March 16, 2018
By Megan Golden
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The University of Notre Dame baseball team continues its stretch of 19 straight games away from home with the final leg of its spring break trip, a three-game weekend series at No. 7 Florida State. The Irish (7-8) face their second top-10 opponent in the Seminoles (14-3) and will compete in their second conference series of the season.
Notre Dame will rely on its trio of weekend starters — Scott Tully, Tommy Sheehan and Cameron Junker — to battle a daunting Seminole rotation.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete in an environment like Florida State,” Tully said. “Similar to LSU, it’s a program and fanbase with a storied history, but we know that if we trust our preparation and stick to our process we can go to battle with anyone in the country.”
WHAT: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
WHEN: Friday, March 16 at 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 17 at 2 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 18 at noon ET
WHERE: Dick Howser Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)
LIVE STREAM: ACC Network Extra
RADIO: Click here.
LIVE STATS: Click here.
Series History
Notre Dame trails the all-time series against Florida State, owning a 7-15 record, including a 3-11 mark at Florida State.
The Irish are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Seminoles.
Irish vs. Top 10
The Irish are 2-1 against top-10 teams this season after winning their series opener at then-No. 9 LSU at Alex Box Stadium.
Notre Dame’s win over the Tigers on Feb. 17 marked the team’s first regular-season win against a top-10 team since April 10-12, 2015, when the Irish swept then-No. 7 Florida State at home.
Kerschner Heats Up
Irish senior Alex Kerschner has appeared in each of the last five games (four starts) and hit .333 (6-18) with three extra-base hits, four runs and three RBI. Kerschner was responsible for the pinch-hit, game-winning double against Miami in the only game in which he did not make the start during that span.
In 12 games this season, Kerschner ranks third among Irish hitters with a .321 average (9-28) with three doubles, seven runs scored and four RBI. Kerschner owns a .441 on-base percentage.
Series Notes
- Notre Dame’s weekend rotation remains the same with southpaw Scott Tully starting on Friday, left-hander Tommy Sheehan throwing on Saturday and right-hander Cameron Junker on Sunday.
- Nick Podkul has reached base safely in 21 straight games, dating back to 2017. The second baseman has hit .405 (32-79) with eight doubles, two triples, one home run and 20 RBI during that span.
- David LaManna has reached base safely in 14 of 15 career games.
- Daniel Jung is two hits away from reaching 50 in his career, and Nick Podkul is four RBI away from totaling 50 in his career.
Each of the games at Florida State will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra as well as on 103.1 FM (South Bend)/WatchND.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the Irish baseball program, follow @NDBaseball on Twitter and @NotreDameBaseball on Instagram. For tickets to an Irish baseball game, click here.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame baseball and women’s soccer programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.