Cardinals Travel to No. 14/14 Kentucky on Wednesday

GAME INFORMATION
Louisville vs. No. 21/21 Duke
Date: April 16-18 2021
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: Don Dobina Field at Ulmer Stadium
Schedule: Friday, 7 p.m.
Television: ESPNU
Announcers: Eric Frede and Madison Shipman
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball
Admission: Tickets are available for Wednesday night's game by going to UKathletics.com/tickets or by calling the UK Ticket Office in Lexington. Fans are asked in 2021 to adhere to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions by social distancing and wearing a mask unless actively eating or drinking.

The University of Louisville softball team will play its final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday when the Cardinals travel to Lexington to take on in-state rival Kentucky at 7 p.m. in an ESPNU televised game.

The teams were also slated to meet on April 7 in Louisville, but that game was canceled due to thunderstorms in the area.

CARDINAL NOTES
• Louisville (16-20) is coming off of a four-game series with No. 21 Duke. The Cardinals won the opener 2-0, but the Blue Devils took the next three games by scores of 9-1, 5-4 and 5-4.
• Carmyn Greenwood leads the team and is second in the ACC with 50 hits and is currently on a six-game hitting streak with at least one hit in 11 of the last 12 games. She also carries team-high .435 batting average, standing second in the ACC. Her nine doubles, 21 runs, eight stolen bases and 16 multi-hit games also lead the team.
• Taylor Roby recently snapped a 10-game hitting streak and leads the team with 12 home runs and 35 RBI standing second in the ACC in home runs and third in RBI. She has also produced a team-best 10 multi-RBI games.
• Roby is tied for eighth on Louisville's single-season list with 13 home runs. She needs one more to move into a tie for fourth.
• Roby (9-9) leads the team with a 2.83 ERA in 27 appearances and 109.1 innings of work.
• Jennifer Leonhardt, a graduate transfer from the University of Southern Indiana leads the Cardinals' pitching rotation with 59 strikeouts in 58.0 innings. She is tied for the ACC lead and second in the nation with four saves.
• Leonhardt has been named a Top 30 candidate for the Senior CLASS Award.
• Celene Funke currently ranks second on Louisville's all-time list for triples with 22 and needs four more to tie for the lead.
• Funke is also tied for second on Louisville's career list for stolen bases with 68.
• Louisville was picked to finish seventh in the preseason ACC Coaches poll.

THE APRILE ERA
• Holly Aprile is in her third season as UofL's head coach. With the 2020 campaign suspended prior to its midway point due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Aprile has compiled a 61-53 record and guided the Cardinals to an NCAA regional final appearance in 2019.
• 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 ACC tournament.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY
Series Record: Tied 20-20; Home: 11-11; Away: 9-9
Last Meeting: April 17, 2019 - UL won 8-7 at Ulmer Stadium
2019 Recap: Taylor Roby's two-out single in the seventh plated Celene Funke and lifted the Cardinals to an 8-7 win over No. 24/23 Kentucky at Ulmer Stadium.
• In a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes and two ties, the Cardinals snap a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats and bring the overall series record to 20-20.
• Roby picked up the win in the circle after giving up two earned runs on five hits and striking out one in 3.2 innings of relief. She helped her own cause at the plate, finishing the game with a 2-for-5, two RBI performance.
• Funke led the Cardinals offensively, going 4-for-5 with three stolen bases and tied a school record with four runs. The speedy centerfielder also connected on her 10th triple of the season.
• Autumn Humes took the loss, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and striking out three in 52. Innings of relief. Lauren Johnson paced the Wildcats, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs.
Cardinal Connections
• UofL head coach Holly Aprile and UK head coach Rachel Lawson were teammates at UMass and helped lead the Minutewomen to a Women's College World Series appearance in 1992.
• UofL assistant coach Griffin Joiner is a UK alum and played for Lawson from 2012-15. She also served as a grad manager for her alma mater from 2016-17.
• Cardinals' assistant coach Ashley Lane served as a volunteer assistant under Lawson in 2015.
Scouting the Wildcats: Kentucky enters Wednesday's game with an overall record of 30-10. The Wildcats are coming off of a three-game series at Auburn where the Tigers took the first two games 5-3 and 4-2, but Kentucky rebounded for a 5-1 win in the finale.
• Kentucky is hitting .345 as a team, led by Kayla Kowalik, who carries a hefty .532 batting average with a team-high 58 runs and 16 stolen bases to go along with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. Tatum Spangler has cranked out 15 home runs and driven in 48.
• Autumn Humes (14-5) has shouldered most of the pitching duties and carries a 2.91 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 105.0 innings of work.

