Tuesday, May 10
Louisville, Ky.
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Indiana
Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Set to Host Indiana Tuesday
May 09, 2022 | Baseball
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball is back at Jim Patterson Stadium on Tuesday as the Cardinals welcome Indiana to town for a midweek contest. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and can be seen on ACC Network Extra. Tuesday's game will be available on 93.9 The Ville.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville enters Tuesday's game coming off the program's first tie in 22 years. The Cardinals finished their series at Wake Forest with a 5-5 tie after 12 innings when the travel curfew kicked in. It was the first tie for the UofL program since finishing 3-3 at Tulane on March 19, 2000.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Indiana meet for the 53rd time on Tuesday night with the Hoosiers holding a slim 28-24 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams had met in every season of Dan McDonnell's tenure until COVID altered the schedule the last two seasons. The scheduled matchup in 2020 was canceled when the season shut down and the Big Ten did not play non-conference games in 2021.
The last meeting between Louisville and Indiana came on June 2, 2019 when the Cardinals eliminated the Hoosiers in the Louisville Regional. The Cards also defeated Indiana during the regular season in 2019, picking up an 8-7 win in 12 innings while striking out 23, the most for the program since at least 2000.
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
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 the second game of the doubleheader at Wake Forest over the weekend.
The Cardinals have now won 18 games during which they trailed, including nine of their 15 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 153 runs in the seventh inning or later and outscoring opponents 100-45 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 .275 this season, the only lineup in the ACC with nine qualified hitters above that mark. Louisville's starting nine all have at least 40 hits and 30 runs scored, the most of any team in the ACC in either category.
KNAPCZYK, METZINGER NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
The Louisville offense has beat opponents in a variety of ways in 2022, but the combination of Christian Knapczyk and Ben Metzinger at the top of the Cardinals' lineup has been at the center of it all. Both players were named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List for their performances through the first half of the season.
Knapczyk is hitting .335 and has been an on-base machine in the leadoff spot, ranking 10th in the ACC with a .473 on-base percentage. The shortstop has scored 63 runs through 44 games, the third most in the country.
Metzinger has taken advantage of having his fellow infielder on base in front of him, hitting .306 with 51 RBIs. The senior has 14 home runs on the season, 10 of which have come with Knapczyk on base.
The duo has scored 116 runs, the most of any ACC teammates, and been active on the basepaths as well, combining for 24 stolen bases on the season in just 29 attempts.
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 79 stolen bases and 71 home runs through 47 games, making them one of only two teams in the country (Campbell) with at least 70 of each.
All nine of Louisville's regular starters have at least two home runs and a stolen base.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville enters Tuesday's game coming off the program's first tie in 22 years. The Cardinals finished their series at Wake Forest with a 5-5 tie after 12 innings when the travel curfew kicked in. It was the first tie for the UofL program since finishing 3-3 at Tulane on March 19, 2000.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Indiana meet for the 53rd time on Tuesday night with the Hoosiers holding a slim 28-24 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams had met in every season of Dan McDonnell's tenure until COVID altered the schedule the last two seasons. The scheduled matchup in 2020 was canceled when the season shut down and the Big Ten did not play non-conference games in 2021.
The last meeting between Louisville and Indiana came on June 2, 2019 when the Cardinals eliminated the Hoosiers in the Louisville Regional. The Cards also defeated Indiana during the regular season in 2019, picking up an 8-7 win in 12 innings while striking out 23, the most for the program since at least 2000.
TEAM NOTES
- Louisville has an .844 winning percentage (130-24) in regular season non-conference games since the start of 2016, including a 105-12 (.897) 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 40 times through 47 games, surpassing its total of 19 in 50 games in 2021.
- Louisville has scored 10 runs or more 19 times this season and registered at least 10 hits in 30 games, including 19 of its last 26.
- UofL is 27-2 this season when it tallies more hits than the opposition. During Dan McDonnell's 16 seasons at Louisville, the Cardinals are 544-62 (.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 has at least one hit in 31 of the last 34 games and ranks among the best in the ACC in doubles (3rd), hits (4th) and batting average (11th).
- Dalton Rushing has been a constant power threat in the middle of the order this season, hitting third or fourth in all but one game. After launching a pair of towering home runs at Wake Forest, Rushing is now tied for the team lead and eighth in the ACC with 14 home runs. Rushing is also 4th in the ACC in walks, sixth in hit by pitch, seventh in on-base percentage and 12th 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 .344 with 11 doubles, four homers and 44 RBIs. Beard has 19 multi-hit games on the season and has driven in 14 runs in the last 13 games, including four in the finale against Clemson. He has also been Louisville's top weapon with runners in scoring position, hitting .424 (25-for-59) 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 13th in the ACC with a .465 on-base percentage. The sophomore is 28-for-78 (.359) over his last 23 games, surging his average up to .319. Humphrey has been Louisville's second-best hitter this season with runners in scoring position, hitting .388 (19-for-49) and reaching base at a .542 clip in that situation.
- Levi Usher has been a terror on the basepaths for opponents since arriving at Louisville for the 2020 season. The centerfielder led the ACC with 26 stolen bases in 2021 and is 28-for-30 this season. Usher has moved into seventh place on Louisville's career stolen base list with 65 in 70 attempts. Usher is hitting .352 (32-for-91) over his last 22 games.
- 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 (5th), home runs (8th), runs (10th), total bases (10th) and RBIs (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 (34), hits (44), 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.
- 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.
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 the second game of the doubleheader at Wake Forest over the weekend.
The Cardinals have now won 18 games during which they trailed, including nine of their 15 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 153 runs in the seventh inning or later and outscoring opponents 100-45 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 .275 this season, the only lineup in the ACC with nine qualified hitters above that mark. Louisville's starting nine all have at least 40 hits and 30 runs scored, the most of any team in the ACC in either category.
KNAPCZYK, METZINGER NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
The Louisville offense has beat opponents in a variety of ways in 2022, but the combination of Christian Knapczyk and Ben Metzinger at the top of the Cardinals' lineup has been at the center of it all. Both players were named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List for their performances through the first half of the season.
Knapczyk is hitting .335 and has been an on-base machine in the leadoff spot, ranking 10th in the ACC with a .473 on-base percentage. The shortstop has scored 63 runs through 44 games, the third most in the country.
Metzinger has taken advantage of having his fellow infielder on base in front of him, hitting .306 with 51 RBIs. The senior has 14 home runs on the season, 10 of which have come with Knapczyk on base.
The duo has scored 116 runs, the most of any ACC teammates, and been active on the basepaths as well, combining for 24 stolen bases on the season in just 29 attempts.
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 79 stolen bases and 71 home runs through 47 games, making them one of only two teams in the country (Campbell) with at least 70 of each.
All nine of Louisville's regular starters have at least two home runs and a stolen base.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
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