Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Baseball Starts 2025 Season with Series Victory in Florida

Notre Dame starts the 2025 campaign with a little meatloaf
Nick Shepkowski|
Jun 17, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; A detail view of a Notre Dame helmet reflects during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Charles Schwab Field.
Jun 17, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; A detail view of a Notre Dame helmet reflects during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Charles Schwab Field. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Don't feel sad, because two out of three ain't bad.

Meatloaf might have sang those words in 1977 but Notre Dame baseball lived it to open its 2025 season this weekend in North Florida as it won the first two series games before falling in the finale.

A recap of the three games to start the year:

Game 1: Notre Dame 5, North Florida 3

Notre Dame defeated North Florida 5-3 in their season opener on Friday. The Irish took an early lead with a first-inning RBI single by Jared Zimbardo and extended it with a home run from Carson Tinney in the fourth. Notre Dame added two more runs in the fifth, with Tinney and Jayce Lee each driving in a run each. Jack Radel threw four scoreless innings, while Tobey McDonough earned the save.

Game 2: Notre Dame 19, North Florida 6

Notre Dame routed its way to a 19-6 victory over North Florida to open Saturday's doubleheader. In game one, the Irish trailed 3-0 but used a power surge to come back and rout the Ospreys. The Irish put up a four-run third inning and a 10-run sixth, highlighted by Estevan Moreno’s grand slam.

Bino Watters added a three-run home run, and Notre Dame finished with 19 runs, their most under Coach Shawn Stiffler. The Irish won in seven innings, with DJ Helwig earning the win in relief.

Game 3: North Florida 8, Notre Dame 1

In the nightcap, the Irish grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third but struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities. North Florida responded with three runs in the third and five in the seventh to secure an 8-1 win. Jared Zimbardo went 3-for-4 in the loss. Dylan Heine struck out five in 3.1 innings, while Chase Van Ameyde added six strikeouts.

Next Up for Notre Dame Baseball:

Notre Dame (2-1) will face Iowa, UMBC, and Stetson next weekend in Deland, Florida.

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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