Game Thread | (Doubleheader) Notre Dame at No. 4 Wake Forest

Notre Dame (8-6, 1-2) at No. 4 Wake Forest (16-2, 2-1) 

When: March 18th

Time: Game 1: 12:00 PM ET | Game 2: 4:00 PM ET

Where: David F. Couch Ballpark | Winston-Salem, N.C.

Watch: ACC Network Extra

QUICK FACTS

- Wake Forest leads the all-time series 16-14. 

- Notre Dame is 5-9 at Wake Forest. 

- The Irish swept Wake Forest last season and it included a 21-3 win in game two. 

- Notre Dame went 2-0 against Saint Joseph’s this week as the two teams met in Holly Springs, N.C.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Game One 

Game Two 

Saturday 

WHAT TO WATCH 

- Notre Dame will face the No. 4 team in the country this weekend and it will be a stiff challenge for Shawn Stiffler’s program. The Demon Deacons lead the ACC in runs scored (195), RBIs (173) and walks (143). Wake Forest ranks No. 2 in home runs with 38. 

On the mound, Wake Forest ranks No. 1 in ERA (2.45), strikeouts (235), walks (46) and opponent batting average (.185). 

Wake Forest is impressive on paper, but Notre Dame’s veterans came back to play in these games and have finally found some consistency at the plate over the last week as Notre Dame’s team batting average now sits at .214. 

- For Notre Dame to take the series, the Irish will not only need to find offense, but it’s pitchers will need to be sharp. Stiffler has looked at his starting pitchers as openers as the Irish hope to get three or four innings out of them before bringing in arms from the pen. 

It’s an interesting strategy, but it’s hard to pinpoint a set starter for the Irish. LHP Jack Findlay seems like the most logical, but his best work this year (and last year) has come in relief. Findlay sits No. 14 in the ACC in strikeouts with 25 and fewer innings (17.0) than all but one pitcher in front of him. 

- One bright spot over the last week has been freshman RHP Caden Spivey. The Georgia native made his debut over the weekend and then got a few innings in the mid-week series. Spivey went 3.0 innings giving up just two hits, zero runs, zero walks and four strikeouts. 

- Pitching might not matter with Wake Forest’s firepower on offense, so it could come down to Notre Dame’s bats. Carter Putz hit two home runs against St. Joseph’s while Danny Neri and Jack Penney also hit home runs this week and last weekend against Georgia Tech. 

If all else fails, Notre Dame can get Brooks Coetzee to the plate. Coetzee was hit four times on Wednesday afternoon. Coetzee has been hit by a pitch 16 times in 14 games and now leads the country in the category. 

OFFENSIVE STATS 

PITCHING STATS

Notre Dame Lineup

Wake Forest Lineup

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