Cards Open 2020 Season at NFCA Leadoff Classic Friday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team will open the 2020 season this weekend when the Cardinals travel to Clearwater, Fla., for the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic which will take place February 7-9 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The Cardinals will kick off the season on Friday when they take on No. 21/25 Ole Miss at 12 p.m. followed by a matchup against Baylor at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, Louisville will face Texas State at 10 a.m. and Mississippi State at 3 p.m. UofL will conclude the weekend on Sunday against Missouri at 10 a.m.

Every game of the tournament will feature a free live stream by Sportzcast through the NFCA YouTube channel.

NFCA Leadoff Classic Information
Dates: Feb. 7-9, 2020
Location: Clearwater, Fla.
Venue: Eddie C. Moore Complex
Tickets: Purchase tickets here
Television: You Tube TV/NFCAorg
Tournament Central: Click here
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball

Louisville's Weekend Schedule
February 7, 2020
Louisville vs. Ole Miss, 12 p.m.
Louisville vs. Baylor, 2:30 p.m.
February 8, 2020
Texas State vs. Louisville, 10 a.m.
Mississippi State vs. Louisville, 3 p.m.
February 9, 2020
Louisville vs. Missouri, 10 a.m.

Cardinal Quick Hits
• 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.
• 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 achieved several milestones in head coach Holly Aprile's first season at the helm, highlighted by the 14th NCAA appearance and sixth regional final as the Cardinals completed their 20th year as a program.
• The 2020 squad features 12 letterwinners from last year's team with the addition of five freshmen and two junior transfers from Auburn.
• UofL is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball (28) and USA Today/NFCA (39) preseason coaches polls.
• Louisville will open the 2020 campaign Feb. 7-9 when the Cardinals travel to Clearwater, Fla. for the NFCA Leadoff Classic where they will take on No. 21/25 Ole Miss, Baylor (RV), Texas State, Mississippi State (RV) and Missouri (RV).
• The Cards are 12-8 in season-opening games and have won their first game of the season in seven of the last eight years.
• The upcoming slate features 13 teams ranked or receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA preseason coaches polls. Thirteen of the Cardinals' 2020 opponents 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. Louisville registered a 16-5 record at Ulmer Stadium in 2019.

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
Ole Miss
Series Record: Ole Miss leads 2-0
Last Meeting: April 18, 2015 – Ole Miss won 5-2 in Oxford.
Scouting the Rebels: On their way to earning a 41-20 overall record, Ole Miss reached their highest finish in the SEC standings at fifth with a 13-10 mark against league opponents. The Rebels also advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the second time in program history. Ole Miss enters the season at 21 and 25 in the preseason in the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball coaches respectively. The Rebels have 18 letterwinners returning to the field in 2020 including Molly Jacobsen, who was named to the NFCA All-South Region and All-SEC second teams. Ole Miss has been picked eighth in the 2020 SEC Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

Baylor
Series Record: UL leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Feb. 13, 2010 – UL won 6-5 in Houston
Scouting the Bears: In the Big 12, Baylor has been picked to finish fifth in the 2020 Conference Preseason Poll. Baylor finished 18-31 and 2-16 in the Big 12. The Bears return two All-Big 12 second team selections in Nicky Dawson and Goose McGlaun.

Texas State
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting the Bobcats: Texas State was picked to finish fourth in the 2020 Sunbelt Preseason Coaches poll while Hailey MacKay and Tara Oltmann earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Team honors. The Bobcats posted a 29-25 record in 2019 with a 16-10 record in the Sun Belt Conference. Texas State returns seven starters from that team.

Mississippi State
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting the Bulldogs: Mississippi State is the second SEC team out of three that the Cards will face in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Bulldogs are led by junior Preseason All-SEC pick Mia Davidson, who in last year's NCAA Regional against Seattle, launched her 26th home run of the season, setting a new SEC single-season record. The Bulldogs posted 35-23 overall record and a 9-15 mark in conference play. Mississippi State is receiving votes in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Division 1 Coaches Poll.

Missouri
Series Record: UL leads 7-5
Last meeting: March 1, 2019 – Louisville won 5-3 at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Tigers: The Tigers have a Preseason All-SEC player in Brooke Wilmes, who led the team in batting average (.357), hits (67), doubles (17), and runs scored (43). On top of that, she ranks 18th in the country with 26.9 at bats between strikeouts and recorded a perfect fielding percentage from the outfield. Coming off a 35-25 record (12-12 SEC) and receiving votes in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball Coaches Poll and USA Today/NFCA Division 1 Coaches Poll, Missouri is slated to finish 10th in the SEC Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

by the numbers
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 in 2019- tied a school record set in 2005.
106 - Louisville registered a school record 102 stolen bases on the season, shattering the previous record of 68.

Player quick hits
• 2020 Preseason All-ACC selection 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.
• Caitlin Ferguson had a career-high 33 runs and tied a career high in home runs (4).
• Maddy Newman established career highs in runs (27), and RBIs (16).
• Jordyn Wolfe registered career highs in runs (20) and stolen bases (7).
• Charley Butler, a member of the 2019 ACC All-Freshmen team, 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).
• Fellow 2019 All-ACC Freshman Team selection 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 and earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors on April 9.
• Taylor Roby led the 2019 Cardinals 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).

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.

CARDS ON THE AIR
At the start of the 2020 season, the Cardinals will have 25 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, with more than 220 games streaming on ACC Network Extra, Watch ESPN and the ESPN App. ESPN's broadcast schedule will include more than 650 college softball games.
• 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.

Triple crown
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 leads the nation in triples per game .53 and tallied an31 ACC-best 30 triples.
•The total is tied for first with the 2005 squad on the program's all-time record list.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Charley Butler

Rebecca Chung

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Carmyn Greenwood

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Paige Schindler

Riley Schindler

Jordyn Wolfe

University of Louisville Athletics