Game Thread | (Doubleheader) No. 6 Louisville at Notre Dame
No. 6 Louisville (18-3, 2-2) at Notre Dame (11-8, 3-4)
When: March 26th
Time: 11:00 AM ET and 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game
Where: Frank Eck Stadium | South Bend, Ind.
Watch: ACC Network Extra
QUICK FACTS
- Louisville leads the all-time series 36-10.
- Notre Dame is 3-15 at home against the Cardinals.
- The Irish took game one 4-3 on Friday afternoon.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Saturday
| SCHOOL | NAME | RECORD (APPEARANCES) | ERA | IP | STRIKEOUTS |
| Notre Dame | LHP Jack Findlay | 3-0 | 1.99 | 22.2 | 35 |
| Louisville | LHP Greg Farone | 1-1 | 3.98 | 20.1 | 30 |
| SCHOOL | NAME | RECORD (APPEARANCES) | ERA | IP | STRIKEOUTS |
| Notre Dame | - | - | - | - | - |
| Louisville | RHP Carson Liggett | 4-0 | 1.75 | 25.2 | 27 |
WHAT TO WATCH
- Notre Dame took game one on Friday by not beating themselves and consistently putting the ball in play. Zack Prajzner, Jack Zyska, Carter Putz and TJ Williams all recorded two hits, while freshman Estevan Moreno hit the game-winning home run in the 6th inning.
- On the mound, Jack Dennies got the Irish rolling going 3.2 innings and giving up three hits and two runs while striking out four. Freshman Caden Spivey continued his emergence as he went 2.0 innings while Aidan Tyrell finished off the game pitching the final 3.1 innings giving up zero runs and just two hits.
- Where can Notre Dame get better? The Irish still need to be a bit more sound with two outs on defense. Louisville got rolling a couple times with two down and simply getting off the field when given the chance is the next baby step for Notre Dame.
- Shawn Stiffler needs to figure out the lead-off spot as it’s been a revolving door to this point. Jack Penney went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Friday and that can’t happen when facing Top 10 programs. Penney has struggled at the plate batting .172 on the year, but his glove is irreplaceable at third base. Stiffler has moved him around the lineup trying to help him, but Penney has to figure out how to get out of his slump.
Right now, DM Jefferson and TJ Williams would be interesting options at lead-off. Jefferson is batting .214 and Williams is at .191, but both need to be on the bases. It’s a tough call as there isn’t an obvious option, but 19 games in, it makes sense to try to get the fastest guys in that spot given the offensive inconsistency.
OFFENSIVE STATS (Entering the series)
| STAT | Louisville | Notre Dame |
| Batting Avg. | .321 | .210 |
| Runs | 170 | 97 |
| Hits | 215 | 123 |
| 2B | 44 | 22 |
| 3B | 9 | 3 |
| Home Runs | 23 | 15 |
| RBI | 155 | 88 |
| SLG% | .517 | .334 |
| Walks | 98 | 73 |
| Hit by Pitch | 38 | 41 |
| Strikeouts | 141 | 168 |
| OB% | .431 | .337 |
PITCHING STATS (Entering the series)
| STAT | Louisville | Notre Dame |
| ERA | 3.44 | 4.97 |
| Hits | 140 | 143 |
| Runs | 75 | 103 |
| ER | 68 | 85 |
| Walks | 84 | 66 |
| Strikeouts | 211 | 155 |
| Opponent Batting Avg. | .215 | .243 |
Notre Dame Lineup
| NAME | POSITION | BATTING AVERAGE |
| Zack Prajzner | SS | .286 |
| Jack Zyska | LF | .152 |
| Carter Putz | 1B | .294 |
| Brooks Coetzee | RF | .237 |
| Danny Neri | C | .260 |
| Estevan Moreno | 2B | .164 |
| DM Jefferson | DH | .214 |
| TJ Williams | CF | .191 |
| Jack Penney | 3B | .172 |
Louisville Lineup
| NAME | POSITION | BATTING AVERAGE |
| Christian Knapczyk | SS | .307 |
| Jack Payton | C | .422 |
| Patrick Forbes | LF | .326 |
| Ryan McCoy | 1B | .306 |
| JT Benson | LF | .396 |
| Eddie King Jr. | CF | .328 |
| Gavin Kilen | 2B | .333 |
| Logan Beard | 3B | .262 |
| Tucker Biven | DH | 1.000 |
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