Baseball season in South Bend is off and running. So far, the Irish are 3-3 through their first two weeks of play, including a series win at Florida Atlantic two weeks ago. Last weekend at the Live Like Lou Jacksonville Baseball Classic, the Irish battled against UCF and LSU before emerging with a Sunday victory over in-state rival Indiana. Over the first six games, two juniors have emerged as both leaders and stars for the Irish this season: pitcher Jack Radel and catcher Mark Quatrani.
Jack Radel
Going into the season, it was widely known that Jack Radel would be Notre Dame’s ace pitcher and would start most Fridays. In his preseason press conference, head coach Shawn Stiffler explained that with Radel on the mound, he believed that his Irish squad was as good as any team in the nation. Following the departure of Rory Fox, Radel spent the offseason developing his offspeed pitches and has already seen results in just two weeks of play. Against UCF last Friday, Radel threw an astounding six perfect innings, not allowing a single Knight on base. He tossed nine strikeouts over the six frames, tying the second-most in a game in the tournament's history. Radel was also incredibly efficient, requiring only 68 pitches.
As a result of his stellar performance against UCF, the ACC announced on Feb. 23 that Jack Radel was their Pitcher of the Week. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Despite the Irish’s loss to the Knights, Radel’s incredible outing still earned him his first in-season recognition of 2026, with more likely to come for the Irish ace.
Radel has also emerged as a leader of the Notre Dame pitching staff. The junior native of Sioux Falls, S.D., has now spent three years with Shawn Stiffler and his staff. As a result, he now finds himself as something of a mentor to the younger guys in the room. Freshmen Caden Crowell and Aiden Zerr, sophomores Oisin Lee and Kellan Klosterman and more have now all come into the program with Radel as an older pitcher to learn from. As the years go on, Radel is only improving on the mound. But his leadership off the field is just as special for a young staff that will look to take Notre Dame far this season and for seasons to come.
Mark Quatrani
Unlike Jack Radel, catcher Mark Quatrani is brand new to Notre Dame this season. The Philadelphia native joined the Irish after spending his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Cornell Big Red. There, he earned First Team All-Ivy League honors twice while also becoming just the third Cornell baseball player to earn Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors after the 2024 season. After transferring to Notre Dame, he instantly inserted himself into conversations to be the team’s starting catcher, ultimately winning the job prior to the season.
After starting all six games, Quatrani leads the Irish in most hitting stats. Currently, he posts a slash line of .522/.600/.783, all three being the best on the team. His 12 hits and eight runs scored also pace the Irish order, while his two home runs are tied with sophomore outfielder Jayce Lee for the team lead. He’s also been outstanding behind the dish: He boasts a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and has caught two of the six runners that have attempted to steal a base on him.
While Quatrani may be new to Notre Dame baseball, his impact has been felt just as quickly as he arrived. He has shown so far that he has the potential to be the best hitter in the Irish lineup for the duration of the season. Moreover, he has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with behind the plate. While many of the Irish pitchers get a lot of credit, Quatrani will look to play a crucial role this season in the Irish’s pitching success while also pacing them at the plate.
