Softball Set to Host Cardinal Classic
February 20, 2014 | Softball
Feb. 20, 2014
Complete Cardinal Classic Game Notes 
The University of Louisville softball team will host the 2014 Cardinal Classic at Ulmer Stadium in its home-opening weekend Feb. 21-23. Admission is free.
UofL will open tournament play against Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. respectively on Feb. 21. The Cards will face IUPUI at 3 p.m. and Central Michigan at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 and wrap up play against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
2014 Cardinal Classic Schedule
Friday, February 21
10:00 a.m. Central Michigan vs. Northern Kentucky
12:30 p.m. Central Michigan vs. Eastern Kentucky
3:00 p.m. Louisville vs. Northern Kentucky
5:30 p.m. Louisville vs. Eastern Kentucky
Saturday, February 22
10:00 a.m. Central Michigan vs. Eastern Kentucky
12:30 p.m. Northern Kentucky vs. IUPUI
3:00 p.m. Louisville vs. IUPUI
5:30 p.m. Louisville vs. Central Michigan
Sunday, February 23
10:00 a.m. IUPUI vs. Central Michigan
12:30 p.m. Louisville vs. Northern Kentucky
3:00 p.m. Eastern Kentucky vs. Northern Kentucky
5:30 p.m. Eastern Kentucky vs. IUPUI
Click here for the Cardinal Classic Tournament Central
When the Cardinals take the field for Friday's home opener, they will be competing in a newly-renovated Ulmer Stadium. While the significant components have been completed, crews still are putting the finishing touches on the venue. The entrance and walkways will be marked, and the new restrooms are now located on the south side of the concession stand.
The Ulmer Stadium Expansion
In July 2013, the University of Louisville began a $3.5 million expansion project on the stadium which is scheduled to be completed by opening day of the 2014 season.
The expansion will feature an upper deck terrace with elevator access and additional seating to accommodate up to 1,000 people within the stadium, increasing the facility's capacity to approximately 2,500. The remodeling will extend to the plaza which will serve as a welcome area for fans at the main entrance. Additionally, the public restrooms will be restructured and located south of the concession area.
The upgrade will include a new team locker room and clubhouse with team meeting rooms and offices which will be located on the south side of the stadium. Restrooms will be also added to the home and visitor dugouts. A two-foot wall extending across the backstop will complete the field area improvements.
Also part of the expansion is a newly constructed press box which will feature separate booths for home and visiting radio and television as well as an area for media and game operations. The roof of the press box will be covered and provide a camera deck for televised games as well as still photography.
About Louisville
• Louisville enters the third week of the 2014 season with a 4-5 record and receiving votes in the USA Softball and the NFCA coaches polls.
• Junior centerfielder Kelsi Jones transferred to Louisville from Missouri and has had an immediate impact this season. The inaugural American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, leads the team with a .393 batting average, two home runs, five RBIs and is 4 for 4 in stolen bases.
• Fellow junior transfer Brittany Duncan (Valparaiso) is second on the team with a .364 batting average. She has been walked 10 times, reached base in all nine games and carries a .576 on-base percentage.
• Senior Caralisa Connell (2-3) carries a 3.50 ERA and has 19 Ks in 28.0 innings of work.
• Louisville will be competing in the American Athletic Conference this season after spending the last eight years in the BIG EAST. The Cardinals are the coaches' preseason favorite to win the conference.
• Head coach Sandy Pearsall is in her 15th season at UofL. She started the program in 2000 and is the only head coach in UofL Softball history leading the program to a 557-279 record.
Last Up
UofL went 1-3 at the Jacksonville University Softball Tournament. The Cards opened play with a 5-0 win over the host Dolphins, but went on to lose three straight. In Saturday's matchup with Notre Dame, UofL had a 3-1 lead, in the top of the fourth, but could not hang on as the Irish scored five unanswered runs. In Saturday's second game, the Cardinals went ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, but fell 4-2 to North Carolina. In the final game of the weekend, Notre Dame jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first inning. The Cards attempted to rally but fell 11-4 in the weekend finale.
Up Next
The Cardinals will go back on the road to Fullerton, Calif. for the Mayfair Tournament Feb. 28-March 2. Louisville will face Northwestern, Cal State Fullerton, UC Santa Barbara, No. 8/9 UCLA and Oregon State in the tournament.
