Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME After the Notre Dame baseball team posted records of 24-30 last year and 26-32 in 2017, head coach Mik Aoki begins his ninth season with a goal of having a positive win-loss ledger for the 2019 campaign. Aoki returns several experienced position play- ers and starting pitchers, many of whom suffered through some expected growing pains last season when they were thrust into major roles as true freshmen and untested sophomores. With his team one year older and presumably better, Aoki is confident improvement within his program will be evident this year. BGI: With preseason preparations finished and the beginning of the season finally here, what do you like about your team? Aoki: "I think there has been a lot of growth, in particular in our pitching staff. We were really young last year. All the kids that went out there were either young or inexperienced. "You can just see their comfort level is so much better, and their confidence has grown as well." BGI: Given that youthful dynamic of last year, where does the maturation need most to be seen? Aoki: "It is a really big transition for pitchers to make just because they're not used to having the ball put into play in high school — they struck everybody out. Last year, they were pitching to try to avoid contact, and that will get you into trouble." BGI: How typical is it for guys to struggle in their first year and then have the light bulb really flip on the follow- ing season? Aoki: "Kids have come in and really impacted us as freshmen — but those guys are the outliers. "The guys that come in and really show flashes, then they kind of stumble, then show flashes again … that inconsis- tency is the more typical pat- tern of development." BGI: Is it too early to talk about expectations for this group? Aoki: "We always talk about getting to the NCAA Tournament, and we always talk about giv- ing ourselves a chance to play in Omaha [at the College World Series]. Beyond that, my expecta- tion is that our kids come to the field every day and work, be great teammates and be great competitors. That's what I expect." BGI: Given the recent re- sults, how much personal pressure do you feel this year to get the program turned around in the win-loss ledger? Aoki: "You're always on this quest to make it better each year, regardless. You do that all the time when you're in this industry. At its core, you love the game and you love the level of competition, and I don't think you ever get away from that. "I don't know if there is any more personal pressure on me than there is any other year. I think it's the same process I have been through." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … Notre Dame Baseball Head Coach Mik Aoki Running Back Tops Notre Dame's 2020 Needs By David McKinney To put it simply, Notre Dame running back recruiting hasn't been good enough the last few cycles. The only four-star running back to sign with Notre Dame in the last four classes was C.J. Holmes in 2017, but he lasted just two semesters in South Bend before transferring. With Dexter Williams off to the NFL, Notre Dame will not have a Rivals four-star player on the running back depth chart in 2019. With the tradition of consistently having one of the best offensive lines in the country, Notre Dame should be making a much bigger impact in running back recruiting, and 2020 is the class to do that. Heading into the thick of the 2020 cycle, Notre Dame is in solid position with some top run- ning backs, including Rivals' No. 1 all-purpose back Chris Tyree of Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale and Rivals250 running back Reggie Love of St. Louis Trinity Christian. The Irish also have the benefit of what should be revitalized recruiting efforts from new running backs coach Lance Taylor. Taylor was instrumental in bringing in top talent to Stanford, including 2017 Heisman runner-up Bryce Love in the 2015 class. Notre Dame needs to have success in running back recruiting in 2020, not only for depth chart purposes, but from a perception standpoint as well. Running back recruiting has been much maligned at Notre Dame in years past. With a new position coach and strong early standing with top talent, that needs to end in the 2020 cycle. Success At Defensive End Is A Must In 2020 By Bryan Driskell There is no doubt that running back recruiting has lagged way behind other positions in recent seasons, and that is one of the reasons for the hire of new running backs coach Lance Taylor. Subpar recruiting at running back can be over- come with strong offensive line and quarterback recruiting, as well as landing impact skill players on the outside — all things the Irish have done well since the arrival of offensive coordinator Chip Long. A team cannot hide not having an elite defen- sive line, so Notre Dame needs a home run class at defensive end. The Irish have put together three straight outstanding defensive tackle hauls, but end recruiting has been far more hit or miss. Plus the Irish will lose standouts Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem and Daelin Hayes from the position after the 2019 season. That trio showed how good a defense with strong end play can be, and Notre Dame must rebuild the depth chart with similarly impactful players. Isaiah Foskey, NaNa Osafo-Mensah and Howard Cross III comprised a strong group in 2019, but Notre Dame has just two ends on the roster from the 2017 and 2018 classes combined. Defensive line coach Mike Elston needs to add another outstanding group in 2020. A good place to start would be with Port Huron (Mich.) Northern standout Braiden McGregor. The Irish sent out a number of other early offers and Elston has already started to travel around the country to see many of his top targets. Finishing at end will be crucial. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA FOR NOTRE DAME IN ITS 2020 RECRUITING? Aoki and the Irish opened the season with a three-game series at Arizona State Feb. 15-17. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA RB CHRIS TYREE DE BRAIDEN MCGREGOR