The Cards Need This ACC Road Series
In a quick turnaround from the disappointing weekend result vs Pittsburgh, Louisville dispatched Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday in a 1:00pm early game at Legends Field in Lexington. Dispatching the Colonels for the second time this season; this one by run-rule, the Cards got some good offensive output to the tune of 17 runs.
Photo by Ryan Hammel
Photo by Ryan Hammel
The fireworks started early, with back-to-back home runs by Bayram Hot and Tague Davis. However, despite taking a three-run advantage into the bottom of the first, Cardinals starter Kian Vorster allowed the EKU offense to erase the deficit. He lasted only 1/3 of an inning, and his replacement TJ Schlageter (W, 1-0) allowed a run (charged to Vorster) which let EKU carry a 4-3 lead into the second inning.
From there, the Colonels only got three more runs while the UofL offense came alive for a final score of 17-7 in seven innings. We also got the second ‘Grand Slanker’ of the season when Ben Slanker measured a four-bagger right to the yellow line on the top of the outfield wall.
Did The Cards Find a Bullpen Arm?
The staff has high hopes for Kian Vorster, and while you can see flashes, he’s got to be able to put pitches together and get in a rhythm. Confidence is hard to come by when you start the game by erasing the lead your offense just built. In a developmental program…that development needs to be evident sooner than later when the competition for innings from the bullpen has looked less-than-spectacular to this point.
Every coin has a flip-side, and the one for the pitching coin against Eastern was the much-welcome return of the guy the staff probably talked the most about out of the bullpen – TJ Schlageter. 2-2/3 innings of one-hit ball, combining with the inning pitched by Anthony Karbowski to deliver 3.2 innings of scoreless ball.
In a seven-inning run rule, that’s two guys going more than half the game without giving up a run. In a season where there isn’t much good happening on the relief pitching side, any victory like that is welcome, especially for a guy like Schlageter. Major kudos to him for stringing together some good stuff to allow Louisville’s offense to put the game away.
Read Also: Louisville Football: 2026 Roster Updates
The Blue Devils Want to Run
Duke has stolen 115 bases – a school record. It’s April, which means their historic clip is only going to get more impressive. It’s doubtful the Blue Devils get close to the record of 333 (1982 Wichita State), but if we consider this the midpoint of the season…a 230 stolen base season would be incredible for anyone.
Five Blue Devils have double-digit steals, and two guys sit at nine. Louisville has made a name for itself with speed on the base paths over the years, but Duke has swiped over TWICE as many bags as the Cards this season. It’s ridiculous, scary, and a recipe for disaster if Cardinals pitching can’t keep guys off base.
Duke Blue Devils
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Head Coach: Corey Muscara
Record (19-12) (5-7 ACC) (Streak: W2)
Series History: UofL 10-6 (5-4 at Duke) / Streak: L3 (Last: Swept by Duke at Duke, 2023)
Last Series: Lost 1-2 at Florida State
2025 Result: 41-21 overall / 17-13 ACC
2025 Postseason: Super Regional Host (Lost 4-5 in Super Regional Final to Murray State)
Last NCAA Tournament (2025)
College World Series Appearances: (3: 1952, 1953, 1961)
Duke is just as much of an enigma as the Cards are right now. Pitching isn’t stellar, the defense boots balls around, and the offense is streaky. Something that stands out to me are the six (6!) balks on the pitching staff. If Louisville base runners can get to Duke pitchers, they can get that extra flinch that scores a free base. Every little thing is going to count this weekend since the last time Louisville was in Durham – they got swept.
Duke’s Bats Can Hurt
Duke boasts a handful of guys who bat above .300: The team leader in home runs, Catcher Matt Strand (.338) who is also second on the team in RBIs with 24, DH/First Baseman Kaden Smith (.333), Right Fielder and team RBI leader with 25 RJ Hamilton (.313) and Third Baseman Coltin Quagliano (.303).
The All-Name team has a member on the Blue Devils’ squad – Cider Canon (.452). Of his 19 hits on the season, eight are for extra bases – six home runs, a double, and a triple.