RECAPPING THE DUKE SERIES
The Cardinals took the opening contest of a four-game series against No. 21/21 Duke, but the Blue Devils won the next three to close out the weekend.
Louisville 2 - Duke 1
Taylor Roby tossed a complete game shutout and the Cardinals capitalized on triples by Celene Funke and Charley Butler as the University of Louisville softball team defeated No. 21/21 Duke 2-0 in the ACC series opener Friday at Ulmer Stadium.

Duke 9 - Louisville 1
In game one of the twinbill, Duke registered nine hits and capitalize on five Cardinal miscues en route to a 9-1 win.
• Jennifer Leonhardt took the loss for Louisville, giving up five earned runs on five hits in 2.2 innings. Maddy Newman went 1-for-2 with a run and Carmyn Greenwood also tallied a hit for the Cardinals.

Duke 5 - Louisville 4
In game two of Saturday's doubleheader, Duke built a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the fourth, but the Cardinals answered with three runs in the fourth. Louisville went on to add a run in the seventh and had runners on first and second, but would get no closer in the 5-4 loss.
• Taylor Roby took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing five earned runs with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Carmyn Greenwood, Roby, Charley Butler, Newman and Holloway each had a hit in the game.

Duke 5 - Louisville 4
The Cards used a two-run homer by Taylor Roby in fourth and a two-run shot by Rebecca Chung in the seventh to rally from 4-0 deficit, but No. 21 Duke prevailed 5-4 in eight innings Sunday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.
• Gabby Holloway entered the game in the fourth inning and held the Blue Devils in check before allowing one earned run on seven hits with a strikeout in 5.0 innings of work. Chung led the Cardinals at the plate going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

UP NEXT
• Louisville will continue its stretch of three-straight top-25 opponents next weekend when the Cards play host to No. 7/7 Florida State in their final home series of the regular season with Senior Day taking place on Saturday, April 24.

TOUGH SLATE
Louisville's 2021 slate is highlighted by seven teams in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the ESPN.com/USA Softball coaches' Top 25 polls including: No. 3/3 Florida, No. 5/5 Alabama, No. 7/7 Florida State, No. 14/14 Kentucky, No. 13/15 Virginia Tech, No. 16/16 Clemson and No. 22/21 Duke.
• Four of Louisville's 15 losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10 (Alabama and Florida) and 11 have come against teams in the top 25.
• In response to the ongoing pandemic, the annual ACC/Big Ten challenge was cancelled and the ACC implemented four-game series to limit travel between conference opponents.
• UofL will host the ACC Tournament from May 12-15, where the top 10 conference teams will be eligible to participate this year.

DOUBLE DUTY
All three of Louisville's starting pitchers can also help their cause at the plate.
Taylor Roby leads the team with a career-high 12 home runs and 32 RBI. Additionally, the redshirt junior has logged a team-high 109.0 innings and issued 57 strikeouts.
• Jennifer Leonhardt leads the team with 59Ks and is tied for first in the ACC with four saves. The graduate transfer from the University of Southern Indiana is batting .261 on the season and recently connected on her first home run as a Cardinal. She finished her undergrad career with a .327 batting average.
• Gabby Holloway (3-5) has turned in 63.2 innings, standing second behind Roby in innings pitched. The freshman has issued 25 strikeouts on the season and has driven in a pair of runs.

ROBY RISING IN THE RECORD BOOKS
With her home run in the April 18 game against Duke, Roby now has 12 on the season and moves into a five-way tie for eighth on Louisville's single-season list for home runs. One more will move her into a tie for fouth. Courtney Moore owns the record with 17 in the 2005 season.

TRIPLE TREAT
Celene Funke connected her fourth triple of the season in the 2-0 win over No. 21/21 Duke on April 16. She currently stands second on Louisville's all-time list with 22 and needs four more more to tie Audrey Rendon (2004-07) for first.
• Funke led the nation in triples with 13 in 2019, setting the school single season record along the way.

FUNKE FAST (STOLEN BASE EDITION)
Celene Funke recently registered her sixth stolen base of the season on April 10 against Georgia Tech. She extends her career total to 68 and stands tied for second on Louisville's all-time stolen base list. Audrey Rendon (2004-07) holds the record with 82.

