Cardinals, Wildcats Collide Tuesday in Lexington

GAME DAY INFORMATION
#11 Louisville (19-8) at #9 Kentucky (19-9)
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Venue: Cliff Hagan Stadium
Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball
Game Notes: Louisville | Kentucky | Media Center
UofL Tickets: Buy Now | Patterson Stadium Guide/FAQ

Tuesday, April 3 | 4 p.m. ET | Live Stats
TV: SEC Network+ | Radio: 1450 WXVW/93.9 The Ville
LOU: Jr. RHP Riley Thompson (1-2, 5.64 ERA)
UK: Fr. RHP Daniel Harper (2-1, 6.38 ERA)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No.11 Louisville baseball team plays its seventh straight game against a ranked foe with Tuesday's visit to No.9 Kentucky, where first pitch is set for 4 p.m., ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game will be televised on SEC Network+, while radio coverage will begin on 1450 WXVW before moving to 93.9 The Ville at 6 p.m.

ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Louisville enters the week after losing two of three games at No.5 Florida State last weekend. Through four weeks of ACC action, the Cardinals have a 5-7 conference mark and tied for fourth in the Atlantic Division, four games behind first place NC State. After winning their first 14 games of 2018 for the third best start in school history, the Cardinals have lost eight of 13 contests since. The nation's last unbeaten team for the second straight year, the Cardinals are ranked as high as 11th in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll.

Sophomore Logan Wyatt has a .351 average with one homer, 24 RBIs, 13 doubles and 28 walks to pace the offense. Junior infielder Devin Mann is hitting .287 with two home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 walks and 23 runs scored. Three different Cardinals have 13 or more stolen bases as Jake Snider is 14-for-16, Tyler Fitzgerald is 13-of-14 and Josh Stowers is 13-for-15.

The pitching staff is led by All-American righty Sam Bordner, who has eight saves, a 1-1 record and a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings this season. The junior has allowed just five earned runs in his last 57.0 innings (0.78 ERA). The weekend rotation is paced by junior lefthander Adam Wolf, who has a 3-2 record, 2.68 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 40.1 innings, and sophomore lefty Nick Bennett, with his 3-0 record, 1.59 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17.0 innings.

Louisville is guided by head coach Dan McDonnell, who is in his 12th season in The Ville following a record-setting campaign in 2017 when the Cardinals ranked fifth in every major national poll after advancing to the College World Series for the fourth time in school history. UofL set a school record for wins with a 53-12 mark and earned the program's third straight ACC Atlantic Division title.

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky enters the week at 19-9 overall and 3-6 in the SEC after dropping two of three games last weekend at Alabama. Led by head coach Nick Mingione, the Wildcats have a .322 team batting average and a 4.98 team ERA. Last season, UK was 43-23 overall and second in the SEC East with a 19-11 record. The Wildcats advanced to their first ever NCAA Super Regional before ending the season with back-to-back losses at Louisville.

SERIES HISTORY
Louisville trails 62-43-1 in the all-time series with Kentucky, which dates back to 1925. The Cardinals have won eight of their last nine against the Wildcats, including three of four contests last year. After splitting the two regular season games in 2017, Louisville won both NCAA Super Regional games at Jim Patterson Stadium to clinch the program's fourth College World Series berth. UofL has won four of its last six games at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
   • Louisville is ranked No.33 in this week's official NCAA RPI released on April 2. The Cardinals are among seven ACC teams in the top 40 of this week's RPI.
   • With this week's games against No.9 Kentucky and No.4 NC State, the Cardinals will have played 15 of their last 19 games against ranked opponents.
   • Louisville has started 13 different defensive lineups and submitted 24 different batting orders through the first 27 games of the 2018 season.
   • UofL has started the same four infielders -- Logan Wyatt at first, Devin Mann at second, Tyler Fitzgerald at shortstop and Justin Lavey at third -- in all 27 games this season.
   • Louisville has started seven different players in the outfield this season.
   • The Cardinals had a 50-0 record last season when leading after eight innings and are 17-1 this season when entering the ninth inning with a lead.
   • UofL is 8th in the nation in strikeouts per 9 IP (10.5) and 17th in hits allowed per 9 IP (7.32).
   • Offensively, the Cardinals are 7th in the nation in sacrifice flies, 9th in walks, 19th in triples and 21st in on-base percentage.
   • Louisville is ranked 11th in the nation in stolen bases in 2018 with 52 in 61 attempts after ranking 17th in 2017 (98-of-123). The Cardinals were 12th in the NCAA in 2016 with 101 stolen bases, fourth nationally with 127 stolen bases in 2015, second in the nation in 2014 with 133 and second in 2013 with 150.
   • UofL has won 27 of its 34 ACC series since joining the league and is 30-3 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-2 record in rubber games.
   • The Cardinals have won 15 of their 17 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
   • UofL has suffered three straight series losses for the first time since 2006. The Cardinals have not lost four straight series since the 2004 season.
   • While at Louisville, coach Dan McDonnell has guided the Cardinals to four College World Series berths, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, 10 NCAA Regional bids, eight regular season conference championships and two conference tournament titles with 34 All-Americans.

PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
   • Sam Bordner has surrendered just five earned runs in his last 57.0 innings (0.78 ERA) dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
   • Bordner had his scoreless streak halted at 23.1 innings at WKU on March 21. His career long scoreless streak is 31.2 innings spanning the end of 2016 and much of 2017.
   • Bordner ranks 7th in the nation with his eight saves in 2018.
   • Logan Wyatt leads the team with 12 multi-hit performances this season while Devin Mann has 9 multi-hit games in 2018.
   • Mann is the team leader in career home runs (10), career doubles (26) and career RBIs (88).
   • Wyatt and Mann are 5th in the nation in walks, Jake Snider is 12th and Josh Stowers is 18th.
   • Wyatt also ranks 9th nationally in doubles and 26th in on-base percentage.
   • Snider is 26th in the NCAA in stolen bases, while Stowers and Tyler Fitzgerald are tied for 42nd.
   • Stowers has 37 career stolen bases in 47 total attempts during his three seasons.
   • Junior catcher Pat Rumoro was named on March 6 to the initial watch list for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award, presented annually to the nation's top catcher.

LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE START 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 during the 2017 season, has enjoyed a historic run by remaining ranked 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 25 in all six major preseason polls for 2018, the Cardinals have earned a preseason national ranking in 11 straight seasons (2008-2018) overall.

CARDINALS WIN 14 STRAIGHT TO OPEN 2018 FOR THIRD BEST START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Louisville won its first 14 games in 2018 marking the third best start in school history and the second longest season-opening winning streak in head coach Dan McDonnell's 12 years at the helm. The 2017 Cardinals set a school record by winning 19 straight games to begin the season, which culminated with the program's fourth College World Series appearance, while the 1957 Louisville baseball team finished with a 17-0 record overall.

FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter at @UofLBaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.

2018 LOUISVILLE BASEBALL TICKETS
Season ticket packages as well as single game tickets for the 2018 University of Louisville baseball season are on sale now and can be purchased online at GoCards.com/bsbtickets, by phone at 502-GO-CARDS or by visiting the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office, located near Gate 2 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (2800 South Floyd Street) on weekdays from 9 a.m., until 5 p.m., ET.

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Players Mentioned

Nick Bennett

Sam Bordner

Tyler Fitzgerald

Justin Lavey

Devin Mann

Pat Rumoro

Jake Snider

Josh Stowers

Riley Thompson

Adam Wolf

Logan Wyatt

University of Louisville Athletics