Tuesday, April 11
LOUISVILLE, KY
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
PURDUE
Sophomore Josh Stowers has reached base safely in a career-best 19 straight games.
Baseball Homestand Concludes with Tuesday Night Visit From Purdue
April 10, 2017 | Baseball
First pitch for No. 2 Cardinals and Boilermakers set for 6 p.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #2 Louisville vs. Purdue Location: Louisville, Ky. Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | Purdue | Media Center Tuesday, April 11 | 6:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Sr. RHP Shane Hummel (3-0, 2.89 ERA) PUR: Fr. RHP Jack Dellinger (1-2, 4.50 ERA) |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the week at 27-4 overall and 12-3 in the ACC after grinding out a series victory against No. 17 Wake Forest last weekend at Jim Patterson Stadium. Louisville, which set a record for the best start to a season in school history with 19 straight wins, has won each of its seven weekend series this season, including five straight against ACC opponents.
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 has been ranked in the No. 2 position in each of the last three weeks.
Junior Brendan McKay, the two-time John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, leads the Cardinals at the plate and on the mound. McKay is 13th in the nation in on-base percentage at .508 while also hitting .388 to go along with five home runs and 22 RBI. The two-time ACC Pitcher of the Week also has a 4-2 record with a 1.40 ERA and 68 strikeouts in seven Friday starts on the mound. McKay has a 25-9 career record with a 1.93 ERA and 313 strikeouts as a pitcher (second all-time at UofL) to go with a .333 career batting average in 148 starts as a hitter.
As a team, the Cardinals are second in the nation in shutouts, fourth in ERA, sixth in hits allowed per 9 IP, ninth in strikeouts per 9 IP, 10th in WHIP, 17th in on-base percentage, 17th in stolen bases, 27th in scoring, 30th in batting average and 34th in slugging percentage.
ABOUT THE PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue is 17-14 on the season and 5-4 in the Big Ten Conference after winning two of three games fat home against Indiana last weekend. The Boilermakers are led by first year head coach Mark Wasikowski. Last season, Purdue was 10-44 overall and last in the Big Ten with a 2-22 conference mark.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville is 10-6 all-time against Purdue in a series dating back to 1986. The Cardinals have won five straight in the series, including a 9-4 win last season in West Lafayette. UofL has won each of the last two meetings between the programs at Jim Patterson Stadium, including a 5-3 victory in 2015 in the Boilermakers most recent visit to Louisville.
ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION RACE
Through five weeks of ACC action, the reigning back-to-back ACC Atlantic champions are in second place in the division race with a 12-3 mark, while No. 4 Clemson paces the way with a 13-2 record. No. 17 Wake Forest is third at 9-6, while Florida State, NC State and Notre Dame are next at 7-8. No. 5 North Carolina leads the ACC Coastal with a 12-3 record, four games ahead of the field.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• After Sunday's win against Wake Forest, the 2017 Louisville squad achieved the best record through 31 games in program history. The 2010 and the 2013 teams each had 25-6 records through the same number of games.
• Louisville has won 31 straight regular season weekend series at home dating back to 2013.
• The Cardinals have won all 13 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference in 2015.
• UofL has won 22 of its 25 ACC series overall and is 24-1 in its series finales during that span.
• A season after setting a school record for highest fielding percentage (.978), Louisville has maintained a similar pace in 2017 with 23 errors in 31 games for a .980 fielding percentage.
• The Cardinals have allowed two or fewer earned runs in 18 of 31 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.
• In 15 ACC games, the Cardinals pitching staff has a 2.96 ERA with 141 strikeouts in 134.0 innings of work.
• The UofL bullpen has a 2.38 ERA and 14-0 record with 127 strikeouts in 128.2 innings pitched while opponents are hitting just .193 overall.
• Louisville is 54-of-62 on stolen base attempts this season (17th 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 lead the ACC in ERA and rank third in the league in team batting average.
• Louisville has won 13 straight games against in-state foes, including six straight versus UK.
• While at Louisville, coach Dan 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 23 times in collegiate career.
• Two-way standout is 13th in the NCAA in on-base percentage, 50th in batting average, 15th in the nation among pitchers in strikeouts and 26th in ERA.
• In 21 pitching starts at Jim Patterson Stadium, McKay is 18-2 with a 1.46 ERA (23 earned runs in 141.0 IP) and 180 strikeouts.
• In 26 career appearances on the mound at home (including 21 starts), McKay is 19-2 with four saves, a 1.40 ERA (23 earned runs in 147.0 IP) and 187 strikeouts.
• Has reached base in 28 of 30 games played in 2017 while delivering 13 multi-hit outings.
• Kade McClure: Has 16-2 career record... Had season-high 10 strikeouts on April 8... 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 3-0 record in six career collegiate starts... Ranks fifth in the ACC in ERA and third 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: Ranks ninth nationally with nine saves... Opened 2017 with 13.1 consecutive innings of scoreless relief... Has 18 strikeouts with just three walks in 18.1 innings pitched.
• Logan Taylor: Ranks 29th in NCAA with 14 stolen bases... Has reached base safely in 25 of 26 starts this season... Played in 205 career games with 107 starts.
• Colby Fitch: Named to 2017 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... Fourth on team with 11 multi-hit games this season... Has started 23 of 31 games at catcher while starting other eight games at designated hitter... Hit four of five home runs, 22 of 25 RBI in his 27 starts last season.
• Devin Hairston: 35 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 36 RBI and 10 multi-RBI games... Started all 64 games in 2016 earning All-America and All-ACC honors.
• Drew Ellis: Had career-best 11-game hitting streak halted on April 7... Leads team with 11 doubles to go with five home runs... 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 21 straight games and hit safely in 16 of those... Has reached base safely in 19 straight games... Delivered career-best three hits against No. 17 Wake Forest on April 8... Had two-hit outing and one RBI in first ever start on Feb. 18 against No. 22 Maryland.
• Colin Lyman: Hit first career home run and had career-best three hits on March 1 against Morehead State... Had 47 starts and 60 games played last season... 185 career appearances.
• Devin Mann: Homered in final two games of NC State series... Has reached base safely in 23 of 30 starts this season... 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 major national poll 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.
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 333-94 record (.779 winning percentage), including an impressive 36-3 mark during the 2016 season at the corner of Third and Central. Louisville has won 53 of its last 55 regular season games at Jim Patterson Stadium.
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.
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.
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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