NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame baseball team had one of its bests seasons in almost 20 years in head coach Link Jarrett’s first full season with the Irish. After being selected 13th out of 14 teams in the ACC preseason poll, the Irish marched through the conference slate to claim their first ACC Atlantic Division title and the No. 1 seed heading into the ACC Championship. The Irish finished with a four and a half game lead over the second place team in the conference after a regular season that consisted of 12 ACC weekends instead of the usual 10.
During the regular season, the Irish went 10-1-1 in conference weekends and did not drop an ACC series until the second weekend of May which was the 11th series of the season. Notre Dame soared as high as No. 2 in the polls, the highest ranking since 2001 when they were the No. 1 team in the nation. The Irish reached the postseason for the first time since 2015 and earned a Regional Host for the first time since 2004. They breezed through the South Bend Regional to claim their first Super Regional Appearance since 2002. Notre Dame took eventual National Champion Mississippi State to a decisive game three before the season came to an end in the Super Regionals.
After a successful season such as the 2021 campaign, a number of records and accomplishments were set during the year. See the list below for a running list of all the awards and accolades that were achieved in the 2021 season.
TEAM ACCOLADES
- First ACC Atlantic Division Championship since joining the league in 2014.
- First Regular Season Championship since 2006.
- Reached No. 2 in the polls during the regular season.
- Highest ranking since 2001 when they were ranked No. 1
- First postseason berth since 2015
- Hosted a Regional for the first time since 2004
- Reached the Super Regionals for the first time since 2002
- Won 10 conference series on the year, the most ever in a single season in program history
- 25 conference wins ties for the most ever in program history with the 1990 team that was in the Mid-Western Collegiate Conference.
- Won 16 road games, the most since the 1993 season when they won 20 road contests.
- Have won seven consecutive road conference series dating back to the 2020 season. It is the most consecutive road series wins since the 1991-1993 seasons when the Irish won seven in a row back in the Mid-Western Collegiate Conference.
Link Jarrett
- Named ACC Coach of the Year, the first Irish manager to earn conference coach of the year award since Paul Mainieri in 2001
- Also named ABCA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year.
- Third coach in program history to bring the Irish to the postseason within his first two seasons as manager. Joins Paul Mainieri and Paul Murphy as the group of skippers who have achieved that feat.
PLAYER ACCOLADES
Niko Kavadas
- Set the program record for most home runs in a single season with 22.
- Broke Frank Jacobs record of 20 that was set back in 1991.
- Finished second all-time for highest slugging percentage in a single season with .767.
- Tied with Brant Ust for second all-time for most home runs in an Irish career with 46.
- Finished fourth all-time for highest on-base plus slugging percentage in a single season with 1.240.
- First Irish player to have multiple First Team All-American awards in the same season since Steve Stanley back in 2002.
- Kavadas Awards – Second Team Preseason All-American (Perfect Game), Third Team Preseason All-American (Baseball America), Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Midseason Watch List, Dick Howser Award Semifinalist, Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, First Team All-ACC, ABCA Midwest All-Region Second Team, South Bend Regional Most Outstanding Player, First Team All-American (Perfect Game, D1Baseball & Baseball America)
Tanner Kohlhepp
- One of four players to earn All-ACC awards after the season, the most since the Irish joined the league in 2014.
- Kohlhepp Awards – D1Baseball Third Team All-American, ABCA Midwest All-Region First Team, Second Team All-ACC, NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
John Michael Bertrand
- Was one of two players to earn First Team All-ACC honors, the first time an Irish player has earned the award since joining the league in 2014.
- Tossed a complete game shutout in the South Bend Regional against Central Michigan, the first Irish pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in the postseason since Danny Tamayo back in 2000.
- Bertrand Awards – First Team All-ACC, South Bend Regional All-Tournament Team, ACC Pitcher of the Week (5/10)
Carter Putz
- Second Team All-ACC
- South Bend Regional All-Tournament Team
Brooks Coetzee
- South Bend Regional All-Tournament Team
Jack Brannigan
- South Bend Regional All-Tournament Team
Ryan Cole
- South Bend Regional All-Tournament Team
Zack Prajzner
- ACC Championship All-Tournament Team
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