The Notre Dame baseball squad returns a significant chunk of its roster from last spring’s 11-2 shortened season. Outside of losing RHP Joe Boyle to the minors, DH Eric Gilgenbach to a career in finance and LHP Tommy Vail to Tommy John Surgery, every significant contributor is back.
In the offseason, head coach Link Jarrett still felt there were areas where the team needed to improve and addressed his concerns with the addition of 18 incoming players: 11 freshmen, five graduate transfers and a pair of junior college prospects from Iowa Western CC.
Currently, there are a total of 42 players listed on Notre Dame’s 2020-21 baseball roster. Jarrett and his coaching staff are certainly excited about the depth such a large roster affords, but it does put him in a distressing position at times, especially with younger players.
“I don’t like the fact that we’re not going to be able to take all of our players, and the ACC is very strict on the travel rules and regulations,” Jarrett said. “It’s just a different year right now in terms of every school’s financial situation. You’re not going to be able to travel with everybody. That’s tough because you don’t like leaving on the bus and some of the guys don’t get a chance to make every one of the trips.”
For away ACC games, Notre Dame is allowed to travel with 27 players. At home, 35 players are eligible.
“As far as I’m aware, there might be one team in the ACC that actually has 35 players. Everybody else has a few more,” Jarrett said. “All the programs will deal with the kind of excitement of having depth, but also the challenges of not everybody being able to travel or play in all the games. It’s just the world we’re in right now.”
The Irish are off to a 2-1 start after a successful road trip against No. 16 Wake Forest last weekend. A few of the newcomers contributed to the program’s hot start.
Depth Behind the Plate
In 2020, there were only three catchers on the roster, which limited Jarrett’s in-game flexibility. Heading into the offseason, he knew the program needed depth behind the plate.
“It gives you an opportunity for somebody not to get beat up when you get into game 50 and 60 of a season,” Jarrett said. “It gives you chances to pinch run, pinch-hit.”
The current roster is equipped with half a dozen potential catchers, including last season’s starter David LaManna. The depth behind him is comprised of newcomers:
• C/OF Alex Brait – 6-foot-4, 210-pound graduate transfer from Florida Gulf Coast
• C/OF Nick Juaire – 5-foot-8, 180-pound transfer from Iowa Western CC
• C Tony Lindwedel – 5-foot-11, 185-pound freshman from St. Louis
• C Danny Neri – 6-foot, 180-pound freshman from Macclenny (Fla.)
Brait, Juaire and Neri each played in Notre Dame’s opening series against Wake Forest, but only Neri saw action behind the plate. He started game 2, the second bout of a Saturday doubleheader and went 0-2 with a strikeout. The freshman, however, is a two-time high school Under Armour All-American and is stout defensively.
Brait started the second and third game of the series in left field, with Juaire pinch-hitting for him in game 3.
Freshman outfielder Brady Gumpf from South Bend, Ind., was primarily a catcher for his high school team.
Deepening the Rotation
More than half of the offseason additions are much-needed arms for the starting rotation and bullpen. There are new nine pitchers in total, five of which are transfers:
• LHP John Michael Bertrand – 6-foot-3, 205-pound graduate transfer from Furman
• LHP James Hulbert – 6-foot-2, 220-pound graduate transfer from Richmond
• RHP Christian Scafidi – 6-foot-4, 265-pound graduate transfer from Penn
• LHP Joe Sheridan – 6-foot, 180-pound graduate transfer from UCF
• RHP Tanner Kohlhepp – 6-foot-3, 212-pound transfer from Western Iowa CC
• RHP Matt Bedford – 6-foot-1, 185-pound freshman from Staten Island (N.Y)
• OF/RHP Sammy Cooper – 5-foot-11, 185-pound freshman from Lee’s Summit (MO)
• RHP Jackson Dennies – 6-foot-4, 225-pound freshman from River Ridge (La.)
• LHP/OF Ryan Lynch – 6-foot-2, 210-pound freshman from Granger (Ind.)
Despite the program’s 11-2 start in 2020, bullpen depth was an issue outside of the now-injured Vail, who often took on a starter-like role late in games, eating up multiple innings in a row on his way to a 2.08 ERA.
Each of the five transfers should contribute in some capacity this season and a few already have. Kohlhepp made an appearance at the end of game 1. Unfortunately, he didn’t retire a single batter after 18 pitches and allowed four runs in a contest Notre Dame went on to lose late, 8-10. Still, Kohlhepp is a talented pitcher with velocity reaching the mid-90s. Prior to Iowa Western CC, he played one season at Tennessee.
Bertrand started game 2 against Wake Forest. He lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering 6 hits, 4 earned runs, while striking out four. This is the same number of runs and more hits (5) than he gave up in 24 innings at Furman in 2020, so it’s fair to expect more going forward from the tall southpaw.
The reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, Scafidi made the strongest season debut among newcomers. He started game 3, pitching a shutout for 4.1 innings and allowing just 3 hits. The Irish went on to win the rubber match 10-0.
Among the freshmen, Lynch is the most touted as the Indiana Gatorade Player of the year and the No. 189 overall player and No. 20 LHP in the class of 2020, per Perfect Game.
Everyday Position Players
Notre Dame also added five players primarily suited for the infield or outfield. They’re all freshmen:
• INF Drew Byers – 6-foot-1, 190- pound freshman from Franklin (Tenn.)
• OF Brady Gumpf – 6-foot-1, 195-pound freshman from South Bend (Ind.)
• INF Brock Murtha – 6-foot, 185-pound freshman from Sayville (N.Y.)
• OF Tony Watson – 5-foot-10, 175-pound freshman from Tampa Bay (Fla.)
• OF TJ Williams – 5-foot-11, 175-pound freshman from Germantown (Md.)
Given the significant experience ahead of these four prospects, it will be tough for any of them to crack the lineup on a consistent basis this season. None of the freshmen infielders or outfielders saw the field against Wake Forest.
Byers and Murtha have solid arms, with both throwing in the low 90s as prep-level pitchers.
According to Perfect Game, Williams is the No. 139 ranked outfield in the class of 2020.
Gumpf grew up around Notre Dame. His mother Deanna has been the Notre Dame Softball head coach since 2002, while his father John was a volunteer assistant baseball coach under Paul Mainieri at Notre Dame. Gumpf is a high-average hitter with power to all fields.
Up Next: Clemson
This weekend, the Irish (2-1, 2-1 ACC) travel to Clemson to face the Tigers (4-2, 0-0 ACC).
Clemson’s four victories come from sweeping Cincinnati in the program’s opening weekend series and defeating East Tennessee State on Tuesday. In a two-game series against rival South Carolina, the Tigers lost a pair of close games, 2-3 and 7-8.
Despite the program’s recent success, Clemson does not have any players listed among College baseball’s top-100 MLB Draft prospects.
The Tigers carry a 12-8 advantage over the Irish all time. Notre Dame, however, has won the last two series and is 5-5 at Clemson.
Prior to the season, ACC coaches voted Notre Dame to finish last in the Atlantic Division, but 2-1 series victory over Wake Forest, the Irish are generating some positive buzz.
“No one in the ACC will be overlooking the Irish anymore,” wrote Baseball America’s Teddy Cahill. “They are now 13-3 in the last two seasons under Jarrett, including a 5-1 mark in ACC play.”
Such high praise is a good sign for the program. But with at least 40 games left in the season, the Fighting Irish are a long way from accomplishing their goal of hosting a Regional in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.
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