7th Inning Stretch: Road Trip to Charlottesville (Week 9)

The Cardinals have a few extra days to prepare for a road trip against the Virginia Cavaliers.

(Photo of Luke Smith: Justin Krueger via University of Louisville Athletics)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This past week for the Louisville baseball program might not have gotten off to a good start, but they found a way to close out strong. The Cardinals dropped a midweek affair against arch-rival Kentucky, but then followed that up with a series win against Florida State - a team they have struggled against since joining the ACC.

Louisville got a bit of a break this week, as they did not play a midweek game due to the season's altered schedule. That gives the program some time to get healthy - something that the bullpen sorely needs.

Like it has through most of the season, the Cardinals' hitting has still been their strength, powered by phenomenal performances from Henry Davis and Trey Leonard. The pitching - primarily out of the bullpen - has struggled at times, but there is still plenty of time to turn the corner.

Louisville still has the potential to be an Omaha team and beyond. But the journey to get there will not be easy.

Last Week's Recaps:

• Game 27: Louisville Falls to Kentucky in First Battle of the Bluegrass Matchup
• Game 28: Louisville Walks Off Florida State in Series Opener
• Game 29: Louisville Drops Game Two vs. Florida State to Even Series
• Game 30: Louisville Rallies to Defeat Florida State, Clinch Series

News & Notes

• Louisville is ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation among the six major collegiate baseball polls (Baseball America).
• Catcher Henry Davis was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. He is batting .389/.514/.676 with eight home runs, 32 RBI and 24 walks.
• Louisville is second in the nation in stolen bases (83) and third in stolen bases per game (2.77).
• Louisville leads the ACC in: batting average (.296), double plays (25), hits (306), on base percentage (.392), runs (215), stolen bases and triples (10).
• Outfielder Levi Usher is first in the nation in stolen bases with 23.
• Outfielder Luke Brown is twelfth in the nation in triples with three.
• Right Handed-Pitcher Luke Smith in fifth in the nation in pitching starts with eight.

The Week Ahead

Coming up this week, the Cardinals will spend the entire week on the road at Virginia, They do not have a midweek game.

• Friday, Apr. 16 at 6:00pm at Virginia
• ACC Network Extra
• 93.9 The Ville

• Saturday, Apr. 17 at 4:00pm at Virginia
• ACC Network Extra
• 93.9 The Ville

• Sunday, Apr. 18 at 1:00pm at Virginia
• ACC Network Extra
• 93.9 The Ville

Know The Foe

Weekend

School: University of Virginia
Nickname: Cavaliers
Location: Charlottesville, Va.
Total Enrollment: 25,018
Head Coach (school record): Brian O'Conner (714-292-2)
2021 Record (conference record): 16-15 (8-13)
All-Time Series Record: Louisville leads 9-7

Team Leaders:

• Avg: Kyle Teel (.317)
• RBI: Zack Gelof (20)
• HR: Three Tied (4)
• ERA: Blake Bales (0.00)
• Strikeouts: Andrew Abbott (66)
• Wins: Mike Vasil (5)

Opponent Breakdown

Rankings & Records:

	Virginia	Louisville
Highest Poll Ranking	NR	2nd
RPI	52nd	64th
SOS	26th	110th
Home Record	9-8	15-5
Away Record	7-7	5-5
Neutral Record	0-0	0-0

Hitting:

	Virginia	Louisville
Base on Balls	129th (114)	53rd (139)
Batting Average	244th (.238)	25th (.296)
Hits	111th (248)	23rd (306)
Home Runs	182nd (16)	44th (34)
On Base Percentage	256th (.327)	35th (.392)
Runs	131st (156)	31st (215)
Slugging Percentage	246th (.340)	30th (.468)

Pitching:

	Virginia	Louisville
Earned Run Average	39th (3.73)	82nd (4.34)
Hits Allowed/9 Innings	55th (8.08)	57th (8.10)
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings	24th (10.6)	65th (9.7)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio	83rd (2.39)	141st (2.02)
WHIP	89th (1.39)	108th (1.43)
Walks Allowed/9 Innings	146th (4.42)	181st (4.77)

Virginia Cavaliers:

Virginia has seen a lot of success under head coach Brian O'Conner, including winning the 2015 national championship, but this year is not one of them. The Cavaliers sit at five games under .500 in league play, and one game over .500 for the season. They have only won three series all year: UConn, Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Their hitting is the sole reason for their disappointing season up to this point, as Virginia's hitting is the worst in the ACC and bottom 50 in Division I. Only three starters are batting above .260, and one over .300 in the form of Kyle Teel (.317, 4 HR, 13 RBI). Accompanied by Zack Gelof (.270, 4 HR, 20 RBI) and Devin Ortiz (.270, 4 HR, 15 RBI), the trio consists of 75% of UVA's home runs and 39% of their total bases. Outside of those three, Virginia posts just a .220 batting average.

The Cavaliers pitching staff is the reason why they are not an absolute train wreck, as it is one of the best in the ACC. Mike Vasil and Andrew Abbott form a formidable 1-2 punch in the starting rotation, as they have a combined 3.09 ERA and 114-22 strikeout to walk ratio. Their third starter is a little but in flux considering how poor of a start Griff McGarry has had. Blake Bales (0.00 ERA - 17 APP, 37-7 K-BB) is one of the top relievers in the conference, and Nate Savino and Stephen Schoch compliment him well.

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI

Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp