Tuesday, April 18
Lexington, KY
7:00 PM
University of Louisville
at
Kentucky
Louisville Visits Kentucky for Top 10 Clash on Tuesday Night
April 17, 2017 | Baseball
First pitch for No. 2 Cardinals and No. 10 Wildcats set for 7 p.m., ET on SEC Network
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #2 Louisville at #10 Kentucky Location: Lexington, Ky. Venue: Cliff Hagan Stadium Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | Kentucky | Media Center Tuesday, April 18 | 7:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: SEC Network | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Sr. RHP Shane Hummel (4-0, 2.03 ERA) UK: Fr. LHP Zack Thompson (3-2, 4.46 ERA) |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
The Cardinals enter the 10th week of the season at 31-4 overall and 15-3 in the ACC after earning a series sweep of Georgia Tech last weekend in Atlanta. Louisville, which set a record for the best start to a season in school history with 19 straight wins, has won each of its eight weekend series this season, including six 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 four weeks.
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 fourth in the nation in on-base percentage at .524 and 18th in batting with a .405 average to go along with seven home runs and 28 RBI. The three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week also has a 5-2 record with a 1.19 ERA (10th in NCAA) and 76 strikeouts (11th in NCAA) in eight Friday starts on the mound. McKay has a 26-9 career record with a 1.87 ERA and 321 strikeouts (second all-time at UofL) to go with a .338 career batting average in 152 starts as a hitter.
As a team, the Cardinals are second in the nation in ERA, second in shutouts, fifth in hits allowed per 9 IP, sixth in WHIP, 11th in strikeouts per 9 IP, 19th in on-base percentage, 21st in stolen bases and 23rd in scoring.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky enters the week at 25-12 overall and 10-5 in the SEC after winning two of three games at Missouri last weekend. The Wildcats, ranked 10th in this week's D1Baseball Top 25, have won four of their five SEC series this season. The pitching coach for the Wildcats is UofL alumnus Jim Belanger, who pitched for the Cardinals in 2007 and 2008. Last season, UK was 32-25 overall and fourth in the SEC East with a 15-15 conference record.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville is 41-61-1 all-time against Kentucky in a series dating back to 1925. The Cardinals have won six straight against the Wildcats, including a victory earlier this season (5-3 on April 4) and a sweep of the regular season series in each of the last two years. Last season, the Cardinals earned a 9-6 win in Lexington and a 7-6 win in Louisville.
ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION RACE
Through six weeks of ACC action, the reigning back-to-back ACC Atlantic champions are atop the division with a 15-3 mark, while Clemson is next at 14-3. Wake Forest is third at 12-6 and followed by Florida State (8-9), NC State (8-10), Notre Dame (7-11) and Boston College (3-15). North Carolina leads the ACC Coastal with a 14-4 record, four games ahead of the field.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville has won 13 straight games against in-state foes, including six straight versus UK.
• With Saturday's win at Georgia Tech, the 2017 Louisville squad achieved the best record through 35 games in program history (31-4) surpassing the 2010 team, which had 29-6 record through the same number of games.
• UofL has won 23 of its 26 ACC series overall and is 25-1 in its series finales during that span.
• The Cardinals have won all 13 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference in 2015.
• Louisville has won 31 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 maintained a similar pace in 2017 with 25 errors in 35 games for a .981 fielding percentage.
• The Cardinals have allowed two or fewer earned runs in 21 of 35 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 18 ACC games, the Cardinals pitching staff has a 2.74 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 161.0 innings of work.
• The UofL bullpen has a 2.27 ERA and 15-0 record with 139 strikeouts in 142.2 innings pitched while opponents are hitting just .196 overall.
• Louisville is 59-of-70 on stolen base attempts this season (21st 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.
• 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: Two-way standout is fourth in NCAA in on-base percentage and 18th in batting average while also ranking 10th in the nation in ERA and 11th in strikeouts.
• Has finished with eight or more strikeouts 24 times in collegiate career, including career-high 15 strikeouts in March 10 win over Pittsburgh.
• 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 32 of 34 games played in 2017 while delivering 16 multi-hit outings.
• Kade McClure: Has 17-2 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 seven career collegiate starts... Ranks fifth in the ACC in ERA and fourth 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 fourth in NCAA with 11 saves... Opened 2017 with 13.1 consecutive innings of scoreless relief... Has 21 strikeouts with just three walks in 21.1 innings pitched.
• Logan Taylor: Has reached base safely in 28 of 30 starts this season... Played in 209 career games with 111 starts... One of three team captains in 2017.
• Colby Fitch: Named to 2017 Johnny Bench Award Watch List... Has 12 multi-hit games this season... Has started 26 of 35 games at catcher while starting other nine games at designated hitter... Hit four of five home runs, 22 of 25 RBI in his 27 starts last season.
• Devin Hairston: Ended stretch of 35 straight games without an error (dating back to 2016) with ninth inning miscue on April 11... Career-best five RBI in three-hit game vs. Fort Wayne on March 8... Leads team with 37 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 six 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: Reached base safely in 20 straight games from March 10 to April 11... 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... 192 career appearances.
• Devin Mann: Homered in final two games of NC State series... Has reached base safely in 27 of 34 starts this season... Hit .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and 13 runs in 19 starts last season.
• Ryan Summers: Has played in 14 of last 15 games, including eight starts... 52 career starts and 137 total appearances... One of three team captains for 2017.
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.
MCKAY ON GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Brendan McKay was named Wednesday to the midseason watch list for the 2017 Golden Spikes Award. The 40-player list was announced by USA Baseball and is the second step in identifying the top amateur baseball player in the nation for the 2017 season. The announcement marked the third consecutive year McKay has been included on the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award. The Darlington, Pennsylvania native was selected as 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.
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 334-94 record (.780 winning percentage), including an impressive 36-3 mark during the 2016 season at the corner of Third and Central. Louisville has won 54 of its last 56 regular season games at Jim Patterson Stadium.
MCKAY NAMED ACC PITCHER OF THE WEEK THREE TIMES IN 2017
Brendan McKay earned his third ACC Pitcher of the Week honor on April 17 after receiving the award in back-to-back weeks on March 13 and March 20. McKay's most recent Pitcher of the Week selection came after he allowed just one hit in eight dominant innings on the mound to lead No. 2 Louisville to a 3-0 victory over Georgia Tech in the series-opening win at Russ Chandler Stadium on April 13. McKay finished with eight strikeouts while surrendering only a fourth inning single to go with two walks to move to 5-2 on the season and 26-9 in his collegiate career.
The second Pitcher of the Week honor was awarded 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 on March 17. The first of the three 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.
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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