Notre Dame will be one of four teams to compete in the 2026 Jax Baseball Classic
The event will be held February 20-22 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. Each team will play the other three opponents once across the weekend slate in a round-robin style tournament. Past Jax Baseball Classic champions include Alabama in 2025 and Virginia in 2024.
The weekend will reunite UCF head coach Rich Wallace with the Irish. He spent three seasons with the team from 2020-22.
Notre Dame finished the 2025 season with a 32-21 record, including a 14-16 mark in ACC play, and missed the postseason. The Irish picked up an intriguing grad transfer over the weekend in Andrew Graham, a Division II All-American who hit .446 with 14 home runs and 78 RBI in 2025.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
14 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB Trade Deadline: 10 Impact Moves That Affect The Stretch Run
The Padres shook the industry, the Astros reunited with a franchise icon, and in New York, New York, the relief market was ultra competitive. But which were the trades that could provide a jolt in the second half as hopeful contenders prepare for pennant races? Here are the 10 most impactful moves for the stretch run: 10. 1B Ryan O'Hearn, OF Ramon Laureano: Baltimore Orioles to San Diego Padres The headline-grabbing move in a bustling trade deadline day for the Padres was the addition of Mason Miller, but addressing some of their biggest question marks at DH and left field was a huge success for San Diego. A.J. Preller landed Laureano, who's enjoying the best season of his career, and O'Hearn, a pure rental piece, from the Orioles for six prospects, which was just one of his five deals that involved a total of 22 players ahead of the deadline. While O'Hearn can slot in at both DH and first base, Laureano figures to be the Padres' everyday left fielder now and in 2026, when he has a team-friendly $6.5 million club option. Both O'Hearn and Laureano provide necessary upgrades in San Diego's lineup. 9. 3B Ryan McMahon: Colorado Rockies to New York Yankees Any concern about McMahon's ugly road numbers is already a distant memory. It turns out plucking a player from the hopelessly uncompetitive environment of Colorado and putting him in pinstripes in a pennant race in the Bronx can bring out the best in McMahon. He already notched his first walk-off since being traded to the Yankees, and even though it's a small sample size, he's hitting .400 with a 1.020 OPS, four walks and four RBI in 25 plate appearances with New York. The Yankees primarily added McMahon for his excellent defense at the hot corner, but his presence at the plate has been a welcome addition to their lineup depth. 8. RHP Shane Bieber: Cleveland Guardians to Toronto Blue Jays This was the best under-the-radar deal of the trade deadline. It's a risky move that could pay off in a huge way for a Blue Jays rotation that needed an ace to take Game 1 in the postseason. The risk is that Bieber hasn't pitched since April 2024, before he underwent Tommy John surgery, and he suffered a setback after a June rehab outing. But Bieber's ceiling is Cy-Young level dominance, and if he can return to that light-out version of himself, then Toronto's starting pitching staff is set for October. 7. 1B Josh Naylor: Arizona Diamondbacks to Seattle Mariners This move might not get the attention it deserves after Seattle's blockbuster deal for Eugenio Suarez, but this was a significant and necessary upgrade for the Mariners that addressed their corner infield in a splashy way. Naylor's 120 OPS+ brings consistent production to a strong lineup that has surprisingly maintained its position as a top five offense in baseball. Plus, Naylor is feisty! That edgy attitude makes a difference in October (who can forget the slugger calling Gerrit Cole his daddy?!). This was an excellent deal in multiple ways for the M's. 6. Closer Ryan Helsley: St. Louis Cardinals to New York Mets While I knew the Mets aimed to bolster their bullpen before the deadline, the aggressiveness David Stearns showed surprised me. It looked like the Mets did enough with their acquisition of right-handed submariner Tyler Rogers (1.80 ERA) from the Giants. But then came the eyebrow-raising deal for Helsley. Though this bullpen isn't Padres-level scary (more on that later), the Mets now have a formidable pair of arms behind closer Edwin Diaz and a dynamic relief unit that should befuddle opposing hitters. 5. 3B Carlos Correa: Minnesota Twins to Houston Astros Though I'm skeptical that this was actually the best, most impactful roster decision for the Astros, particularly considering Correa's injury history and because he's not having a good year, reuniting with their championship winner offers a nostalgic bonus and excitement within the clubhouse. No matter how you slice it, this was a special, meaningful deal. It can mean even more if Correa taps into his performance from last year (.905 OPS in 86 games) down the stretch for the first-place Astros. 4. Closer David Bednar: Pittsburgh Pirates to New York Yankees Brian Cashman was not going to walk away from this year's trade deadline without landing a high-leverage reliever, and not only did he finally find his man in Bednar, but he was able to pull off a deal for San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval, too. But Bednar, who required a high prospect price and wasn't easy to wrangle away from Pittsburgh, is the Yankees' biggest acquisition of the summer. He bolsters a bullpen that's led by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, and now the Bronx Bombers, with a healthy Aaron Judge, have no excuse not to win in October. 3. Closer Mason Miller: Athletics to San Diego Padres Hats off to A.J. Preller for yet another stunning trade deadline. When he traded for Miller, many industry analysts expected Padres closer Robert Suarez to be moved. Instead, San Diego will combine Miller with Suarez to create the best 1-2 punch in baseball at the backend of a bullpen. According to Statcast, Miller has thrown the second-most pitches at or above 100 mph (Jhoan Duran is first) in the major leagues. Pairing him with Suarez, who leads the majors with 30 saves, and the rest of the Padres' terrifying relief corps, will be a nightmare for hitters. Now add that bullpen to the rest of their improved roster and San Diego looks primed for a deep playoff run. 2. Closer Jhoan Durán: Minnesota Twins to Philadelphia Phillies The best available reliever went to the team that most desperately needed a closer. We love to see it. The Phillies, for years, have needed a trade-deadline acquisition like Duran, so kudos to Dave Domebrowski for finally pulling it off in a year that the Phillies are facing a ton of pressure to win. Duran has a 2.01 ERA this season, and he's converted 74 saves in 83 chances spanning across the past four seasons. And, as a bonus, he's only 27 years old and is under team control through the 2027 season. The flamethrower was undoubtedly the Phillies' missing piece. 