Notre Dame players break down the keys to bouncing back from CWS loss

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are heading into a fight for their lives on Tuesday after taking their first loss in the College World Series to Oklahoma on Sunday. The Irish and the Texas A&M Aggies have a 2 p.m. ET first pitch on Tuesday and the Notre Dame players are dead set on putting the loss to the Sooners in the rearview mirror well before then.

Senior team captain Carter Putz discussed what it’s going to take to overcome the 6-2 loss and take down the Aggies.

“I think you just have to take it one game at a time,” Putz said after Sunday night’s game. “I think this group is really good at that, realizing the importance of all these games late in the year. So we’re a pretty mature group. And I know the off day tomorrow will give us time to get over it and then focus on the next task at hand, which is Texas A&M.”

“We preach 1-0 every single day,” fellow senior David Lamanna echoed in the postgame press conference. “You sit on this one. And when we come out on Tuesday, try to go 1-0 there.”

Notre Dame looking for bounce back game to stay alive

On Sunday, the Oklahoma Sooners came out with guns blazing and ultimately, they played the more complete game.

Oklahoma jumped ahead 2-0 in the third inning on a series of singles off Notre Dame relief pitcher Aidan Tyrell. Irish starter Austin Temple only made it 1 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Oklahoma starter Cade Horton struck out 11 batters in six innings.

Tyrell gave up eight hits in three innings of work, allowing five runs, two earned. A throwing error by Putz after fielding a bunt prolonged an OU rally in the fifth and added two runs. They tacked on another later in the frame on an RBI single.

Despite the disappointing performance, Notre Dame players sounded confident that they have the tools to complete the bounce back on Tuesday. Their opponent – Texas A&M – proved they do by knocking out Texas, and now, it’s the Irish’s turn.

“I think we’re equipped to do it,” Lamanna said. “We just have to go out there and play our game and execute all three phases of the game better than we did today.”

“Like Dave said earlier, we try to go 1-0 each and every day,” Putz added. “And I think this team is capable of, as long as we play our game, we can go out and compete with anyone. So just try to go 1-0 and play our baseball.”