Game Thread | (Doubleheader) No. 13 North Carolina at Notre Dame

No. 13 North Carolina (19-7, 5-3) at Notre Dame (4-6, 13-10)

When: April 2nd

Time: 12:00 PM ET | 3:30 PM ET

Where: Frank Eck Stadium | South Bend, Ind.

Watch: ACC Network Extra

QUICK FACTS

- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 12-8.

- The Irish are 7-3 against the Tar Heels at Frank Eck. 

- North Carolina used a 6-run explosion in the top of the 9th to erase an 8-4 deficit and take game one on Friday. 

PROBABLE STARTERS

WHAT TO WATCH 

- Notre Dame used four home runs on Friday to take a commanding 8-4 lead heading into the final frame, but the Tar Heels bats came alive on the reliable Carter Bosch. North Carolina entered the 9th with just four hits, but that quickly changed as the Tar Heels recorded six hits, including a grand slam to take the lead. 

The inning was an outlier, yet it doesn’t change the fact it was one of those demoralizing losses as the Irish were in full control of the game. It will be interesting to see how Shawn Stiffler’s team reacts on Sunday afternoon.

- Stiffler does have an issue in his lineup right now as Jack Penney and Jack Zyska are really struggling at the plate. The Irish need Penney’s glove at third, but where does he fall in the lineup? It’s a tough call. For Zyska, it’s a tough call as he’s proven he can play at a high level and the Irish definitely needs his home run power in the lineup. Yet, Zyska has just two doubles, one home run and six hits in 15 games. The Irish really need both to recapture the focus and production from the end of last year.

- On the mound, Blake Hely got off to a rough start, but rebounded to finish very strong on Friday. If he can cut down on the walks and hit batters, Notre Dame will be in better shape. Radek Birkholz had a strong showing as well and it was much needed for his confidence. He has all the talent in the world and as a sophomore, he’s still growing. Ryan Lynch had another good outing as he saw one batter and struck him out on three pitches. Lynch stepping his game up could be extremely beneficial to the pen. 

- Notre Dame will have its core ready to go on Sunday as Jack Findlay and Jackson Dennies will get the starting nods while Aiden Tyrell, Will Mercer and Caden Spivey will be read to come out of the pen. Sammy Cooper pitched the final three outs on Friday, so he could be used today if needed too. 

- For Notre Dame, Sunday comes down to scoring runs. The Irish are facing another powerful lineup and will have to score even with having its best arms on the bump. 

OFFENSIVE STATS (Entering the series)

PITCHING STATS (Entering the series) 

Notre Dame Lineup

North Carolina Lineup

Vineyard Vines Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish Bradley Stripe Sankaty Polo