Tuesday, April 24
LOUISVILLE, KY
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
WESTERN KENTUCKY
Jake Snider (20) and Tyler Fitzgerald celebrate during last Friday's win against Virginia.
Photo by: Jeff Reinking | Louisville Athletics
No. 24 Baseball Hosts WKU Tuesday Night at Patterson Stadium
April 23, 2018 | Baseball
First pitch for the Cardinals and Hilltoppers set for 6 p.m., ET at the corner of Third and Central
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #24 Louisville (26-13) vs. Western Kentucky (19-20) Location: Louisville, Kentucky Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | WKU | Media Center Links: Buy Tickets | Patterson Stadium Guide/FAQ | Promotions Tuesday, April 24 | 6 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Fr. LHP Michael Kirian (0-0, 7.20 ERA) WKU: Jr. LHP Troy Newell (0-3, 5.09 ERA) |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
After winning last Friday's series-opener against Virginia, Louisville had its six-game winning streak halted with a loss on Saturday before dropping the finale with the Cavaliers on Sunday. Through seven weeks of ACC action, the Cardinals have a 10-11 conference mark and are fourth in the Atlantic Division. The nation's last unbeaten team for the second straight year after winning 14 straight games to open the 2018 season, Louisville is ranked in one of six major national polls this week, 24th in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
Sophomore Logan Wyatt has a .341 average with two home runs, 35 RBIs, 17 doubles and 40 walks to pace the offense. Wyatt is ranked sixth in the nation in walks, ninth in doubles and 14th in on-base percentage. Danny Oriente has hit safely in 13 straight games lifting his season average to .375, while Josh Stowers ranks ninth in the nation with his 23 stolen bases.
The pitching staff is led by junior Adam Wolf, sophomore Nick Bennett and freshman righthander Bobby Miller. Wolf has a 4-2 record, 2.56 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 59.2 innings and 10 series-opening starts. Bennett has registered a 4-1 record, 2.21 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 36.2 innings, including five straight weekend starts. Miller has three straight weekend starts, a 4-1 record and 1.11 ERA in 32.1 innings this season. The bullpen is paced by All-American righty Sam Bordner, who ranks 10th in the nation with his 10 saves in 2018.
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 WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS
Western Kentucky enters the week at 19-20 overall and 9-9 in Conference USA after winning two of three games at UAB last weekend. Guided by third year head coach John Pawlowski, the Hilltoppers were 16-39 overall and 12th in C-USA with a 6-24 conference mark last season.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville owns a 71-69 advantage in the all-time series with Western Kentucky, which dates back to 1924. The Cardinals have won four straight and seven of the last eight games against the Hilltoppers, including an 8-5 win on March 21 at Nick Denes Field. In WKU's most recent visit to Jim Patterson Stadium, Louisville earned an 11-1 win on March 28, 2017.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville is ranked No. 42 in the official NCAA RPI released on April 23. The Cardinals are among seven ACC teams in the top 43 of this week's RPI.
• From March 9 to April 8, the Cardinals played 15 of 19 games against ranked opponents, including 12 against top 10 foes. Overall, UofL has a 7-9 record against ranked teams this season.
• Louisville has started 19 different defensive lineups and submitted 34 different batting orders through the first 39 games of the 2018 season.
• Seven UofL pitchers have made weekend series starts this season but the Cardinals have used the same trio each of the last three weeks -- Adam Wolf, Nick Bennett and Bobby Miller.
• The Cardinals had a 50-0 record last season when leading after eight innings but are 23-3 this season when entering the ninth inning with a lead.
• On the mound, Louisville is 5th in the nation in hits allowed per 9 IP (7.08), 9th in strikeouts per 9 IP (10.2) and 25th in ERA.
• Offensively, the Cardinals are 18th in the NCAA in walks, 23rd in sacrifice flies and 44th in on-base percentage.
• Louisville is ranked 6th in the nation in stolen bases in 2018 with 82 in 94 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 28 of its 37 ACC series since joining the league and is 31-5 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-4 record in rubber games.
• The Cardinals have won 15 of their 19 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
• From March 16 through April 8, UofL suffered four straight series losses for the first time since 2004 when they had seven straight series losses.
• 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
• Logan Wyatt is 6th in the nation in walks, 9th in doubles and 14th in on-base percentage.
• Wyatt leads the team in batting average, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and multi-hit performances (14).
• Josh Stowers ranks 9th in the nation with his 23 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Overall, Stowers has 47 career stolen bases in 57 total attempts.
• In the 11 games since moving to the 5th spot in the Cardinals lineup, Stowers has a .324 average, 14 runs scored, 6 walks and is 10-for-10 on stolen bases.
• During his current 13-game hitting streak (career long), Danny Oriente has a .545 batting average (24-for-44) with 19 RBIs.
• Devin Mann is Louisville's active career leader in games played (142), doubles (28), home runs (10), RBIs (91), runs scored (99) and walks (87).
• Mann is 6th in the nation with his 40 walks this season. He is also 12th nationally in sac flies.
• In his 12 games as the leadoff hitter in the lineup, Tyler Fitzgerald has a .321 batting average, 10 runs scored, 6 RBIs and 6-for-6 on stolen bases.
• Adam Wolf has started all 10 series-openers this season and the junior has allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of those outings.
• In his 5 weekend starts this season, Nick Bennett has a 3-1 record, 1.99 ERA (7 earned runs) with 31 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
• During his three starts this season, Bobby Miller has a 1.04 ERA (2 ER) with 12 strikeouts and just 10 hits in 17.1 innings.
• Sam Bordner ranks 10th in the nation with his 10 saves in 2018.
• 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.
• In his 9 relief appearances in 2018, Shay Smiddy has a 1.06 ERA (2 ER) with 25 strikeouts and just five walks in 17.0 innings.
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. Louisville is ranked in one national poll this week landing at No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll.
FITZGERALD, WOLF NAMED TO COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION AWARDS WATCH LISTS
Infielder Tyler Fitzgerald and lefthander pitcher Adam Wolf were named April 19 to watch lists for a pair of 2018 College Baseball Foundation awards. Fitzgerald was on the watch list for this year's Brooks Wallace Award, which honors the nation's top shortstop, while Wolf was on the watch list for the 2018 National Pitcher of the Year.
A native of Rochester, Illinois, Fitzgerald was among 53 players named to the season's first watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, named for former the Texas Tech shortstop, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Named among 78 players on the Pitcher of the Year watch list, Wolf has anchored Louisville's pitching staff in 2018.
The Brooks Wallace Award and the National Pitcher of the Year Award by the College Baseball Foundation following the season. For more information on the Brooks Wallace Award, the National Pitcher of the Year Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
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 363-105 record (.775 winning percentage), including an impressive 33-4 mark during the 2017 season at the corner of Third and Central. Louisville set a school record for home wins with 36 in 2016 and the Cardinals have registered 30 or more wins at home in four of the last five seasons.
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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