Friday, February 14
Arlington, Texas
8:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Texas
Louisville Baseball Begins Season Friday in Texas
February 13, 2025 | Baseball
The Cardinals open at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team opens the season at the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Cardinals will play No. 7 Texas on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, No. 13 Oklahoma State on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, and No. 12 Arizona on Sunday at 11:30 am ET. All three games will be televised on a paid stream through FLOCollege, with radio coverage available on 93.9 The Ville.
YEAR 19
Dan McDonnell is set to begin his 19th season at the helm of the Louisville program. He opens the 2025 season ranked third nationally in winning percentage among active coaches.
SHRINERS SHOWDOWN HISTORY
The Cardinals are playing in the Shriners Showdown for the second time in three years, having swept through Texas A&M, TCU and Michigan at Minute Maid Park in Houston during the 2023 season.
FAMILIAR POSTSEASON FOES
Louisville has postseason history with each of its three opponents this weekend. The Cardinals defeated Oklahoma State to win its first super regional in 2007. UofL lost in the regional final at Arizona in 2012 and took a loss to Texas in the 2014 College World Series.
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
CARDS FACE CHALLENGING SLATE IN 2025
Louisville will open the 2025 season with games against No. 7 Texas, No. 13 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Arizona in the Shriners Children's College Classic.
The three contests against top 15 teams set the stage for a very challenging 56-game schedule. Louisville will play 11 different opponents ranked in the preseason top 25 in 22 overall games – 11 of which will be away from home.
The Cardinals will play 32 games overall against teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including four of the eight teams that reached the 2024 College World Series.
LOUISVILLE COUNTING ON NEW SOURCES OF PRODUCTION
With 25 newcomers on the roster in 2025, the Louisville offense and pitching staff will have a lot of production to replace from last year's squad.
The Cardinals return just 36.4 percent (700 of 1922) of at-bats, 27.3 percent (24 of 88) of home runs and 35 percent (169 or 483) of innings pitched.
Zion Rose leads the way offensively after leading the Cardinals with a .380 average as a freshman, while Eddie King Jr. is back for a fourth season after pacing the way with 14 long balls and 43 RBIs in 2024. Alex Alicea, Matt Klein and Lucas Moore all saw significant time last spring as well.
On the mound, Louisville returns just seven pitchers that threw last year. Tucker Biven's 35.1 innings in 2024 lead the returning group, while Patrick Forbes and Colton Hartman combined to make 12 starts and threw 29 innings apiece.
CARDS ROSTER FEATURES 10 TRANSFERS, 25 NEWCOMERS IN 2025
The 2025 version of the Louisville Cardinals has a new look from one year ago. Dan McDonnell and his coaching staff welcome 25 newcomers into the fold for the 2025 campaign, 10 of which came from the transfer ranks – six four-year, four junior college.
Louisville added six veteran transfers from four-year schools, led by 2024 ABCA Third Team All-American outfielder Garret Pike (Toledo) and 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year Brennyn Cutts (Indiana State).
The Cardinals also dipped into the junior college ranks 2024 All-American infielder Jake Munroe (John A. Logan), who competed alongside right-handed pitcher Eli Hoyt (Madison College) with the NJCAA Baseball USA All-Star Team last summer.
In addition to the transfers, Louisville added yet another top-25 recruiting class for the 16th time in McDonnell's 18 years. The Cardinals did not have a high school signee selected in the MLB Draft for the second consecutive year, despite having five players ranked in the top 200.
CARDINALS OPEN SEASON UNRANKED
For the second consecutive season, the Louisville program will open the year without a national ranking.
The Cardinals were not ranked in any of the five national preseason polls. However, Louisville was receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
Louisville went from unranked in the preseason in 2007 to a College World Series appearance in Dan McDonnell's first year. The Cardinals also reached the Super Regional round in 2022 after opening the campaign outside the polls.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
100 – The Cardinals have stolen at least 100 bases in nine of the last 11 full seasons after leading the ACC with 105 in 2024.
32 – Louisville will play 32 games against 2024 NCAA Tournament teams, including all three on the opening weekend.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on X, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
YEAR 19
Dan McDonnell is set to begin his 19th season at the helm of the Louisville program. He opens the 2025 season ranked third nationally in winning percentage among active coaches.
SHRINERS SHOWDOWN HISTORY
The Cardinals are playing in the Shriners Showdown for the second time in three years, having swept through Texas A&M, TCU and Michigan at Minute Maid Park in Houston during the 2023 season.
FAMILIAR POSTSEASON FOES
Louisville has postseason history with each of its three opponents this weekend. The Cardinals defeated Oklahoma State to win its first super regional in 2007. UofL lost in the regional final at Arizona in 2012 and took a loss to Texas in the 2014 College World Series.
TEAM NOTES
- Louisville is 13-5 in season opening games under Dan McDonnell, including wins in nine of the last 11 openers.
