Cardinals Head to North Carolina for ACC/Big Ten Challenge

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. for the 2020 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Cardinals will take on No. 8/11 Michigan and Wisconsin twice over the weekend.

2020 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Dates: February 14-16, 2020
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Venue: Anderson Stadium
Television: None
Live Scoring: GoHeels.com - Click here for the North Carolina Tournament Central
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball

Louisville Softball Weekend Schedule
February 14, 2020
Louisville vs. Michigan........... 11 a.m.
Louisville vs. Wisconsin............ 4 p.m.
February 15, 2020
Louisville vs. Wisconsin....... 1:30 p.m.
February 16, 2020
Louisville vs. Michigan.......... 10 a.m.

CARDINAL QUICK HITS
• Louisville holds an 8-8 overall record in the four seasons of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• The Cardinals bring a 1-4 record into the weekend after opening the season at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic last week. UofL defeated No. 21/24 Ole Miss 4-2 in its season opener, but fell to Baylor, Texas State, Mississippi State and Missouri in the final four games of the weekend.
• Taylor Roby was named to the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team. The redshirt sophomore pitcher posted a 1-1 record and a 1.17 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 18.0 innings. She also turned in a .333 batting average (4-for-12) with two home runs, a double, three runs and three RBIs on the weekend.
• Sophomore Cassady Greenwood leads the team with a .429 batting average.
• Senior Caitlin Ferguson has driven in a team-high four RBI and is tied with Roby for the team lead with two home runs.
• Celene Funke was named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches.
• Additionally, the Cardinals were picked to finish fifth in the overall regular season standings.
• 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.
• The 2020 squad features 12 letterwinners from last year's team with the addition of five freshmen and two junior transfers from Auburn.
• 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. Louisville registered a 16-5 record at Ulmer Stadium in 2019.
• The Cards hold an 8-5 all-time record through the first four years of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

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.

Cards against the field
Michigan
Series Record: Michigan leads 19-4
Last Meeting: 2019: The teams split a pair of games in the 2019 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Wolverines took the first matchup 6-0 with Louisville winning the second 2-1.
Scouting the Wolverines: No. 9/8 Michigan enters the weekend with a 5-0 record. In their opening weekend, the Wolverings racked up wins against Georgia State, Illinois State, USF, Fresno State and then-No. 7 Florida.
• The Wolverines are led offensively by Morgan Overaitis who is batting .5556 with three RBIs, three runs and three stolen bases. Alex Storako (2-0) carries a 1.00 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 21.0 innings of work.

Wisconsin
Series Record: Tied 3-3
Last Meeting: March 22, 2017 - Lost 10-1 in five innings at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Badgers: Wisconsin (-1) is receiving votes in the USA Softball and NFCA coaches polls. The Badgers opened their season with a 2-1 loss to Indiana State, but came back with wins over Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman (twice) and Northern Illinois.
• The Badgers are led by 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year in Kayla Konwent who is batting .615 with two doubles and a home run. Wisconsin carries a stingy 0.21 ERA with Kaitlyn Menz leading the way with a 3-0 record, a 0.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 19.0 innings.

Cards in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Louisville carries an 8-8 record entering the fifth season of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Below is a breakdown of past tournament results.
2019 (at North Carolina)
Feb. 15 -Northwestern 9 - Louisville 8 (9 inn.)
Feb. 15 - Michigan 6 - Louisville 0
Feb. 16 - Louisville 2 - Michigan 1
Feb. 17 - Northwestern 4 - Louisville 2
2018 (at NC State)
Feb. 16 - Louisville 7 - Northwestern 6 (8 inn.)
Feb. 16 - Louisville 3 - Northwestern 2
Feb. 17 - Ohio State 6 - Louisville 5 (9 inn.)
Feb. 18 - Ohio State 4 - Louisville 0
2017 (at North Carolina)
Feb. 17 - Louisville 9 - Ohio State 0
Feb. 17 - Louisville 6 - Purdue 5
Feb. 19 - Louisville 9 - Purdue 1
Feb. 19 - Ohio State 4 - Louisville
2016 (at NC State)
Feb. 19 - Louisville 7 - Wisconsin 1
Feb. 20 - Nebraska 4 - Louisville 3
Feb. 20 - Louisville 5 - Wisconsin 0
Feb. 21 - Nebraska 3 - Louisville 0

Player quick hits

• 2020 Preseason All-ACC selection Celene Funke registered two triples in the Cardinals' opening weekend, extending her career total to 17 and placing her in second place on Louisville's all-time list. She needs nine more to tie Audrey Rendon (2004-07) for first.
• Redshirt sophomore Taylor Roby was named to the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team. At the plate, she is tied for the team lead with two home runs and paces the squad with five walks. She also carries a 1-1 record in the sircle with a team-high 10 strikeouts in 18.0 innings.
• Junior Maddy Newman is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
• Freshman Jenna Servi leads the team with two stolen bases. She has started all five games at third base.

FUNKE NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-ACC TEAM - CARDS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH

Celene Funke has been named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches. Additionally, the Cardinals were picked to finish fifth in the overall regular season standings.
• Funke, a senior from Carmel, Ind. registered a team-best 48 runs and stood second with a .324 batting average and 29 stolen bases last season. The speedy centerfielder led the nation and holds Louisville's single-season record with 13 triples.
• 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.
2020 ACC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1 - Florida State
2- Virginia Tech
3- Notre Dame
4 - North Carolina
5 - Louisville
6 - Georgia Tech
7 - NC State
8- Duke
10- Clemson
11- Virginia
12 - Pitt
13 - Boston College

SISTER ACT

• Louisville's roster features two sets of sisters: the Schindlers and the Greenwoods.
• Junior pitcher Paige Schindler and outfielder Riley Schindler are among 22 sets of twins in NCAA Division I softball who play for the same team.
• Junior outfielder Carmyn Greenwood recently transferred to Louisville from Auburn, joining her sister, Cassady who is a sophomore catcher for the Cardinals.
• All four sisters saw action in the Feb. 8 game against Texas State. Carmyn Greenwood was in left field while sister Cassady was catching and Riley Schindler was playing right field while Paige was pitching.

CARDS ON THE AIR

At the start of the 2020 season, the Cardinals will have 20 games televised nationally including one contest on ESPNU. The television slate feature all of the Cardinals' 17 home games.
• All 13 ACC institutions sponsoring softball will be featured multiple times throughout the season. ACC Network (ACCN), the 24/7 national platform dedicated to ACC sports, will offer a vast schedule of ACC softball games for the 2020 season with 36 games, including 20 conference matchups, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 12.
• The Cardinals will appear on ESPN's ACC Monday on April 17 for the third game of its home ACC matchup against Notre Dame.
• Louisville's game at in-state rival Kentucky will be carried on the SEC Network.
• The remaining home contests will be carried on the ACC Network or ACC Network Extra.

Cardinals Head to North Carolina for ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Carmyn Greenwood

Cassady Greenwood

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Paige Schindler

Riley Schindler

Jenna Servi

University of Louisville Athletics

Cardinals Head to North Carolina for ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Carmyn Greenwood

Cassady Greenwood

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Paige Schindler

Riley Schindler

Jenna Servi

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