Irish Baseball Falls to FAU in Season Opener

Notre Dame unable to capitalize on scoring chances in 7-1 loss

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Notre Dame baseball team dropped its season opener to Florida Atlantic University, 7-1, on Friday night in Boca Raton, Florida. The Irish took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning but were unable to add to it, as the Owls scored three runs in the bottom of the second and four more in the eighth to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This loss marks a disappointing start to the season for the Notre Dame baseball team, which is looking to bounce back after a tough 2025 campaign. The Irish will need to find a way to generate more offense and limit mistakes defensively if they hope to compete in the highly competitive ACC conference this year.

The details

Notre Dame struck first with a two-out rally in the second inning, as Jamie Zee drove in Noah Coy with an RBI single. However, the Owls responded with a three-run bottom half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Irish had several opportunities to cut into the deficit, including leaving runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings, but were unable to capitalize. FAU then pulled away with four runs in the eighth to seal the victory.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 14, 2026.
  • Notre Dame scored its lone run in the top of the second inning.
  • FAU scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead.
  • The Owls added four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend their lead.

The players

Noah Coy

A Notre Dame player who reached base twice and scored the team's only run.

Jamie Zee

A Notre Dame player who recorded an RBI single in the second inning.

Jack Radel

The Notre Dame starting pitcher, who went 4.0 innings with 5 strikeouts.

Noah Rooney

A Notre Dame relief pitcher who made his debut and struck out 2 batters in 3.2 innings of work.

Florida Atlantic University

The opposing team, which defeated Notre Dame 7-1 in the season opener.

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What’s next

The Irish (0-1) are set to face the Owls in game two of the three-game series on Saturday starting at 4:00 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

Notre Dame will need to find a way to generate more offense and limit mistakes defensively if they hope to compete in the highly competitive ACC conference this year.