Notre Dame vs. Butler – Game Notes
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame baseball team looks to their home opener on Tuesday, March 18 against Butler.
Date |
Time (ET) |
Opponent |
Location |
Probable Starters |
TV |
Mar. 18 |
4:30 PM |
Butler |
Jake Kline Field – Frank Eck Stadium |
RHP Dylan Heine vs. RHP Colin Dailey |
ACCNX |
THE MATCHUP
- The Irish enter the midweek contest with an 11-6 overall record.
- The Bulldogs are 6-13 headed into Tuesday’s contest.
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series by a 70-15 margin.
- The Irish took an 11-2 win at home over Butler last season.
LAST TIME OUT
- Notre Dame took the final game of the series by a 7-3 score at No. 10 Clemson on Sunday.
- Jared Zimbardo hit a lead-off home run and Estevan Moreno added a two-run shot in the top of the first as Notre Dame took the lead and never looked back in a 7-4 win in the series finale.
- The Irish pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, and Chase Van Ameyde earned his first collegiate pitching win on the bump.
2025 CAPTAINS
The 2025 Irish baseball team will look to four captains to help guide the way this spring. John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler announced graduate students OF Brady Gumpf and RHP Jackson Dennies, senior RHP Radek Birkholz, and junior INF Estevan Moreno as team captains for the season.
- Gumpf has played in 92 career contests for the Irish heading into the spring season. He had a single-season career-high 48 games played in 2024 and boasted a .352 on-base percentage with 31 RBI, 12 doubles, and nine home runs.
- Dennies has 41 career appearances and 76.1 innings pitched over his career heading into 2025. During his 2023 campaign, Dennies struck out 49 batters over 46.1 innings of work.
- Birkholz has made 48 appearances with 83.0 innings of work over three seasons for the Irish. He went 3-0 on the mound during the 2024 season with 20 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over nine appearances.
- Moreno had a team-best .625 slugging percentage in 2024 with 13 home runs and 17 doubles. His 42 runs scored was third on the team, and he has competed in 100 games for the Irish through two seasons of play.
TOP TALENT
The Irish have four players listed in the D1baseball.com Preseason rankings by position.
- Junior Estevan Moreno was 24th on the Top 50 shortstops list.
- Sophomore Carson Tinney was tabbed 47th on the Top 50 catchers listing.
- Graduate student Jared Zimbardo was 40th on the Top 100 outfielders report.
- Junior Rory Fox was 106th on the Top 150 starting pitchers list.