University of Louisville
University of Kentucky
Cards Head to Kentucky for First Game in Rivalry Series
March 24, 2026 | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Lexington to take on Kentucky in the Battle of the Bluegrass on Wednesday, March 25. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. This will be the first of two games this season in the Battle of the Bluegrass, with game two slated in Louisville on April 22.
Louisville is coming off a 5-0 week against WKU, Indiana State, Campbell, and Ohio State, tallying 51 runs and 14 doubles over the course of the week. Senior Bri Despines shined for the Cardinals, putting up a .533 (8-for-15) batting average with two home runs and two doubles to give her eight RBIs. Despines earned the Cards' first D1Softball National Player of the Week honors this season for her performance last week.
QUICK HITS
- Chelsea Mack leads the team with a .477 batting average, tallying 51 hits in 107 at-bats, 36 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, and 16 RBIs. Her 27 stolen bases rank first in the NCAA.
- Bri Despines is second on the team with a .420 average, posting 37 hits, 29 runs, nine doubles, four home runs, and 33 RBIs, with a .682 slugging percentage.
- Madison Pickens is third on the team with a .418 average, collecting 41 hits, 32 runs, eight doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 34 RBIs.
- Louisville leads the ACC in stolen bases (83) and triples (17) and is third in the conference in on-base percentage (.453). The Cards rank fourth in the ACC and 14th nationally with a .358 batting average on the season.
- Through 32 games, five Cardinals have at least 20 RBIs and seven have recorded at least 20 hits.
- Freshman Jayden Gohs leads the Louisville pitching staff with a 2.71 ERA and four wins in 31 innings pitched, giving up just 12 earned runs and striking out 19 so far.
- Senior Alyssa Zabala leads the team with 59 strikeouts and six wins in 63 innings. She has made a team-high 21 appearances in ten starts, limiting opponents to a .241 batting average.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- Series Record: Louisville trails 20-25
- Last Meeting: April 2, 2025 - Kentucky took the win, 8-3 in Louisville, Ky.
- Scouting the Wildcats: Kentucky enters the matchup with a 20-12 overall record and a 1-8 mark in SEC play, scoring 179 runs on the season (5.6 per game) while allowing 127.
- The Wildcats are hitting .298 as a team with 247 hits and 40 home runs, featuring a balanced lineup with six regular starters hitting at or near the .300 mark. Carly Sleeman leads the offense with a .405 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 26 RBI, while Karissa Hamilton is batting .380 with a team-high 41 hits, adding eight doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 34 RBI.
- Allie Blum contributes a .360 average with 36 hits, 20 RBI and eight stolen bases, and Peyton Plotts provides power with a team-best nine home runs and 24 RBI.
- In the circle, Kentucky carries a 3.63 team ERA with 174 strikeouts across 202.1 innings pitched. Sarah Haendiges leads the staff with an 8-4 record, 3.21 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 72.0 innings, while Hailey Nutter is 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. McKenzie Oslanzi has been the most efficient arm, posting a 2.43 ERA over 49.0 innings.
- Opponents are hitting .267 against Kentucky pitching, and the Wildcats have recorded seven shutouts this season. Kentucky is 14-7 when scoring five or more runs but is just 1-2 in one-run games and 0-1 in extra innings. The Wildcats have shown a tendency to give up late production, having been outscored 39-22 in the sixth inning this season.
