2019 Softball Season Wrap-Up

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team achieved several milestones in head coach Holly Aprile's first season at the helm, highlighted by the 14^th NCAA appearance and sixth regional final as the Cardinals completed their 20^th year as a program.

The team amassed a 35-23 overall record and a 12-12 mark in ACC play for a third place finish in the league's Atlantic Division and fifth in the overall conference standings. Louisville's 35 wins mark the most victories in a season since 2016 when the Cards posted a 35-17 record.

In the face of a challenging schedule, the Cards collected six wins against teams ranked in the top 25 including a pair of contests against then-No. 3/3 Florida State. With the series win, Louisville became the first ACC team to claim a series against the Seminoles since 2012. Other ranked wins included No. 15/17 Michigan, No. 24/19 Virginia Tech, No. 24/23 Kentucky and No. 18/17 Northwestern.

"Overall I was pretty happy with the team's progress throughout the season," said Aprile. "I think we grew a lot as we overcame some rough moments and we worked to get better. Our consistency improved through the year. We played a tough schedule and, even though we may not have always had the result we wanted, we were competitive and got better and, at the end of the season, we were ultimately in a position to win the regional."

In addition to Louisville's quality wins on the field, junior Celene Funke belted out an NCAA-best 13 in the season, also setting a school record in the single-season category. She paced the Cardinals who led the nation in triples per game with 31 in 58 games (1.87) and tied UofL's single-season team mark.

More records fell in the stolen base category as the team swiped 106 on the season– obliterating the previous record of 68. Redshirt senior Sidney Melton also established a new school mark with 35 on the season, Funke was right behind her with 29.

"We generated a lot of good offense and I was really proud of the way we were able to execute some of the things we worked on in practice and in the fall," said Aprile. "I also thought our pitching was pretty solid and was happy overall with that aspect of the game. Getting the team back to the post season after a two-year hiatus was pretty special."

Several players also picked up individual honors at the end of the season. Melton earned her second straight all-ACC nod while Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung were selected to the all-freshmen team. Senior Megan Hensley was named to the NFCA All-Southeast Region first team, becoming the first player in program history to be named to the first team since the Cardinals moved into the region. She is also Louisville's first three-time all-region selection.

CARDINAL QUICK HITS
• Louisville posted a 35-23 overall record in 2019 and a 12-12 mark in ACC play. The Cardinals earned an at-large bid to NCAA tournament, marking the 14th NCAA postseason appearance in program history.
• The Cards were the No. 2 seed in the Evanston Regional and posted a 2-2 record while reaching the regional final.
•The Cards posted a 12-12 mark in ACC play, finishing the regular season third in the league's Atlantic Division behind Florida State and Notre Dame, while ranking fifth in the overall ACC standings.
• Senior Megan Hensley was named to the NFCA All-Southeast first team, becoming the first Louisville player to be selected to the first team since the Cardinals entered the Southeast Region in 2015. She is also Louisville's only three-time all-region selection.
• Redshirt senior Sidney Melton was selected to the All-ACC second team, marking the second straight season she garnered all-conference honors. Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung were named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
• Louisville was led at the plate by Melton posted a .338 batting average. Melton finished her senior season with a career-high and school-record 35 stolen bases.
• Junior Celene Funke paced the team with 48 runs.
• Funke led the nation in triples with 13 and owns Louisville's single season record in that category. Louisville led the nation in triples per game.
• In the circle, redshirt freshman Taylor Roby led team with a 14-4 record and a 2.62 ERA.
• As a team, Louisville registered a program-record 106 stolen bases in 122 attempts on the season. The previous record was 68 (95 attempts), set in the 2010 season
• With the win in the opening game of the Georgia Tech series, head coach Holly Aprile collected her 300th career victory.
• The Cardinals' 7-2 win in game two marked their 30th victory of the season, extending the program's streak to 16 straight seasons with 30 or more wins.
• Louisville registered a 16-5 record at Ulmer Stadium.

The Aprile Era
The 2019 campaign marked Louisville's 20th season as a program and first under new head coach Holly Aprile's tutelage. Aprile took over the reins following the retirement of Sandy Pearsall, who began the program in 2000.
• 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.

By the numbers

3 - Megan Hensley finished her career ranked third on UofL's list for career RBIs with 173.
13 - Celene Funke led the nation with 13 triples (and owns Louisville's single-season record).
14 - Louisville made its 14th NCAA appearance - and first since 2016.
16 - Louisville won at least 30 games in 16 straight seasons.
31 - Triples as a team- tied a school record set in 2005.
35 - Sidney Melton took over the school record with 35 stolen bases.
38 - Megan Hensley's 38 career home runs tied for second on Louisville's career home run list with Chelsea Bemis (2008-11).
106 - Louisville registered a school record 102 stolen bases on the season, shattering the previous record of 68.

