Cardinal Uniform Pick'ms -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Hello Cardinal fans 

Daryl again on a Thursday morning.   I think Jared and Paulie have been working on sharing some new content for us which I believe they will share Friday and I'm looking forward to that...so I gladly traded writing days with Jared.    

Looking ahead towards summer months... I was chatting with a coworker earlier this week about some of my favorite uniforms we've seen out of each program over the years so I thought it would be fun to pick some out and also an opportunity to share some of the images captured by our own Jared Anderson over the last school year.  

In alphabetical order...  first up, 

Field Hockey

The pinks!!!  

These uniforms really stand out to me because of the pink accents on the black base of the uniforms.  I don't think we have another program that does the pink out game quite like hockey!

Lacrosse 

   The classic whites with red accents!   

My favorite part of these uniforms is the solid red stripe on the bottoms.   Its a small touch but I think it really stands out and gives the uniforms that extra pop of red it needs.  

Softball

The mix-n-match!!!                             Softball has a unique ability to be able to mix and match the pieces of the uniforms and still be able to pull it off.  I do really like the white top and black bottoms with the classic horizontally striped socks.  

Volleyball

                                                                                                                   

The red back!!!                               This is a unique look for the volleyball program and I really love the cursive script.  Red is the dominant color but the white block on the front of the uniform really make these stand out among the others. 

 

  

Women's Basketball

                                                                  ALL WHITES!!!                                                                                          When it comes to basketball, I love the classics.   I want the all white uniforms with red lettering and that classic Louisville script.   Nothing else compares.   Nothing.  The wing on the leg was added more recently I believe and it was a welcome addition.  I think its a cool feature for a Cardinal look.  

Women's Soccer

The reds!!!!!                                                                                                        The soccer program has the ability to put some of the best Cardinal uniforms (kits) out there.  The 'notebook' style top is probably my favorite look from recently.  The thick solid black stripe down the leg also makes a great accent for pictures too and makes the Cardinal athletes look like they're actually flying.  Clever. 

I hope everyone is enjoying getting ready for the summer months!   Ill be 33 the next time I check in with ya!!!   EEEK!!! 

A special "Thanks" to Jared for the extensive, and excellent work he puts in for the site with his photography and game atendance work.  Believe it or not, he does have a full time job in addition to all the photo-taking he does for the site and he even dabbles in taking pictures of men's sports. A busy guy,

As Always,

Go Cards 

~Daryl 

WNBA Opener -- Mystics Fall short in 4th quarter to Liberty 85-80 -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WASHNGTON FALLS SHORT IN FOURTH QUARTER TO NEW YORK IN WNBA SEASON OPENER

FOLLOWING the Louisville WNBA players this season in the WNBA will be something I will try to stay fairly regulary with this WNBA season, and on last night's opening night  Tuesday night, Emily Englstler and Myisha Hines-Allen had their squad, the WashIngton Mystics, in action. So did Liz Dixon's Phoenix Mercury. The Mystics will probably be the team I follow the most, since they have two of my favorite Cardinals great on roster in "E" amd "Mooks"

The Mystics ran into a NY Liberty squad that caught fire in the fourth quarter and caught and passed the DC team, doubling up the score on them in the fourth quarter 26-13 and winning 85-80. 

Not much from the Louisville contingent in the opener. Neither Hines-Allen or Engstler drew the start. Emily didnt play at all and Hines-Allen saw just 19 minutes, putting up five points and grabbing five rebounds in the loss. 

Karlie Samuelson and Shikira Austin drew the starts at forward for the Mystics but the former Stanford and Maryland veterans were not all that effective, combining for just 20 points and nine rebounds in 47 total minutes. 

We all kinda figured that Washington's Dolson, Atkins and Sykes might be prominent scorers this season for the Mystics and they held true to form in the season opener. with 59 points between them. 

It was Washington's game to lose after three  quarters, having built up a 67-59 lead after three,,,but let the visitors take over in the fourth quarter. 

In other early, first night action, the Connecticut Sun ruined Caitlin Clark's opener with the Indiana Fever, thumpimg the visiting WNBA Fever squad 92-71.

