Notre Dame Baseball Set to Welcome Four Grad Transfers
Notre Dame baseball is coming off a spring campaign that saw the Irish finish 27-25 (9-21), which included missing the ACC Tournament.
Head coach Shawn Stiffler made a significant change to the staff as the program moved on from assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Logan Robbins in June and hired Lucas Jones in July. Stiffler also promoted assistant coach Ryan Munger to hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.
In July, LHP Jack Findlay (St. Louis) and INF Jack Penney (Detroit) were drafted in and will begin their professional careers.
The Irish did welcome the nation’s No. 33 recruiting class to campus in June, which was headlined by outfielder Jayce Lee, infielder/outfielder Bino Watters and infielder Noah Coy.
Stiffler’s club will be without two key signees as RHP Cameron Sullivan (Cleveland) and LHP Brendan Tunink (Los Angeles) were drafted in July’s MLB Draft and opted for the minor leagues.
That said, Notre Dame was active in the Transfer Portal over the last month as the program will welcome four graduate transfers next week.
RHP Dylan Heine | Arkansas State
Heine had a big year at Arkansas State as a graduate transfer in 2024. He appeared in 14 games (2-2) and finished with an ERA of 4.65 and 30 strikeouts in 62.0 innings pitched. The New Jersey native was the only Arkansas State pitcher to start all 14 weekends.
Before Arkansas State, Heine spent 2020-2023 at Rider, where he saw action in 29 games and finished with a record of 6-7. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder held an ERA of 4.85 and struck out 77 in 102.0 innings.
RHP Clark Gilmore | Dartmouth
Notre Dame dipping into the Ivy League for grad transfers has been a common theme and the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder is the latest to choose the Irish. Gilmore made six starts and 12 appearances for the Big Green in 2024, but finished with a record of 0-5 (12.55 ERA) in 23.2 innings pitched.
Gilmore’s best game in 2024 came against Holy Cross in April, where he went 4.0 innings and struck out five. As a junior in 2023, Gilmore held a record of 2-5 (7.43 ERA) in 40.0 innings pitched.
The Connecticut native was named All-Patroit League in high school after striking out 50 batters as a junior, while he earned the same honors as a senior on the hardwood.
LHP Jack Walker | Toledo
The New Palestine (Ind.) native started his career at Indiana where he pitched from 2020-2022. Walker appeared in 10 games with one start for the Hoosiers and finished with a record of 1-0 (6.30 ERA) while recording 22 strikeouts in 20.0 innings.
In 2023, Walker transferred to Toledo, where he played in 15 games and made 12 starts. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder finished No. 2 on the team with 61 strikeouts, which included striking out eight against Miami (OH).
Walker pushed in just three games in 2024 and finished with four strikeouts in two innings.
OF Jared Zimbardo | Quinnipiac
The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder is a key pickup for Notre Dame as the Irish look to replace its starting outfield from last season.
Zimbardo was named second-team All-MAAC after a massive 2024 campaign that saw him bat .353 in 50 starts while adding seven home runs, 16 doubles, 34 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
It was the third consecutive season the New Jersey native tallied double-digit doubles and at least 50 hits. In 2023, Zimbardo tallied 15 doubles while adding a career-high 12 home runs and 45 RBI.
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