Notre Dame baseball coach Shawn Stiffler spoke this week as the Irish prepare to open the season at North Florida.
Opening statement
“It’s really exciting to get to Florida. It’s exciting to get kicked off with this group and team. We’ve done a great job preparing really from the start of the fall. It’s eight months of work you put in to get to these moments. When you talk about recruiting, it’s years for some of these guys to get here. To have the opportunity and to get started is really exciting. I’m really looking forward to seeing how these guys play and to face somebody else.”
On the strengths of this team:
”It’s going to have to start with our pitching. It’s time for that group to emerge. Over the last two years, they’ve really been ahead at the position where recruiting has been. We’re returning 30 starts within the program right now. You can’t look past it. It can’t be a weakness. We’ve done a good job of solidifying some pieces in that back end. If you look at last year, one thing you would look at would be close losses, 1-2 run losses. A lot of that had to do with the last 12 outs of the game, where we couldn’t quite matchup the way we wanted to. Some of that had to do with left-handed pitching, starting pitching that couldn’t get us deep enough, and you’re going to have back end stuff. We think we fixed some of that stuff with different angles, and different stuff and added some left-handed pitching. We think the maturity of our starting pitching should be able to go get us 3-6 more outs on the front end of the game that can help us keep those arms a little fresher on the back end. It has to start there.
“Once you get past that, I think it’s going to be the versatility and the amount of guys we’re going to be able to use this year. We’re much more athletic than we’ve been over the last two years. There’s a lot of youth there and I’m not going to hide from that. I don’t think there will be a day that the lineup’s written without three or possibly four freshmen in it. That’s going to be something we have to continue to work with throughout the year and continue to mold.
“The entire outfield can play all three outfield positions. We have versatility on the corners, versatility and depth in the catching position if everyone stays healthy. Things we’ve lacked over the last two years. Excited about that.
“The last piece of our strengths is the leadership of our captain group. Guys who have been Omaha players in this program. Guys who really care about this university and are program first. You mix that enthusiasm with that type of leadership and youth, that’s something I’m really excited about as well. It’s an exciting group.
“We’re going to be a fun group. We’re going to be a group that will be easy to cheer for. They’re going have great stories.”
On starting pitching rotation:
”We’re going to go Jack Radel on Friday night, Jackson Dennies will go Saturday and Rory Fox will go Sunday. We got maybe some weather down there, so there’s a chance for a doubleheader. Too early in the year to really get some of these guys off their throw patterns with where they’re at right now. We’ll see how that plays if we do play a doubleheader. Those three guys will get us started.”
On expediting growth for freshmen Noah Coy (INF), Jayce Lee (OF), Bino Watters (INF/OF) and Parker Brzustewicz (INF):
“Throw them in there. It’s going to be one of those things where they’re going to have to learn on the fly. We’re going to have to deal with that all year. They’re going to have to go through the ups and downs of a college baseball season.
They’re going to have a lot of firsts. They will have their first opportunity to play the opening weekend. Then you’re going to have your first slump and first taste of ACC play, so there’s going to be things we’re going to have to continue to coach throughout the year. We’re not going to just stop and say this is the theme right now. The theme is going to change and what the team needs is going to change.
“We’re going to have to get those guys out there. They’re a big part of what we’ve done up to this point. All these guys will tell you they’ve played a huge part of our intrasquads and preseason training. We need to get those guys out there as much as possible. We’re going to have to be smart about it at times too.”
On the newcomers on the roster:
”We’ll start with Noah Coy at second base. He’s the one guy who I know will be penciled in there. He’s going to play in the middle of the field for us. Noah’s a versatile infielder and I think he could play all three infield positions and play centerfield if we needed him to. Athletic guy. He fits to be at the top of the order. If he’s going to be there all year, that will be up to how his play is. He’s certainly going to get in there early.
