Watch: Dan McDonnell, UofL Players Preview Louisville Regional

The Cardinals kick off their NCAA Tournament run against the Redhawks on Friday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The postseason is finally here for the Louisville baseball program.

Following the conclusion of a regular season and ACC Tournament run that saw them go 38-18-1, the Cardinals were able to capture the No. 12 overall national seed, and the NCAA Tournament is making a return to Jim Patterson Stadium for the first time since 2019.

"This is, obviously, an exciting time for this group after how hard they worked and what they've been able to accomplish this year," head coach Dan McDonnell said. "I don't ever want to take for granted how special it is to host an NCAA Regional. 300 Division I teams, and only 16 get to host. It's a resume, it's a body of work."

Oregon (35-23) landed the No. 2 seed in the Louisville Regional, followed by Michigan (32-26) and No. 3 and Southeast Missouri State at No. 4. The Cardinals will face the Redhawks on Friday, June 3 at 2:00 p.m. EST, with the Ducks taking on the Wolverines later that day at 7:00 p.m.

"(SEMO has) some balance. They got four guys that really swing it, and they'll play for the three-run homer in when those four guys are up," McDonnell said. But then they got four or five guys in their lineup, if there's a runner on first or second, they're gonna sac [bunt] them over and they're gonna play for one run. ... We saw Michigan firsthand, and when you talk to anybody about Oregon, they first thing they say is "man, they are offensive." They got a nice offense. It's what's expected at this time of the year.

Prior to their matchup with the Redhawks, McDonnell, left-handed pitcher Tate Kuehner and outfielder Cam Masterman took time to meet with the media. They reflected on the season leading up to that point, discussed how they have rebounded from the ACC Tournament and how they have handled adversity, previewed the other opponents in the regional, and more.

Below is the video from their press conference:

(Photo of Tate Kuehner. Dan McDonnell, Cam Masterman: Matt McGavic - Louisville Report)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter