Friday, April 14
Louisville, Ky.
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Wake Forest
Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Louisville to Host Second Straight Top-10 Weekend Series
April 13, 2023 | Baseball
The Cardinals take on No. 2 Wake Forest beginning at 6 p.m. ET on Friday at Jim Patterson Stadium.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team hosts second-ranked Wake Forest for a three-game series beginning Friday night at 6 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium. The Saturday and Sunday games are scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. All three games will be televised on ACC Network Extra with radio coverage available on 93.9 The Ville and 970 WGTK.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
As part of Heroes Week at Jim Patterson Stadium, all Hero Workers (Police, Fire, EMS, Medical Personnel, Military) may receive two complimentary tickets for all three games this weekend. Tickets may be claimed at https://fevo.me/43rgHsZ.
Also, Louisville Athletics will be donating 50% of all proceeds from online single-game ticket sales through this link - https://fevo.me/3UFsIr2 - to the Louisville Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Sunday, Louisville baseball will host the Kroger Food Drive, benefiting the Commonwealth Credit Union Cardinal Cupboard. Representatives will be collecting non-perishable food items and hygiene products at the front of Jim Patterson Stadium. All who donate will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Kroger gift card.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville fell behind 1-0 on Wednesday night before scoring 14 unanswered runs on its way to a 14-2 victory over Bellarmine. Thirteen different Cardinals recorded at least one hit, with seven different players picking up multiple knocks.
The top two teams in the ACC Atlantic Division standings collide this weekend at Jim Patterson Stadium. Louisville and Wake Forest each received six votes to win the Atlantic in the ACC Preseason poll and were named co-favorites for the overall conference title.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Wake Forest have met 26 times previously, all since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2015. The Cards are 19-6-1 all-time against Wake Forest and 10-2 against the Demon Deacons in Louisville. The two teams split last year's series, splitting a doubleheader before ending the finale in a 5-5 tie after 12 innings due to travel curfew.
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
LOUISVILLE RECORDS ANOTHER TOP-10 SWEEP
The Cardinals hit a slight skid with series losses at Notre Dame and NC State. However, they snapped out of it in a big way, sweeping a three-game set against then-No. 7 Boston College.
Louisville got dominant starting pitching efforts from Ryan Hawks and Carson Liggett in the first and third games, while the offense rallied back from an 8-0 deficit to claim the victory in game two.
The Cardinals have now tallied five three-game sweeps of top-10 opponents under Dan McDonnell. Louisville had most recently done so against then-No. 1 Notre Dame last March.
PAYTON NAMED TO MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS, POSEY WATCH LIST
Catcher Jack Payton has been Louisville's best offensive player through the first half of the season and received national recognition for his efforts.
The junior was named to the midseason All-America teams by D1Baseball and Perfect Game, while earning a spot on the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
Payton currently ranks inside the ACC's top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
As part of Heroes Week at Jim Patterson Stadium, all Hero Workers (Police, Fire, EMS, Medical Personnel, Military) may receive two complimentary tickets for all three games this weekend. Tickets may be claimed at https://fevo.me/43rgHsZ.
Also, Louisville Athletics will be donating 50% of all proceeds from online single-game ticket sales through this link - https://fevo.me/3UFsIr2 - to the Louisville Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Sunday, Louisville baseball will host the Kroger Food Drive, benefiting the Commonwealth Credit Union Cardinal Cupboard. Representatives will be collecting non-perishable food items and hygiene products at the front of Jim Patterson Stadium. All who donate will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Kroger gift card.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville fell behind 1-0 on Wednesday night before scoring 14 unanswered runs on its way to a 14-2 victory over Bellarmine. Thirteen different Cardinals recorded at least one hit, with seven different players picking up multiple knocks.
The top two teams in the ACC Atlantic Division standings collide this weekend at Jim Patterson Stadium. Louisville and Wake Forest each received six votes to win the Atlantic in the ACC Preseason poll and were named co-favorites for the overall conference title.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville and Wake Forest have met 26 times previously, all since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2015. The Cards are 19-6-1 all-time against Wake Forest and 10-2 against the Demon Deacons in Louisville. The two teams split last year's series, splitting a doubleheader before ending the finale in a 5-5 tie after 12 innings due to travel curfew.
