Friday, March 3
LOUISVILLE, KY
3:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Senior Colin Lyman had three hits in Wednesday's win over Morehead State.
Louisville Hosts Eastern Michigan in Weekend Series
March 02, 2017 | Baseball
Cardinals and Eagles scheduled for Friday (3 pm), Saturday (Noon) and Sunday (1 pm)
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #6 Louisville vs. Eastern Michigan Location: Louisville, Ky. Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | Eastern Michigan Friday, March 3 | 3:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 1450 AM/96.1 FM LOU: Jr. LHP Brendan McKay (2-0, 0.82 ERA) EMU: Jr. RHP Brent Mattson (2-0, 3.60 ERA) Saturday, March 4 | Noon ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Jr. RHP Kade McClure (1-0, 3.72 ERA) EMU: Jr. RHP Brad Allen (0-1, 2.38 ERA) Sunday, March 5 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Fr. RHP Michael McAvene (1-0, 1.04 ERA) EMU: Fr. RHP James Harness (0-1, 3.86 ERA) |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the third weekend of the season at 8-0 after a 20-2 win over Morehead State on Wednesday. Louisville is off to its best start since winning each of the first 13 games in 2010. After entering 2017 ranked in the top 12 in all six major preseason polls, the Cardinals are ranked as high as No. 6 this week by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game.
Through the first eight games of the season, the Cardinals have been paced by junior Brendan McKay. The two-time John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year has seven multi-hit games and is hitting .667 overall (16-for-24) with three home runs, 13 RBI and seven walks in eight games while also carrying a 2-0 record with a 0.82 ERA and 14 strikeouts in two Friday starts on the mound. McKay has a 23-7 career record with a 1.99 ERA and 259 strikeouts on the mound to go along with a .339 career batting average in 127 starts as a hitter.
While at the helm in Louisville, head coach Dan McDonnell has placed the Cardinals among the nation's elite programs with three College World Series berths, six NCAA Super Regional appearances, nine NCAA Regional bids, seven regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles, 29 All-Americans and 459 wins overall.
ABOUT THE EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES
Eastern Michigan enters the weekend at 2-8 overall after playing each of the first two weeks of the season in the state of Florida. The Eagles opened 2017 with a win over SEC foe Missouri in Ft. Myers and earned a St. Bonaventure on Feb. 24 in Port Charlotte, but they enter this week's series on a four-game losing skid. Last season, the Eastern Michigan was 23-36 overall and sixth in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference with a 10-14 league mark.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville holds a 5-4 lead in the all-time series with Eastern Michigan, which dates back to 1999. All nine previous meetings between the programs have been played in Louisville, including the most recent contests in 2011 when the Eagles won a pair of midweek games (4-3, 6-2) at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2011.
FEELING AT HOME INSIDE JIM PATTERSON STADIUM
Since opening the gates at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2005, the Cardinals have won more than 77 percent of their games in the ballpark posting a 318-93 record (.773 winning percentage), including an impressive 36-3 mark during the 2016 season at the corner of Third and Central.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville has won 24 straight regular season home games at Jim Patterson Stadium with the most recent regular season loss coming to No. 9 Virginia on March 25, 2016.
• The Cardinals have won 16 consecutive midweek games, including a 14-0 mark last season, while their last midweek loss was to No. 7 Vanderbilt on May 12, 2015 at Jim Patterson Stadium.
• A season after setting school record for highest fielding percentage (.978), Louisville has opened 2017 in stellar fashion defensively committing just three errors in eight games for .990 fielding percentage.
• Louisville has scored 10 or more runs in five of eight games this season and has connected for 10 or more hits in all eight games thus far.
• The Cardinals have allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of eight games this season after accomplishing the feat in 36 of 64 games last season. They allowed two or fewer earned runs in 36 of 65 games in 2015, 40 of 67 games in 2014 and 36 of 65 games in 2013.
• Louisville was 101-of-126 on stolen bases in 2016 (12th nationally) continuing the aggressive approach from Dan McDonnell. UofL was fourth nationally with 127 stolen bases in 2015, second in the nation in 2014 with 133 and second in 2013 with 150.
