Tempers are starting to boil over when it comes to Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball. Since Shawn Stiffler took over the program, it has … to be kind … struggled. Especially in the ACC.
But it was a loss to a non-conference team on Tuesday night that sparked some real backlash to whatever the third-year head coach is building. That loss came against a Western Michigan team that is just 7-19 (4-8 in the MAC!) on the season. That the Notre Dame baseball team trailed 5-1 until a 9th inning rally fell just short, was salt in the wound.
It appears it was too much salt in the wound for Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan and college sports analyst John Brice. Brice, one of the chief staff writers for FootballScoop, had enough after the Notre Dame baseball team fell to 14-12 in 2025. “And that’s an atrocious, unacceptable midweek loss … to Western Michigan.”
Midweek collapse triggers doubts about direction of Notre Dame baseball
After detailing why it was not an acceptable loss, Brice hit Stiffler with the broadside. “The Stiffler experiment is a limp failure. Irish 14-12 overall, 2-10 ACC; 11-34 last 45 ACC games. Embarrassing!”
And that’s an atrocious, unacceptable midweek loss for @NDBaseball to Western Michigan. The 7-19 Broncos have wins against Michigan, Northwestern & Notre Dame. The Stiffler experiment is a limp failure. Irish 14-12 overall, 2-10 ACC; 11-34 last 45 ACC games. Embarrassing! pic.twitter.com/hQmbb7G9Tl
— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) April 2, 2025
Brice isn’t the only one who is starting to really call into question whether it might be time to go another direction for the Notre Dame baseball head coach position. Stiffler came to South Bend when Link Jarrett was named head coach at his alma mater, Florida State, after the Irish made their third ever appearance in the College World Series.
Stiffler brought an impressive resume with him. He had managed to build VCU into an Atlantic-10 powerhouse; The Rams posted more than 35 wins in a season six times in nine full seasons under Stiffler’s watch.
However, he hasn’t come close to being able to replicate that success in South Bend. The Irish took a step back from their CWS appearance in 2023, going just 30-24 (15-15 in the ACC), and then another step back last season when they posted a 27-25 record. They were just 9-21 in the ACC. And now this season.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had been rather good in the non-conference this season but, despite a recent win over Florida State, they are just 2-10 in the ACC. Should things keep going this way, the voices wondering if Stiffler is the right man for the job are only going to grow louder.