Tuesday, May 17
Louisville, Ky.
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Eastern Kentucky
Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Open Final Week of Regular Season with Eastern Kentucky
May 16, 2022 | Baseball
Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team opens up the final week of the regular season with a midweek contest against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and can be seen on ACC Network Extra. Radio coverage will be available on 93.9 The Ville.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville returns to Jim Patterson Stadium for the final four games of the regular season, where the Cardinals are 26-5 this season. The Cards have won at least 25 games on their home field in 13 of Dan McDonnell's 15 full seasons at the helm of the program.
The Cardinals have been strong in the midweek this season, holding a 10-1 record in midweek contests. Louisville pitchers have stepped it up in each of the last four Tuesday games, holding a 2.00 ERA (8 ER in 36 IP) in wins over Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Indiana.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Eastern Kentucky tangle for the 122nd time on Tuesday night. The Cardinals are 71-49-1 all-time against the Colonels and 19-2 during Dan McDonnell's tenure. The two teams have met in all but four seasons since 1980.
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
USHER ASCENDING LOUISVILLE'S STOLEN BASE LEADERBOARDS
Senior outfielder Levi Usher has been among the top stolen base threats in the country since his arrival on campus in 2020. Usher ranked 10th nationally with 11 steals in the shortened 2020 season, and then led the ACC and finished 13th in the country with 26 in 2021. This season, Usher is once again leading the ACC with 32 stolen bases, which is good for 10th nationally.
The Fairfax, Iowa, native has steadily climbed Louisville's single-season and career stolen base lists over the course of the spring. Usher's 32 bags this season are the seventh-most in program history, while his 69 career steals are currently seventh-most as well. Usher is 69-for-75 on the basepaths in 116 games with the Cardinals.
Next up on the single-season list is Corey Ray, who swiped 34 bases in 2015, while the next milestone on the career leaderboard is 79, held by Mike Hook (1999-2001) and Sutton Whiting (2012-15).
CARDINALS FEATURE FOUR DOUBLE-DIGIT HOME RUN HITTERS
Ben Bianco slugged his 10th home run of the season at Vanderbilt, lifting the Cardinals to a 1-0 victory in the Battle of the Barrel.
In doing so, Bianco became the fourth Cardinal to reach double figures in home runs this season. He joined Ben Metzinger, Cameron Masterman and Dalton Rushing with 10 or more.
This is the first Louisville team to have at least four players with 10 home runs since the 2010 Cardinals had five do so - Phil Wunderlich (21), Ryan Wright (16), Stewart Ijames (14), Andrew Clark (13) and Adam Duvall (12).
NO GAME IS OVER FOR THE CARDS
Louisville has had a knack for rallying back after falling behind in games this season, including last week's victory over Indiana.
The Cardinals have now won 19 games during which they trailed, including nine of their 16 ACC victories. UofL has won six games in which it trailed in the seventh inning or later, four of which were in ACC play.
Louisville has excelled at the plate in the late innings, scoring 166 runs in the seventh inning or later and outscoring opponents 112-47 from the eighth inning on.
BIANCO DOING DAMAGE WITH THE BASES LOADED
Ben Bianco has found himself at the plate with an opportunity to drive in runs on a consistent basis this season. Despite hitting ninth in the Louisville order, he currently ranks 17th in the ACC and third on the team with 46 RBIs.
Nearly half of his RBI total this season has come thanks to his work with the bases loaded. With the bases juiced, Bianco is 6-for-13 with a triple, three grand slams and 19 RBIs.
The three grand slams have all come at important times for the Cardinals. Bianco's first extended Louisville's 2-1 lead to 6-1 in the eighth inning against then No. 1 Notre Dame on March 19. The second turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead against No. 20 North Carolina in a game the Cardinals would go on to win in 10 innings on April 9. Bianco then left the yard again on April 22 against No. 23 NC State, erasing a 4-1 deficit in the seventh inning.
LOUISVILLE LINEUP SHOWING DEPTH TOP TO BOTTOM
Louisville's offensive attack has drawn headlines for its performance this season and the Cardinals are doing it by committee with strong production up and down their lineup.
All nine of Louisville's regulars are hitting better than .280 this season, the only lineup in the ACC with nine qualified hitters above that mark. Louisville's starting nine all have at least 45 hits and 30 runs scored, the most of any team in the ACC in either category.
LOUISVILLE SHOWING OFF RARE COMBO OF SPEED AND POWER
Louisville's offense has showed off its versatility this season, beating teams with power at the plate and speed on the basepaths.
The Cardinals have tallied 86 stolen bases and 75 home runs, making them one of only two teams in the country (Campbell) with at least 85 bags and 75 long balls.
