Notre Dame at North Florida – Game Notes
The 2025 Notre Dame baseball season officially gets underway as the Irish travel to North Florida for a three-game series from February 14-16. Under the guidance of John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Coach Shawn Stiffler, the Irish have 15 freshmen and four graduate student transfers joining 27 players with experience in the program in the 2025 campaign.
| Date/Time | Opponent | Location | Probable Rotation | TV |
| Feb. 14 / 6:30 p.m. | North Florida | Harmon Stadium | RHP Jack Radel vs. RHP Ryan Furey | ESPN+ |
| Feb. 15 / 3 p.m. | North Florida | Harmon Stadium | RHP Jackson Dennies vs. RHP Will Ross | ESPN+ |
| Feb. 16 / 11 a.m. | North Florida | Harmon Stadium | RHP Dylan Heine vs. RHP Jordan Wimpelburg | ESPN+ |
It is the season opener for both teams.
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.
EXPERIENCE ON THE MOUND
The Irish return eight pitchers who threw at least 11.0 innings in 2024. The returning members of the pitching staff also account for more than 30 starts on the mound a season ago. Sophomore RHP Jack Radel (53.0 IP, 39 Ks), junior RHP Rory Fox (50.0 IP, 38 Ks), and senior RHP Ricky Reeth (48.1 IP, 38Ks) lead the way among the Irish veterans in both workload and strikeouts.
Also back on the bump for the Irish in 2025 with at least 11.0 IP last season are:
- RHP Tobey McDonough (31.0 IP)
- RHP Radek Birkholz (17.1 IP)
- RHP DJ Helwig (15.1 IP)
- RHP Sammy Cooper (11.0 IP)
- RHP Jackson Dennies (11.0 IP)
POSITION BREAKDOWN
CATCHERS
- Carson Tinney is set to return from an injury that sidelined him in 2024. The sophomore had 15 starts and 28 appearances with better than a .265 batting average. Joey Spence made 37 appearances for the Irish a year ago and hit over .275.
- Davis Johnson saw time behind the plate in his freshman campaign, and has gained valuable experience over the last year.
INFIELDERS
- Estevan Moreno will anchor the infield as the junior makes the move to shortstop in 2025. Senior Nick DeMarco’s offseason efforts in the Northwoods League and on campus have him in line to start at third base this spring. Noah Coy is likely to get the nod to start at second base in his freshman season, and Connor Hincks has shown versatility while becoming a key first baseman for the Irish.
- Freshmen Bino Watters and Parker Brzustewicz – who both hail from Rochester Hills, Michigan – will likely be in the mix from day one for the Irish. Watters is a frontrunner for the team at the designated hitter slot but also plays first base and outfield. Brzustewicz, meanwhile, is an option in both the infield and outfield.
OUTFIELDERS
- Veterans and newcomers alike will fill the green in the outfield in 2025. Senior DM Jefferson is likely to anchor the efforts in center field while graduate student and South Bend native Brady Gumpf was the mainstay for the squad a year ago in right field.
- Graduate transfer Jared Zimbardo joins the Irish from Quinnipiac, where he posted over 180 hits, nearly 140 runs, over 100 RBI, 25 home runs, eight triples, and 43 doubles in four seasons with a .303 batting average.
- Freshman Jayce Lee is also a frontrunner for the Irish in the outfield. Another South Bend native, Lee was a two-sport standout in baseball and basketball, brining another athletic option to the squad.
STARTING PITCHERS
- Sophomore RHP Jack Radel, graduate student RHP Jackson Dennies, and graduate student RHP Dylan Heine are slated to start the opening series for the Irish.
- Sophomore RHP DJ Helwig and graduate transfer RHP Dylan Heine will also be in contention for starting pitching opportunities.
RELIEF PITCHERS
- The Irish have depth in the middle and late relief pitching corps in 2025. Senior RHP Radek Birkholz, senior RHP Ricky Reeth, graduate student RHP Tobey McDonough, graudate student transfer LHP Jack Walker, and graduate student transfer RHP Clark Gilmore all bring a wealth of experience to the bullpen.
- Several freshmen will also have their numbers called to the mound. RHP Chase Van Ameyde, RHP Kellan Klosterman, and LHP Brady Koester will all likely be in line for time early and throughout the season in the Irish pitching plan.