Conference Action Set to Begin for Cardinals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team opens up conference action with a three-game series against Virginia Tech at Jim Patterson Stadium. The series gets underway on Friday at 6 p.m. ET with Saturday set for 1 p.m. ET and Sunday at noon ET. The first two games will be televised on ACC Network Extra, while the Sunday game will be shown on ACC Network. Radio coverage will be available all weekend on 93.9 The Ville.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals swept a two-game midweek series against Lipscomb, coming from behind to win both games. Louisville shook off a 6-3 deficit to win on Tuesday before rallying from down 6-1 for a walk-off victory Wednesday.

Louisville's offense was excellent during the pre-conference schedule. The Cardinals lead the ACC in runs, triples, stolen bases and hit by pitch while ranking second in hits, doubles and runs per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Former Metro Conference foes, Louisville and Virginia Tech have 66 previous meetings with the Hokies leading the series 47-19. The Cardinals hold a 7-2 edge since both teams have joined the ACC. Virginia Tech is playing in Louisville for the first time since 2016.

TEAM NOTES

Louisville is 9-0 all-time in ACC openers, including an 8-7 walk-off victory over Georgia Tech last season, and has won the opening conference series in eight of its nine seasons in the ACC.
The Cardinals have won 31 of their 40 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
UofL has won 53 of its 82 ACC series (53-27-2 - one series ended 1-1, one ended 1-1-1) since joining the league and is 58-21-1 in its series finales during that span, including a 21-10-1 record in rubber games.
The Louisville offense currently ranks top 15 nationally in batting average, doubles, hits, on-base percentage, runs, runs per game, slugging percentage, stolen bases and triples.
The Cardinals have been hit by a pitch in all but two games this season and currently lead the ACC with 31 on the season.
Louisville hit just one home run over the first six games, but has homered at least once in each of the last 11 contests. Louisville's longest home run streak in 2023 was five.
Dan McDonnell has shuffled his lineup through the first 17 games with 14 different position players drawing at least five starts. Gavin Kilen is the only player to start all 17 games.

PLAYER NOTES

Gavin Kilen made 38 starts as a freshman in 2023, hitting .265 with 10 extra-base hits. The sophomore has moved into the starting shortstop position and taken his offensive game to another level. Through 17 games, Kilen is hitting .373 with 14 extra-base hits. Kilen did not hit a home run in his first 57 collegiate games before tallying his first against Morehead State and homering four times in a five game stretch. He is second in the ACC in triples, fifth in doubles, ninth in total bases, 11th in hits and 18th in slugging.
Lucas Moore drew the Opening Day start in left field against Indiana State, becoming the first Louisville true freshman to start on Opening Day since Tyler Fitzgerald in 2017. The freshman ranks second in the ACC in stolen bases and top 15 in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored and runs per game.
Evan Webster had made just three starts in his career prior to this season. The southpaw has been outstanding in four weekend starts this season, ranking third in the ACC and 15th nationally with a 0.90 ERA, giving up just two earned runs in 20 innings. Webster owns 72 career appearances, six shy of cracking Louisville's top 10 list all-time.
Patrick Forbes was a two-way player as a freshman in 2023, seeing more time in the batter's box than the mound. However, he's moved into the weekend rotation as a sophomore and allowed just three earned runs on six hits in nine innings of work in his three starts.

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Players Mentioned

Patrick Forbes

Gavin Kilen

Lucas Moore

Evan Webster

University of Louisville Athletics