Cards Hit the Road for Tampa

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Friday, March 1
10:30 a.m. – Louisville vs. Villanova | Live Scoring
3:30 p.m. – Louisville at USF | Live Scoring | ESPN+ | Listen
Saturday, March 2
1:30 p.m. - Louisville vs. Georgia Southern | Live Scoring
4:00 p.m. - Louisville at USF| Live Scoring | ESPN+ | Listen
Sunday, March 3
9:30 a.m. - Louisville vs. Central Michigan| Live Scoring
Louisville Tournament Notes

The University of Louisville softball team will hit the road for Tampa, Fla. to face Villanova, USF, Georgia Southern and Central Michigan in the USF Invitational March 1-3.

QUICK HITS
• The Cardinals return to the Sunshine State for their third weekend tournament after starting the season on a 10-day stretch starting at Florida Gulf Coast, continuing with a midweek at FIU and finishing at FAU in their second weekend of the season.
• At 13-2, the Cardinals are off to their best start since 2012 when the team went 28-0 to start the season.
• Louisville is hitting .317 as a team with five players carrying an average of .300 or better.
• The Cards have outscored opponents 93-33 with 11 home runs on the season.
• UofL has produced six shutouts this season, standing second in the ACC and sixth in the national standings.
• The Cardinals return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad led by all-ACC selections Daisy Hess, Easton Lotus and Alyssa Zabala. Louisville also welcomes 11 newcomers including six freshmen and five transfers to the 2024 roster.
• UofL was picked to finish sixth in the 2024 ACC preseason coaches' poll.
• The 2024 campaign marks the 25th season in program history. The program started in 2000 and boasts 15 NCAA tournament appearances and five conference championships.

PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Alyssa Zabala (7-1) carries a 1.37 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 41.0 innings. Her seven victories in the circle lead the ACC and stand tied for third in the nation.
• Five players are hitting at a .300 clip or better with Riley Frizell's .396 average leading the way. She has also produced a team-best four home runs and 19 RBIs this season.
• Frizell has reached safely via a hit or walk in the last 13 games and in 14 of Louisville's 15 games.
• Kiley Goff has been hit by a pitch 10 times in Louisville's 15 games this season and leads the nation in the hit by pitch per game category (0.67).
• Daisy Hess is now on a six-game hitting streak
• Chelsea Mack has reached base safely via a hit or walk in eight straight games
• Paige Geraghty leads the team with six multi-hit games

THE APRILE ERA
• Holly Aprile is in her sixth season as UofL's head coach. During her time at Louisville, which includes the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, the Cardinals have amassed 142 wins and earned a pair of NCAA regional appearances with the 2023 Knoxville Regional and the 2019 NCAA Evanston Regional finals. She was named the Leadership Playbook 2022-23 Collegiate Coach of the Year.
• Prior to her arrival at Louisville, Aprile, the 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.

CARDS AGAINST THE FIELD
Villanova
Series Record: Louisville leads 16-2. The majority of these matchups came from Louisville's time in the BIG EAST conference (2006-13).
Last Meeting: February 20, 2022 -The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Villanova 3-2 in the final game of the T-Mobile Classic in Gainesville, Fla.
Scouting the Wildcats: Villanova comes into the USF Tournament with a 4-9 record and are coming off a 1-4 weekend at the Duke Invitational.
• Tess Cites leads the Wildcats in OPS (1.125) and is second in batting average (.350)
• Alyssa Seidler leads the team in strikeouts at 25 and recently pitched a complete game against Michigan State on 2/24/24

USF:
Series Record: Louisville leads 27-17. The majority of these matchups also came from Louisville's time in the BIG EAST, but last matchup came from when Louisville was a member of the American conference.
Last Meeting: May 9, 2014. Louisville defeated USF 8-0 in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament.
Scouting the Bulls: (stats subject to change before tourny starts)
• USF is coming into their home tournament with a 10-5 record (two games still to be played before tourny starts) and are coming off a 3-2 showing from the South Florida Showdown Feb. 22-25
• Alexa Galligani leads the Bulls in hits at 14 and is currently batting .359
• Payton Dixon leads the team with a .095 ERA and has only allowed 5 runs this season

Georgia Southern:
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: February 17, 2006 - Louisville beat Georgia Southern 3-0 on the first day of the Georgia Southern Invitational.
Scouting the Eagles: Georgia Southern comes into the USF Tournament with a 10-3 record and recently going undefeated at the GATA Challenge
• Katie Perkins leads the way with 18 hits and has the team's third highest batting average at .450
• Anslie Pettit has the team's lowest ERA at 1.00

Central Michigan:
Series Record: Louisville leads 3-0
Last Meeting: March 11, 2022 - The Cards defeated Central Michigan 9-1 on day two of the Bluegrass Challenge at Ulmer Stadium.
Scouting the Chippewas: Central Michigan enters the weekend with a 1-9 record, most recently falling 5-4 in nine innings to No. 22/23 Arizona in the final game of the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tuscon, Ariz.
• Their first win of the year came against Northern Illinois by a score of 6-5 on February 18.
• Skylar Coberley leads the team with a .333 batting average and seven RBIs.
• Grace Lehto carries a 2.52 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 25.0 innings of work.

UP NEXT
The Cardinals will return to Ulmer Stadium to face a pair of top-25 opponents starting with a midweek matchup against No. 19/21 Arizona. The contest kicks off an eight-game home stand including Louisville's ACC opening series against No. 20/23 Virginia Tech (March 8-10).

LAST UP
The Cardinals improved to 13-2 on the season with a 4-1 win over Western Kentucky in their home opener Tuesday evening at Ulmer Stadium.
• Riley Frizell paced the offense going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Katie Thatcher connected on her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to give the Cards a 3-0 lead.
• Alyssa Zabala (7-1) got the win in the circle, allowing one run on six hits and six strikeouts. Gabby Holloway retired both batters she faced in the seventh inning to pick up her first save of the season.

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Players Mentioned

Riley Frizell

Paige Geraghty

Kiley Goff

Daisy Hess

Gabby Holloway

Easton Lotus

Chelsea Mack

Katie Thatcher

Alyssa Zabala

University of Louisville Athletics