Your 4-4 Cards Continue the Home Stand
Louisville gets a brand new opponent this weekend. Seriously. The two programs have never met. Central Michigan (5-2) comes in to Jim Patterson Stadium after playing all seven of their games so far against only two opponents (West Georgia and Belmont).
Central Michigan Chippewas
Conference: Mid-American
Coach: Jake Sabol
Record (5-2) (Streak: W1)
Last Series: Won 2-1 at Belmont
2025 Result: 20-35 overall / 11-19 Mid-American Conference
2025 Postseason: None / Last Postseason (2022, 1-2 Gainesville Regional)
College World Series Appearances: 0
Photo by Jared Anderson
After taking care of business against Eastern Kentucky in the midweek game, the Cards look to continue the winning ways in this long home stand before conference play begins and the ACC gauntlet starts to separate contenders from the rest of the pack. This week has been odd, as Alex Alicea and Ben Slanker were both sidelined with illness for the midweek contest against EKU. Getting those two back and the team in a healthier spot as we all await the return of Zion Rose would be a huge boost for the weekend and the depth of the lineup.
The ‘Chips Play Small Ball – But Can Still Swing It
The Chippewas bring in a different look, which prioritizes small ball – something that Louisville has made a staple of its own program throughout the Dan McDonnell years. CMU ranks sixth in the country in sacrifice bunts, and ninth in stolen bases per game. They are just outside the top-ten (13th) in stolen bases with 24. Their M.O. is certainly ‘get ’em on and get ’em over.’ It’s going to be tasked to Cardinals pitching to prevent the ‘get ’em in’ part.
A name to watch for Louisville pitchers all weekend is going to be Outfielder and Designated Hitter Cole Prout. His .727 OBP is second in the country, 1.71 walks per game is tied for sixth, and his 12 walks total ranks seventh. If pitchers aren’t walking him, they’re plunking him. Prout is 10th nationally with six HBPs so far in the young season. If they aren’t doing either of those, he’s batting a cool .400 on the season with a double, a home run, and nine RBIs. It’s safe to say that whoever is on the mound, in any situation this weekend, has to be keenly aware of where Cole Prout is in the order, and keeping the guys in front of him off the bases while hitting the zone when he’s at bat.
All of those stats for Prout, and he still doesn’t have the Chippewas’ highest average. That designation goes to Drew Loikits (you’ll see the Napoleon Dynamite/Blades of Glory resemblance this weekend), the redshirt Sophomore who transferred to Wofford, then BACK to CMU who is batting .407 with three doubles.
Rounding out names to know for CMU is Harrison Bowman, who leads the ‘Chips with three home runs. Bowman is a transfer who came in from playing for Skylar Meade at Troy State. In Troy’s win over Coastal Carolina in March of last season, he belted a Grand Slam for the Trojans.
CMU Pitching Gets a Freshman Boost
On the opposite side of the ball – Freshman righty Luke Neiswonger has already been MAC Pitcher of the Week this season. He’s 2-0 with a team-leading 2.70 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, and has struck out 12 to only three walks. He will be on the hill Saturday in game two. It’s not been pretty for Louisville this season so far on Saturdays, as both have been losses to teams with ‘Michigan’ in their names. Neiswonger will have to be frustrated early for the Cards to avoid three straight Saturday losses to Michigan baseball teams.
How the Stats Compare
To win the series, Louisville is going to once again have to do the things that seem to be the every-game checklist for the Cards. Pitchers are going to have to keep balls in and around the zone and make CMU batters earn everything. The ‘Chips have the advantage in on-base percentage, walks, HBPs, sacrifices, and stolen bases. That translates to Louisville having to own the better pitching and fielding stats and punch out CMU batters at a consistent clip. If CMU gets on base, they move. And we’ve seen the struggles from the Louisville bullpen already this season with some of the little things.
This is 100% the series where the Cards start to iron those issues out and move forward, or the flip side of the coin – where those issues persist and a greedy MAC team comes in and takes a series from a squad that has far-higher aspirations than worrying about what went wrong versus mid-major competition. The team needs guys healthy, locked in to doing every man’s job, and a little more early-game ‘juice’ than we’ve seen in some of the bigger games this season. It starts Friday with Ethan Eberle.
I’ll take Louisville’s schedule and competition thus far over West Georgia (who Auburn needed to walk off, mind you) and Belmont, but the absolute best thing the Cards can do this weekend is make a statement that they belong in the rankings, they belong in the conversation, and that the rest of the ACC and country can’t start writing this team off as needing to get hot late in order to get back to Omaha.
First Pitch is Friday, Feb. 27 at 3:00pm
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