Friday, March 31
Charlottesville, VA
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
at
Virginia
Colby Fitch slides home for a run during Tuesday's win over Western Kentucky.
No. 2 Louisville, No. 16 Virginia Clash in Charlottesville
March 30, 2017 | Baseball
Series set for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #2 Louisville at #16 Virginia Location: Charlottesville, Va. Venue: Davenport Field (5,025) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | Virginia | Media Center Friday, March 31 | 6:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Jr. LHP Brendan McKay (4-1, 1.12 ERA) UVA: TBD Saturday, April 1 | 4:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Jr. RHP Kade McClure (3-0, 2.43 ERA) UVA: TBD Sunday, April 2 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Fr. LHP Nick Bennett (3-0, 0.69 ERA) UVA: TBD |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the weekend series riding a three-game winning streak after an 11-1 win over Western Kentucky on Tuesday. Last weekend, Louisville earned back-to-back wins in the final two games at NC State to earn the series victory in Raleigh. UofL, which set a school record for the best start to a season with 19 straight wins, has won each of its five weekend series this season, including three straight against ACC foes.
After entering 2017 ranked in the top 12 in all six major preseason polls, the Cardinals moved to No. 1 in the nation for the first time school history on March 13 landing in the top position four national polls -- Baseball America Top 25, NCBWA Top 30, Perfect Game Top 25 and USA Today Sports coaches poll. After holding a No. 1 ranking for two weeks, Louisville dropped to No. 2 in five of the six national polls this week.
The Cardinals are paced by junior Brendan McKay, the two-time John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year. McKay is fifth in the nation in on-base percentage at .556 and 10th in batting average at .431 with four home runs and 19 RBI. The two-time ACC Pitcher of the Week also has a 4-1 record with a 1.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts in five Friday starts on the mound. McKay has a 25-8 career record with a 1.93 ERA and 300 strikeouts as a pitcher to go with a .337 career batting average in 141 starts as a hitter.
As a team, the Cardinals are second in the nation in shutouts, second in ERA, second in hits allowed per 9 IP, third in WHIP, fourth in strikeouts per 9 IP, ninth in on-base percentage, 11th in stolen bases, 12th in scoring, 13th in batting average, 19th in fielding percentage and 24th in slugging percentage.
ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION RACE
Through three weeks of ACC action, the reigning back-to-back ACC Atlantic Division champions are atop the standings with an 8-1 conference mark matched only by Clemson with the same league record. Florida State and Wake Forest are two games behind the Cardinals and Tigers with 6-3 records.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Virginia enters the weekend at 20-6 overall following a 4-2 win at VCU on Wednesday and 4-5 in the ACC after winning two of three against Duke last weekend. Last season, the Cavaliers were 38-22 and second in the ACC Coastal with a 19-11 record. Virginia closed its season after a 1-2 finish at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville holds a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series against Virginia, which began in 2015. Last season, the Cardinals won two of three regular season games with the Cavaliers before losing to UVA in the ACC Championship. In its previous visit to Davenport Field, Louisville swept a three-game series on April 4-6, 2015.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville entered the weekend as one of just two teams in the nation (St. John's is the other) ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA in both ERA (second) and batting average (13th).
• The Cardinals have won 36 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.
• UofL has also won 30 straight regular season weekend series at home dating back to 2013.
• A season after setting a school record for highest fielding percentage (.978), Louisville has opened 2017 by committing just 18 errors in 24 games for a .980 fielding percentage.
• The Cardinals have allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of 24 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 has finished with 10 or more hits in 17 of 24 games this season.
• In nine ACC games, the Cardinals have a 2.00 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 81.0 innings of work. Louisville pitchers have surrendered just nine extra-base hits in those nine games.
• The UofL bullpen has a 1.77 ERA and 10-0 record with 105 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched while opponents are hitting just .165 overall.
• Louisville is 45-of-52 on stolen base attempts this season (11th in NCAA) after finishing 101-of-126 in 2016 (12th nationally). The Cardinals were 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 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.
