Friday, March 11
Louisville, Ky.
1:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Michigan
Photo by: Karthik Kalvakuri | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Open Michigan Series with Friday Doubleheader
March 10, 2022 | Baseball
The series starts Friday at 1 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team continues its long homestand with a three-game series against Michigan. With potential inclement weather on Saturday, the series will now feature a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. ET on Friday and the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. All three games will be televised on ACC Network Extra. Radio coverage will be available on 970 WGTK on Friday and 93.9 The Ville Sunday.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville picked up a 9-8 victory over No. 15 TCU on Tuesday, jumping out to a 9-0 advantage before hanging on for the win. Louisville has won six consecutive games entering the weekend, its longest winning streak since winning the final three games of 2020 and the first four of 2021.
The Cardinals are averaging 13.8 runs and 14.2 hits per game over the last six games with 16 doubles, seven triples and 13 home runs. Louisville has scored runs in bunches putting four runs or more up in eight different innings during that stretch.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Michigan have five previous meetings, with the Cardinals coming out victorious in all five. The two teams have not met since the 2015 NCAA Regional in Louisville, when the Cardinals defeated Michigan 4-3 in the 1-0 winner's bracket game and then 13-4 in the regional final. The two teams both reached the 2019 College World Series, but were on opposite sides of the bracket and did not meet.
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
CARDINALS OFF TO FAST START AT THE PLATE
The 2022 Louisville offense has been arguably the most potent in Dan McDonnell's 16-year tenure. The Cardinals have more runs (127), triples (10), home runs (19) and total bases (244) through 12 games than any other Louisville team under McDonnell.
Louisville currently ranks fifth nationally averaging 10.6 runs per game. The Cardinals are also fourth in triples and slugging percentage, and rank top 20 in batting average, hits, runs and on-base percentage.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville picked up a 9-8 victory over No. 15 TCU on Tuesday, jumping out to a 9-0 advantage before hanging on for the win. Louisville has won six consecutive games entering the weekend, its longest winning streak since winning the final three games of 2020 and the first four of 2021.
The Cardinals are averaging 13.8 runs and 14.2 hits per game over the last six games with 16 doubles, seven triples and 13 home runs. Louisville has scored runs in bunches putting four runs or more up in eight different innings during that stretch.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Michigan have five previous meetings, with the Cardinals coming out victorious in all five. The two teams have not met since the 2015 NCAA Regional in Louisville, when the Cardinals defeated Michigan 4-3 in the 1-0 winner's bracket game and then 13-4 in the regional final. The two teams both reached the 2019 College World Series, but were on opposite sides of the bracket and did not meet.
TEAM NOTES
- Louisville has an .846 winning percentage (121-22) in regular season non-conference games since the start of 2016, including a 98-10 (.907) mark in regular season non-conference home games.
- UofL is 8-0 this season when it tallies more hits than the opposition. During Dan McDonnell's 16 seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals are 525-60 (.897) when they record more hits.
- Louisville is 93-2 when leading after eight innings over the past three seasons, including a 27-1 mark in 2021. Since the start of 2012, the Cardinals are 394-9 when taking a lead into the ninth inning.
PLAYER NOTES
- Ben Metzinger returned fully healthy in 2022 and has been one of the pillars of the Louisville lineup. The senior ranks top 25 nationally with five home runs and his 20 RBIs are 11th-best in the country. Metzinger has homered in four of the last six games, and his five home runs were tied for the most through 11 games of any Cardinal under Dan McDonnell (Chris Dominguez - 2009, Corey Ray - 2016). Metzinger hit a three-run walk-off homer against Morehead State, the first walk-off blast for the Cardinals since Nick Solak's home run beat Notre Dame on March 11, 2016.
- Christian Knapczyk has hit in the leadoff spot in all 12 games this season after hitting ninth in 42 of his 43 starts in 2021. Knapczyk leads the Cardinals with seven multi-hit games and ranks seventh nationally with 20 runs scored, two shy of the national lead. The Louisville shortstop has scored at least one run in 11 of 12 games this season, including two or more in seven. Knapczyk picked up his first career home run in the second game of the Akron series, hitting a two-run shot in the fifth that sparked Louisville's 11-run frame.
- Ben Bianco has already turned in a career season despite 2022 being just 12 games old. Bianco has set career highs in runs (14), hits (16), triples (3) and RBIs (19), while matching his career best with three home runs. Bianco currently ranks sixth nationally in slugging percentage and his .500 batting average is ninths-best in the country. The fifth-year senior had five hits in the finale against Dartmouth, becoming the first Cardinal with five hits in a game since Alex Binelas did so against Alabama A&M on April 26, 2019.
- Jack Payton played sparingly as a freshman, appearing in 13 games with seven starts. Payton tallied just six hits and two RBIs in his first season. Through the first 12 games of 2022, Payton is hitting .375 with 15 hits, four doubles and five RBIs after recording his third three-hit game of the season on Tuesday against TCU.
- Logan Beard used the 2021 season as a redshirt year and has made the most of his opportunity to play in 2022. The Louisville native has started 10 of 12 games, hitting .382 with a two doubles and two homers. Beard is 7-for-13 over the last four games, scoring seven runs and driving in 10, including a two-homer game in the series finale against Akron.
- Tate Kuehner moved into the Friday starter role this season and has allowed just two earned runs through his first three starts. Kuehner has 14 strikeouts in 14.2 innings and is holding opponents to a .182 batting average.
CARDINALS OFF TO FAST START AT THE PLATE
The 2022 Louisville offense has been arguably the most potent in Dan McDonnell's 16-year tenure. The Cardinals have more runs (127), triples (10), home runs (19) and total bases (244) through 12 games than any other Louisville team under McDonnell.
Louisville currently ranks fifth nationally averaging 10.6 runs per game. The Cardinals are also fourth in triples and slugging percentage, and rank top 20 in batting average, hits, runs and on-base percentage.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
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