The other two opening night contests were later affairs. with the Aces and Mercury hookng up and the Lynx and Storm going against each other. The Mercury are without Brit Grinner, who is oit with a toe injury, so we hoped to see a bit of Liz Dixon, who is on the Phoenix roster. Dixon was in a reserve role and saw six minuues, grabbing three rebounds but not scoring. The visiting Phoenix squad fell 89-80 to the two-time champion Las Vegas Aces. The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Storm 83-70. DI star from last year Taylor Soule saw one minute of action for the Lynx in the win. 

I'll agree with several readers here,...it's good to see basketball's bouncing again and some of Jeff Walz's stars from years past out there. Dana Evans and the Chicago Sky get their start tonight against  Dallas at Dallas. Unfortunately, it'll only be shown on You Tube Primetime WNBA League Pass,  a subscription service.. 

paulie

WBB Named 6th Ranked Recruiting Class -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville has 6th Ranked Recruiting Class

Imari Berry, photo courtesy of GoCards

Jeff Walz is working his magic again. While we already knew most of the freshmen planning to join Louisville women's basketball next season, the ESPN recruiting rankings put the Cards as the sixth-best in the country.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz and Co have focused more on the transfer portal with players such as Kianna Smith, Emily Engstler, Morgan Jones, Chrislyn "CC" Carr, Kiki Jefferson, and many more. The 2021-2022 season saw transfer Engstler and Chelsie Hall play a key role in helping Louisville get to its fourth Final Four in program history. As the game has changed, so has Walz.

Mackenly Randolph, photo courtesy of GoCards

But Jeff Walz is also known for his ability to recruit talented freshmen and develop them into top-tier players that make a name for themselves in the pros. Some of the four-year players recruited by Walzz that we have seen have major success at Louisville and beyond include Becky Burke, Mo Reid, Asia Taylor, Sara Hammond, Myisha Hines-Allen, AD Durr, Sam Fuehring, Jazmine Jones, and Dana Evans. This doesn't include players at Louisville prior to the Walz Era or players who either transferred in or out. See where I'm going with this?

The bulk of Walz's success has come with the recruitment and development of players. Adding a transfer or two can certainly help round out a roster, but his bread and butter has always been the long term players. It comes as no surprise that Walz has scratched the idea of stocking up on as many talented transfers as possible to go back to what has been successful for him, especially after a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament this past season.

Taj Avant-Roberts, photo courtesy of GoCards

The incoming freshmen class for the 2024-2025 season is arguably one of his best ever. The confirmed incoming players include:

Imari Berry, guard (ESPN #19)- Berry is a do-it-all guard that withdrew her commitment from Clemson following the coaching change and switched to Louisville,

Mackenly Randolph, forward (ESPN #23)- Randolph is the daughter of former NBA player Zach Randolph and a small forward that has shown signs of strong rebounding skills.

Reagan Bender, photo courtesy of Go Cards

Taj Avant-Roberts, guard (ESPN #24)- Avant-Roberts was a point guard for much of her high school career, but has recently developed her three-point shooting to make her a dual-threat scorer.

Izela Arenas, guard (ESPN #88). Arenas is the daughter of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. She was named "Queen of the Court" after winning a one-on-one showcase held in Atlanta last summer.

Anaya Hardy,photo courtesy of X.com

Reagan Bender, guard. Bender is a guard from the local Sacred Heart Academy (high school) known for her three-point shooting and helped the Valkyries to four straight state titles.

Isla Juffermans, forward- Juffermans is a bit more unknown compared to the others, due to her being the only international player on this list. The Aussie native is a true post player that can step into the role of either a forward or a center.

Izela Arenas, photo courtesy of Louisville Report

Anaya Hardy, forward- Hardy was a walking double-double in her high school days and showed improvements with her blocking during her summer stint in the Under Armour Association circuit.

Adding this star-studded lineup to an experienced crew of Oliva Cochran (fifth year), Merissah Russell (fifth year), Jayda Curry (senior), and Nyla Harris (junior) puts Louisville into an immediate position for success. We can't wait to see how the Cards fare next season.

