Louisville Routed by Oklahoma State for First Loss of Season

ARLINGTON, Texas - One day removed from walking off Texas to kick off their 2025 season, the Louisville baseball program couldn't parlay that momentum into their matchup with Oklahoma State, instead falling 12-3 on Saturday at Globe Life Field for their first loss of the season.

The Cardinals (1-1), who are taking part in the Shriners Children's College Classic for their season-opening weekend, suffer their first ever loss in the event. Louisville previously went 3-0 in the 2023 iteration.

Louisville scored the first three runs of the afternoon, but then proceeded to surrender 12 unanswered run. Cardinals batters produced twice as many strikeouts (10) than they did hits (5), while their pitching staff surrendered three home runs.

Zion Rose (1-3, RBI, BB) and Alex Alicea (1-3, BB) were the only Cards to reach base safely more than once and produced their only two walks of the game, while Rose and Bayram Hot (1-3, RBI) accounted for their only two RBIs.

Louisville was much quicker to jump on the scoreboard than they were on Opening Day. Rose struck an RBI single and Alicea scored on a wild pitch in the third, while Hot added an RBI single of his own in the fourth.

However, Oklahoma State (1-1) didn't trail for long. Right-hander Parker Detmers (3.0 IP, 3 K, 2 BB, 3 H, 4 ER) dazzled early in his start against the Cowboys, retiring the first eight batters of the game. But the wheels fell off in the fourth, getting an early hook after allowing a go-ahead grand slam from Collin Brueggemann with no outs in the frame.

Left-hander Jared Lessman (2.2 IP, 4 K, 1 BB, 5 H, 3 ER) took over, and was able to get the Cardinals out of the inning. However, he later ran into some trouble himself, giving up three straight singles to open the fifth - with the latter scoring a run.

The flood gates opened up in the sixth. Lessman was pulled with two on and two outs in favor of lefty Ty Starke (0.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 H, 2 ER), who then allowed a bases loaded walk, a run on a wild pitch and a two-run single - all without getting a single out.

Fellow southpaw T.J. Schlageter (1.1 IP, 2 K, 2 H, 1 ER) had to come in and get the final out of the sixth, but he would also give up a solo homer in the seventh. Righty Jake Gregor (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) was inserted to start the eighth and immediately surrendered a solo home run as well, while lefty Tague Davis (0.2 IP, 1 BB) gave up a bases loaded walk later in the frame.

While Louisville found relative success against Oklahoma State starter Harrison Bodendorf during his five innings of work, the same couldn't be said against their bullpen. Cowboys right-handed relievers Stormy Rhodes and Mario Pesca allowed only one Cardinals batter to reach base in the final four innings of the game.

Next up for Louisville, they'll conclude opening weekend in the Shriners Children's College Classic with yet another matchup against a ranked squad in No. 12 Oklahoma State. First pitch is slated for Sunday, Feb. 16 at 11:30 a.m. EST, and will be televised on FloCollege and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

(Photo of Zion Rose: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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