The Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team got off to a heck of a start to the 2026 season. Unfortunately, they hit a big bump in the road this past weekend. Entering Friday sitting at 6-3 in the ACC, Shawn Stiffler's squad was swept by the North Carolina Tar Heels this weekend.
ND lost the first game of the series in a knockdown, drag-out showdown, 6-5. However, they weren't particularly competitive the rest of the series. They lost the second game 13-7 and the final game of the series, 15-10. The most concerning part of the lost weekend is that Notre Dame's pitching staff has struggled a bit of late.
While the Notre Dame Fighting Irish did manage to sweep Clemson last weekend, they lost two of three the weekend before that to Louisville. One of those losses saw ND allow a whopping 21 runs. If Shawn Stiffler wants to right the ship and get back on track for a regional bid, he's going to need to figure out a way to get the team's pitching more effective.
More Notre Dame Fighting Irish news
- The baseball team wasn't the only squad struggling at the South Bend school. The Irish lacrosse team lost its first match of the season, dropping an 11-9 decision against Virginia. It's possible the two weeks off before taking on the Cavaliers might have had something to do with the loss.
- Hannah Hidalgo has had a generational run in this year's NCAA Tournament. However, even she couldn't lift the Notre Dame Fighting Irish over Geno Auriemma and a UCONN Huskies team that looks like a juggernaut headed to another national title. Hidalgo scored 22 points, hauled down 11 rebounds, and had 3 steals. However, Niele Ivey's squad lost in the Elite 8 to the Huskies, 70-52.
- Running back prospect Isaiah Rogers was predicted to commit to Marcus Freeman and Co. late last week. This afternoon, he'll officially announce where he's headed. It appears this is about to be another big recruiting win for the Golden Domers.
- Speaking of running backs, while Aneyas Williams has been limited this spring, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish star said this weekend that he believes he's ahead of schedule recovering from elbow surgery. He added that while he's wearing a red jersey, he's still been able to take part in most practices and drills and will be ready to grab the RB1 spot this fall.