Isla Juffermans, photo courtesy of Instagram

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared

Four Cards on WNBA Rosters -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Mercury, Sky and Mystics have UofL WBB alumnae on rosters. 

With the WNBA scheduled to start Tuesday., let's look at the Louisville Cards WBB players.that are on the teqam rosters in the league.  

Liz Dixon --  Phoenix Mercury. Dixon was a recent addition to the Phoenix squad,brought back on a training game contract. She did play in 10 games with the Mercury back in 2023 and was re-signed again this year, to replace Charisma Osbourne.  She averages 5.6 points per game, and 4.4 rebounds a contest. 

Dana Evans -- Chicago Sky. Dana returs to the Sky this year, her third season in the WNBA. The sharpshooting guard should be an essential part of a roster that had seven guards most recently listed. Here is an interview with her, done on May 10th.  DANA EVANS INTERVIEW

Emily Engstler --  Washington Mystics. Engstler begins her second year in the league. She was originally drafted by Indiana last year. She'l averaged 1.8 points per game last year and 0.6mrebounds. Here is a brief spotlight on her....EMILY ENGSTLER

Myisha Hines-Allen -- Washington Mystics. Hines-Allen enters her sixth season in the WNBA,and was drafted back in 2018, She vaerages 5.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.  The Mystics list only four forwards on their roster currently, so we like her chances to see a starting role and a lot of court time. 

We wish all our "Cardinals Forever" the best of luck this season and we're already ready for a little hoops this spring...

paulie. . 

Ulrich Wins Again - Sunday Cardinal Couple

ACC Championship Number 2

As Case mentioned in yesterday's Cardinal Couple article, Jayden Ulrich would be vying for her 2nd ACC Championship of the weekend yesterday in the discus throw, and sure enough, she prevailed and will return to Louisville one of only two UofL athletes to accomplish the double-thowing victories.  Her throw reached a distance of 61.31 meters, or 201 feet and an inch or so.  The previous meet record for the ACC Championships was 60.80 meters, or 199 feet 6 inches making her the first to break the 200 foot distance in the ACC Championship event.

The previous double ACC Champion was Emmonnie Henderson in 2015.  2015 was Henderson's freshman year, which was the year she played basketball, and was an Engineering student at Speed School, and after losing in the Sweet 16 to Dayton, decided to switch sports and take up throwing in track & field.  Not a bad decision, all things considered.

Next up for Ulrich and other track and field athletes, will be the NCAA East Regional event, taking play May 22-25 in Lexington.  Ulrich will qualify along with a few other UofL athletes.  The criteria for inclusion in the regional is to have a Top 48 finish in their event throughout the season.

If I'm reading the data I've found correctly, Louisville athletes will include Rylee Penn in the 1500, Soledad Jean in the High Jump, Natalie Lark, IlianaTriantafyllou, and Paris Bond in the Pole Vault, Ariel Lawrence in the Long Jump, Alba Cuns Iglesias in the Triple Jump, and Lucy Fellows in the Heptathalon.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

A fearsome foursome for the CCRHP yesterday.  We talk a bit of weather, both in atmosphere and space weather, before turning our attention to the rapidly thinning Cardinal sports calendar.  We took some time to honor some award winners around campus, and picked up a few other bits and bobs of news.  Of course we gave the newest ACC Champion, Jayden Ulrich a bit of coverage, and this was recorded before she won her second event yesterday.

Join us as we continue to bring you all things UofL women's sports, even as we start into the summer slump.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cardinal-couple/episodes/Another-ACC-Champion-for-TF-e2jhk0p

-- JMcA

Cards Continue ACC T&F Championships -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Ulrich Earns Shotput Sweep

Jayden Ulrich's list of accomplishments at UofL continues to grow. After taking gold at the ACC Indoor Championships in shot put earlier this year, Ulrich defended her crown by winning the event in the Outdoor Championships yesterday. Her throw (17.95m; 58'-10 3/4") was half an inch shy of being three feet longer than second place. There is some distance to find to break the ACC record, though, as Laura Gerraughty from UNC holds the overall conference record (18.82m in 2003) and the ACC Outdoor Championships record (18.59 in 2006). Only a junior, Ulrich will be looking to chase those numbers down in her senior season next year. 