TEAM NOTES
- Louisville owns 152 conference wins since joining the ACC in 2015, the most conference wins during that time of any Power Five school.
- UofL has won 53 of its 76 ACC series (53-20-2 - one series ended 1-1, one ended 1-1-1) since joining the league and is 57-16-1 in its series finales during that span, including a 21-8-1 record in rubber games.
- The Cardinals have won 31 of their 37 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
- Louisville had just 12 stolen bases through the first 14 games, but has stolen 43 in the last 18.
- The Cardinals rank top 20 nationally in earned run average (3.85) and hits allowed per nine innings (7.32).
- The Cardinals have held the opposition to two runs or fewer 15 times through 32 games. Louisville limited opponents to two or less 14 times in 2022.
- Louisville has been excellent early in games this spring, outscoring opponents 102-42 in the first three innings.
- Through 31 games, the Cardinals have started 31 different batting orders and 27 different defensive alignments.
PLAYER NOTES
- 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 eight this season. However, Payton has shown more power this spring, matching his total from last year just 10 games into 2023 and sitting with double that number entering the weekend. He recorded his first multi-homer game at Cincinnati, homering in the each of the first two innings, and currently leads the Cards with 15 multi-hit games including six with three hits.
- Christian Knapczyk is the catalyst at the top of the Louisville lineup and currently ranks second in the ACC with 15 stolen bases and third with 12 HBPs. The junior has a hit in 26 of the 31 games he's played this season and has reached base in all but three contests.
- 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, including his sixth of the year last week against Lipscomb. The Louisville native is 10-for-18 in the last five games driving in six runs and upping his average to .297.
- Brandon Anderson made just seven starts during his freshman season, posting a .316 average with all 12 of his hits going for singles. Anderson was Louisville's Opening Day starter at third base but started only sporadically through the first month of the season. The sophomore has started each of the last four games and has been excellent when he's been in the starting lineup this season, hitting .438 (21-for-48) with 15 RBIs in his 14 starts.
- Carson Liggett earned the Sunday starting role to open the season and has been terrific through the first half of the season. The sophomore is 7-0, one win shy of the national lead, and is atop the ACC leaderboard with a 1.47 ERA. The right-hander has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his eight starts, and is the first Louisville pitcher to win his first seven decisions in a season since Kade McClure finished the 2016 season 12-0.
- Riley Phillips opened the season as the Saturday starter for the Cardinals, but moved to the bullpen after two starts. The southpaw has been an excellent option in a relief role this season, making seven appearances with three runs allowed in 16.0 innings and tallying 26 strikeouts. Phillips allowed just one hit in four shutout innings against Boston College to earn his fourth win of the season.
- Ryan Hawks drew the Opening Day start for the Cardinals, just the second start of his collegiate career. The senior has been the anchor at the front of the Louisville rotation, leading the ACC with 50 innings pitched. Hawks became the first Louisville pitcher to win all four starts through the first four weekends since Brendan McKay in 2016, and his eight innings against Boston College marked the longest outing by a Louisville pitcher this season.
LOUISVILLE RECORDS ANOTHER TOP-10 SWEEP
The Cardinals hit a slight skid with series losses at Notre Dame and NC State. However, they snapped out of it in a big way, sweeping a three-game set against then-No. 7 Boston College.
Louisville got dominant starting pitching efforts from Ryan Hawks and Carson Liggett in the first and third games, while the offense rallied back from an 8-0 deficit to claim the victory in game two.
The Cardinals have now tallied five three-game sweeps of top-10 opponents under Dan McDonnell. Louisville had most recently done so against then-No. 1 Notre Dame last March.
PAYTON NAMED TO MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS, POSEY WATCH LIST
Catcher Jack Payton has been Louisville's best offensive player through the first half of the season and received national recognition for his efforts.
The junior was named to the midseason All-America teams by D1Baseball and Perfect Game, while earning a spot on the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
Payton currently ranks inside the ACC's top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
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