Notre Dame starts “Light the Torch” home run celebration

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The Notre Dame baseball offense was on fire this past weekend in the South Bend Regional, scoring 50 runs in just a three-game stretch with 15 home runs.

Over the weekend, the Irish also debuted a new home run celebration.

After every home run, the Notre Dame players “light the torch,” as they stick up their hand in the air as if they had a torch in their hand. They then all come together and smash the torch after the home run hitter touches home plate.

“They are engaged and they like to compete and the enthusiasm and the energy that is created in this setting, it’s good,” Irish manager Link Jarrett said. “They are having fun.”

This move was seen quite often this past weekend, since the Irish did leave the yard 15 times, but the move actually came to be out of feeling disrespected.

“We had a lot of frustration with not being a Top 8 National seed,” Irish first baseman Niko Kavadas said. “That’s something that kind of lit a fire under us, so, ergo the torch.”

The torch gets the team fired up.

“I mean everyone has been doubting us the whole season so it’s nice to just go out there and prove everyone wrong and show we’re better than everyone thinks we are,” Irish outfielder Ryan Cole said.

The celebration worked. The Irish won a regional for the first time since 2002. The last time Notre Dame won a regional, they went to Omaha.

Standing in the way of the Irish and their third trip to Omaha is Mississippi State. The Irish will play the Bulldogs down in Starkville, Mississippi. The dates and times of the games have not been released yet. The two programs will play in a best-of-three series.

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