“Bino Watters has stood out with the bat. He’s a guy who has hit from the moment he’s gotten in here. Left-handed hitter with advanced power but also an advanced approach. Just as good in two strikes as he is in advantage counts. Mature approach for his age. He’s going to be able to fill in at DH, corner outfield and first base. He missed some time in the fall. He’s coming back from a knee procedure he had in the summertime. He got a little late start, so defensively, the reps are a little behind. We’re going to have to get him in there for sure.
“Jayce Lee is going to play a factor in that outfield. The second semester, he’s come out and been a prolific hitter. Local guy from South Bend, St. Joe High School. When you see him, he’s what they look like. 6-foot-4, athletic, strong and can play all three outfield positions. He’s a guy who is going to factor in really quickly to the opening weekend. He’s going to be that guy we’re going to look to rely on.
“The biggest surprise to the positional side has been Parker Brzustewicz. Parker has come in and really hit since he walked on campus. He’s a utility player because we’re trying to find a place for his bat to go. He came in as a corner infielder. He’s going to play third and first. He’s going to play some outfield and DH as well with Bino. Those four guys are going to factor in pretty quickly.
“Jared Zimbardo is another one. He’s a newcomer because he’s a grad transfer. Zim has been a sparkplug for us since he’s walked on campus. He probably has the most experience of any of our positional players in the entire program when it comes to at-bats. He can play all three outfield positions, hit at the top or bottom of the lineup and has the ability to drive the baseball. We’re going to need to get some production out of him.
“It’s also about some of the returning guys who haven’t played a big role as well. Nick DeMarco is someone who hasn’t had a ton of opportunities in the program since he’s been here. Probably more my fault than anyone. Athletic. Can really defend third base. We’ve been really exceptional on the left side of the infield in the two years I’ve been here. Guys like Zack Prajnzer and Jack Penney playing over there. Nick DeMarco and Estevan (Moreno) are going to fill right in there on that left side. Tough guy, blue collar at-bats,m on base percentage guy, hit by pitch, walks. He has the ability to slug when he needs to.
“The two sophomore catchers, Carson Tinney and Davis Johnson. Carson was a guy coming on the scene last year when injuries sidetracked him. He’s a guy who has the chance to be a premier catcher in this league if he stays healthy. Davis Johnson has been one of the guys I’m most impressed with from freshman to sophomore year. He probably only has six at-bats in his career so far, but he had a good summer and looks like he’s ready to contribute as the No. 2 catcher.
“We have the returners too. Connor Hincks did an unbelievable job last year for us. Productive player. Brady (Gumpf) has continued to get better every year. He’s going to come in there as practically an everyday player. DM Jefferson, we expect a big year and we need a big year. I think everyone is cheering for him and he’s really confident right now. He’s going to play a lot of time in centerfield.
“I told the team, if your thought process is I’m hitting in this position in the lineup and playing this position in the field for 56 games, you’re going to be disappointed. We’re going to use a lot of players. We’re going to use a lot of different matchups until we figure out what our formula is and how we’re going to win baseball games. They’re going to have to get their mind around that as well.
“There’s newcomers on the mound. It starts with Dylan Heine, a transfer from Arkansas State. He had 14 starts for Arkansas State last year. I would feel confident with him starting games for us. In fact, it probably won’t be long until he does get that opportunity at some point. I do think bullpens need aces in them. You need guys who can win games and be swing in those positions. When you have guys like Dylan who can fall in there - Radek Birkholz falls in there. Another guy, Ricky Reeth, is coming back. He did a good job for us last year. I think Heine is going to fill in and help create some depth in that bullpen.
“Chase Van Ameyde is one of those guys we think is going to help us in the back end. Throws from a different angle. Low angle. He has the ability to get the fastball up to 92-93 mph from his shoelaces. You’re talking about some stuff people don’t see very often. He’s going to help us close out some baseball games.
Kellen Klosterman is the one freshman arm I could see getting those mid-week starts, pitching out of the bullpen early. He’s been up to 95-96 in the early spring. He has power breaking ball, so we’re looking forward to those guys maturing.”
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