Louisville receiving votes the in coaches' polls
• Cards in ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings
After going 1-3 in the Jacksonville University Softball Tournament, Louisville dropped out of the top 25 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings released on Feb. 18. The Cards the 2014 season at No. 18.
• UofL finished the 2013 season at No. 23 in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll after posting a 47-13 record and earning its tenth-straight NCAA tournament bid and the No. 15 overall seed in the tournament for the second consecutive season. After making their 2013 debut at No. 18 in the preseason rankings, the Cards went on to spend three weeks in the top 10, matching the highest ranking in program history on April 23.
• Louisville recorded program-best No. 7 ranking for the first time on May 15, 2012. The Cardinals were ranked in the top 10 for the final five weeks of that season.
• Prior to Feb. 18, 2014, the Cardinals spent 32 straight weeks in the USA Softball Top 25 rankings dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season.
• Cards in USA Today/NFCA rankings
UofL is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll released on Feb. 18. The Cardinals dropped out of the top 25 after going 1-3 in the Jacksonville University Softball Tournament.
• Louisville finished the 2013 season at No. 19 in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll after posting a 47-13 record and earning its tenth-straight NCAA tournament bid and the No. 15 overall seed in the tournament for the second consecutive season. • Last season, the Cards debuted at No. 18 and went on to tie their program high at No. 8 on April 23. The Cards spent three weeks in the top 10 and five weeks at No. 11 in 2013.
• Prior to Feb. 18, 2014, Louisville has appeared in the NFCA top 25 rankings 33 straight weeks dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season.
Cards against the field
Northern Kentucky
Series record: First meeting
Scouting the Norse: Northern Kentucky enters the weekend with a 1-4 record after opening the season at the Mississippi State Bulldog Kickoff Classic. The Norse began with a 9-0 loss to Jacksonville State, followed by a 12-1 loss to Mississippi State, a 5-2 loss to Mississippi Valley State, and a 6-1 loss to Mississippi State. NKU closed out the tournament with a 3-1 win over Mississippi Valley State. NKU was scheduled to appear in 4 games last weekend at the Rafter Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, Ga., but the tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather.
NKU is led offensively by Dani Devlin, who is hitting .429 with a double and one run scored, and Dee Dee Davis, who is hitting .364 with one home run. Paige McQueen leads the team with 12.0 innings pitched and a 1-0 record after getting the complete game victory versus Mississippi Valley State.
The Norse are playing in their second year of Division I action as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they were picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll.
Eastern Kentucky
Series record: Louisville leads 6-3
Last Meeting: April 29, 2009 - UofL won 7-0 at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Colonels: Eastern Kentucky enters the weekend with 4-5 record. The Colonels opened their season at the Mercer Invitational and picked up two wins over Florida A&M while suffering losses to Samford and Mercer (twice). EKU went 2-2 at last weekend's Samford Invitational opening with a 4-3 loss to Evansville, followed by a 3-2 loss to Samford, a 3-2 win over Belmont and a 6-4 win over Evansville.
Krislyn Campos leads the offense with a .385 batting average, including six runs and two RBIs. Christina Ciolek has hit three home runs and produced six RBIs while hitting .321 on the year. Leanna Pittsenbarger (3-2) has pitched 30.1 innings of action and enters the weekend with a 2.97 ERA and 47 strikeouts.
The Colonels were picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference East Division, after finishing the 2013 season with a 36-20 record and claiming the OVC East Division title.
IUPUI
Series record: Louisville leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2009 - UofL won 8-0 at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Jaguars: IUPUI enters the weekend with a 4-4 record. After opening the season with a 2-3 record at the Total Control Sports Invitational, the Jaguars took two of three on the road against Austin Peay. IUPUI began with a 5-2 loss to the Governors before winning the final two games by scores of 5-1 and 10-1. Jaguars pitcher Jocelyn Oppenhuis tossed two straight one run, one hit games in the two wins versus Austin Peay.
Sarah Lawrence leads the team with a .440 batting average with five doubles and seven runs scored. Roni Patterson is hitting .370 and leads the team with six RBIs. Oppenhuis (2-1) carries a 2.26 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 21.2 innings pitched.
The Jaguars were picked to finish sixth in the Summit League preseason poll after finishing the 2013 season with a 18-31 record, including a 7-16 Summit League record.
