Tuesday, April 10
LOUISVILLE, KY
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Photo by: Jeff Reinking | Louisville Athletics
No.21 Cardinals Host NKU Tuesday Night at Jim Patterson Stadium
April 09, 2018 | Baseball
First pitch set for 6 p.m., ET as Louisville closes four-game homestand
| GAME DAY INFORMATION #21 Louisville (20-11) vs. Northern Kentucky (7-20) Location: Louisville, Kentucky Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Game Notes: Louisville | Northern Kentucky | Media Center Links: Buy Tickets | Patterson Stadium Guide/FAQ | Promotions Tuesday, April 10 | 6 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Sr. LHP Rabon Martin (0-0, 1.35 ERA) NKU: Sr. RHP Pat Kelley (0-2, 11.57 ERA) |
ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Louisville enters the week following its fourth straight series loss after dropping two of three to No.4 NC State. Through five weeks of ACC action, the Cardinals have a 6-9 conference mark and are fifth in the Atlantic Division. After winning their first 14 games of 2018 for the third best start in school history, the Cardinals have lost 11 of 17 contests since. The nation's last unbeaten team for the second straight year, Louisville is ranked in just one of the six major national polls this week, 21st in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
Sophomore Logan Wyatt has a .345 average with two home runs, 29 RBIs, 14 doubles and 32 walks to pace the offense. Wyatt is ranked fifth in the nation in walks, seventh in doubles and 22nd in on-base percentage. Three different Cardinals have 13 or more stolen bases as Josh Stowers is 17-of-19, Jake Snider is 14-for-16 and Tyler Fitzgerald is 13-of-14.
The pitching staff is led by the lefthanded duo of junior Adam Wolf and sophomore Nick Bennett. Wolf has a 4-2 record, 2.28 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 47.1 innings and eight series-opening starts. Bennett has registered a 3-0 record, 1.96 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 23.0 innings this season, including three straight weekend starts. The bullpen is paced by All-American righty Sam Bordner, who ranks 11th in the nation with his eight 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 NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE
Northern Kentucky enters the week at 7-20 overall and 4-8 in the Horizon League after losing two of three at home to Milwaukee last weekend. Led by head coach Todd Asalon, the Norse were 25-33 overall and finished third in the Horizon with 17-13 conference mark.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville leads 12-7 in the all-time series with Northern Kentucky, which dates back to 1971. The Cardinals have won each of the last two against the Norse, including a 6-4 win last season in a game played at Louisville Slugger Field. Last year's meeting was the first between the program's since the 1985 season when UofL earned a 20-2 home win.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville is ranked No.38 in this week's official NCAA RPI released on April 9. The Cardinals are among seven ACC teams in the top 40 of this week's RPI.
• With last week's games against No.4 NC State, the Cardinals completed a stretch of 15 of 19 games against ranked opponents. UofL has a 6-9 record against ranked foes this season.
• Louisville has started 13 different defensive lineups and submitted 27 different batting orders through the first 31 games of the 2018 season.
• The Cardinals have started the same four infielders -- Logan Wyatt at first, Devin Mann at second, Tyler Fitzgerald at shortstop and Justin Lavey at third -- in all 31 games this season.
• UofL has started seven different players in the outfield this season.
• Seven Louisville pitchers have made weekend series starts this season.
• The Cardinals had a 50-0 record last season when leading after eight innings and are 18-2 this season when entering the ninth inning with a lead.
• UofL is 7th in the nation in strikeouts per 9 IP (10.5) and 15th in hits allowed per 9 IP (7.30).
• Offensively, the Cardinals are 13th in the NCAA in walks, 15th in sacrifice flies, 32nd in triples and 32nd in on-base percentage.
• Louisville is ranked 12th in the nation in stolen bases in 2018 with 57 in 67 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 35 ACC series since joining the league and is 30-4 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-3 record in rubber games.
• The Cardinals have won 15 of their 18 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
• UofL has suffered four straight series losses for the first time since 2004 when they suffered 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 leads the team with 13 multi-hit performances this season while Devin Mann has 10 multi-hit games in 2018.
• Wyatt is 5th in the nation in walks, Josh Stowers is 10th, Mann is 13th and Jake Snider is 19th.
• Wyatt also ranks 7th nationally in doubles and 22nd in on-base percentage.
• Stowers is 14th in the NCAA with his 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
• Stowers has 41 career stolen bases in 51 total attempts during his three seasons.
• Adam Wolf has started all 8 series-openers this season and the junior has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of those outings.
• In his 3 weekend starts this season, Nick Bennett has a 2-0 record, 1.50 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 18.0 innings.
• Sam Bordner ranks 11th in the nation with his eight 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.
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 only one national poll this week landing at No.21 in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll.
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 360-103 record (.777 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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