- Louisville has an .817 winning percentage (170-38) in regular season non-conference games since the start of 2016.
- The Cardinals return four starters from last year's lineup and seven pitchers for the 2025 season.
PLAYER NOTES
- Zion Rose was a catalyst in Louisville's lineup as a freshman, especially in ACC play. Rose ranked second among ACC hitters with a .396 batting average in conference play and sixth with a .479 on-base percentage. He led the Cardinals in average, hits, runs, triples and on-base percentage in his first season of ACC play. His .380 overall average was the top mark of any Power Five freshman during the regular season.
- Eddie King Jr. turned in a breakout junior season in his second season on the field as a Cardinal. He finished as Louisville's home run and RBI leader after launching five homers in three-game series against Notre Dame. Over the final month of the regular season, King hit 12 home runs in 19 games.
- Tucker Biven was the leader of the Louisville bullpen last season, taking over the closer role for the Cardinals. Biven finished the year with a 4-2 record in 24 appearances, picking up five saves. Biven closed out eight of Louisville's 16 wins in ACC play and recorded more than three outs in 13 of his appearances.
- Patrick Forbes slides into the spotlight as Louisville's opening night starter in 2025. The junior began his career as a two-way player getting 93 at-bats as a freshman versus just 9.1 innings on the mound. Last season, Forbes worked primarily out of the bullpen with a 3.72 ERA in 12 appearances. He had one plate appearance in 2024, getting hit on the hand on the only pitch he saw and missing a month as a result. Forbes will work as a pitcher only in 2025.
- Matt Klein takes over as the primary catcher this spring. The Louisville native split time as a backup in 2023 before having his season cut short due to a knee injury. Klein shared the starting role as a sophomore in 2024 and posted a .297 average with 10 doubles. He had a breakout summer with Cotuit in the Cape Cod League, hitting .375 in 25 games and is in line to play a large role for the Cardinals in his junior season.
CARDS FACE CHALLENGING SLATE IN 2025
Louisville will open the 2025 season with games against No. 7 Texas, No. 13 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Arizona in the Shriners Children's College Classic.
The three contests against top 15 teams set the stage for a very challenging 56-game schedule. Louisville will play 11 different opponents ranked in the preseason top 25 in 22 overall games – 11 of which will be away from home.
The Cardinals will play 32 games overall against teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including four of the eight teams that reached the 2024 College World Series.
LOUISVILLE COUNTING ON NEW SOURCES OF PRODUCTION
With 25 newcomers on the roster in 2025, the Louisville offense and pitching staff will have a lot of production to replace from last year's squad.
The Cardinals return just 36.4 percent (700 of 1922) of at-bats, 27.3 percent (24 of 88) of home runs and 35 percent (169 or 483) of innings pitched.
Zion Rose leads the way offensively after leading the Cardinals with a .380 average as a freshman, while Eddie King Jr. is back for a fourth season after pacing the way with 14 long balls and 43 RBIs in 2024. Alex Alicea, Matt Klein and Lucas Moore all saw significant time last spring as well.
On the mound, Louisville returns just seven pitchers that threw last year. Tucker Biven's 35.1 innings in 2024 lead the returning group, while Patrick Forbes and Colton Hartman combined to make 12 starts and threw 29 innings apiece.
CARDS ROSTER FEATURES 10 TRANSFERS, 25 NEWCOMERS IN 2025
The 2025 version of the Louisville Cardinals has a new look from one year ago. Dan McDonnell and his coaching staff welcome 25 newcomers into the fold for the 2025 campaign, 10 of which came from the transfer ranks – six four-year, four junior college.
Louisville added six veteran transfers from four-year schools, led by 2024 ABCA Third Team All-American outfielder Garret Pike (Toledo) and 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year Brennyn Cutts (Indiana State).
The Cardinals also dipped into the junior college ranks 2024 All-American infielder Jake Munroe (John A. Logan), who competed alongside right-handed pitcher Eli Hoyt (Madison College) with the NJCAA Baseball USA All-Star Team last summer.
In addition to the transfers, Louisville added yet another top-25 recruiting class for the 16th time in McDonnell's 18 years. The Cardinals did not have a high school signee selected in the MLB Draft for the second consecutive year, despite having five players ranked in the top 200.
CARDINALS OPEN SEASON UNRANKED
For the second consecutive season, the Louisville program will open the year without a national ranking.
The Cardinals were not ranked in any of the five national preseason polls. However, Louisville was receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
Louisville went from unranked in the preseason in 2007 to a College World Series appearance in Dan McDonnell's first year. The Cardinals also reached the Super Regional round in 2022 after opening the campaign outside the polls.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
100 – The Cardinals have stolen at least 100 bases in nine of the last 11 full seasons after leading the ACC with 105 in 2024.
32 – Louisville will play 32 games against 2024 NCAA Tournament teams, including all three on the opening weekend.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on X, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
Players Mentioned
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