The Notre Dame baseball team flashed its new portal power Friday night in its 2024 season opener at Rice.
Six of the team’s nine grad transfers figured in prominently, with four cracking the starting lineup and two combining to pitch shutout ball over the final three innings of ND’s 3-1 victory in Houston in the opening game of a three-game series with the Owls (0-1).
The Irish (1-0) scratched out just three hits against coach Jose Cruz Jr.’s Rice squad but made the most of seven walks and three hit batsmen to win the first of 18 road games in a 19-game stretch to start the season.
Michigan transfer outfielder Tito Flores collected two of the Irish hits. Former St. John’s outfielder David Glancy drove in ND’s first run of the season on a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning. Notre Dame then took the lead for good with a two-run fifth.
UCLA transfer first baseman Josh Hahn put the Irish ahead when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Tulane transfer third baseman Simon Baumgardt scored Jack Penney on a ground ball for a 3-1 Irish lead.
Penney has moved to shortstop this season.
Evansville transfer Nate Hardman, a 6-2 right-hander, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save. He was preceded by Davidson transfer righty Bennett Flynn, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and former Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American.
Flynn gave up a hit and a walk while striking out three.
Junior Radek Birkholz picked up the win, with three hitless innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth. He also walked one and struck out three.
Sophomore Caden Spviey made the start for the Irish after making all but one of his 15 appearances last season out of the bullpen.
Senior right-hander Jackson Dennies (0-4, 3.11 ERA in 2023) draws the start in game 2 on Saturday (3 p.m. EST; ESPN+) against Rice lefty J.D. McCracken (1-5, 5.53)
In addition to the nine grad transfers, the Irish roster features 10 freshmen. Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen, who worked out with the team last year but did not play in a game or travel as a freshman early enrollee, did make the road trip this weekend but didn’t play Friday night against Rice. The 6-foot-2, 244 former Butkus Award winner, is listed as an infielder but could play outfield as well.
The Irish, under second-year head coach Shawn Stiffler, are coming off a 30-24 season in which eight ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament, but the Irish (15-15 in ACC play) found themselves on the wrong side of the bubble.
Six ACC teams are ranked in the top 15 of D1 Baseball’s preseason poll, including Wake Forest at No. 1.
Staff ace Jack Findlay, a junior lefty, is still recovering from 2023 Tommy John surgery but is expected to rejoin the Irish at some point this season. He was 4-2 in 10 games last season before suffering the arm injury that led to surgery.
Findlay was a freshman All-American as a reliever in 2022 and a key figure in ND’s run to the College World Series that season.
NOTRE DAME 3, RICE 1: Box Score
Six of the team’s nine grad transfers figured in prominently, with four cracking the starting lineup and two combining to pitch shutout ball over the final three innings of ND’s 3-1 victory in Houston in the opening game of a three-game series with the Owls (0-1).
The Irish (1-0) scratched out just three hits against coach Jose Cruz Jr.’s Rice squad but made the most of seven walks and three hit batsmen to win the first of 18 road games in a 19-game stretch to start the season.
Michigan transfer outfielder Tito Flores collected two of the Irish hits. Former St. John’s outfielder David Glancy drove in ND’s first run of the season on a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning. Notre Dame then took the lead for good with a two-run fifth.
UCLA transfer first baseman Josh Hahn put the Irish ahead when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Tulane transfer third baseman Simon Baumgardt scored Jack Penney on a ground ball for a 3-1 Irish lead.
Penney has moved to shortstop this season.
Evansville transfer Nate Hardman, a 6-2 right-hander, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save. He was preceded by Davidson transfer righty Bennett Flynn, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and former Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American.
Flynn gave up a hit and a walk while striking out three.
Junior Radek Birkholz picked up the win, with three hitless innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth. He also walked one and struck out three.
Sophomore Caden Spviey made the start for the Irish after making all but one of his 15 appearances last season out of the bullpen.
Senior right-hander Jackson Dennies (0-4, 3.11 ERA in 2023) draws the start in game 2 on Saturday (3 p.m. EST; ESPN+) against Rice lefty J.D. McCracken (1-5, 5.53)
In addition to the nine grad transfers, the Irish roster features 10 freshmen. Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen, who worked out with the team last year but did not play in a game or travel as a freshman early enrollee, did make the road trip this weekend but didn’t play Friday night against Rice. The 6-foot-2, 244 former Butkus Award winner, is listed as an infielder but could play outfield as well.
The Irish, under second-year head coach Shawn Stiffler, are coming off a 30-24 season in which eight ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament, but the Irish (15-15 in ACC play) found themselves on the wrong side of the bubble.
Six ACC teams are ranked in the top 15 of D1 Baseball’s preseason poll, including Wake Forest at No. 1.
Staff ace Jack Findlay, a junior lefty, is still recovering from 2023 Tommy John surgery but is expected to rejoin the Irish at some point this season. He was 4-2 in 10 games last season before suffering the arm injury that led to surgery.
Findlay was a freshman All-American as a reliever in 2022 and a key figure in ND’s run to the College World Series that season.
NOTRE DAME 3, RICE 1: Box Score
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