Five Notre Dame baseball players earn Statesboro All-Regional honors, Bertrand named Most Outstanding Player
After a week the team probably wanted to forget, it was a weekend to remember for Notre Dame baseball.
The Irish traveled to Statesboro, Ga. for the regional round of the NCAA Tournament — they were surprisingly not chosen as a host site — and went 3-0, beating Texas Tech twice and No. 16 overall seed Georgia Southern on Saturday night. The Irish went undefeated in a regional for the second consecutive year and earned back-to-back spots in a super regional for the first time in program history.
In addition to the stellar team performance, five Irish players earned a spot on the Statesboro All-Regional team. Pitcher John Michael Bertrand was one of the five, and he was also named the Most Outstanding Player in the regional.
Bertrand, a sixth-year veteran of college baseball, started off his weekend on Friday tossing an inning of two-hit, two-strikeout baseball before a weather delay ended his night prematurely. As a result of throwing just 26 pitches in the first game, Bertrand was able to start again on Sunday. The Irish once again faced the Red Raiders, and a win would send them to the super regionals.
PROMOTION: Sign up for just $1 for your first year at Blue & Gold
Unsurprisingly, the ace delivered. Bertrand went 7.2 innings and allowed nine hits and one earned run. He issued zero walks and sat seven batters down on strikes. Notre Dame’s most reliable starter dropped his ERA to a near-microscopic 2.27 on the year and earned his ninth win this season.
Bertrand has allowed just 25 earned runs in 99 innings pitched for head coach Link Jarrett this year, and he has struck out 103 batters. He was named a third-team All-American on June 2.
In addition to the pitcher, there were four Irish batters who earned a spot on the Statesboro All-Regional team.
Top 10
- 1New
Ryan Day
Ross Bjork addresses job security
- 2
Bielema responds to Kiffin
Illini HC uses Kiffin for CFP case
- 3
OSU/Michigan fined
Big Ten levies fines for brawl
- 4Hot
AP Poll Top 25
Big movement in latest Top 25
- 5
Neal Brown
WVU set to fire HC
Catcher David LaManna: Notre Dame’s batting average leader (.359) continued to put up big numbers over the weekend going 3-11 with a pair of RBIs and a stolen base. LaManna was also a crucial player behind the plate, notching 33 total put outs.
Shortstop Zack Prajzner: Prajzner had both a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, and was hit by a pitch to score a run in Saturday’s victory over Georgia Southern. In total, the senior went 4-11 with three RBIs. He also made a number of excellent defensive plays, including a diving save and a flip to second baseman Jack Penney to notch an out against Georgia Southern on Saturday.
Third baseman Jack Brannigan: Like Prajzner, Brannigan hit a home run against Georgia Southern on Saturday night, his 10th of the year. He went 3-4 on the night and 5-11 over the three games. Perhaps most impressively, Brannigan used his speed to notch three infield singles. Defensively, Brannigan was lights out over the course of the three games, using his strong pitcher’s arm to repeatedly make jaw-dropping throws to first base.
Outfielder Ryan Cole: In a low-scoring regional, Cole was undoubtedly the offensive MVP. The outfielder went 8-14 over the weekend with numerous other highlights, including a 20th stolen base on the year. Cole was responsible for both RBIs on Sunday night as Notre Dame beat Texas Tech 2-1 to clinch the Statesboro Regional.
