Setting Louisville's HR Record 'Feels Pretty Damn Good' for Tague Davis

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This past Sunday was a big day for the Louisville baseball program.

For starters, the Cardinals were able to complete the series sweep over Clemson, courtesy of a walk-off home run from catcher Jimmy Nugent. As it currently stands, with an overall record of 26-18, UofL is on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in. But their sweep of the Tigers puts them at a five-game win streak, which could be just the momentum they need to make a push before the regular season ends.

As big of a day as it was for the team as a whole, it was also a history-making one for Tague Davis.

Stepping up to the plate in the eighth inning, the left-handed first baseman jumped on a 0-2 breaking ball from Tigers reliever Dion Brown, and blasted it 417 feet just to the right of dead-center field for a leadoff home run.

Not only did this give the Cardinals insurance in what was then a one-run game (and wound up helping take the game to extra innings), it gave Davis his 26th homer of the season to set the program's single-season home run record. He tied the record, which was set in 2009 by Chris Dominguez, earlier in the weekend with a two-run, 383-foot blast on Friday.

For Davis, etching his name in the Louisville record books is a feeling he won't soon forget.

"Yeah, it feels pretty damn good," he said after the game. "I never thought I'd do something like that coming in here. So yeah, it feels good to have done it. I just got no words right now."

After the eighth inning concluded, Davis' accomplishment was announced on the P.A. system and on the jumbotron. This prompted a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance, to which Davis tipped his hat to the crowd. An in-game recognition of an accomplishment of this magnitude is not uncommon, but it still was an emotional moment for him

"I'm a big softie, I cry a lot of movies," he said. "I shed a couple tears during that. It was pretty cool. Just the love I get from the city, and the love we get from the city, it doesn't go unappreciated. Just so much fun being out there I got to tip my cap to them, and it just felt really good. I thank you, all of Card Nation."

As you would expect, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Davis is in the midst of one of the best individual seasons in Louisville history. In 44 games, he's hitting .387 with a incredible 1.382 OPS, collecting 77 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple and 31 walks along with his 26 home runs.

At this point in time, Davis has firmed entrenched himself as someone who could very easily take home the Golden Spikes Award. He leads all of Division 1 in home runs and RBIs, is second in total bases (155) and slugging percentage (0.896), and is 21st in total hits (67). Not to mention that doing this while playing at a pitcher-friendly park like Jim Patterson Stadium makes this season that much more impressive.

"It's just special. ... As we always say, this is not one of your smaller parks in college baseball," head coach Dan McDonnell said. "When you put up home runs, I mean, these are earned for the most part. Some days the winds blowing out, so not gonna act like they don't ever get a little help. But you got to earn it here.

"Great accomplishment for Tague, but it's a celebration for not just his family, but the teammates, and Coach Snider, Coach Vrable, who worked so hard with him, and everybody's really happy."

Davis' next chance to add to his record breaking home run will be this Tuesday, when Louisville hosts Indiana for a midweek matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.

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