Florida Atlantic University’s baseball team will open its 2026 season with a three-game series against Notre Dame at FAU Baseball Stadium in Boca Raton. The first game is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at noon. All games will be available to stream on FAUSports.com/Watch, and both single-game and season tickets remain on sale.
Head Coach John McCormack returns for his 18th season leading the Owls and his 36th year with the program overall. Under McCormack, the team has achieved a winning record in 16 of his previous 17 seasons. Last year, Florida Atlantic finished with a 37-21 overall record and went 15-12 in the American Conference, earning the fourth seed in the conference tournament.
This year’s roster features a mix of experience and new talent, including 19 returning players and 18 newcomers. The returning group includes last season’s entire starting infield as well as center fielder Marshall Lipsey, who was named First Team All-Conference in 2025. The pitching rotation will be led by sophomore James Litman, who will start Friday’s opener, senior Tyler Murphy on Saturday, and freshman Garrett Grant on Sunday.
Notre Dame comes into the series after finishing last season with a 32-21 record and going 14-16 in ACC play. The Fighting Irish ended their regular season strong by winning eight of their final nine games. Junior pitcher Jack Radel returns after recording a 7-4 record with a 3.58 ERA last year and earning Third Team All-ACC honors. Sophomore outfielder Bino Watters also returns after being named to D1Baseball.com’s Freshman All-America Second Team. Head Coach Shawn Stiffler is entering his fourth season with Notre Dame.
The two teams last played each other in 2014 when Notre Dame won the opening game before Florida Atlantic took the next two matchups. This marks the ninth time that Florida Atlantic has started its season against an opponent from a power conference.
Following this weekend’s series, Florida Atlantic will host Missouri on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:30 p.m., continuing an early-season homestand that also includes games against Iowa next weekend.