• The Cardinals ended last season ranked second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings, third in hits, third in sacrifice flies, third in shutouts, fifth in ERA, sixth in batting average, sixth in doubles, sixth in slugging percentage, sixth in WHIP, ninth in runs scored, 12th in stolen bases, 15th in fielding percentage, 15th in on-base percentage, 15th in strikeouts per nine innings, 19th in home runs, 20th in scoring, 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 25th in hit by pitch and 26th in triples.
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
• Brendan McKay: Recorded eight or more strikeouts in 11 of his 17 starts last season and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 19 times in his career.
• In 18 pitching starts at Jim Patterson Stadium, McKay is 16-1 with a 1.57 ERA (21 earned runs in 120.0 IP) and 142 strikeouts.
• In 23 career appearances on the mound at home (including 18 starts), McKay is 17-1 with four saves, a 1.50 ERA (21 earned runs in 126.0 IP) and 149 strikeouts.
• Has reached base safely in all eight games in 2017 while delivering seven multi-hit outings.
• Leads team in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging and on-base percentage.
• Has more walks and HBPs (9) than outs recorded (8) as a hitter through first eight games.
• Kade McClure: Has 14-1 career record... Won 12 of 13 starts last season and was tied for fifth nationally in victories... Was also in the top 10 in the nation in WHIP and hits allowed per 9 IP while earning All-America honors last season.
• Michael McAvene: Registered 11 strikeouts in first collegiate win on Feb. 26... Became Louisville's first true freshman pitcher to earn opening weekend start since 2007 when Tyler Mathis and Justin Marks started second and third days of the season.
• Devin Hairston: Matched career-high with four hits in Feb. 22 win over EKU... Started all 64 games at shortstop last season earning All-America and All-ACC honors while hitting .361 with three home runs, 45 RBI, 16 doubles and a team-high 56 runs scored
• Colby Fitch: Has multi-hit performances in six of eight games this season... Five of 13 hits are extra-base hits... Delivered four of five home runs, 22 of 25 RBI in his 27 starts last season.
• Drew Ellis: Hit first career grand slam on March 1 against Morehead State... Has reached base safely in all eight games this season... Had 30 starts last season in left field, one at third and one at second base.
• Logan Taylor: Has connected for two or more hits in four of the last five games... Has reached base safely in all eight games this season... Played in 185 career games with 89 starts.
• Devin Mann: Has reached base safely in seven of eight games this season... Called into everyday duty with an injury to Nick Solak last March, Mann managed himself well hitting .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored in the 19 starts.
• Colin Lyman: Connected for first career home run and career-best three hits on March 1 against Morehead State... Had 47 starts and 60 games played last season.
• Josh Stowers: Hit safely in five of eight games this season, including a two-hit outing and one RBI in first career start on Feb. 18 against No. 22 Maryland.
MCKAY ON GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Brendan McKay was named to the preseason watch list for the 2017 Golden Spikes Award on Feb. 15. The 55-player list was announced by USA Baseball and is the first step in identifying the top amateur baseball player in the nation for the 2017 season. The announcement marked the second consecutive year McKay has been included on the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award. The lefthanded pitcher and first baseman from Darlington, Pennsylvania was a semifinalist for the award in each of his first two collegiate seasons. The 40th Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation on June 29 in Los Angeles.
LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012
Louisville has enjoyed a historic run by remaining in at least one of the major national polls every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest such span in school history. Ranked in the top 12 in all six major preseason polls for 2017, the Cardinals have received a preseason top 10 ranking in five straight seasons (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and have earned a preseason national ranking in 10 straight seasons (2008-2017) overall.
CARDINALS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN ACC ATLANTIC IN 2017
Louisville was the second choice in the 2017 ACC Atlantic Division race in a vote of the conference's 14 head coaches, while Florida State was chosen as the favorite to win the division and conference championships. The Seminoles were picked by 10 coaches as the team to beat in the conference. Back-to-back ACC Atlantic Division champion Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, and NC State also had one vote each for overall conference champion.
