Cards to Face Southern Illinois in Evanston Regional Friday at 1 p.m.
May 12, 2019 | Softball
Louisville is making its 14th NCAA appearance
Tickets: https://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=SB&linkID=nwu&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=
Â
The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Evanston, Ill., to face Southern Illinois in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament on May 17 at 1 p.m. (ET) at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Â Â Â
Â
The host Wildcats (43-10,21-2 Big Ten) earned the No. 16 overall seed and will play Detroit Mercy (31-26, 16-8 Horizon League) in the other first round game at 3:30 p.m. (ET). Both games will be shown on ESPN3.
Â
The winner of the Evanston Regional will advance to a Super Regional to play the winner of the Norman  Regional which features the overall No. 1 seed Oklahoma, UMBC, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
Â
With the at-large bid, the Cardinals are making their 14th NCAA appearance and first since 2016.
Southern Illinois (33-13, 17-6 Missouri Valley) is making its 12th NCAA appearance with its last trip coming in 2017. The Salukis earned an at-large bid after reaching the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Championship.
Series History: Southern Illinois won the only meeting between the teams with a 1-0 decision on March 4, 2000.
About Louisville
• Louisville (33-21, 12-12 ACC) is coming off of a quarterfinal appearance in the 2019 ACC tournament where the Cardinals fell 9-3 to fourth-seeded North Carolina.
•   The Cardinals earned the No. 5 seed in the ACC Championship after finishing the regular season third in the league's Atlantic Division behind Florida State (19-5) and Notre Dame (18-6) while ranking fifth in the overall ACC standings.Â
• Redshirt senior Sidney Melton was selected to the All-ACC second team, marking the second straight season she has earn all-conference honors. Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung were named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
• Louisville is led at the plate by Melton who is batting .343 and has reached safely in the last 17 game. Melton has career-best 32 stolen bases and recently took over sole possession of Louisville's single season record in that category.
• Junior Celene Funke paces the team with 46 runs.
• Funke leads the nation in triples with 12 and owns Louisville's single season record in that category. Louisville leads the nation in triples per game.
• Senior Megan Hensley leads the team with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
• In the circle, redshirt freshman Taylor Roby leads team with a 13-4 record and a 2.61 ERA.
• As a team, Louisville has registered a program-record 99 stolen bases in 114 attempts on the season. The previous record was 68 (95 attempts), set in the 2010 season
Â
Head Coach Holly Aprile
• The 2019 campaign marks Louisville's 20th season as a program and first under new head coach Holly Aprile's tutelage.
Â
• 2019 marks the first season under new head coach Holly Aprile following the retirement of Sandy Pearsall, who began the program in 2000. Aprile is the second head coach in Louisville softball history.
• Prior to her arrival at Louisville, Aprile, 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.Â
NCAA Evanston Regional Schedule
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Southern Illinois vs. Louisville, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 2: Detroit Mercy at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 2:00 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 4:30 p.m.
*If necessary
All times Eastern
Â
Â
Â
The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Evanston, Ill., to face Southern Illinois in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament on May 17 at 1 p.m. (ET) at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Â Â Â
Â
The host Wildcats (43-10,21-2 Big Ten) earned the No. 16 overall seed and will play Detroit Mercy (31-26, 16-8 Horizon League) in the other first round game at 3:30 p.m. (ET). Both games will be shown on ESPN3.
Â
The winner of the Evanston Regional will advance to a Super Regional to play the winner of the Norman  Regional which features the overall No. 1 seed Oklahoma, UMBC, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
Â
With the at-large bid, the Cardinals are making their 14th NCAA appearance and first since 2016.
Southern Illinois (33-13, 17-6 Missouri Valley) is making its 12th NCAA appearance with its last trip coming in 2017. The Salukis earned an at-large bid after reaching the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Championship.
Series History: Southern Illinois won the only meeting between the teams with a 1-0 decision on March 4, 2000.
About Louisville
• Louisville (33-21, 12-12 ACC) is coming off of a quarterfinal appearance in the 2019 ACC tournament where the Cardinals fell 9-3 to fourth-seeded North Carolina.
•   The Cardinals earned the No. 5 seed in the ACC Championship after finishing the regular season third in the league's Atlantic Division behind Florida State (19-5) and Notre Dame (18-6) while ranking fifth in the overall ACC standings.Â
• Redshirt senior Sidney Melton was selected to the All-ACC second team, marking the second straight season she has earn all-conference honors. Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung were named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
• Louisville is led at the plate by Melton who is batting .343 and has reached safely in the last 17 game. Melton has career-best 32 stolen bases and recently took over sole possession of Louisville's single season record in that category.
• Junior Celene Funke paces the team with 46 runs.
• Funke leads the nation in triples with 12 and owns Louisville's single season record in that category. Louisville leads the nation in triples per game.
• Senior Megan Hensley leads the team with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
• In the circle, redshirt freshman Taylor Roby leads team with a 13-4 record and a 2.61 ERA.
• As a team, Louisville has registered a program-record 99 stolen bases in 114 attempts on the season. The previous record was 68 (95 attempts), set in the 2010 season
Â
Head Coach Holly Aprile
• The 2019 campaign marks Louisville's 20th season as a program and first under new head coach Holly Aprile's tutelage.
Â
• 2019 marks the first season under new head coach Holly Aprile following the retirement of Sandy Pearsall, who began the program in 2000. Aprile is the second head coach in Louisville softball history.
• Prior to her arrival at Louisville, Aprile, 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.Â
NCAA Evanston Regional Schedule
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Southern Illinois vs. Louisville, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 2: Detroit Mercy at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 2:00 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 4:30 p.m.
*If necessary
All times Eastern
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballHighlights: Louisville SB vs. No. 18 Florida State (Gm. 1)
Thursday, July 11
Highlights: Louisville SB at Boston College
Sunday, May 05
SB: Daisy Hess and Sam Booe Postgame vs. #22/21 Clemson
Saturday, April 27
Highlights: Louisville SB vs. No. 22/21 Clemson (Gm. 2)
Saturday, April 27