Central Michigan
Series record: First meeting
Scouting the Chippewas: Central Michigan enters the weekend with a 5-4 record. Last weekend the Chippewas appeared at the UT Arlington Maverick Invitational, finishing the weekend with a 2-3 record. CMU opened with a 5-2 win over South Dakota State before dropping three straight, 6-3 to Missouri State and 9-3 and 2-1 to tournament host UT Arlington. The Chippewas capped the weekend with a 5-1 win over South Dakota State.
CMU is led offensively by Trista Cox, who was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week for the second straight week. Cox is hitting .462 with 11 RBIs and five home runs. Chelsea Sundberg (2-3) leads the team with 28.1 innings pitched and carries a 4.13 ERA with 18 strikeouts.
The Chippewas were picked to finish first in the MAC West division preseason poll as well as the MAC Tournament Champions. CMU finished the 2013 season with a 33-20 record, the most wins since 2002, and advanced to their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance.
Keller Selected as Candidate for the 2014 Softball Senior CLASS Award®
The University of Louisville's Katie Keller was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate softball.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
She becomes the second UofL softball player to be named to the Senior CLASS Award list, joining Kristi Cunningham who earned the honor in 2009.
ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series® in Oklahoma City May 29 through June 4.
Jones Named Inaugural American Athletic Conference Player of the Week - Connell selected to honor roll
Following the opening weekend of the 2014 season, Louisville's Kelsi Jones was named the American Athletic Conference's inaugural Player of the Week and senior Caralisa Connell was named to the weekly honor roll.
Jones (Carmel, Ind.) batted .438 in a 3-2 weekend for the Cardinals at the FAU Kick-Off Classic, with two home runs and a double for four runs and four RBIs. On Feb. 7 she went 3-for-3 with a home run in Louisville's 7-1 rout of Northern Illinois. The junior centerfielder also highlighted the Cards' extra-innings victory over Ohio State on Feb. 8, breaking up a no-hitter in the sixth inning with a two-run homer.
Senior pitcher Caralisa Connell went 2-1 for Louisville on the weekend, posting a 0.93 ERA and earned 14 strikeouts in 15 innings of work.
Keller Named to Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
Katie Keller was named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball on Jan. 29.
• The preseason "Watch List" includes 24 seniors, 20 juniors and six sophomores, with freshman ineligible for consideration. (Freshman can be considered for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level.) Athletes named to the "Watch List" represent 36 NCAA Division I universities and 12 athletic conferences.
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 9. While an athlete does not have to be on the "Watch List" to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced May 7 and the Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 21. On May 27 prior to the start of the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.
Cardinals earn College Sports Madness Preseason Honors
Senior second baseman Katie Keller was named to the College Sports Madness preseason All-America second team. The website also named Keller the preseason American Athletic Conference Field Player of the Year and freshman pitcher/first baseman Maryssa Becker was tabbed Rookie of the Year. UofL's Sandy Pearsall was named the preseason conference Coach of the Year by College Sports madness.
Keller joins fellow senior Rachel LeCoq on the CSM preseason All-AAC first team. Seniors Caralisa Connell and Hannah Kiyohara were named to the second team.
Cards Tabbed 2014 American Athletic Conference Preseason Favorites
UofL was chosen as the preseason favorite in 2014 American Athletic Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as selected by the conference's eight head coaches. Louisville received six of seven possible first place votes for 48 total points to take the honor.
The conference's teams all begin play in March, with the eight teams looking toward the inaugural American Athletic Conference Softball Championship. Held at the Cougar Softball Field on the campus of the University of Houston May 8-10, the Championship will take the form of a single-elimination bracket. The quarterfinal and semifinal matchups will all be broadcast live on The American Digital Network, with the final featured live on ESPNEWS.
2014 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Louisville (6)
2. USF (2)
3. Houston
4. UCF
5. Rutgers
6. UConn
Memphis
8. Temple
Tough Slate
The Cardinals' 2014 slate features 12 teams who played in the 2013 NCAA tournament including five top 25 teams: No. 5/4 Michigan, No. 5/6 Kentucky, and No. 8/9 UCLA The Cardinals will also play 27 games at the newly-expanded Ulmer Stadium. Additionally seven teams on the schedule were receiving votes in the preseason polls.
Louisville is also set to play their lone season in the American Athletic Conference before moving to the ACC in 2015.