Photo per UofL Athletics

For now, though, Ulrich has her eyes set on a Louisville first: winning two events at the same ACC Outdoor Championships. Ulrich will compete in the discus throw, which is set for 2pm. Ulrich currently holds the best throw in the country, a scorching 64.29m (210'-11") set on April 11th. That throw is five-and-a-half feet longer than second place. It is almost six meters longer than the next best ACC competitor, Marie Forbes from Clemson. Forbes' best throw of a 58.31m (191'-4") came on April 12th, and it is the 15th best mark in the country. 

Louisville is sitting at 4th in the overall conference standings. They also got good points from Natalie Lark, Lucy Fellows, and Iliana Triantafyllou. Fellows, fourth in heptathlon, and Triantafyllou, fifth in pole vault, both earned Second Team All-ACC marks as freshmen. Lark set a personal best clear on the pole vault, taking second. Her podium gives Louisville five straight years of a Cardinal medaling in pole vault at the outdoor conference championships. 

Not scoring points, but turning in an impressive performance, was Rylee Penn. Penn ran the women's 800m for the first time this season and set the second-fastest time in school history. Somehow, that time wasn't fast enough to advance to the finals. 

Ulrich will be first up for the Cards, as the discus throw kicks off the events of the last day of competition. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We ought to have four on the floor today as we return from our Derby break. Results may be harder to come by as the calendar isn't quite so packed with events, but we'll still bring you all the news and notes surrounding the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

ACC Softball Honors -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville softball supporting baseball

Happy Friday! We have reached the end of another workweek and boy has it been a busy one... at least for me. Daryl had another late night with the Louisville Bats so I'm standing in for her this morning.

With summer break swiftly approaching, our news and notes regarding Louisville women's athletes has slowed quite a bit. We do still see some news here and there, which softball had some of this week.

While Louisville softball's season has come to a close, a couple individual players received accolades. Daisy Hess and Riley Frizell were named to the All-ACC Third Team, as voted on by the league coaches.

Riley Frizell

Frizell, a transfer from Missouri, led the Cardinals in multiple categories. Her .337 batting average, .651 slugging percentage, 49 rbis, and 13 home runs were team highs. She ranks eighth in program history for home runs in a season. She reached base safely in 45 of the 52 games this year. 

Hess spent the last two seasons at Louisville after transferring in from Georgia State. The shortstop earned her second straight All-ACC honors. This season, she rotated through the top batting order spots in the lineup but found herself in the leadoff position more times than not. The fifth-year student-athlete led the team with 37 runs scored, 12 doubles, 34 walks, and a .456 on-base percentage. The 34 walks is fifth in program history in a single season. Hess reached safely in 45 of her 49 games played.

Daisy Hess

We wish both Frizell and Hess congratulations on their accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in the next steps of their careers and journeys through life!

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared 

Spring flying by!!! -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Good morning readers,


Daryl here checking in on weekend eve. The Bats are in town so I switched with Jared to accommodate that schedule.

Hope everyone had a great Derby season, I'm already looking forward to next year!   I did put a little money on the winner so I came out even on the day.  

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

I'm also happy to report that I jumped back into some commentating earlier this week for our local Spalding University softball action. The Golden Eagles are hosting some post season SLIAC conference action and I am buddies with the athletic director over there so I was happy to help out and get back to my roots on the diamond!! Its been a few years...

Here's a pic of me out there and here's the recap if you're interested.

https://spaldingathletics.com/news/2024/5/8/softball-the-sliac-quarterfinal.aspx

The ACC Softball Tournament is also going on but not for the Cardinals.   

BC got the 1-0 win over Syracuse to keep their season alive and face #4 seed Duke tomorrow and Notre Dame also advanced to see another day set to face #2 FSU.  