SERVI NAMED ONE OF ACC'S TOP SIX FOR SERVICE
Sophomore Jenna Servi has been named one of the ACC's Top Six for Service honorees. She joins fellow Cardinals Kaylee Wheeler (swim/dive), Sam Minrath (field hockey), Meghan Schneider (field hockey), Kaitlyn Harbsmeier (dance) and Makenzie Kelley (dance) who were honored for their commitment to service for the 2020-21 school year.
• Each year the Atlantic Coast Conference honors six University of Louisville student-athletes that have shown a commitment to service throughout the school year with the Top 6 for Service award.
• Servi, has been an avid volunteer for the Kentucky Humane Society. She has fostered dogs over the past year and participated in events for the shelter. She has also volunteered with Feed the West, Air Force Reserve, and Blessings in a Backpack. Servi has dedicated a total of 200 hours to the Louisville community.

SISTER ACT
• Louisville's roster features two sets of sisters: the Schindlers and the Greenwoods.
• Senior outfielder Carmyn Greenwood transferred to Louisville from Auburn in the 2020 season, joining her sister, Cassady who is a junior catcher for the Cardinals.
• Senior pitcher Paige Schindler and outfielder Riley Schindler are among 21 sets of twins in NCAA Division I softball who play for the same team. Paige Schindler is sidelined this season due to injury.
• All four sisters saw action in the Feb. 8, 2020 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.

SUPER SENIORS CELENE FUNKE AND JENNIFER LEONHARDT
UofL has two "super seniors" on its roster in the form of graduate students Celene Funke and Jennifer Leonhardt, both of whom are utilizing an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign.
               Funke (Carmel, Ind.) was leading the team in stolen bases (13-for-13) and triples (3) when her senior season came to an abrupt halt after 23 games. In 2019, she led the nation in triples and set a school record with 13 while registering a team-best 48 runs and standing second with a .324 batting average and 29 stolen bases. The speedy centerfielder currently stands second on Louisville's career list for triples (18) and third on the all-time stolen base list with 62.
               Funke is also the program's first three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2018, 2019) and is pursuing her MBA after earning her undergraduate degree in finance in May 2019.
               Leonhardt returns to her hometown after completing her career at the University of Southern Indiana where she was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American.        The right-handed pitcher will play for the Cardinals while attending UofL's School of Dentistry.
               Leonhardt led the USI to the 2018 NCAA Division II national title and earned Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 NCAA Division II Softball Championship Series honors.
               As her senior campaign was cut short, Leonhardt carried a 7-3 record with a 1.63 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 68.2 innings of work. She also led the team with a .386 batting average.
               Leonhardt finished her career at USI as the program's all-time leader in wins (83), strikeouts (787) and complete game shutouts (35) while standing second in saves (8) and innings pitched (730.2). At the plate, she registered a .327 career batting average with 87 RBIs and 74 runs.

CARDS ON TV
All of Louisville's home contests will be televised on the ACC Network or ACC Network Extra.
• Additionally, the Cardinals' April 21 road game at Kentucky will be aired on ESPNU.

SCHEDULE UPDATES
Louisville's ACC series at Boston College (April 30-May 2) has been altered as part of ACC Network coverage. The teams will now square off in a single game at 5 p.m. on Friday followed by a 12 p.m./5 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The series finale will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m.

LEONHARDT NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Jennifer Leonhardt has been named one 30 candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS® Award in collegiate softball.
•To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
• Leonhardt, right-handed pitcher who hails from Louisville, Ky. (Fern Creek HS) is a graduate transfer from the University of Southern Indiana and is utilizing an extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA following the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
• The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in March, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
• The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2021 Women's College World Series® in June.

CARDS PICKED TO FINISH SEVENTH IN ACC
The University of Louisville softball team was picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference released its preseason coaches poll.
2021 ACC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1) Florida State (141 pts, nine first-place votes)
2) Virginia Tech (136 pts, four first-place votes)
3) Notre Dame (114 pts)
4) Duke (99 pts)
5) North Carolina (96 pts)
6) Clemson (88 pts)
7) Louisville (81 pts)
8) NC State (78 pts)
9) Georgia Tech (61 pts)
10) Syracuse (39 pts)
11) Pitt (31 pts)
12) Virginia (28 pts)
13) Boston College (22 pts)

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Players Mentioned

Charley Butler

Rebecca Chung

Gabby Holloway

Paige Schindler

Riley Schindler

University of Louisville Athletics