Cardinals Host Red & Black Challenge - Game Times Adjusted

WEEKEND INFORMATION
2020 Red & Black Challenge
Dates: March 6-8
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: Ulmer Stadium
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball
Live stats | TV: ACCNX (Louisville games only) | Louisville Game Notes
Admission: Free
Parking: Floyd Street Garage ($5 fee)
Gates Open: One (1) hour prior to the first game of the day.
Complete Red & Black Challenge Schedule:
Friday, March 6
12:00 PM      Northwestern vs. Oakland
2:15 PM         Illinois vs. Louisville
4:30 PM         Oakland vs. Evansville
Saturday, March 7
10:00 AM      Oakland vs. Illinois
12:15 PM      Northwestern vs. Louisville
2:30 PM         Evansville vs. Oakland
4:45 PM         Evansville vs. Northwestern
Sunday, March 8
10:00 AM      Oakland vs. Northwestern
12:15 PM      Illinois vs. Louisville
2:30 PM         Evansville vs. Illinois
4:45 PM         Evansville vs. Louisville
All game times are EST and subject to change.

After spending the first four weekends of the season on the road, Louisville will open play at Ulmer Stadium March 6-8 when the Cardinals welcome Evansville, Illinois, Northwestern and Oakland for the 2020 Red & Black Challenge. The UofL games will be televised on ACC Network Extra.

The game times have been adjusted from the original schedule, due to forecasted cold temperatures in the morning. Louisville (7-12) will play its home opener on Friday when the Cardinals take on Illinois at 2:15 p.m. The Cards will return to action Saturday afternoon with a 12:15 p.m. contest featuring a 2019 NCAA Regional rematch against Northwestern. On Sunday, UofL will face the Illini again at 12:15 p.m. before taking on Evansville at 4:45 p.m. in the tournament finale.

LOUISVILLE QUICK HITS
• The Cardinals bring a 7-12 record into the weekend after going 2-3 in the OK State/Tulsa Invitational with wins against then-No. 10 Oregon and Tulsa.
• Louisville is receiving votes in the most recent ESPN.com/USA Softball coaches poll released on March 3. In that poll, the Cards are receiving 17 votes to stand at No. 29.
• Louisville is 16-4 in home openers in the history of the program.
• Sophomore Cassady Greenwood paces the Cards offensively with a .447 batting average (17-for-38). her sister, redshirt junior Carmyn Greenwood staned second at .315.
• Redshirt sophomore Taylor Roby leads the team with six home runs and 14 RBIs. She also carries a -6 record in the circle and a 2.19 ERA.
• Junior Maddy Newman leads the Cards with 11 runs and is second on the team with seven stolen bases.
• Celene Funke leads the team with eight stolen bases and three triples. The senior outfielder was recently selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2020 Senior CLASS Award.
• Funke was named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Team as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches.
• 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 19 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.

Player quick hits

• 2020 Preseason All-ACC selection Celene Funke has registered three triples on the season, extending her career total to 18 and placing her in second place on Louisville's all-time list. She needs eight more to tie Audrey Rendon (2004-07) for first.
• Funke stands at No. 4 on Louisville's all-time stolen base list - she needs five more to tie Jennifer Esteban (2010-13) for third. Audrey Rendon (2004-07) holds the record with 82.
• Celene Funke is currently on a six-game hit streak and leads the team with eight stolen bases.
• Redshirt sophomore Taylor Roby was named to the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team. She currently leads the team with six home runs and 14 RBI. She has already surpassed last year's home run tally and has a new career high.
• Roby has produced a team-best four multi-RBI games this season.
• Jenna Servi is the only freshman who has started every game. She stands fourth on the team with a .271 batting average.
• Sophomore Cassady Greenwood has tallied a team-best eight multi-hit games this season. She has registered two hits each in seven games and recently snapped a streak of five games in which she had two hits.

tough slate

The Cardinals are in the midst of a grueling 2020 schedule which includes nine opponents who are currently ranked among the NFCA and USA Softball top 25, including top 10 foes: Michigan, Kentucky and Alabama. Additionally, five opponents are receiving votes.
• In their 19 games so far, Louisville has already played 10 contests against teams currently ranked in the top 25: No. 9/10 Alabama, No. 11/9 Oregon, No. 16/16 Michigan, No. 14/12 Oklahoma State, No. 21/18 Baylor, No. 23/24 Missouri and No. 24/22 Mississippi State.

Cards against the field
Illinois
Series Record: Illinois leads 3-2
Last meeting: Feb. 11, 2018 - Louisville won 9-7 at the UCF Friends of Jaclyn Invitational in Orlando.
Scouting the Illini: Illinois brings an 8-9 record into the weekend after posting a 1-4 record at the Judi Garman Classic. Albeit their nine losses, The Illini are 2-0 against ranked opponents, with a 3-1 win against then-No. 21 Ole Miss and a 2-0 win against previously ranked No. 23 Auburn.
• Illinois is led by Avery Steiner, who carries a .382 batting average and leads the team in runs scored with 11. Bella Loya stands second on the team in batting average with a .354 and two home runs.
• Sydney Sickels leads the Illini with a 2.43 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 57.2 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .209 batting average.

Northwestern
Series Record: Northwestern leads 7-6.
Last meeting: May 19, 2019 in Evanston. Northwestern won 4-3 in the Evanston Regional final. The teams met six times last season with the Wildcats winning five of those games. Louisville defeated Northwestern 2-1 in the first round of the Evanston Regional.
Scouting the Wildcats: Northwestern enters the weekend with an 8-11 record with nine games against ranked opponents including: Tennessee, Arizona State, Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Oregon, Washington, and Oklahoma twice. In those games, the Wildcats are 1-8 with a 6-2 win against Florida State.
• The Wildcats are led offensively by Gracie Huff who is hitting .308 on the season. Jordyn Rudd has collected 16 RBIs while Maeve Nelson has belted out a team-best six home runs with 12 RBI.
• Danielle Williams (3-5) has logged a team-high 51.2 innings and carries a 4.88 ERA with 67 strikeouts.

Evansville
Series Record: Evansville leads 9-8
Last meeting: April 8, 2014 - Louisville won 4-3 at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Purple Aces: Evansville brings an 8-9 record into the weekend after posting a 2-2 record at the Blues City Classic in Memphis.
• Jessica Fehr leads the Aces with .440 batting average with 13 runs, three home runs and 17 RBIs.
• Emily Lockhart carries a 5-2 record with a 4.23 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 48.0 innings. Izzy Vetter (3-7) has a 3.73 ERA with 51 Ks in 45.0 innings of work.
two hits.

Cardinals Host Red & Black Challenge - Game Times Adjusted

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Celene Funke

Carmyn Greenwood

Cassady Greenwood

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Jenna Servi

University of Louisville Athletics

Cardinals Host Red & Black Challenge - Game Times Adjusted

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Celene Funke

Carmyn Greenwood

Cassady Greenwood

Maddy Newman

Taylor Roby

Jenna Servi

Related Videos