No. 8 Notre Dame baseball unable to complete Pittsburgh sweep, falls 5-2 on Sunday

The eighth-ranked Notre Dame baseball team beat ACC foe Pittsburgh on Friday and Saturday nights to clinch a sixth conference series win this season, but they could not finish the job, losing to the Panthers on Sunday by a score of 5-2.

Notre Dame fell to 31-11 (15-9 ACC) this year, while Pittsburgh improved to 27-22 (13-13 ACC) going into the final week of regular season competition.

Here are three observations from the weekend.

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Bullpen results remain inconsistent

Lefty Jack Findlay got the start for the Irish and pitched 4.1 innings, a career high for the New Jersey freshman. He allowed five hits and one run, struck out three batters, and issued zero walks. The earned run was just his third surrendered in 33.1 innings pitched.

Despite the impressive outing on paper, Findlay left with a loss, his first of the year to bring him to 5-1 with a 0.81 ERA. When he left the game in the top of the fifth inning, it was a 1-0 contest in favor of the Panthers.

It wasn’t until the seventh inning, however, that Pittsburgh blew the game open. The Irish used three pitchers to get three outs — Alex Rao, Aidan Tyrell and Radek Birkholz, and Birkholz gave up the dagger three-run home run to catcher and Pittsburgh power hitter Tatem Levins, his 14th of that year. The blast made it 5-2, and Notre Dame was unable to recover.

Bullpen struggles have become an unwelcome theme for Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett in conference play. Friday and Saturday starters John Michael Bertrand (7-1) and Austin Temple (3-1) are responsible for just two of the team’s 11 losses this year. The others can be pinned on the bullpen.

If Notre Dame wants to play deep into June, the bullpen will need to hold on against top competition. To date, they often have been unable to seal the deal. Sunday was another example of that trend.

Penney was confident, impressive in relief of Miller

During Saturday’s contest, second baseman Jared Miller made a diving stop to save a passed ball thrown from home plate from rolling far into the outfield. He landed on his right shoulder, and it was clear he was immediately in pain. Per Jarrett, Miller dislocated his shoulder and is out indefinitely. They will conduct an MRI this week to make sure there is no structural damage. If he is cleared from further issues, he could return in a few weeks.

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A brighter note: Jack Penney took over for Miller for a game and a half and went 3-6 with a two-run home run. It was Notre Dame’s only scoring of the day on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the freshman bats left-handed which brings an added complication for opposing pitchers as Notre Dame’s lineup is very heavy on the right-handers.

“He’s a good young player,” Jarrett said. “He’s got some good skills. He’s a good infielder, savvy, physical. His extra-base hit ratio is pretty good. So I’m happy with everything he does.”

Penney has 14 hits in 28 games and eight starts this season, and eight of the hits have gone for extra bases; he has four doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs this year.

Miller was the starter because of his consistency and experience at the position, but Penney’s flashes this weekend showed the Irish have a backup worthy of a starting spot.

Coetzee is heating up at the right time

Senior right fielder Brooks Coetzee got off to a hot start in 2022. The Illinois native blasted five home runs by March 15 and was about as clutch as one could be on Irish team with deep postseason aspirations.

Then, as often happens in a fluctuating sport, Coetzee struggled a bit. Granted, he is still a valuable asset even through periods of “struggle,” but the power hitting came to a bit of a halt. Coetzee hit just three home runs over the next two months and was inconsistent at the plate.

Not anymore. Coetzee is now riding a 10-game hit streak. He singled in each of his first three at bats against Pittsburgh, and homered on Friday night. The senior also hit one out of the park against Michigan State on Tuesday.

Notre Dame lacks the power it had last season, but when Coetzee is hot, he partially plays that role.

“As the guys get more physical and develop, you hope the power comes,” Jarrett said. “I’ve seen that with him. The quality of contact and exit speed of his hitting is impressive. Everything has gotten better. I think his strike zone discipline has gotten a little bit better. His physicality is better. He’s just trending in a good direction.”

Next up, Notre Dame heads to Northwestern on Tuesday for their final mid-week contest of the year. First pitch will be at 4 p.m. ET