March 1, 2018
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame baseball team travels to Florida to host its first Kissimmee Irish Classic at Osceola County Stadium. The Irish will play one game against Youngstown State, Seton Hall and Seattle.
After winning its opening weekend series at then-No. 9 LSU and splitting four games in the Alamo Irish Classic, Notre Dame will need to carry the momentum into the remainder of its schedule, regardless of its opponent on any given day.
“I think we have learned that no matter who we are playing, we have to bring the same energy everyday,” Irish shortstop Cole Daily said.
WHAT: Kissimmee Irish Classic
WHEN: Friday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET vs. Youngstown State
Saturday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. ET vs. Seton Hall
Sunday, March 4 at 9 a.m. ET vs. Seattle
WHERE: Osceola Heritage Stadium (Kissimmee, Fla.)
LIVE STATS: Click .
RADIO: 103.1 FM (South Bend)/WatchND
Series History
Notre Dame topped Youngstown State 6-3 in the only game the two schools have played. The Irish last faced YSU on March 1, 2014, in Cary, North Carolina.
The Irish lead the all-time series against Seton Hall, 36-17 and have gone 3-1 at a neutral site. Notre Dame has won three straight against the Pirates, including a BIG EAST Championship first round victory in 2013, when Notre Dame defeated Seton Hall, 5-0, in Clearwater, Fla.
Notre Dame trails the all-time series against Seattle, dropping the team’s only three-game series in Seattle, 2-1, from Feb. 25-26, 2011.
Don’t Run on LaManna
Freshman catcher David LaManna threw out four base runners in Notre Dame’s 4-2 walk-off victory over Purdue on Feb. 24. The following day, LaManna tacked on another assist, catching an additional attempted base stealer.
In seven games (six starts) at catcher, LaManna owns 10 assists.
Tournament Notes
- Notre Dame junior Nick Podkul is in control of a 13-game hitting streak, dating back to 2017. Podkul has hit .440 (22-50) with six doubles, one triple and 11 RBI during that span.
- Senior Jake Johnson owns a 14-game on-base streak, dating back to last season.
- Junior Cole Daily is tied for second in the country in stolen bases, going a perfect 7-for-7 on the base paths. Daily’s seven steals pace an Irish team that has stolen 17 bases in 20 attempts.
- Sixteen of Notre Dame’s 42 RBI this season have come courtesy of a member of the freshman class.
- Notre Dame ranks fourth in the ACC in batting average, hitting at a .292 clip as a team.
- The Irish lead the conference with 17 stolen bases.
- Notre Dame ranks third in the conference in fielding percentage (0.981) after committing five errors this season.
Sunday’s Notre Dame game will be available on 103.1 FM, and all three games will be available on 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.
–ND–
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.