Aprile Announces Fall Softball Schedule
August 28, 2018 | Softball
Cards will play exhibition games at Ulmer Stadium
LOUISVILLE, Ky. –The student-athletes have returned to campus and fall practice is underway as the University of Louisville softball team and head coach Holly Aprile are set to begin a new era this season with eight fall exhibition games including four contests at Ulmer Stadium against Morehead State, Kentucky and Western Kentucky. Admission is free to all home games.
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"I am really excited about our fall schedule and seeing the entire team in action," said Aprile. "We have a great group of student-athletes that are passionate about their success both on and off the field and the fall will help us hone our focus during the offseason. We are playing some tough opponents and we are especially excited to welcome both Kentucky and Western Kentucky to Ulmer Stadium for our last fall series on October 15."Â
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The Cardinals will open fall play on Sept. 16 with a road trip to Richmond, Ky. to take on Eastern Kentucky in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
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Two weeks later, Louisville will head to Bloomington, Ind., to face Indiana University in a twin bill slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sept. 30.
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UofL will spend the second half of fall competition at Ulmer Stadium where they will play host to Morehead State in a doubleheader on Oct. 7. The following weekend, the Cards welcome two more in-state rivals to Ulmer Stadium with a 12 p.m. matchup against Kentucky and a 4 p.m. contest against Western Kentucky on Oct. 13. The Wildcats and the Hilltoppers will square off at 2 p.m. the same day.
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About Louisville Softball
The Cardinals return 15 letterwinners and six starters as well as five pitchers from the 2018 season which saw Louisville post a 33-20 overall record and a 10-12 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents.
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Among the returners are National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selections junior Caitlin Ferguson (Versailles, Ky.) and senior Megan Hensley (Ashland, Ky.) as well as all-ACC honoree senior Sidney Melton (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore Maddy Newman (Osceola, Ind.) who earned all-ACC freshman team honors last year. Junior Celene Funke (Carmel, Ind.) also returns after leading the team with a .355 batting average along with sophomore Danielle Watson (Osceola, Ind.) who posted 14 wins in the circle during her freshman campaign.
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The Aprile Era
This marks the first season under new head coach Holly Aprile. The 2018 ACC Coach of the Year spent 10 seasons (2009-18) as Pittsburgh's head coach and five years (2004-08) as an assistant. In 2018, she earned ACC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Panthers to the 2018 ACC Coastal Division title and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament.
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Louisville Softball Fall Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 16: at Eastern Kentucky (DH) (Richmond, Ky.), 1 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 30: at Indiana (DH) (Bloomington, Ind.), 1 p.m.
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Sunday, Oct. 7: vs. Morehead State (DH) (Ulmer Stadium), 1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 13: vs. Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 12 p.m.
                                   Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 2 p.m.
                                   Vs. Western Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 4 p.m.
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"I am really excited about our fall schedule and seeing the entire team in action," said Aprile. "We have a great group of student-athletes that are passionate about their success both on and off the field and the fall will help us hone our focus during the offseason. We are playing some tough opponents and we are especially excited to welcome both Kentucky and Western Kentucky to Ulmer Stadium for our last fall series on October 15."Â
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The Cardinals will open fall play on Sept. 16 with a road trip to Richmond, Ky. to take on Eastern Kentucky in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
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Two weeks later, Louisville will head to Bloomington, Ind., to face Indiana University in a twin bill slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sept. 30.
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UofL will spend the second half of fall competition at Ulmer Stadium where they will play host to Morehead State in a doubleheader on Oct. 7. The following weekend, the Cards welcome two more in-state rivals to Ulmer Stadium with a 12 p.m. matchup against Kentucky and a 4 p.m. contest against Western Kentucky on Oct. 13. The Wildcats and the Hilltoppers will square off at 2 p.m. the same day.
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About Louisville Softball
The Cardinals return 15 letterwinners and six starters as well as five pitchers from the 2018 season which saw Louisville post a 33-20 overall record and a 10-12 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents.
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Among the returners are National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selections junior Caitlin Ferguson (Versailles, Ky.) and senior Megan Hensley (Ashland, Ky.) as well as all-ACC honoree senior Sidney Melton (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore Maddy Newman (Osceola, Ind.) who earned all-ACC freshman team honors last year. Junior Celene Funke (Carmel, Ind.) also returns after leading the team with a .355 batting average along with sophomore Danielle Watson (Osceola, Ind.) who posted 14 wins in the circle during her freshman campaign.
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The Aprile Era
This marks the first season under new head coach Holly Aprile. The 2018 ACC Coach of the Year spent 10 seasons (2009-18) as Pittsburgh's head coach and five years (2004-08) as an assistant. In 2018, she earned ACC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Panthers to the 2018 ACC Coastal Division title and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament.
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Louisville Softball Fall Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 16: at Eastern Kentucky (DH) (Richmond, Ky.), 1 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 30: at Indiana (DH) (Bloomington, Ind.), 1 p.m.
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Sunday, Oct. 7: vs. Morehead State (DH) (Ulmer Stadium), 1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 13: vs. Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 12 p.m.
                                   Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 2 p.m.
                                   Vs. Western Kentucky (Ulmer Stadium), 4 p.m.
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Players Mentioned
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RHP
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