Florida State led the way in the Atlantic Division with 93 points, followed by Louisville (79), Clemson (66), NC State (64), Wake Forest (38), and Boston College and Notre Dame (26). The Seminoles were selected as division favorite by 10 coaches, while Louisville (2), Clemson and NC State (1) also picked up first place votes.
Six coaches picked North Carolina to win the Coastal Division, with Virginia (4), Miami (3), and Georgia Tech (1) also had first place votes. The Tar Heels picked up 86 points, ahead of Virginia (84), Miami (77), Georgia Tech (59), Duke (40), Virginia Tech (26), and Pitt (20).
MCKAY NAMED PRESEASON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Junior lefthanded pitcher and first baseman Brendan McKay was named as the preseason National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. McKay was selected as the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and earned First Team All-America honors in each of his first two collegiate seasons. As a sophomore in 2016, McKay had a 12-4 record with a 2.30 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 17 starts on the mound, while hitting .333 with six home runs, 19 doubles and 41 RBI at the plate. The two-time All-ACC First Team selection also had a stellar summer hitting .326 with five RBI in 13 starts as a hitter and registering a 2-1 record with a 1.35 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 13.1 innings on the mound for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
SPARGER, SUMMERS AND TAYLOR NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior righthanded pitcher Jake Sparger and senior outfielders Ryan Summers and Logan Taylor were selected by Louisville players and coaches as team captains for the Cardinals baseball team in 2017. Sparger had 50 career appearances on the mound in his first three seasons with the Cardinals, including five starts, and accumulated a 3-2 record with a 3.42 ERA. Summers had 37 collegiate starts while appearing in 108 games during his first three years at Louisville.
Taylor played in 177 games and made 81 total starts during his first three seasons as a Cardinal.
49 OF 56 REGULAR SEASON GAMES SLATED FOR ESPN PLATFORMS
The Louisville baseball team's 2017 television schedule features 49 of 56 regular season games on ESPN platforms, including all 30 ACC contests. The 49 regular season games slated for television coverage are the most in school history. The Cardinals will play once on ESPN2 with their May 14 contest at Clemson and once on ESPNU when they host Florida State in the regular season finale on May 20 at Jim Patterson Stadium. Louisville will make one appearance on the ACC's Regional Sports Network with the March 25 game at NC State, while 45 games will be televised exclusively on ACC Network Extra, available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. The Cardinals will make one appearance on the SEC Network with their April 18 game at Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FIELD TO HOST 2017 ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship will be played at Louisville Slugger Field in downtown Louisville as announced by the conference on Oct. 4. Louisville Slugger Field, which opened in 2000, boasts a seating capacity of 13,131. Home to the Louisville Bats' minor league team, the stadium played host to the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game and features 32 private suites in addition to second-level club seating.
"The city of Louisville knows how to host big events, especially sporting events, and I believe all of the ACC teams will enjoy the experience of playing in a great sports town and in a terrific ballpark," said UofL baseball head coach Dan McDonnell. "I'm also excited our fan base will have the opportunity to experience and support the ACC Baseball Championship."
The 2017 ACC Baseball Championship will be the event's first time to be held in the state of Kentucky. It will also be the first year under a new format, as the championship will include 12 teams and feature a pool play format leading into a four-team, single-elimination bracket to determine the league champion.
The 12 teams in the championship will be grouped into four pools of three teams apiece. Pool play will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with three games per day. Each pool will play a round robin, with the top team advancing to the semifinals. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, followed by the championship on Sunday.
SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM CONTINUES FOR THE CARDINALS
As the Louisville baseball team was making significant progress on the field during its 2016 fall workouts, the Cardinals also maintained their impressive work in the classroom registering a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or better for the 11th consecutive semester. The notable stretch of academic success has covered five-and-a-half years overall since starting with fall semester in 2011.
The span of 11 straight semesters with a team GPA of 3.0 or better includes the 2013 and 2014 seasons, which culminated with back-to-back appearances at the College World Series. In each of those trips to Omaha, the Cardinals received the CWS Academic Award for having the highest team GPA of the eight programs advancing to the pinnacle of collegiate baseball.
FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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