Friday, February 13
Louisville, Ky.
2:00 PM
University of Louisville
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Michigan State
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Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Drop Season Opener to Michigan State
February 13, 2026 | Baseball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team suffered a 4-3 defeat against Michigan State in the 2026 season opener on Friday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Louisville outhit the Spartans 8-5 on the day, but the Cardinals finished just 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and came up a run short.
It was the Cardinals that jumped on the board first on Friday, getting consecutive doubles from Kade Elam and Ben Slanker in the second inning.
Ethan Eberle worked four scoreless frames to start the day before exiting with a runner on and one away in the fifth. The southpaw struck out six and allowed just two hits.
Michigan State would capitalize with Eberle out of the game, delivering a two-out, two-run single to take a 2-1 lead through four-and-a-half.
The Spartans added a solo homer in the seventh to stretch the lead to two, but the Cardinals had a rally coming in the bottom half.
Slanker hit an opposite-field homer leading off the bottom half of the frame to cut the margin in half. Bayram Hot then singled and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position.
After a pair of strikeouts left Hot standing at second with two away, Lucas Moore came through in the clutch with a single into right-center that tied the game at three.
The game would remain tied for a short moment though, as the Spartans led off the eighth with another solo homer to surge back in front.
The Cardinals would get a runner into scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to get the tying run home.
Slanker finished his first game in a Louisville uniform 2-for-4 with the double, homer and two RBIs. Tague Davis tallied a pair of hits as well.
The two teams will be back on the diamond for game two of the weekend on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on X, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
Louisville outhit the Spartans 8-5 on the day, but the Cardinals finished just 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and came up a run short.
It was the Cardinals that jumped on the board first on Friday, getting consecutive doubles from Kade Elam and Ben Slanker in the second inning.
Ethan Eberle worked four scoreless frames to start the day before exiting with a runner on and one away in the fifth. The southpaw struck out six and allowed just two hits.
Michigan State would capitalize with Eberle out of the game, delivering a two-out, two-run single to take a 2-1 lead through four-and-a-half.
The Spartans added a solo homer in the seventh to stretch the lead to two, but the Cardinals had a rally coming in the bottom half.
Slanker hit an opposite-field homer leading off the bottom half of the frame to cut the margin in half. Bayram Hot then singled and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position.
After a pair of strikeouts left Hot standing at second with two away, Lucas Moore came through in the clutch with a single into right-center that tied the game at three.
The game would remain tied for a short moment though, as the Spartans led off the eighth with another solo homer to surge back in front.
The Cardinals would get a runner into scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to get the tying run home.
Slanker finished his first game in a Louisville uniform 2-for-4 with the double, homer and two RBIs. Tague Davis tallied a pair of hits as well.
The two teams will be back on the diamond for game two of the weekend on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on X, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Higgins,Nolan (1-0)
L: Murphy, Casen (0-1)
S: Szczepanski,Tommy (1)
Batting:
HR: Seymour,Randy 1 ; Broski,Adam 1
RBI: Seymour,Randy 3 ; Broski,Adam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams,Nick 1 ; Seymour,Randy 1 ; Broski,Adam 2
CS: Seymour,Randy 1
HBP: Williams,Nick 1 ; McKay,Ryan 1 ; Picot,Parker 2 ; Bright,Noah 1
PO: Broski,Adam 1
Batting:
2B: Davis, Tague 1 ; Elam, Kade 1 ; Slanker, Ben 1
HR: Slanker, Ben 1
RBI: Moore, Lucas 1 ; Slanker, Ben 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Elam, Kade 1 ; Slanker, Ben 1 ; Hot, Bayram 1
SB: Moore, Lucas 1 ; Hot, Bayram 1 ; Campbell, Kyle 1
HBP: Hot, Bayram 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP/1B
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballOF
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