By Danielle Bednar 

Welcome back to the second edition of From Behind the Lens. If you missed the first one, here is the SparkNotes version: I’m a college senior, I’m almost always seen with a camera in hand and I spend my afternoons trying to convince the Louisville baseball team to participate in TikTok trends without looking like they want to crawl into a dugout and hide. 

Although I am often asked to explain my journey into the sports world, the reality of how I got here is anything but ordinary. 

I was born into a baseball family. And when I say, “baseball family,” I don’t mean we just go to a few MLB games to “relax and watch a game” or just “for fun” here and there. Because trust me, there is nothing “relaxing” about watching your oldest brother close for the New York Yankees during his first-ever playoff run. Just ask my dad.  

While most people know them as David Bednar, two-time All-Star and current closer for the New York Yankees, and Will Bednar, College World Series MVP, and a first-round pick for the San Francisco Giants, I know them as the two guys who would never let me win in an intense game of front-yard wiffle ball.  

That said, my older brothers are my two biggest inspirations. They have taught me resilience, grit, and to never leave leftovers in the fridge for longer than a day if I want a chance at eating them. The two of them have shown me that no dream is too big or far-fetched when you’re willing to put in the work.  

And while we have been to everything from college national championships to professional playoff games, the real MVPs have always been my parents.

They have both set the bar so high for what it means to be hard workers and great people. They instilled in us that the truest victories are earned off the field once the lights turn off and no one’s watching. 

While my two brothers cannot offer much help when it comes to resume building or filling out job applications, one piece of advice Dave and Will have given me always rings true.

They always tell me, “At the end of the day, it’s not what you know, but who you know.” 

Funny sentiment coming from two guys who have never had to touch a LinkedIn profile or write a cover letter. And while their “networking” involves throwing a ball hard, mine involves sending about 30 LinkedIn messages a day while in the midst of my job search. 

But that “who you know” energy is exactly what landed me in Coach Dan McDonnell’s office back in 2023, after Will’s Mississippi State coach put us in contact. Coach McDonnell connected me with our content team where I essentially begged to go to every video shoot or event that the team had.

I think they realized quite quickly; I was in this for the long haul. I would say it was this persistence and the guidance of my two bosses, SID, Stephen Williams, and Multimedia Content Producer, Asaad Ali, that has led me to where I am today.  

And now that we are all caught up, I can talk about the Louisville Baseball 2026 Leadoff Dinner. This was the official kickoff to the season, and it was a night to remember.

While the boosters were focused on the speeches, I was focused on the “fit checks.”

From “double breasted jackets from Italy” on Sophomore Collin Mowery to “bison loafers and a crazy looking tie” on Senior Wyatt Danilowicz, I spent the evening creating a video highlighting the players’ outfits as well as the rest of the night.

Seeing the team trade their jerseys for suits was the perfect way to see the personalities behind the stats. 

But the Leadoff Dinner was just the beginning. The real show starts soon. This is only the beginning for the Cardinals, and the energy in the clubhouse is electric. Mark your calendars for Feb. 13—the home opener is almost here, and I’ll be there, right behind the lens, making sure you don’t miss a single moment.  

 Photo courtesy Danielle Bednar / The Louisville Cardinal