How Masterman, Usher Overcame Adversity to Deliver in the Clutch for UofL

The two senior outfielders for Louisville baseball played key roles in the Cardinals' regional title, and they had to endure a lot before delivering when it mattered most.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following a year where they missed the postseason entirely, the Louisville baseball program is now back where they are used to being: in the Super Regionals round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cardinals had to go through the loser's bracket of their own regional at Jim Patterson Stadium, but like they did in 2019, they were able to fire off three consecutive elimination game victories to clinch their ninth regional title.

It was a complete and total team effort on Louisville's behalf to pull off the regional win, there's no doubt about that. But outfielders Cam Masterman and Levi Usher had the two biggest moments of the weekend.

Trailing by two, with two outs, and two men on base in the bottom of the eighth of their regional winner-take-all game against Michigan, Usher ripped a 2-0 change-up into shallow right-center field, bringing home both Dalton Rushing and Jack Payton to tie the game.

Masterman then immediately followed that up with what is sure to be one of the most iconic postseason moments in Louisville baseball history. Still facing Michigan reliever Cameron Weston, Masterman jumped on a 2-2 slider, launching a go-ahead two-run home run to the left field berm.

"I was able to sit back on that slider he threw, and I put full faith in my swing, and I just put my bat on the ball and watched it go,” Masterman said after the game.

That homer proved to be the difference, giving the Cardinals an 11-9 victory over the Wolverines, and punching their ticket to the College Station Super Regional for a showdown with Texas A&M later this week.

But before Masterman and Usher could play the roles of postseason heroes, both had to overcome their own respective adversities. Not just from a team standpoint, as that is already well documented, but from productivity one.

Early in Louisville's 2022 season, Masterman was already establishing himself as one of the top hitters on an extremely potent Cardinals offense, Through the first 27 games of the season, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior was batting .364 with nine home runs and 32 RBI.

After that, his productivity began to significantly diminish, and he fell into a slump at the at the plate. Over the next 27 games, which consisted of the second half of the regular season and Louisville's two games in the ACC Tournament, the Prospect (Ky.) North Oldham product was batting just .200 with five homers and 20 RBI.

Heading into the Louisville Regional, Masterman spent a lot of time with hitting coach Eric Snider and assistant coach Adam Vrable to work on his mechanics and clean them up.

"I switched up where my hands are, I put them a little further back. I stopped doing little wiggles, and kind of kept them more still and more relaxed at the plate," Masterman said. "I also shortened my stride a little bit just so I could put my foot down (faster) and see the ball better. I just want to be on time for any pitch."

The changes to his approach at the plate paid off immediate dividends. Over Louisville's five regional games, Masterman bat 8-19 with four home runs, nine RBIs, two doubles and two walks. He was named the Louisville Regional's Most Valuable Player as a result.

"I’m just glad the work paid off," he said. "As a whole collective group, we went to work this weekend, I’m just glad that it paid off.”

As for Usher, he also has dealt with some struggles at the plate during his time as a Cardinal. Except for him, they have been a lot more pronounced.

The 6-foot, 210-pound outfielder came over to Louisville after spending one season in the JUCO ranks at Kirkwood Community College. During his first year with the Cardinals in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he got off to an explosive start, batting .411 with two homers, 10 RBI and 11 stolen bases in just 16 games.

Usher would not get drafted as a result of the extremely short five-round 2020 MLB Draft, but he returned to college as one of the top outfielders in all of college baseball. However, he would he struggle immensely during his 2021 campaign at Louisville, batting just .216 with three homers and 17 RBIs.

"His junior year was tough. I mean, you could say he lost last year," head coach Dan McDonnell said. "All the expectations - I was guilty of it. I built this kid up to be a superstar, because I know how talented he was. I felt partly responsible. He pressed, and it was hard, and he had that tough year that a lot of baseball players have."

Some of those struggles carried over into the start of his senior season, as his batting average dipped to as low as .111 through his first eight games of the season. But after that, he started to have glimpses of his 2020 self.

Usher's season had ebbs and flows, with his batting average getting as high as .306 in early May before cooling off a touch heading into the final weeks of the season. Entering the Louisville Regional, he had seven home runs, 42 RBIs, 33 stolen bases and a .276 batting average.

Like Masterman, Usher also exploded once regional play started, batting 10-21 with seven RBI, two walks and three stolen bases. In the winner-take-all game vs. Michigan, he drove in four runs and logged his first four-hit game of his career, getting named to the All-NCAA Louisville Regional Team.

“It makes you forget about everything that’s happened in the past," Usher said. "That stuff happens for a reason. I think I still have some things to learn about it but living in the moment now it’s pretty awesome.”

Both Masterman and Usher had to go through tough times in order to get where they are now. But, in part because they stepped up when Louisville needed them the most, the Cardinals are now two wins away from returning to Omaha, Neb. for the College World Series.

Louisville travels down the Lone Star State this weekend, where they will square off in the College Station Super Regional against Texas A&M. Game one is scheduled for Friday, June 10 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPNU.

(Photo of Cam Masterman, Levi Usher: Jared Anderson - State of Louisville)

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