Louisville baseball opens season against Ole Miss
Louisville baseball, the nation’s top-ranked team, begins its season against 18th-ranked Ole Miss Friday, Feb. 14 in a three-game series in Oxford, Miss. The Cardinals were voted the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), receiving 13 of 14 first-place votes to win the Atlantic Division and chosen as the overall champion.
Louisville opens its season against Ole Miss for the first time in program history. Louisville swept a two-game midweek series last season at Jim Patterson Stadium, but the all-time series between the two teams is tied at eight.
| Date | Louisville starter | Ole Miss starter | Time | Television |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, Feb. 14 | LHP Reid Detmers | LHP Doug Nikhazy | 5 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
Saturday, Feb. 15 | RHP Bobby Miller | RHP Gunnar Hoglund | 2:30 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
Sunday, Feb. 16 | RHP Luke Smith | RHP Derek Diamond | 1 p.m. | SEC Network+ |
Dan McDonnell, who begins his 14 season as Louisville’s head coach, has some familiarity with Ole Miss. He was an assistant coach for Mike Bianco in Oxford for six seasons from 2001-06. McDonnell served as a top assistant and recruiting coordinator for the Rebels, helping to sign four top-20 recruiting classes and three that ranked inside the top-10 nationally.
Ole Miss won’t be the only ranked team Louisville plays on the road this season. Six of Louisville’s nine road opponents this season are ranked in the preseason. The Cardinals went 15-4 on the road a year ago.
The weekend rotation won’t be in question for the Cardinals as the season begins against Ole Miss. Louisville returns three of its top four starters from last year’s team that reached the College World Series.
Reid Detmers went 13-4 with a 2.78 ERA during an All-American sophomore season. After Detmers, the established ace of the staff, Bobby Miller and Luke Smith are the Cardinals’ other two weekend starters.
Michael Kirian, who had a 1.69 ERA as Louisville’s closer last season, headlines a relief core that brings back Adam Elliott and Jared Poland.