First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 3 p.m., ET, at Jim Patterson Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – March 9, 2020
The second-ranked University of Louisville baseball team returns home for a five-game homestand starting Tuesday with the first of two against Chicago State at Jim Patterson Stadium. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 3 p.m., ET, followed by UofL’s annual Elementary School Day on Wednesday at noon, ET. Both games will be televised on ACC Network Extra, with radio coverage on 1450 WXVW.
PROMOTIONS
· Tuesday – Cardinals Cap Day
· Wednesday – Elementary School Day
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals went on the road and took two of three at Wake Forest over the weekend in their first conference action of the year. Reid Detmers dominated on Friday with 15 strikeouts in a 4-1 victory, but the Demon Deacons evened the series with a 3-2 walk-off win Saturday. Louisville bounced back in the rubber game Sunday, running away with a 16-4 win to capture the series.
Louisville has scored 16 runs in three of the last five games as the offense continues to climb the national leaderboards. The Cardinals lead the country in doubles per game and are top 15 nationally in batting average and hits.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Chicago State have four previous meetings, but have not played each other since 1981. The Cardinals swept home doubleheaders in 1977 and 1981 to sit a perfect 4-0 against the Cougars.
TEAM NOTES
· Louisville has an .860 winning percentage (98-16) in non-conference games over the last five seasons, including a 78-6 (.929) mark in non-conference home games.
· The Cardinals have had the bats rolling in the last week, plating 16 runs in three of the last five games. The last time UofL scored at least 15 runs three times in a five-game span was in April of 1995 when the Cardinals did it in three straight.
· Louisville’s offense has come alive over the last nine games, averaging 9.9 runs and 12.6 hits. The Cardinals were 45-3 when they out-hit their opponent in 2019 and are a perfect 11-0 this season.
· The Louisville offense has been a doubles machine through the first 15 games, ranking second in the country with 48 and leading the country with 3.2 per game. Zach Britton is currently tied for the national lead with 10.
· Head coach Dan McDonnell had used a different lineup combination for each of the first 12 games. However, Friday’s starting nine at Wake Forest was identical to the one used in the series finale against Western Michigan. Saturday’s lineup also matched the nine starters from the victory over Morehead State. Fifteen different position players have started a game for the Cardinals this season.
PLAYER NOTES
· Michael Kirian has made six appearances on the season and picked up six saves, which is currently tied for the national lead. The southpaw has been lights out, allowing just three baserunners in his 6.1 innings. Since the start of the 2019 season, Kirian has a 1.41 ERA in 38.1 innings with 53 strikeouts and just 10 walks.
· Adam Elliott has made a team-leading seven appearances on the mound this season. He has allowed just one earned run in 10.1 innings with 14 strikeouts. Elliott’s career ERA of 1.88, would rank third in the program’s history and he is just eight appearances away from moving into the top 10 all-time.
· Levi Usher has been the best hitter in Louisville’s lineup through the first 15 games, leading the Cardinals in batting average (.417), hits (20), total bases (29) and on-base percentage (.491). The sophomore also ranks second on the team with eight stolen bases. Usher went 7-for-13 over the weekend at Wake Forest, tallying multiple hits in all three contests.
· Zach Britton has been all about extra-base hits in 2020, with 11 of his 16 hits this season going for more than one base. The junior is currently tied for the national lead with 10 doubles after picking up a pair on Sunday at Wake Forest. Britton owns an extra-base hit in nine of the 15 games this season.
· Justin Lavey has quietly been chugging along in the bottom third of the batting order for the Cardinals. The senior is currently riding a team-best 10-game hitting streak, just one shy of his career best. Lavey owns a hit in 13 of the 15 games this season and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs.
· Tim Borden II and Jared Poland have platooned at second base alternating at the position through the first 15 games. The duo has combined to go 19-for-54 (.352) at the plate with six doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Borden hit the first home run of his collegiate career against Western Michigan, while Poland tallied his first long ball of the season at Wake Forest.
