7th Inning Stretch: Battle of the Bluegrass (Week 9)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the 2025 season just past the halfway point, the Louisville baseball program is starting to trend in the right direction.

The Cardinals (24-7, 8-4 ACC) started last week with an impressive road midweek win at Indiana, then followed that up with a dominating clean sweep over Boston College.

Louisville is now on a five-game winning streak after having dropped five of their previous nine, and their improved efforts on the mound is a massive reason why. Prior to the start of their current winning streak, the Cardinals had given up double-digit runs in four straight games.

But during their winning streak, they've only allowed more than six runs just once. Considering they have plated double-digit runs in six of their last seven games, holding teams to around a half dozen runs per game is something they can live with for now - although it can always get better.

Sure, the level of competition they faced this past week isn't what they will face in the second half of the season, but at some point, Louisville needed to take steps forward in a few areas - namely pitching. To their credit, they did that and then some this past week.

Now, they are going to have to parlay that momentum into what will be one of the biggest games of the season. Before traveling to NC State this weekend, Louisville hosts Kentucky for the home leg of their annual home-and-home Battle of the Bluegrass series. While the Wildcats aren't ranked, as we all know, anything can happen in a rivalry game.

News & Notes

Louisville ranks as high as No. 11 in the five major collegiate baseball polls (Baseball America).
The Cardinals are tied with Florida State for third in the ACC standings.
Right-hander Patrick Forbes was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
Outfielder Lucas Moore ranks second nationally in runs with 51, ninth in stolen bases with 24, and 11th in the "Toughest to Strike Out" metric.
Forbes ranks sixth nationally in strikeouts with 69.
Outfielder Garret Pike ranks 17th nationally in sacrifice flies with five, and 47th in doubles with 12.
Infielders Tague Davis ranks 21st nationally in home runs with 12.

The Week Ahead

Home (Jim Patterson Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Tuesday, Apr. 8 at 7:00 p.m. EST vs. Kentucky (ACCN/93.9 The Ville)

Away (Doak Field - Raleigh, N.C.)

Friday, Apr. 11 at 6:00 p.m. EST vs NC State (ACCNX/93.9 The Ville)
Saturday, Apr. 12 at 3:00 p.m. EST vs NC State (ACCNX/93.9 The Ville)
Sunday, Apr. 13 at 1:00 p.m. EST vs NC State (ACCNX/93.9 The Ville)

Know The Foe

Kentucky Wildcats

Head Coach (school record): Nick Mingione (282-177)
2025 Record (conference record): 18-11 (5-7)
All-Time Series Record: Kentucky Leads 65-49-1

Top Performers (Hitters):

UTIL Cole Hage (29 GP, 29 GS): .350/.496/.680, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 7 2B, 19 BB, 11 SB
INF Patrick Herrera (29 GP, 27 GS): .333/.478/.437, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 6 2B, 16 BB, 7 SB
INF Tyler Bell (29 GP, 29 GS): .333/.403/.570, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 12 2B, 11 BB, 5 SB

Top Performers (Pitchers):

LHP Ben Cleaver (8 APP, 8 GS): 2.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 42.0 IP, 53 K, 13 BB, .161 B/AVG
RHP Nic McCay (8 APP, 8 GS): 3.44 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 34 K, 23 BB, .173 B/AVG
LHP Jackson Nove (11 APP, 0 GS): 4.71 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 33 K, 10 BB, .203 B/AVG

NC State Wolfpack

Head Coach (school record): Elliott Avent (1,057-626)
2025 Record (conference record): 21-11 (7-5)
All-Time Series Record: Louisville Leads 21-7

Top Performers (Hitters):

INF Chris McHugh (32 GP, 32 GS): .348/.438/.557, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 6 2B, 15 BB
OF Josh Hogue (31 GP, 30 GS): .310/.374/.584, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 13 2B, 13 BB, 3 SB
INF Luke Nixon (32 GP, 32 GS): .298/.406/.488, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 10 2B, 2 3B, 11 BB, 11 SB

Top Performers (Pitchers):

LHP Dominic Fritton (8 APP, 8 GS): 2.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 47.1 IP, 62 K, 19 BB, .244 B/AVG
RHP Heath Andrews (8 APP, 8 GS): 3.95 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 41.0 IP, 33 K, 18 BB, .224 B/AVG
RHP Andrew Shaffner (12 APP, 1 GS): 2.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 23.1 IP, 29 K, 5 BB, .264 B/AVG, 4 SV

Statistical Breakdown

Rankings and Records:

	UK	NCST	UofL
D1Baseball	NR	NR	14th
RPI	44th	54th	33rd
SOS	49th	67th	46th
Home Record	10-7	16-5	20-3
Away Record	8-4	4-3	2-3
Neutral Record	0-0	1-3	2-1

Hitting:

	UK	NCST	UofL
Base on Balls	177th (133)	39th (174)	120th (149)
Batting Avg.	137th (.279)	115th (.286)	9th (.325)
Home Runs	145th (30)	44th (44)	74th (39)
OBP	70th (.410)	87th (.404)	22nd (.428)
Runs/Game	72nd (7.8)	56th (8.1)	19th (9.1)
SLG	128th (.447)	53rd (.493)	29th (.519)

Pitching:

	UK	NCST	UofL
ERA	33rd (4.21)	64th (4.81)	85th (5.08)
Hits/9 Innings	16th (7.46)	93rd (9.03)	78th (8.86)
K/9 Innings	80th (9.1)	20th (10.6)	32nd (10.1)
K/BB Ratio	89th (2.04)	26th (2.61)	97th (1.99)
WHIP	29th (1.33)	76th (1.45)	109th (1.55)
BB/9 Innings	112th (4.46)	60th (4.05)	174th (5.05)