Player quick hits

• Redshirt senior Sidney Melton took over theschool record for stolen bases with 35 in 2019 and ranks second on Louisville's all-time list with 68.
• Melton set a school record with four stolen bases against Morehead State (March 12).
• The third baseman ranks fifth on Louisville's all-time list for career runs (157).
• Senior Megan Hensley led the team in home runs (13) and RBIs (44) as well as shutouts, while standing second in ERA (2.99) and strikeouts (91). She is ranked in the top 10 on UofL career record lists several pitching and hitting categories.
• Junior Celene Funke registered career-best season with 48 runs, eight doubles, 13 triples, three home runs, 29 stolen bases and 26 RBIs. She led the team with 20 multi-hit games and seven multi-steal games.
• Junior Caitlin Ferguson had a career-high 33 runs and tied a career high in home runs (4).
• Sophomore Maddy Newman established career highs in runs (27), and RBIs (16).
• Sophomore Jordyn Wolfe registered career highs in runs (20) and stolen bases (7).
• Sophomore Danielle Watson connected on her first career double, home run this season. She has also dealt a career-high 150 strikeouts.
      • Watson moved into Louisville's top 10 lists for career strikeouts (269) and appearances (75).
• Freshman Charley Butler was sidelined by injury prior to the North Carolina series. Prior to that, she was an integral part of the Cardinals' outfield. The left fielder has made some outstanding defensive plays and was recently among ESPN SportCenter's Top 10 Plays (No. 8) after a diving catch in foul territory for an out in the 10-9 win over No. 3/3 Florida State (April 8).
      • Her first career hit was a home run (vs. Bradley, Feb. 24).
•Freshman Rebecca Chung was one of Louisville's top hitters throughout the season. She was tied for the team lead with 12 multi-RBI games. Her three-run double in the seventh lifted the Cards to a 10-9 win over No. 3/3 Florida State (April 8). She also threw out a school-record four base stealers in that game.
      • Earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors on April 9.
      • Her two-run double in the fifth put the Cards ahead for good in the 11-10 win over Georgia Tech to ensure the series sweep (April 21).
• Redshirt freshman Taylor Roby led the team in wins (14) and ERA(2.62). She got the win in the circle and registered the game-winning hit against No. 24/23 Kentucky (April 17).

Up last: Cards advance to Evanston Regional final

Louisville earned an at-large bid to the Evanston Regional and opened NCAA postseason play with a 9-5 win over Southern Illinois and followed with a 2-1 upset of host No 18-17 Northwestern to advance to the regional final for the fifth time in school history and the first since the 2012 Louisville Regional.

Funke named Google Cloud Academic first team Academic All-American

Celene Funke was selected to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division I first team. She becomes the first two-time Academic All-America selection in program history.
• Funke (Carmel, Ind.) took home her second straight Academic All-America honors. She finished her junior season with a team-best 48 runs and stood second with a .324 batting average and 29 stolen bases. Additionally, the speedy centerfielder led the nation and holds Louisville's single-season record with 13 triples.
• She earned her bachelor's degree in finance in May 2019 and carried a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
• Funke was named a Google Cloud Academic All-District® All-America third team selection in 2018.
• The 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division I Softball Teams feature 21 members with a 4.0 GPA and 31 members with at least a 3.90 GPA as either undergraduate or graduate student-athletes. The 12 members on the first team have an average GPA of 3.99.

Hensley selected to NFCA All-Southeast Region first team

Megan Hensley was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) All-Southeast Region first team.
• This marked the third time Hensley has earned all-region honors after being named to the third team in 2018 and the second team in 2016.
• Hensley becomes Louisville's only all-region first team selection as a member of the Southeast Region and the first player to earn first team honors since 2012 when the Cardinals placed four on the All-Great Lakes Region first team.

ACC strong

Five ACC teams were selected to compete in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
• Fourth-seeded Florida State earned a top-eight seed for the fourth straight year, and the fifth time in the last six years and hosted the Tallahassee Regional.
• Louisville (Evanston Regional), North Carolina (Knoxville Regional), Notre Dame (Norman Regional), and Virginia Tech (Lexington Regional) also earned at-large berths.

Three Cards earn ACC honors

Redshirt senior Sidney Melton was selected to the second team while Charley Butler and Rebecca Chung were named to the All-Freshman team.
• Melton took home her second straight All-ACC nod after earning first team honors last season. The 2019 preseason All-ACC selection posted a .388 batting average with 17 runs, 31 hits, 13 RBIs with 18 stolen bases against ACC opponents. She owns the school record for stolen bases in a game (4) and season (32).
• Butler led the team with a .407 average in 18 conference games. The freshman outfielder tallied 10 runs, seven RBIs and seven stolen bases in conference play before being sidelined by injury.
• Chung batted .263 against league opponents with two home runs, four doubles and 12 RBIs. The freshman catcher also set a school record with four runners caught stealing in the series-clinching 10-9 win against Florida State.