All nine of Louisville's regular starters have at least two home runs and a stolen base.
CARDINALS FEATURE ONE OF NATION'S TOP OFFENSES
The 2022 Louisville offense has been arguably the most potent in Dan McDonnell's 16-year tenure. The Cardinals have more runs (454), home runs (76), walks (283) and a higher on-base percentage (.416) through 51 games than any other Louisville team to this point in the season under McDonnell.
Louisville currently ranks 10th the country in scoring at 8.9 runs per game. The Cardinals rank ninth nationally in runs, ninth in on-base percentage, 12th in hits, 12th in walks, 12th in triples, 17th in slugging percentage, 18th in hit by pitch, 22nd in batting average, 26th in home runs, 28th in doubles and 29th in stolen bases.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville returns to Jim Patterson Stadium for the final four games of the regular season, where the Cardinals are 26-5 this season. The Cards have won at least 25 games on their home field in 13 of Dan McDonnell's 15 full seasons at the helm of the program.
The Cardinals have been strong in the midweek this season, holding a 10-1 record in midweek contests. Louisville pitchers have stepped it up in each of the last four Tuesday games, holding a 2.00 ERA (8 ER in 36 IP) in wins over Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Indiana.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Eastern Kentucky tangle for the 122nd time on Tuesday night. The Cardinals are 71-49-1 all-time against the Colonels and 19-2 during Dan McDonnell's tenure. The two teams have met in all but four seasons since 1980.
TEAM NOTES
- Louisville has an .845 winning percentage (131-24) in regular season non-conference games since the start of 2016, including a 106-12 (.898) mark in regular season non-conference home games.
- UofL's offense has been explosive so far this season, plating four or more runs in an inning 41 times, surpassing its total of 19 in 2021.
- Louisville has scored 10 runs or more 19 times this season and registered at least 10 hits in 30 games.
- UofL is 29-2 this season when it tallies more hits than the opposition. During Dan McDonnell's 16 seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals are 546-62 (.898) when they record more hits.
- Louisville has used 21 different pitchers this season, 20 of which have thrown double digit innings.
PLAYER NOTES
- 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. He is currently leading the team with 22 multi-hit games on the season, including nine with three hits. Payton ranks among the best in the ACC in doubles (2nd) and hits (ninth).
- Dalton Rushing has been a constant power threat in the middle of the order this season. The junior has homered in five of the last six games entering Tuesday and has taken over the team lead with 17 long balls on the year. Rushing is currently sixth in the ACC in home runs and also third in walks, fifth in hit by pitch, eighth in on-base percentage and ninth in slugging percentage.
- 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 all but two games, hitting .333 with 11 doubles, four homers and 47 RBIs. Beard has 20 multi-hit games on the season and been Louisville's top weapon with runners in scoring position, hitting .409 (27-for-66) in those situations.
- Isaac Humphrey has quietly put together an excellent season for the Cardinals after not seeing action during the 2021 season. Humphrey is currently third on the team and ranks ninth in the ACC with a .468 on-base percentage. The sophomore is 33-for-91 (.363) over his last 27 games, surging his average up to .325. Humphrey has been one of Louisville's best hitters this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .385 (20-for-52) and reaching base at a .545 clip in that situation.
- Ben Metzinger returned fully healthy in 2022 and has been one of the pillars of the Louisville lineup. Metzinger is top 15 in the ACC in walks (6th), home runs (9th), RBIs (10th) and total bases (12th). He earned ACC Player of the Week honors after tallying four straight multi-hit games against Lipscomb and Boston College. Metzinger owns walk-off home runs against Morehead State and North Carolina this season, the first walk-off blasts for the Cardinals since Nick Solak's home run beat Notre Dame on March 11, 2016.
- Ben Bianco has already turned in a career season this spring setting career highs in runs (36), hits (49), triples (3), home runs (11) and RBIs (46). 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. Bianco also homered in all three games of the weekend series against North Carolina, including a go-ahead grand slam in game two and a leadoff shot that helped sparked Louisville's ninth-inning rally in the finale. He hit a solo homer in Louisville's 1-0 win over Vanderbilt and is currently 17th in the ACC in RBIs.
- Tate Kuehner began the 2022 season as Louisville's Friday night starter, working in that role for the first eight weekends of the year. The southpaw moved back into his previous bullpen role during the Florida State series and has been one of the Cardinals' best pitchers since. Kuehner has made nine relief appearances, allowing just five earned runs in 19.1 innings for a 2.33 ERA and has tallied a pair of saves. Kuehner has not allowed a run in his last four outings, pitching 8.2 scoreless against Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Indiana and Virginia Tech.
