Experience set to lead the way: Notre Dame baseball preview 2025

CAPE GIRARDEAU – Experience and pitching will be Notre Dame baseball's two biggest allies in 2025.

Head coach Dave Lawson’s first year leading the program had its ups and downs, as the Bulldogs entered the Class 3 District 2 tournament as the top seed before falling to eventual champion Kelly in the semifinals. Now with the return of seven starters and a handful of depth, Lawson is confident that this seasoned roster has what it takes to make a serious district tournament run.

“We are a more experienced squad this year,” Lawson said. “Last year, we only graduated four seniors and this year we have eight seniors that have been through a lot of it. The junior class has been through a lot… so, everybody went through a little bit of lumps. We didn't get to where we wanted to get to. We were in a good position to play for a district championship, and we fell a little bit short in the last inning of the game to get to it. So, for this group, I think last year, with all of the trials and tribulations, will help us this season just for simple experience now that everybody's a year better.”

Starting with the heart of the unit – Reid Morgan is back after turning in a first-team all-conference and first-team all-district junior campaign. The primary first baseman hit over .300 in 2024 and also proved to be a consistent pitching option. Southeastern Illinois College commit Channing Pattengill returns for his senior season after emerging as a star in the hot corner. Basketball standouts and soon-to-be three-year starters Brett Dohogne (center fielder) and Logan Landewee (shortstop) will run it back for one final season after each earning all-district honors in 2024.

The Bulldogs lose all-conference catcher Brycen Clark, but will replace him behind the dish with Benedictine College (KS) commit Jack Cozean Jr. Utility man TJ Bolen is a name to know, too. The junior should be a threat at the plate for the heart of the lineup and will play in the middle of the infield, while also being a part of the pitching rotation.

In terms of depth, there’s a laundry list of it. According to Lawson, senior Lawson Mills will “look to play a bigger role on the mound and in the outfield,” while his son, Chase, returns from an injury.

“We've got a better competition going on the field for spots,” Lawson said. “We've got to figure out some things in terms of who's going to play where, but we've got more able-bodies this year. I feel like this club is more athletic and more talented than any group we've had in the last three years that I've been here. Not to take anything away from us in the past, but they just are from top to bottom.”

That leads to the strength of the team: pitching.

Junior Houston Crawford is slated to be the premier option for the Bulldogs this spring, with Morgan, Bolen, and newcomer Peyton Duncan, who Lawson said has “a rocket of an arm,” serving as the top-four rotational options. Lawson said there are a variety of arms for the No. 5 spot – likely Chase Lawson, Pattengill, or promising sophomores Duncan Mills and Sam Gaeta.

“Pitching is going to be a real strength for us,” Lawson said. “I feel like we've got more depth as far as that goes. We don't have a guy that's going to blow your doors off, but we’ve got some guys that can get some outs and have proven they can get some outs.”

In terms of the schedule, Notre Dame has a Jamboree scrimmage this weekend in Jefferson (Festus) before kicking off the 2025 season at the North County Tournament on March 21-22. This all precedes the Bulldogs’ highly-anticipated matchup with Dexter, which will be held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Saturday, Apr. 2.

“It was an experience for me like I've never experienced before,” Lawson said of coaching at Busch Stadium. “I've been on a lot of fields as a player and as a coach, but I've never been on a professional field with my kid getting to play catch and bring my younger kid with me. We bring every kid in the program to it. Now, we don't get to play every kid, but we try our best.”

With the bar set higher this season, Notre Dame is armed with a strong senior class and the determination to claim the program’s first district title since 2018.

“Coming off of last year, we were a game above .500,” Lawson said. “So, to us, we were a searching team. We'd win four or five games, and then we'd lose two games. We'd win a game and then lose three. So, we’re just trying to find an identity here and try to understand our strengths and our weaknesses and capitalize on those. I'm really looking forward to it.”

Head coach: Dave Lawson (2nd year)

Assistant coaches: Josh Mills, Jacob Pattengill, Drew Moore, Kolten Poorman

2024 results: 14-13, Class 3 District 2 semifinalist

Key losses: Brycen Clark (C), Jack Evans (P)

Key returners: Reid Morgan (1B/P, Sr.), Channing Pattengill (IF, Sr.), Jack Cozene Jr. (C, Sr.), Houston Crawford (P, Jr.), Brett Dohogne (CF, Sr.), Logan Landewee (SS, Sr.), Lawson Mills (OF/P, Sr.), TJ Bolen (IF/P, Jr.)

Player you don’t know now but will by May: Peyton Duncan (UTIL, Jr.)

Season opener: North County Tournament (Mar. 21-22)

Games to watch: vs Dexter (Apr. 2), vs Kelly (Apr. 25), vs Cape Central (May 13)