WNBA season opener coming up! 

Back when Dana Evans visited WBB game 2/8/24 - Photo Jared Anderson 

WNBA preseason starts today and the season officially begins next week! 

Also want to give a shoutout and say Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there but especially my own!!  Love ya mom!!!! <3

As Always
Go Cards!

~Daryl 

AIKO JONES LEAVING UOFL? -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CARDS VOLLEYBALL GREAT TO LEAVE SQUAD/STAFF? 

If one mentions the name Aiko Jones around the UofL campus,any sports followers thee  will immediaely recognize her as one of the best ever to play Volleyball for the Cards. An unconfirmed but highly legitimate source at UofL tells us that her days may ne done on the Belknap Campus, with the word being that she may be leaving the University of Louiville and her graduate teaching assistant position and her playng eligibility has come to an end. .  

Graduate teaching assistants help faculty members teach undergraduate students. Known as GTA's, they are graduate students that take courses and study in a speciaized field. They do normally have eligibility left to play on teams, but there is word that Jones had been a grad assistant since 2018 has no playong time left. . They can have any number of tasks, from grading papers to helping sports information directors verify and proofread publications about the team. 

GTA's are usually on some type of scholarship and the position is sometimes consindered a team manager of sorts 

One listing of the Cards potential Vollleyball roster for 2024, however,  still has her listed as a outside hitter on the 2024 squad, so there is a bit of confusion, Aiko's website (aikojnes.com) doesn't really help clear up anything concerning her status, either.

The actual Cards 2024 roster has not been officially released yet, so we'll see what comes up on it for Dani Busboom Kelly's squad. . 

Jones arrived at UofL in 2018 and redshirted that season. She was an important contributor to the roster as an outside hitter for five seasons... from 2019-2023.

Jones had this to say about her and her life and status last summer. : 

.....The best decision I have ever made was also the hardest and scariest decision I have ever made. It was a decision that would change how people viewed me and how much they respected me. It was a decision that I thought would change my life forever and I was right about that, but I was wrong about what that change would look like. The best decision I have ever made was telling the world a very small detail about me. The best decision I have ever made was “coming out”.

As I write this, I am approaching 24 years old. I am a second-year master’s student in the University of Louisville’s Communication program. I have a dog and a cat, and I love to bake. I like puzzles, I love learning, and I wish I were ambidextrous. I am also engaged … to the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life. As I write this, I am proud, not of rainbows and labels and pride parades, but of my authenticity and my constant effort to live my truth. As I write this, I am proud to be who I am, and to be her publicly......

Whatever Aiko decides to take on next, we certainly wish her the best of luck here at Cardinal Couple. The old adage is: "You can't keep them forever.." but, in Jones case... she is one that a lot of Cardinals fans wish could remain on campus forever...

paulie 

Louisville Players Join USL W League; Golf in NCAAs -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Set to Represent Racing Louisville Once More

Photo by Jared Anderson

We've talked at length about what Louisville City and Racing Louisville have brought and can continue to bring to the Louisville community and to the University of Louisville on the soccer front. Starting last season, we saw that direct impact come to fruition with the introduction of the USL's W-League. The W-League is "pre-professional" but is not completely analogous with the Racing Louisville Academy. Last season, four Cardinals wore purple over the summer. This season, that number falls to three, but the Cards will have their first player coming directly from the Academy. AG Gibson was on last year's W-League team, but 2024 will be her freshman season for Louisville. Also returning are Brooke Dardano and Betsy Huckaby. Savina Zamborini and Autumn Weeks competed last season. 

Racing Louisville and UofL will both miss the services of Ella Sanchez this year. The Ballard phenom that came up through the Academy announced last summer that she would forgo college and the NWSL to sign a professional contract in Mexico. The W-League schedule will consist of 10 games, starting on May 14th and ending on June 30th. Home games will be played at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center. Louisville will begin and end their season there against Indy Eleven. 

