How Much Production is Louisville Baseball Losing?

Multiple players from the Cardinals' 2024 campaign are graduating or departing early through the MLB Draft or transfer portal.

Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell looked on during team drills at Jim Patterson Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. / Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball program finds themselves in a tough situation. While head coach Dan McDonnell has long established the Cardinals as a national powerhouse, UofL has now missed the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years - including this season after going 32-24 and 16-14 in ACC play.

Louisville does have a handful of impact players returning for next season. Zion Rose had an incredible first season and was named a Freshman All-American, Lucas Moore and Alex Alicea also had good freshman seasons from the batter's box, plus fellow young arms like Patrick Forbes and Ty Starke could be in line for breakout seasons. Not to mention that Louisville is bringing in the No. 26 overall recruiting class.

But, as is the case every year under McDonnell, Louisville is in line to lose a fair amount of production from their 2024 campaign. Between seniors playing their final game, juniors playing their way into an early MLB Draft selection, and others entering the transfer portal, several players have donned the Cardinals uniform for the final time.

Below are all the players that are departing, or potentially departing, the Louisville baseball program following the end of their 2024 season:

Graduation:

*denotes player has optional redshirt year.

*Logan Beard

Position: Infielder
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
2024 Stats (42 games, 22 starts): .228/.327/.511, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 2 2B, 7 BB,

*JT Benson

Position: Senior
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
2024 Stats (52 games, 50 starts): .302/.438/.525, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 13 2B, 39 BB, 34 SB

Kaleb Corbett

Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 210 pounds
2024 Stats (19 games, 1 start): 7.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 32.0 IP, 37 K, 12 BB, .254 B/AVG, 2 SV

*Sebastian Gongora

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 240 pounds
2024 Stats (15 games, 15 starts): 6.14 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 77.2 IP, 89 K, 29 BB, .277 B/AVG

Dylan Hoy

Position: Infielder
Measurables: 5-foot-7, 180 pounds
2024 Stats (43 games, 42 starts): .317/.415/.466, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 7 2B, 1 3B, 10 SB

*Isaac Humphrey

Position: Outfielder
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
2024 Stats (54 games, 50 starts): .310/.412/.565, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 13 2B, 2 3B, 27 BB, 9 SB

Jake Karaba

Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
2024 Stats (7 games, 0 starts): 18.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 11 K, 9 BB, .417 B/AVG

Ryan McCoy

Position: First Baseman
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 225 pounds
2024 Stats (54 games, 49 starts): .290/.413/.549, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 8 2B, 2 3B, 28 BB, 8 SB

Luke Napleton

Position: Catcher
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
2024 Stats (41 games, 30 starts): .320/.406/.680, 11 HR, 32 RBI, 7 2B, 2 3B, 16 BB, 1 SB

Riley Phillips

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
2024 Stats (14 games, 2 starts): 8.53 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 25.1 IP, 32 K, 18 BB, .286 B/AVG

Evan Webster

Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
2024 Stats (16 games, 15 starts): 4.18 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 71.0 IP, 62 K, 20 BB, .268 B/AVG

Early MLB Draft Hopefuls:

Eddie King Jr.

Year: Junior
Position: Outfielder
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
2024 Stats (51 games, 39 starts): .322/.406/.671, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 7 2B, 11 BB, 8 SB

Transfer Portal:

Brandon Anderson

Year: Junior
Position: Infielder
Measurables:6-foot-4, 225 pounds
2024 Stats (27 games, 21 starts):.273/.394/.429, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 7 BB

Kayden Campbell

Year: Sophomore
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
2024 Stats (23 games, 0 starts): 7.65 ERA, 2.05 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 22 K, 17 BB, .296 B/AVG

Kyle Crow

Year: Freshman
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
2024 Stats (0 games): N/A

Morgan Davis

Year: Freshman
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 225 pounds
2024 Stats (0 games): N/A

Korbyn Dickerson

Year: Sophomore
Position: Outfielder
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
2024 Stats (21 games, 1 start): .235/.364/.294, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 4 BB

Kade Grundy

Year: Junior
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
2024 Stats (9 games, 0 starts): 8.74 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 11.1 IP, 11 K, 5 BB, .348 B/AVG

Thomas Howard

Year: Freshman
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds
2024 Stats (0 games): N/A

Gavin Kilen

Year: Sophomore
Position: Middle Infielder
Measurables: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
2024 Stats (54 games, 54 starts): .330/.361/.591, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 23 2B, 3 3B, 7 BB

Josh Klug

Year: Freshman
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
2024 Stats (3 games, 0 starts): 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 2.0 IP, 0 K, 1 BB, .000 B/AVG

Will Koger

Year: Junior
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
2024 Stats (13 games, 1 start): 11.81 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, 16.0 IP, 10 K, 12 BB, .382 B/AVG

Carson Liggett

Year: Junior
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Measurables:6-foot-1, 225 pounds
2024 Stats (17 games, 7 starts): 6.99 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 32 K, 15 BB, .284 B/AVG

Jake Murphy

Year: Freshman
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
2024 Stats (0 games): N/A

Tagger Tyson

Year: Freshman
Position: Catcher
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
2024 Stats (0 games): N/A

(Photo via Jeff Faughender - Courier Journal / USA)

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