By Brett Jager
The University of Louisville baseball team is still looking for a signature win to get over the hump.
The Cards (23-15) have an opportunity tonight at 6 p.m. as the No. 17 University of Kentucky Wildcats (30-9) come in to town for their second match-up of the year.
The two teams played back on April 8 in Lexington, as the Wildcats prevailed 7-6 in extra innings.
U of L head coach Dan McDonnell was pleased with the way his team performed against UK the first time around.
“We played really well for the most part,” McDonnell said. “We fought hard, but we didn’t play great defense. Since we left Lexington, we’ve played much better defense and much cleaner game.”
Since Tuesday is “Reading Day”, there is no class as students are supposed to use the day to study for upcoming exams. Many students plan to spend their evening at Jim Patterson Stadium, not in the library.
“I have been to one game this year,” Brett Menne, sophomore biology major, said. “But I have been waiting for this game all season. I have an exam to study for, but I am still going to go.”
There are some students that have formed a group called the “Bullpen Boozers.” At the home games, they stand along the third baseline, heckling the opposing team’s bullpen. Freshman biology major Wes Kruse, a member of the “Bullpen Boozers,” is very excited about the game.
“This is the biggest game of the year for sure,” Kruse said. “Everyone is fired up for the UK game. We went down to Lexington for the last game, and it was a bummer driving home after a tough loss. We should have a big advantage because we are going to pack the stadium full of fans. They didn’t have a ton of fan support in Lexington, so I don’t expect too many fans to travel over here.”
The importance of this game does not have to be spelled out. Year in and year out, both times the Cards and Wildcats meet up are two of the most important games of the year for each team. The Cards cannot wait to have another crack at the Wildcats after the grueling loss two weeks ago.
“I’m not going to lie, I’ve been waiting for another shot at them,” John Dao, junior shortstop, said. “It’s going to be a real tough game. Kentucky is a good ball club, but so is Louisville. It should be fun and very exciting.”
“This game is very important for the team,” Zack Pitts, senior pitcher, said. “Both teams have a lot of guys from Kentucky, and a lot of guys were recruited by both schools. The game is for state bragging rights.”
The Cards have won seven out of their last nine games and are coming off a series win at home against Villanova University. This past weekend, UK took two of three against the No. 24 University of Florida Gators at home.
McDonnell and the team are very excited for the large amount of fans expected to be at the game.
“That’s what college athletics is all about,” McDonnell said. “Fans and students are what make it so exciting. If we played without any fans, I don’t think it would mean as much. Our kids love to see the fans come out, especially the students. It should be a great atmosphere, and a great game.”