Ryskova T4 After Round 1; Griffiths T51

Photo by University of Louisville Athletics

Hana Ryskova and Carmen Griffiths made it to the NCAA Regionals as individuals this season for Louisville women's golf. While both talked about how exciting it is to have their team on board during Media Day, they weren't quite able to get that same level of advancement this season. Having golfers qualify for the regionals is still quite a feat. Unfortunately, with the way that the NCAA Championship is structured, both golfers are competing for one spot. 

From each regional location (six) the top five teams and the top independent individual will advance to the finals, which are set to be played May 17-22 in Carlsbad, California. After the first round, Ryskova's -2 sees her sitting at T4 overall, but is T2 in the individual standings. Ryskova is tied with Kate Petrova, out of Evansville, and the pair are two strokes back of Notre Dame's Lauren Beaudreau. Those three will tee off together at 10:05 this morning in East Lansing for the second round. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Concludes Season with Win -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Photo by NBC / Getty Images / Justin Casterline

Happy Monday!... or something like that. The Monday after Derby weekend should be recognized as a holiday due to the fact we could all use an extra recovery day. Over 107,000 in attendance for the Kentucky Oaks, over 156,000 in attendance for the Kentucky Derby, and a record number of bets placed worldwide means it was another successful Derby season here in 'The Ville'.

Paulie had some solid picks for those of you who partake in those types of events. Sadly, I ended up in the hole just a little bit- an Andrew Jackson and an Alexander Hamilton, but that's the risk you take. A head bob at the finish line may or may not go your way and this year did not go my way.

As you can tell, this is not Paulie. He and Sonya made a quick trip up to Cincinnati early this morning so he made a call to the bullpen for the day.

Softball Goes Out with a Bang, Wins Big

It may have come a day late and a dollar short, but Louisville softball earned a win yesterday. The Cards took down Boston College 11-4 in the series finale to conclude the regular season 27-25. They were one game away from qualifying for the ACC Tournament (they finished 11th in the conference), and as Jeff mentioned yesterday, the Cards are considered eligible to make the NCAA Tournament but realistically have little chance of getting in.

Louisville wasted no time in putting a run on the scoreboard. Daisy Hess and Bailee Richardson led the game off with back-to-back walks. Riley Frizell hit a single to the outfield, which scored Hess. Boston College evened the score later that inning with a solo home run.

In the third inning, Richardson's second walk came at an opportune time due to a Vanessa Miller home run later in the inning. The Cards did give up a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Louisville answered in the top half of the following inning to regain the lead 4-3 thanks to a solo shot by Gabby Holloway.

Singles by Hess and Richardson and a walk by Frizell loaded the bases in the sixth inning. Holloway's sac fly helped the Cards push the lead to 5-3 before the Eagles hit a home run that same inning to bring the score within one.

The seventh inning proved to be a good one as the Cards put up a six spot. Kiley Goff and Mia Forsythe opened the inning with back-to-back singles. A Jac Hasty fielder's choice ended up with Goff out at third but runners still on first and second. Hess came up and made the most out of her final collegiate plate appearance, hitting a three-run home run. Keep in mind that the Cards held a one-run lead entering the inning so this "touch 'em all" gave Louisville a four-run advantage. Richardson and Frizell walked after that and were driven in on a double by Miller, who then was able to advance to third. Holloway hit another sac fly to plate Miller.

Brooke Gray was able to complete the full game in the final inning with many thanks to a game-ending play at the plate. The win is Gray's fourth of the season.

It was a great final game for Louisville's eight seniors. Their stats are as follows:

-Daisy Hess (3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB)

-Bailee Richardson (1-1, 1B, 4 BB)

-Riley Frizell (1-3, 1 RBI, BB)

-Vanessa Miller (2-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI)

-Gabby Holloway (1-2, HR, 3 RBI, BB)

-Paige Geraghty (2-5)

-Kiley Goff (1-2, BB, HBP)

-Mia Forsythe (1-4)

-Bailee Richardson's four walks in the game tied a program record.

-Mia Forsythe recorded her first hit of the season.

-Kiley Goff was hit by a pitch for the 21st time this season, ranking second in program history.

