Cards Wrap Up the First Week of Practice

With the spring semester starting this week, the University of Louisville softball team took the field in preparation for the upcoming 2020 season.

The team took advantage of mild, spring-like conditions throughout the entire week and head coach Holly Aprile was pleased by what she saw from her squad following the winter break.

"I think we had a really, really good first week of practice," said Aprile. "Our energy, focus and attention to detail have been great. I thought we were really pretty close to where we left off when the fall semester ended. We've been on point with where we need to be with our communication on the field. I think the team has a high expectation for themselves and where they want to be and that's something we are working on every day."

In 2019, the Cardinals posted 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 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 Cardinals are coming off of a fall season which featured five wins with some impressive performances both offensively and defensively. The 2020 squad features 12 letterwinners from last year's team with the addition of five freshmen and two junior transfers from Auburn.

"We made a lot of progress in the fall and we are right there with it as we start the spring semester," said Aprile. "With newcomers it's about finding a new dynamic and I think it is forming pretty well as we continue to create a positive culture every day."

Louisville is less than a month away from opening the 2020 campaign when the Cardinals travel to Clearwater, Fla. for the NFCA Leadoff Classic where they will take on Ole Miss, Baylor, Texas State, Mississippi State and Missouri.

The upcoming slate features 13 teams which qualified for the 2019 NCAA tournament including Women's College World Series participants Alabama and Oklahoma State. UofL will play 17 regular season games at Ulmer Stadium which will also serve as the host site for the 2020 ACC Softball Championship May 6-9.

The 2019 Cardinals led the nation in triples per game with senior Celene Funke also leading the NCAA in that category and the Cardinals set a school record for stolen bases. Aprile anticipates that her 202 squad will pick up where they left off and establish its own identity.

"We will be strong on the mound and I think we are much more solid defensively," said Aprile. "I also think we will have more versatility on offense throughout our lineup."

Throughout the month of January, GoCards.com will feature weekly updates and previews leading up to the start of the 2020 season.

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