1. 3B Eugenio Suárez: Arizona Diamondbacks to Seattle Mariners Man, am I excited to see what Suarez and Cal Raleigh can do together. Suarez joins Seattle with 36 home runs, while Raleigh already has 42 (the most in MLB). So there's no doubt that the Mariners slugging catcher will eclipse 50 homers, and Suarez looks primed to get there, too. They have the chance to become the first duo of hitters to each record 50 homers in a single season since 1961 (Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris for the Yankees). On top of that, the Mariners were such big winners at the deadline that they could win the AL West for the first time since 2001. Buckle up for an electric stretch run. Honorable mentions: Camilo Doval, RHP reliever, New York Yankees Tyler Rogers, RHP reliever, New York Mets Griffin Jax, RHP reliever, Tampa Bay Rays Harrison Bader, OF, Philadelphia Phillies Merrill Kelly, RHP, Texas Rangers Cedric Mullins, OF, New York Mets Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar . recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dombrowski: Phillies got what they needed in trades for Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader
The Phillies talked to everybody. Likewise, anybody the Phillies have, including their top and perhaps untouchable prospects, earned inquiries from opposing teams. 'Basically, I can't tell you there was any club over the last time period that we did not speak to,' Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said after the MLB trade deadline had passed the evening of July 31. 'There was no stone unturned.' Underneath they found what all agreed were their greatest needs — a relief pitcher and a right-handed outfield bat. Jhoan Duran, who'll likely settle into a closer role, and versatile outfielder Harrison Bader both came from the Minnesota Twins and will be in uniform when the Phillies open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 1 at Citizens Bank Park. DURAN JOINS BULLPEN: Phillies acquire Twins closer ahead of MLB trade deadline How their additions alter the 26-man roster will be revealed sometime before that game. In the trade deadline's final stages, the Phillies then added to their pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Matt Manning from the Detroit Tigers for 18-year-old outfielder Josueth Quiñonez. Though he made 50 starts for Detroit the past four years, Manning had been at Triple-A Toledo this year and will report to low-Class A Clearwater. Duran did cost the Phillies two of their top prospects. But they held onto the top three — pitcher Andrew Painter and outfielder Justin Crawford at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading shortstop Aidan Miller. 'We had a lot of conversations still today,' Dombrowski said. 'We could have made other trades, like anybody could make more. We're very comfortable. We've added where we think we needed to add.' Dombrowski added that the Phillies "weren't enticed to trade the big names, although some of the top prospects people still asked about." Painter, he said, "has the potential to be a No. 1-, No. 2-type starter for a long, long time for us." The Phils did deal two of their better prospects — pitcher Mick Abel, now at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and High-A Jersey Shore catcher Eduardo Tait — to the Twins in the Duran deal. OUTFIELD HELP COMING: Phillies trade for Twins Harrison Bader Duran is a hard-throwing 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He is 27 with two years of team contract control beyond this season. He is 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves in 49 games this year. Duran is 17-23 with a 2.47 ERA and 74 saves in 223 games over four years, all with Minnesota. His velocity has been down a tick this year, however, and his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings are a career low. But his addition allows the Phillies' most reliable relievers Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm to be set-up men. Jose Alvarado will also return to the bullpen soon from his 80-day PED suspension but cannot pitch in the postseason. To get Bader the Phillies parted with Double-A Reading outfielder Hendry Mendez, who had been the organization's 12th-rated prospect according to and 16-year-old Venezuelan pitcher Geremy Villoria, who plays for a Phillies team in the Dominican Summer League. The right-handed-hitting Bader, 31, is batting .258 with 12 homers, 38 RBI and a .778 OPS with nearly identical figures against both left-handed (.774) and right-handed (.779) pitchers this year. It's been his most productive season offensively since 2021. He also has a career .809 OPS and five home runs in the postseason. DEADLINE DAY: Phillies, others makes big moves Bader won a Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021 and can play all three outfield positions quite adeptly with center field likely his best spot. He is on a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2026, meaning he'll likely become a free agent. 'He's gonna play a lot,' Dombrowski said. 'The lineup will be Topper's (manager Rob Thomson's) decision, of course. We're happy to get him. He's played well this year offensively and defensively. He's hitting the ball with some pop. We think he's going to help us.' Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@ and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to and our DE Game Day newsletter. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies trade deadline: Dombrowski talks Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock breaks down the quarterback competition
Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman met with the media yesterday, and on Friday it was offensive coordinator Mike Denbrocks's turn at the podium. In no surprise, he was asked about the quarterback competition between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, and proceeded to give us some insight on how he'll ultimately select who will be the starter against Miami. Denbrock wants to see 'how do they operate within the framework of the offensive scheme. Do they understand it? Do they know where their problems are? What can we do to help them? Making good decisions with the ball. Being a consistent guy, day in and day out, that the teammates can count on.' Denbrock wasn't too happy with the results yesterday, as he called it 'a little bumpy at times,' but didn't seem to be too worried do to the fact that neither of them have had a lot of live snaps under their belts. He wants them to experience some failure, as they can learn from their mistakes. He was happy to see both of them bouncing back after their errors, which shows that each of them aren't afraid to try and make plays. The race between Carr and Minchey looks like it will continue to go on for at least a few weeks until one separates from the other and a starter is named. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