Funke, Melton earn Academic All-District honors

Celene Funke and Sidney Melton were named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Softball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
• Funke (Carmel, Ind.) earned her second straight Academic All-District honors. The junior carries a 4.0 GPA in finance and earned her degree in May 2019. She led the team with 46 runs and stands second with a .324 batting average and 29 stolen bases. Additionally, the speedy centerfielder led the nation and holds Louisville's single-season record with 13 triples.
• Funke was named a Google Cloud Academic All-District® All-American in 2018.
•Melton, a senior from Columbus, Ohio also picked up her second Academic All-District honor after earning the award in 2016. The third baseman carried a 3.92 GPA in exercise science and is graduated in May 2019. The two-time all-ACC selection led the team with a .338 batting average and a school-record 35 stolen bases. She also stood second on the squad with 47 runs and third with a career-best 37 RBIs.

Louisville No. 34 in NCAA RPI

Louisville finished the season at No. 34 in the final NCAA RPI report released on June 12.
• UofL was no stranger to facing quality competition and this season is no different with 28 of its 58 games against teams in the top 50.
• Below is a list of Louisville's 2019 opponents included among the NCAA's top 50 in the RPI followed by the Cardinals' record against them this season.
5. Florida State: 2-1
12. Northwestern: 1-5
14. Michigan: 1-1
16. Kentucky: 1-0
17. Tennessee: 0-1
20. Auburn: 0-1
21. North Carolina: 1-3
26. Missouri: 1-0
27. Virginia Tech: 1-2
37. Notre Dame: 1-2
40. Lipscomb: 0-1
43. Southern Illinois: 1-0
46. Cal State Fullerton: 1-0

Cards reach 30-win mark for 16th straight season

On April 21, the Cardinals defeated Georgia Tech 7-2 to clinch the ACC series and reach their 30th win of the season.
• Louisville has now posted 30 or more victories in 16 straight seasons (dating back to 2004). The Cards have posted at least 30 wins 18 times in the 20-year history of the program with a record-setting 55 victories in 2012.
Louisville Softball Year-by-Year Breakdown
2019................................................................... 35-23
2018................................................................... 33-20
2017................................................................... 31-19
2016*................................................................. 35-17
2015*................................................................. 30-19
2014*................................................................. 36-22
2013*................................................................. 47-13
2012*......................................... 55-5 (program-best)
2011*................................................................. 38-20
2010*................................................................. 41-19
2009*................................................................. 48-11
2008*................................................................. 31-23
2007*................................................................. 37-25
2006*................................................................. 45-11
2005*................................................................. 43-20
2004* ................................................................ 41-19
2003................................................................... 24-26
2002................................................................... 27-28
2001................................................................... 40-26
2000................................................................... 36-26
* Earned NCAA Regional bid

Cards swiping records

• As a team, Louisville registered a program-record 106 stolen bases n 120 attempts on the season. The previous record was 68, set in the 2010 season.

Funke and Melton deliver a 1-2 punch

• Celene Funke spent the majority of the season as Louisville's leadoff hitter followed by Sidney Melton - the combination proved to be very effective for the Cards. Between the two of them, they produced 95 runs and 64 stolen bases.

Triple crown

Junior Celene Funke led the NCAA with 13 triples on the season. In the May 3 game against NC State, surpassed Audrey Rendon (2005) on Louisville's single season list and now owns the record with 13.
• The centerfielder has 15 triples in her career and is tied for second on Louisville's all-time list.
• UofL led the nation in triples per game .53 and tallied an ACC-best 31 triples.
•The total is tied for first with the 2005 squad on the program's all-time record list.

Melton's scoring run

Melton improved her career run tally to 157 and stands fifth on Louisville's all-time list.

Melton record watch: stolen base edition

Sidney Melton set a school record with four stolen bases in the 8-0 win over Morehead State on March 12.
• With her stolen base against NC State on May 3, she took sole possession of Louisville's single-season record with 29 and extended the tally to 35 on the season.
• She finished her career with 68 stolen bases placing her second on Louisville's all-time list.

Funke in a foot race (Stolen bases)

• Celene Funke was on Melton's heels with 29 stolen bases and stands second (behind Melton) on Louisville's single-season list.
• Funke pushed her career stolen base total to 49, good for fourth on Louisville's all-time list.

