ACC with 7.67 hits allowed per nine innings. They have given up 419 hits in 491.2 innings pitched this season.

- Notre Dame allowed three runs or less for the 28th time this season in the 7-3 win over No. 1 Tennessee on June 12. They are 28-0 this season and 54-2 overall under Jarrett in games they allow three runs or less.

- The Irish set a program record for most home runs in a single season with 75 heading into the College World Series. The previous record of 73 was broken in the final game of the Knoxville Super Regional on June 12.

- Notre Dame is the only school in the country to have a team in the College World Series, both March Madness tournaments and a New Year’s Six bowl game.

- Oklahoma is making its 19th MCWS appearance, but 2022 marks the first since 2010. 

PROBABLE STARTERS
 

WHAT TO WATCH 

- Notre Dame is hot, but the Sooners might be one of the hottest teams in college baseball over the last two months. Oklahoma was 18-12 on April 12th, then the Sooners closed strong with a 24-10 record including winning the Big 12 Tournament. 

- The Sooners aren’t going to blow you away on paper as they entered the weekend with a team batting average of .297 and averaging 7.7 runs, 10.0 hits, 70 home runs and 3.4 extra-base hits per game. On the mound, Oklahoma holds a 5.41 ERA, 585 strikeouts, 228 walks and allows opponents to bat .275. 

- Oklahoma isn’t Texas or Tennessee, but they have some dangerous firepower in the lineup. Redshirt sophomore Blake Robertson ranks No. 2 in the country in walks per game (1.02) and No. 12 in double (22). Peyton Graham, another redshirt sophomore and a top draft prospect, leads the Sooners in home runs (20) and RBI (71). 

- The Sooners dropped 13 runs on Texas A&M on Friday, which included a grand slam from Jackson Nicklaus. 

- Perhaps the game within the game will be on the basepaths. Notre Dame has shown the ability to be aggressive on the bases, while the Sooners enter the game No. 10 in the country in stolen bases. Notre Dame catcher David LaManna has been sharp this season when it comes to managing runners and he’ll need to manage the bases on Sunday night. 

- Notre Dame will need to continue to play its style of ball and not change for Oklahoma - or anyone. It clearly works, but the bigger the moment, the more players tend to feel the need to do more. The Irish are experienced, so it might not be a factor, but it’s something to watch. 

- RHP Austin Temple was up and down in his last outing as he went 3.0 IP while giving up three hits and two runs on 64 pitches against Tennessee. It was an outlier as Temple gave up three walks and just one strikeout. If Temple has his slider and curveball going, Oklahoma will find life very difficult at the plate. Temple has recorded eight or more strikeouts five times this season. 

- RHP Cade Horton has given up five runs in his last three starts (17.2 IP), which isn’t shabby considering they’ve come against Texas, Florida and Virginia Tech. In his last outing against Virginia Tech, Horton went 6.0 IP while giving up two hits, two runs (both earned), two walks and eight strikeouts. Horton’s fastball sits around 96-98 mph. 

Notre Dame Lineup

Oklahoma Lineup

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Performance Replica Baseball Jersey