Louisville Blown Out by Michigan State to Clinch Series Loss

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After coming up short on Opening Day of the 2026 season, the Louisville baseball program could not make up for it in game two of their season-opening series with Michigan State, falling 13-4 on Saturday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The No. 8 Cardinals (0-2) clinch a series loss to the Spartans (2-0), marking the first time they have lost their first three-game series of a season since 2020 at Ole Miss. It's also the first time losing their first three-game home series since 2011 against Toledo.

Ben Slanker (3-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB) and Jimmy Nugent (1-3, RBI) drove in the only runs for Louisville, while Bayram Hot (3-4) and Lucas Moore (2-5, SB) joined Slanker in having multi-hit days. Despite collecting 13 hits as a team, UofL struggled to move runners, hitting only 4-for-20 with runners on base.

The pitching staff for the Cardinals certainly struggled, allowing 14 base hits and three home runs on the day. The bulk of the damage from the Spartans came from Parker Picot, who finished with two home runs and eight total RBI.

Kent State transfer Jake Bean (3.2 IP, 2 BB, 7 H, 5 ER) got the ball to start game two, and he was up-and-down in his Cardinals debut. He gave up an RBI groundout and Picot's sac fly in the opening frame, tossed a pair of scoreless frame afterwards, but then got an early hook in the fourth after allowing an RBI double.

While the Michigan State was quick to jump on the board, Louisville was quick to answer. In the bottom of the first, Slanker got the Cards on the board with a game-tying two-run single.

Bean might have allowed just one frame in the fourth under his watch, but that was just the first of six runs plated by the Spartans in the fourth to blow the game open. T.J. Schlageter (1.1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 4 H, 6 ER) was the first man out of the bullpen, and promptly gave up both an RBI single and Picot's grand slam.

Schlageter rebounded by posting a scoreless fifth, but he gave up an RBI single in the sixth to prompt another pitching change in favor of Jake Gregor (1.0 IP, 2 K, 1 H, 1 ER). This mattered little to Picot, who promptly smashed his three-run blast to give Michigan State a four-run frame.

Joe Olson (1.0 IP) posted a scoreless seventh, Coen Evrard (1.0 IP, 2 H, ER) allowed only a solo homer in the eighth, and Zane Stahl (1.0 IP) put up a zero in the ninth. However, Louisville could not close the massive gap down the stretch. The only run plated by the Cardinals in the final three frames came courtesy of a Slanker solo shot in the seventh.

Next up for Louisville, they'll try and salvage a game in their season-opening series against Michigan State with game three. First pitch is slated for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

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