Hitting for average
Louisville's starting lineup featured three players who were batting over .300 on the season. Redshirt senior Sidney Melton led the charge at .338 while junior Celene Funke is second at a .324 clip. Senior Megan Hensley rounded out the top three hitters at .314.

Balanced pitching

All three of Louisville's starting pitchers evenly contributed to the team's success in the circle.
• Redshirt freshman Taylor Roby (14-4) led the team in wins and ERA (2.62).
• Senior Megan Hensley (9-4) collected a team-high four shutouts and stood second with a 2.99 ERA.
• Sophomore Danielle Watson (12-15) is held opponents to a .225 average. She led the Cardinals with 164 strikeouts in 161.0 innings.

Chung's cannon

Rebecca Chung had a stellar rookie season offensively, but she also made her presence known behind the plate. The catcher set a school record when she threw out a career-high four would-be base stealers in Louisville's 10-9 win against No. 3/3 Florida State on April 8.
• Chung drove in the game-winning run against the Seminoles with a walk-off three-run double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Dual threat

For the fourth straight season, Megan Hensley stood among the Cardinals' leaders both in the circle and at the plate. The senior led the pitching staff with four shutouts and stood second in ERA (2.99), strikeouts (91) and innings pitched (107.2).
• She also led the Cards offensively with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs.
• Hensley finished her career ranked among UofL's top 10 in several pitching and hitting categories.

Hensley record recap

Megan Hensley finished her career ranked among the top 10 in several career categories including:
• Tied for first for grand slams with four, along with Lacy Wood (2003-06).
• Fifth with nine career saves and needs one more to tie for fourth with Tori Collins (2009-12).
• Third in career RBI (173) with Alicja Wolny (2010-13). She needs twomore to tie Courtney Moore (2011-14) for second.
• Tied for second in career home runs (38).
• Seventh in career appearances (123).
• Seventh in career games started in the circle (87).
• Seventh in career innings pitched (543.2).
• Seventh in career wins (50).
• Eighth in career strikeouts (372).
• Tied for eighth in career complete games (32).
• Tied for tenth in career complete shutouts (10).
• Tenth in career walks (offensively) with (65).

Cardiac Cards

In the month of April, the Cardinals came out on the winning end of a quite a few dramatic games.
•On April 8, the Cards used a walk-off double by Rebecca Chung to upend No. 3/3 Florida State, handing the Seminoles their first ACC series loss since 2012.
•On April 17, Taylor Roby's walk-off single in the seventh lifted the Cards to a 8-7 win after No. 24/23 Kentucky plated two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. The win snapped a three-game skid against the Wildcats.
• On April 21, Louisville overcame deficits of 5-0 and 10-6 to complete a series sweep of Georgia Tech while under time constraints due to the Yellow Jackets' travel.
• In a game which featured three lead changes and a tie and 21 combined runs, Louisville used a late-inning rally to take the lead for good, entering the bottom of the fifth trailing 10-8 with 15 minutes remaining before the game was called, Megan Hensley delivered a two-out single and scored on Roby's double to cut the lead to one. Ferguson walked to help set up Chung's two-run double which made the score 11-10. The game was called due to a drop-dead time in the top of the sixth inning.
• On April 23, the Cardinals were down 4-3 with two outs in the top of the seventh at Marshall. Then, Celene Funke doubled and scored on a triple by Sidney Melton and Megan Hensley followed with a double of her own to put Louisville ahead 5-4.

Fome sweet home

Louisville compiled a 16-5 record at Ulmer Stadium this season with three wins over ranked opponents (No. 3/3 Florida State twice and No. 24/23 Kentucky).
• The Cards went 4-0 in their home-opening Cardinal Classic and followed with a doubleheader sweep of Morehead State. UofL continued it perfect home record by taking the first two games of the ACC series against Syracuse but fell 4-2 in eight innings to the Orange. The Cards resumed their winning ways with a 5-2 victory over Indiana. Louisville suffered another extra-inning setback when Lipscomb prevailed 5-4 in eight. Louisville's fourth loss came at the hands of No. 3/3 Florida State on April 6.

UofL dedicates Don Dobina Field

The University of Louisville softball team named its field Don Dobina Field at Ulmer Stadium to honor the legacy of local softball coach, donor and UofL alum Don Dobina. The ceremony took place just prior to the game against Kentucky on April 17.
• Dobina, who passed away in 2016, was an avid supporter of the University of Louisville softball program and an advocate of the sport throughout the commonwealth of Kentucky for nearly 30 years.

Melton earns ACC Postgraduate Scholarship

Sidney Melton was among 52 recipients of the 2019 Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship Award announced on Thursday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.

University of Louisville Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Charley Butler

Rebecca Chung

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Megan Hensley

Sidney Melton

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Danielle Watson

Jordyn Wolfe

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