- Michael Prosecky has taken over as the Louisville closer for the 2022 season after pitching in a variety of roles during his first two years. The southpaw recorded the final six outs in each of Louisville's first two victories, earning his first two career saves. Prosecky has continued his strong work out of the bullpen and put together 15 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing two unearned runs against North Carolina. The junior is second in the ACC with nine saves.
USHER ASCENDING LOUISVILLE'S STOLEN BASE LEADERBOARDS
Senior outfielder Levi Usher has been among the top stolen base threats in the country since his arrival on campus in 2020. Usher ranked 10th nationally with 11 steals in the shortened 2020 season, and then led the ACC and finished 13th in the country with 26 in 2021. This season, Usher is once again leading the ACC with 32 stolen bases, which is good for 10th nationally.
The Fairfax, Iowa, native has steadily climbed Louisville's single-season and career stolen base lists over the course of the spring. Usher's 32 bags this season are the seventh-most in program history, while his 69 career steals are currently seventh-most as well. Usher is 69-for-75 on the basepaths in 116 games with the Cardinals.
Next up on the single-season list is Corey Ray, who swiped 34 bases in 2015, while the next milestone on the career leaderboard is 79, held by Mike Hook (1999-2001) and Sutton Whiting (2012-15).
CARDINALS FEATURE FOUR DOUBLE-DIGIT HOME RUN HITTERS
Ben Bianco slugged his 10th home run of the season at Vanderbilt, lifting the Cardinals to a 1-0 victory in the Battle of the Barrel.
In doing so, Bianco became the fourth Cardinal to reach double figures in home runs this season. He joined Ben Metzinger, Cameron Masterman and Dalton Rushing with 10 or more.
This is the first Louisville team to have at least four players with 10 home runs since the 2010 Cardinals had five do so - Phil Wunderlich (21), Ryan Wright (16), Stewart Ijames (14), Andrew Clark (13) and Adam Duvall (12).
NO GAME IS OVER FOR THE CARDS
Louisville has had a knack for rallying back after falling behind in games this season, including last week's victory over Indiana.
The Cardinals have now won 19 games during which they trailed, including nine of their 16 ACC victories. UofL has won six games in which it trailed in the seventh inning or later, four of which were in ACC play.
Louisville has excelled at the plate in the late innings, scoring 166 runs in the seventh inning or later and outscoring opponents 112-47 from the eighth inning on.
BIANCO DOING DAMAGE WITH THE BASES LOADED
Ben Bianco has found himself at the plate with an opportunity to drive in runs on a consistent basis this season. Despite hitting ninth in the Louisville order, he currently ranks 17th in the ACC and third on the team with 46 RBIs.
Nearly half of his RBI total this season has come thanks to his work with the bases loaded. With the bases juiced, Bianco is 6-for-13 with a triple, three grand slams and 19 RBIs.
The three grand slams have all come at important times for the Cardinals. Bianco's first extended Louisville's 2-1 lead to 6-1 in the eighth inning against then No. 1 Notre Dame on March 19. The second turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead against No. 20 North Carolina in a game the Cardinals would go on to win in 10 innings on April 9. Bianco then left the yard again on April 22 against No. 23 NC State, erasing a 4-1 deficit in the seventh inning.
LOUISVILLE LINEUP SHOWING DEPTH TOP TO BOTTOM
Louisville's offensive attack has drawn headlines for its performance this season and the Cardinals are doing it by committee with strong production up and down their lineup.
All nine of Louisville's regulars are hitting better than .280 this season, the only lineup in the ACC with nine qualified hitters above that mark. Louisville's starting nine all have at least 45 hits and 30 runs scored, the most of any team in the ACC in either category.
LOUISVILLE SHOWING OFF RARE COMBO OF SPEED AND POWER
Louisville's offense has showed off its versatility this season, beating teams with power at the plate and speed on the basepaths.
The Cardinals have tallied 86 stolen bases and 75 home runs, making them one of only two teams in the country (Campbell) with at least 85 bags and 75 long balls.
All nine of Louisville's regular starters have at least two home runs and a stolen base.
CARDINALS FEATURE ONE OF NATION'S TOP OFFENSES
The 2022 Louisville offense has been arguably the most potent in Dan McDonnell's 16-year tenure. The Cardinals have more runs (454), home runs (76), walks (283) and a higher on-base percentage (.416) through 51 games than any other Louisville team to this point in the season under McDonnell.
Louisville currently ranks 10th the country in scoring at 8.9 runs per game. The Cardinals rank ninth nationally in runs, ninth in on-base percentage, 12th in hits, 12th in walks, 12th in triples, 17th in slugging percentage, 18th in hit by pitch, 22nd in batting average, 26th in home runs, 28th in doubles and 29th in stolen bases.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
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