This Blue Devils lineup takes a high-risk/high-reward approach at the plate, where they strike out a lot. Louisville pitching does well collecting Ks, so that matchup bodes well if the Cardinals’ arms aren’t issuing walks.
Blue Devils Pitchers Looking for Consistency
Duke’s weekend rotation of Aiden Weaver (4-3, 3.89 ERA / 1.16 WHIP), Jack Hedrick (2-0, 5.82 ERA / 1.71 WHIP), and Andy Leon (2-1, 4.34 ERA / 1.21 WHIP) is having an up-and-down couple of weeks. Weaver only lasted 3.2 innings in the Friday loss at Virginia Tech, giving up six hits and three earned runs, but then held a very good Florida State offense to two earned runs in 5.2 innings of four-hit ball last Friday.
Jack Hedrick went 3.0 innings on Saturday at Virginia Tech two weekends ago and gave up three earned runs in three complete innings, but then in the Saturday game against the Seminoles, got shelled for five earned runs on five hits over just 1.1 innings.
Leon worked 3.2 innings on Sunday two weeks ago in Blacksburg, giving up four earned runs on three hits and issuing four walks. Against the ‘Noles on Sunday, he lasted 5.1 innings of three-hit ball, giving up only one earned run and striking out nine.
When the starters pitch well, it seems like the bullpen for the Blue Devils lets them down, as was the case vs FSU on Friday and Sunday although the offense couldn’t tally more than one run on Friday. When the starters struggle, the bullpen is there to pick them up, as was evident with the Saturday win two weeks ago against the Hokies. Duke is a team looking for a pitching identity just as Louisville is, but enjoys a team ERA nearly two earned runs fewer than the Cards.
Cards vs. Blue Devils Stats: Side-By-Side
As will be the case in most series now that the team is past Pittsburgh, they are the superior offense outside of the lofty Duke stolen base total. It’s going to be very important that Louisville do the right things when they have runners on, because Duke will run Louisville pitchers ragged. Alex Alicea and Lucas Moore can’t get gunned down to kill momentum in an inning while Duke baserunners moonwalk between first and third.
Pitching-wise, the song remains the same. Wyatt Danilowicz can’t come out and weave a gem while the offense leaves runs on the base paths and then turn the ball over to a bullpen that squanders the Thursday night game away. Leadoff walks, two-out hits, and two-out walks need to start becoming things of the past if this team is going to avoid sweating out a last-four-in scenario come tournament time.
Consequently, upcoming midweek opponent Vanderbilt checks in on the other side of this list as one of the last-four-OUT. If that were to play out, it would mean that Louisville took the annual meeting between the two rivals. They have to stack wins in ACC series, especially on the road, to insulate themselves from such scenarios.
If Louisville puts the ball in play, good things will happen. Duke is on pace to just about crack the century mark this season for errors. That bodes well for guys up and down the lineup who can just put the ball in play, especially with runners on.
Final Thoughts Before the Series
There is an X-Factor here, and he pinch hit in the Eastern Kentucky game on Tuesday. Zion Rose looks to be back this weekend and there couldn’t be a better time for his return. In the seven games he’s played this season before Tuesday, he’s responsible for 29 runs. At that clip, extrapolated over the season, it means wins for Louisville in close games that were otherwise lost.
This team needs Z. I don’t want to throw pressure on a guy, but he’s the leader and presence that can steady things on both sides of the ball.
I this we see plenty of offense this weekend, and it’s going to come down to which team can make the play at the right time? Who gets the hit? Where is the momentum-killing double play? Which pitcher steps up to get a shutdown inning? If the answers to those questions come from the guys wearing red and not blue, then Louisville gets a crucial road series win. If the Blue Devils have all of those answers, then Louisville is going to need some late-season magic to get in the dance.
Photo by Ryan Hammel
First pitch from Durham, North Carolina is Thursday night at 8:00pm. The game can be seen on the ACC Network main broadcast.
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