Cardinal Classic Schedule Altered

WEEKEND INFORMATION
Cardinal Classic
Date: March 4-6, 2022
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: Don Dobina Field at Ulmer Stadium
Television: Louisville games on ACCNX
Announcers: Suzanne Bush (PXP), Dr. Joanna Lane (Analyst)
Promotions:
Friday March 4 - Foodie Friday
Sunday March 6 - Postgame autographs
Twitter Updates: @LouisvilleSB
Game Notes: Louisville
Admission: Free - Clear Bag Policy in effect
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the Floyd Street Parking Garage for a $5 fee

The schedule for the University of Louisville Softball Cardinal Classic has been altered due to inclement weather in the forecast for this weekend.

UofL will open play at Ulmer Stadium on Friday at 3 p.m. and will take on Illinois at 8 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, Louisville will face Western Michigan at 3 p.m. followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup with the Illini. The Cards are slated to wrap up the weekend against Hofstra on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Admission is free.

Cardinal Classic Schedule
Friday March 4
3 PM               Hofstra vs. Louisville
5:30 PM          Hofstra vs. Western Michigan
8:00 PM          Illinois vs. Louisville
Saturday March 5
10 AM             Western Michigan vs. Hofstra
12:30 PM        Illinois vs. Hofstra
3:00 PM          Western Michigan vs. Louisville
5:30 PM          Illinois vs. Louisville
Sunday March 6
9 AM               Western Michigan vs. Illinois
11:30 AM        Hofstra vs. Louisville

Game Day Information:
Admission: Free
Gates open: One (1) hour prior to the first game of the day
Clear Bag Policy: A Clear Bag Policy remains in place at all UofL athletics facilities. Fans may bring one clear bag, either a one-gallon clear Ziploc-style storage bag, or a 12 x 6 x 12 inches clear tote bag.
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the Floyd Street Parking Garage for a $5 fee
Fans can follow Louisville Softball on Twitter (@UofLsoftball) at https://twitter.com/LouisvilleSB and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleSB

CARDINAL QUICK HITS
• Louisville is 17-5 in home openers in the history of the program.
• The Cardinals bring an 8-6 overall record into the week following a midweek lost at Miami (Ohio). Last weekend, Louisville played a three-game series at No. 10/8 Arkansas. The Razorbacks took the opening game, using a late-inning rally to beat Louisville 8-5. Louisville evened the series with an 8-4 win in game two and Arkansas won the final game 14-0.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by graduate senior Carmyn Greenwood is hitting .383 with a team-high 19 runs and 15 RBIs along with a .887 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage.
• Redshirt senior RHP Taylor Roby has shouldered the bulk of the pitching duties and holds a 4.09 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 37.2 innings of work. She has also belted out a team-best six homers.
• Graduate senior Hannah File is currently on a five-game hitting streak and has reached safely via a hit or walk in each of the last seven games.
• The Cardinals return 15 players from last year's team including NFCA All-Southeast Region and All-ACC selections Carmyn Greenwood and Taylor Roby.
• Among the returners are 12 upperclassmen including seven seniors and five juniors, as well as senior transfer Hannah File (James Madison) and graduate transfer Kendall Smith (Western Kentucky).
• Louisville was picked to finish sixth in the ACC in a preseason vote by the league's head coaches.
• Graduate senior Carmyn Greenwood was selected to the Preseason All-ACC Softball team.

THE APRILE ERA
• Holly Aprile is entering her fourth 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 74-70-1 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 THE OPPONENTS
Hofstra
Series History: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Then-No. 21 Louisville defeated Hofstra 7-6 in nine innings on Feb. 18, 2012, at the East Carolina Pirate Clash.
Scouting the Pride: Hofstra (0-9) is coming off a 6-0 defeat to Indiana on Feb. 27. The Pride return seven starters from last season's team including NFCA All-Region first team and All-CAA catcher, Devyn Losco. The team finished the 2021 season with the fifth-highest batting average in program history at .301 and set a school record for stolen bases in a season with 83. Adrienne Clark is in her first season as head coach for the Pride.

Illinois
Series History: Illinois leads 4-3
Last Meeting: Louisville defeated Illinois 4-3 on Mar. 8, 2020, in the Red & Black Challenge at Ulmer Stadium.
Scouting the Fighting Illini: Illinois (6-4) receiving votes in both the NFCA and USA Softball coaches polls this week. The Illini are coming off an 8-6 win over No. 10 Arkansas on Feb. 20. The team returns 18 players and seven starters from last year, including four All-Big Ten honorees in Kailee Powell, Delaney Rummell, Avrey Steiner and Jaelyn Vickery. The Fighting Illini welcome eight newcomers to the 2022 roster. Tyra Perry is in her seventh season at the helm for Illinois.

Western Michigan
Series History: This is the first meeting between the two programs
Scouting the Broncos: Western Michigan (3-6) is coming off a 7-0 win over Bellarmine on Feb. 27. The Broncos welcome six newcomers and return eight players from last year's team including Mackenzie Swinehart who was a Mid-American Conference first team member in 2021. Head coach Kathy Leitke is in her 22nd season leading Western Michigan.

UP NEXT
Louisville will continue its three-week homestand when the Cardinals collaborate with the University of Kentucky to host the Bluegrass Challenge which will feature Valparaiso, Central Michigan, Ohio University and Eastern Kentucky.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah File

Carmyn Greenwood

Taylor Roby

Kendall Smith

University of Louisville Athletics