-Riley Frizell led the team with 13 home runs and 49 rbis.

-Daisy Hess led the team with 34 walks this season, ranking fifth in program history.

-Vanessa Miller led the team with 13 stolen bases this season while also posting career bests with 11 home runs and 39 rbis.

This season certainly didn't end up how we had hoped, but the Cards did get wins against ranked opponents in Arizona, Duke, Florida State, and Clemson. Errors and not being able to close out games were the two big killers. The Cards lost 14 games by two runs or less or in extra innings. Louisville finished the year with 59 defensive errors and a .960 fielding percentage.

Cardinal Couple has reached out about potentially interviewing some of the graduating seniors in the coming weeks. We hope to hear back with good news soon!

Tune back in tomorrow to see what insight Paulie will offer for us.

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Finishes Season Today - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Softball's Last Game

Well, that's not a great headline to share, it certainly doesn't bring the joy and excitement, but it is pretty much the reality of the situation.

Softball will be finishing out their regular season schedule today at Boston College with a game starting at 11am.  Note that this is an hour earlier than originally planned due to potential weather in the area.  It will be on ACC Network Extra as usual.

Boston College has won the previous two games of the series in walk-off fashion, locking up their place in the ACC Championship.  Along with Syracuse and Notre Dame also locking in one of the last three spots in the 10 team tournament, that leaves Louisville just on the outside looking in, finishing out the season in 11th in the standings.

In yesterday's affair, Louisville led from the starting gate, getting nosed out at the finish with The Eagles tying it up in the bottom of the 7th, and then getting the walk-off game winner in the 8th.  Boston College took the win 4-3.

The Cards are still technically eligible for an NCAA tournament at-large bit with a final record of 27-25 or 26-26, depending on the outcome of today's game, but realistically, they'll be on the outside looking in of that one as well.  That makes today's game the final game of the season, though we can't say that in an officially official way until the Softball tournament selections are revealed, then it will be.

So today's game is largely meaningless for the Cards, though Boston College will be playing to try to get favorable seeding in the ACC tournament.  Then our attentions start to turn to next year.  How warm is this head coaching seat getting?  I, personally, don't think it's at full boil, yet, but I think the warmth can be felt.  Of course, I'm not in the AD office on Floyd Street.

We, of course, will bring you any information that we get about Softball in the coming off season.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

The CCRHP didn't happen yesterday as Derby Day is one of the days that we traditionally skip due to everyone going every which way to their various Derby Day festivities.  We'll be back with you next week bringing you what news there is from UofL Athletics, though it does start us into the dreaded "Summer Slump".

- JMcA

Paulie Picks/Handicapping Heroes Derby Results

It wasn't too awful a day for your intrepid handicapper in looking at the Derby Day Stakes races yesterday. I gave you 28 horses to look at over the nine stakes races and had four winners,four places and three shows. 

(No, Jeff was not there leading CARDS cheers..) 

i'm still wondering where Fierceness thought the finish line was in the Derby Race, i heard he's still running and somewhere off Taylor Blvd, right now, calling an Uber. ...but what a finish in the 150th Kentucky Derby. A three-way, throw a blanket over them, noses apart fnish at the wire. MYSTIK DAN survived the photo and is your winner,  but if Sierra Leone and Forever Young hadn't played bumper cars with each other in the final furlong...i think one of those two would have slid by and taken the mile and a quarter .

I placed a lot of different bets on things yesterday and Friday, from the comfort of my home and checked my TwinSpires account balance at the end of the day Saturday and had five less dollars in it than when I started wagering Friday. 

(NBC's Horse Race Handicappers are barely one step above these two) 

All in all, I enjoyed the two days of just being a  television viewer and not going out to the track this year and fighting lines, crowds, puddles, drunks and Derby prices. WAVE did an OK job as far as media coverage went.  I have a great history with WAVE, back when I used to go out to the infield dressed as a jockey and John Belski would always manage to find me and do a mock interview with me on my ficticious and hopeful mounts on Oaks and Derby Days.  Happy post 150th, y'all. 

paulie