Cardinals Continue Road Swing at Cincinnati Tuesday

Tuesday, March 28

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:00 PM

University of Louisville

Cincinnati

The Cardinals after a win over Georgia Tech.

Photo by: Karthik Kalvakuri | Louisville Athletics

March 27, 2023 | Baseball

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.

By: Stephen Williams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team continues its seven-game road swing on Tuesday night at Cincinnati. The game will be televised on ESPN+ with radio coverage available on 93.9 The Ville and 970 WGTK.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville dropped its first series of the season at Notre Dame over the weekend. The Cardinals lost by a single run in the first two games before salvaging the series with a one-run win in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. It marked the first series for the Cardinals in which all three games were decided by one run since April 20-22, 2018 against Virginia, part of a stretch of five consecutive one-run games for Louisville.

Tuesday night will be game number 1,000 for Dan McDonnell at the University of Louisville. Through 999 games, the Louisville head coach has racked up a 707-291-1 record and has the second most wins of any Division I program since he was hired before the 2007 season.

SERIES HISTORY
With just over 100 miles separating the two institutions, Louisville and Cincinnati have met 184 times previously with the Cardinals holding a 102-82 edge in the all-time series. Louisville defeated the Bearcats 18-10 last April in the most-recent meeting.

TEAM NOTES

Louisville has an .856 winning percentage (148-25) in regular season non-conference games since the start of 2016, including a 120-13 (.902) mark in regular season non-conference home games.
UofL is 14-2 when tallying more hits than the opposition. During Dan McDonnell's tenure at Louisville, the Cardinals are 565-65 (.897) when they record more hits.
Louisville had just 12 stolen bases through the first 14 games, but has stolen 33 in the last nine.
The Cardinals rank top 20 nationally in earned run average (3.46), hits allowed per nine innings (7.14), and WHIP (1.25).
The Cardinals have held the opposition to two runs or fewer 11 times through 23 games. Louisville limited opponents to two or less 14 times in 2022.
Louisville has been excellent early in games this spring, outscoring opponents 72-24 in the first three innings.
Through 23 games, the Cardinals have started 22 different batting orders and 20 different defensive alignments.

PLAYER NOTES

Christian Knapczyk had an excellent weekend at the plate at Notre Dame, going 7-for-15 with three consecutive multi-hit games. Knapczyk has been the catalyst at the top of the Louisville lineup and is currently tied for the ACC lead with 14 stolen bases and ranks second in the conference with 12 HBPs. The junior has been on a tear on the basepaths lately, swiping 11 bags in the last nine games.
Jack Payton finished with an ACC-best 23 doubles in 2022, but homered just four times. The junior is still racking up the doubles with seven already this season. However, Payton has shown more power this spring and matched his sophomore season total just 10 games into 2023. He had a 23-game on-base streak end on March 15, but currently leads the Cards with 12 multi-hit games including six with three hits.
JT Benson hit cleanup in the 2022 Opening Day lineup in his first collegiate game. However, a pair of fluke injuries derailed his sophomore campaign and limited him to just 14 starts. A fully healthy Benson has surged out of the gate in 2023, hitting .370 through his first 18 games played. Benson is 15-for-37 (.405) over the last 12 games with seven extra-base hits (3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs), 10 runs scored and 11 RBIs.
Logan Beard was a Freshman All-America selection in 2022 after hitting .310 with 12 doubles, four homers and 54 RBIs. Beard has flashed more power this spring, already surpassing his home run total from last season after hitting his fifth of the year on Sunday at Notre Dame. The Louisville native has continued to drive in runs as well, as he is currently tied for the team lead with 19.
Brandon Anderson made just seven starts during his freshman season, posting a .316 average with all 12 of his hits going for singles. Anderson has already started eight times this spring and is hitting .429 (12-for-28) with four doubles and 11 RBIs in those eight games.
Will Cook has been an offensive weapon in limited action for the Cards this spring. Cook went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and his first career homer in the win over Western Kentucky, but has been utilized as a pinch-hitter on 12 occasions. The Dayton, Ohio, native has reached base in each of his last eight appearances as a pinch hitter.
Tate Kuehner was limited to start the season due to injury, but has been dynamic out of Louisville's bullpen since returning. The southpaw has made six appearances, giving up just one run on three hits in 10 innings. Kuehner locked down his first save against TCU in Houston before recording a win and a save in the Georgia Tech series. Kuehner also turned in a dominant outing in the finale at Notre Dame, handling the final four innings with just one baserunner allowed in a 2-1 win.
Tucker Biven has the ability to play both ways for the Cardinals, but his biggest impact so far has come on the mound. The right-hander has made six relief appearances, four of which have been longer than one inning, and has allowed just one run in 13 innings of work.

CARDS GETTING MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS FROM YOUNG PLAYERS
Dan McDonnell returned four position player starters and 11 pitchers from the 2022 team that reached a Super Regional. In addition to that core group, the Cardinals are getting large contributions from a collection of true freshmen and players that sat out last season.

True freshmen Gavin Kilen and Patrick Forbes have combined to make 28 starts in the lineup this season with both players hitting above .300, while Matt Klein and Will Vierling have been sharing the backup catcher position. That quartet joins Eddie King Jr. and Will Cook, who each missed their freshman season due to injury, to help make up a Louisville offense that is averaging nearly eight runs per game.

On the mound, true freshmen Tucker Biven and Kayden Campbell have been called upon often out of the bullpen. Biven has a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings pitched, while Campbell has already tallied a pair of saves.

LOUISVILLE RUNNING WILD OVER LAST NINE GAMES
Under Dan McDonnell, the Cardinals have routinely been among the top stolen base teams in the country. UofL has notched at least 100 stolen bases in eight of the last nine full seasons after swiping 103 in 2022.

The Cards were off to a slow start this spring with just 12 stolen bases through the first 14 games. However, Louisville has tallied 33 in its last nine contests, including a season-high eight in the series finale against Georgia Tech.

Christian Knapczyk has stolen 11 bases in his last nine games, moving him into a tie for the ACC lead with 13.

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