• While at the helm in Louisville, McDonnell has guided the Cardinals to three College World Series berths, six NCAA Super Regional appearances, nine NCAA Regional bids, seven regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles and 29 All-Americans.
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
• Brendan McKay: Recorded career-high 15 strikeouts in March 10 win over Pittsburgh and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 22 times in collegiate career.
• Two-way standout is fifth in NCAA in on-base percentage, 10th in batting average and 10th in the nation among pitchers in strikeouts.
• In 20 pitching starts at Jim Patterson Stadium, McKay is 18-1 with a 1.41 ERA (21 earned runs in 134.0 IP) and 169 strikeouts.
• In 25 career appearances on the mound at home (including 20 starts), McKay is 19-1 with four saves, a 1.35 ERA (21 earned runs in 140.0 IP) and 176 strikeouts.
• Has reached base in 22 of 23 games played in 2017 while delivering 11 multi-hit outings.
• Kade McClure: Has 16-1 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.
• Nick Bennett: Has won three of four career collegiate starts... Ranks seventh in the nation in ERA and 13th in WHIP... Allowed one hit and registered seven strikeouts while facing the minimum of 18 batters for first career victory in first ever start against Eastern Michigan on March 3.
• Lincoln Henzman: Opened season with 13.1 consecutive innings of scoreless relief... 16 strikeouts, three walks and just six hits allowed in 14.1 innings this season.
• Logan Taylor: 5-for-16 with five walks, two HBPs, six stolen bases and eight runs scored in first inning this season (all as leadoff hitter)... Seventh in NCAA with 14 stolen bases... Has reached base safely in 22 of 23 games this season... Played in 200 career games with 104 starts.
• Colby Fitch: Named to 2017 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... Second on team with 10 multi-hit games this season... Has started 18 of 24 games at catcher while starting other six games at designated hitter... Hit four of five home runs, 22 of 25 RBI in his 27 starts last season.
• Devin Hairston: 28 straight games without an error (dating back to 2016)... Career-best five RBI in three-hit game vs. Fort Wayne on March 8... Leads team with 27 RBI and seven multi-RBI games... Started all 64 games in 2016 earning All-America and All-ACC honors.
• Drew Ellis: Has reached base safely in 22 of 24 games... Leads team with five home runs and seven doubles... Hit first career grand slam on March 1 against Morehead State... Had 30 starts last season in left field, one at third and one at second base.
• Josh Stowers: Has started 14 straight games and hit safely in 12 of those... Had two-hit outing and one RBI in first career start on Feb. 18 against No. 22 Maryland.
• 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.
• Devin Mann: Homered in final two games of NC State series... Has reached base safely in 18 of 23 games this season with seven two-hit games in last 16 outings... Hit .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and 13 runs in 19 starts last season.
LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012
Louisville, which surpassed its previous high national ranking of No. 2 (in 2016) with the No. 1 ranking on March 13 and March 20, 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.
MCKAY EARNS BACK-TO-BACK ACC PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Brendan McKay was named ACC Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 13 and March 20. The first of the two honors came after McKay had a career-high 15 strikeouts while allowing only two hits in seven shutout innings against Pitt on March 10. The 15 strikeouts were two better than McKay's previous high of 13 and the outing marked the 20th time he has finished with eight or more strikeouts in a single game.
The second Pitcher of the Week honor came after McKay finished with 12 strikeouts and scattered five singles with one walk in seven shutout innings to move to 4-0 on the season in a win over Boston College. The Darlington, Pennsylvania native anchored the sixth shutout of the season for the No. 1 Cardinals.
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 329-93 record (.779 winning percentage), including an impressive 36-3 mark during the 2016 season at the corner of Third and Central.
NCBWA NAMES MCKAY NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY
Brendan McKay was named National Player of the Month for February by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. McKay had a prolific month, both at the plate and on the mound. In seven games, McKay hit .619 (13-for-21) with a double, three homers and 11 RBI. He had six walks, was hit by two pitches and struck out just once. In two Friday starts, McKay posted wins and a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. He allowed only six hits and four walks, striking out 14.
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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