BASEBALL | Streaking Hoyas Await Notre Dame

Three weeks ago, Georgetown (18-18, 5-7 Big East) was in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and had no conference wins. Since then, the Hoyas have won seven of their last 11 games and have taken Big East series against Rutgers and Villanova.

Now, the streaking Georgetown squad will face some of their toughest competition of the season when Notre Dame (19-16, 6-6 Big East), fresh off a series win against Cincinnati, comes to town this weekend.

In last season’s matchup, the Irish won the first two games of the series and the Hoyas won the Sunday finale. Each of the three games was decided by one run, and close games are likely again this year.

Notre Dame features the dangerous three-pronged offensive attack of junior catcher Joe Hudson, sophomore outfielder Eric Jagielo and sophomore first baseman Trey Mancini. Hudson has five home runs and a team-leading 30 RBI on the year, while Jagielo leads the team with seven home runs to go along with 29 RBI. Mancini has added four home runs and 27 RBI.

To compliment their potent offense, the Irish rely heavily on the arms of senior Will Hudgins and junior Adam Norton. Hudgins is 3-1 on the season with a 2.30 ERA, while Norton is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.96.

Despite tremendous power and solid pitching, the Irish have posted a weak 2-10 record on the road this year, so the statistics are not as strong away from South Bend. If the Hoyas can play mistake-free baseball, they should benefit greatly from the home field advantage.

To neutralize the lethal Notre Dame offense, Georgetown needs senior Will Harris and sophomore Jack Vander Linden to stay hot on the mound. Both starters are coming off dominant outings against Villanova that gave the team another boost of confidence.

Confident pitching and continued success from junior leadoff hitter Justin Leeson, redshirt junior Mike Garza and senior Rand Ravnaas give the Blue and Gray a good chance to win this series and continue their hot streak.

The first game of the series is slated for Friday at 4 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field.