Softball? It's only a month away...

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:.

-Softball soon. .

-Cards Big East top performers.

-Collen clouts Cats.

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With the wintry mix swirling around the Louisville area this morning, it's hard to think about the crack of a softball off an aluminum bat or sitting in the bleachers and wearing sunglasses in Ulmer Stadium...but UofL Softball gets underway on Feb.10th., and the first home game will be Feb. 25th. Sandy Pearsall (pictured right) has a powerhouse returning.

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Louisville will play 22 games at home this year and the BIG EAST Softball Tournament returns to Ulmer Stadium in May 2011. Besides conference foes Villanova, Seton Hall, Connecticut, and Providence visiting Louisville...the Cards will also play host to Kentucky, Michigan, WKU, SIUE, Boston University, Wright State and Miami (OH). They'll play in six tournaments or classics to begin the season...travelling to Austin, Tuscaloosa, Cookeville (TN), and San Diego in addition to hosting two tournaments in Ulmer.

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Louisville lists 19 players on the 2011 squad...five of them freshmen. Caralisa Connell is a pitcher/infielder who saw fall action for the Cards and is out of MTSU territory (Murfreesboro, TN.) Taner Fowler hails from Union County, KY. and is an infield player/catcher. Katie Keller, a infielder from Livermore, CA. hails from the west coast...as does utility player Hannah Klyohara...from Auburn, WA. Maggie Ruckenbrod, a catcher/infielder rounds out the freshman class and comes from St.Louis.

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The Cards lose Melissa Roth and Kristen Wadwell to graduation but return a powerful hitting lineup featuring Chelsea Bemis, Kristin Austin, Jennifer Esteban, Chelsea Jordan, Katelyn Mann, Christina Roesel, Jordan Trimble, Colby Wherry and Alicja Wolny. The Cards also bring back two experienced hurlers from 2010 in Tori Collins and Chelsea Leonard.

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CARDINAL COUPLE will endeavor to get a pre-season commentary and preview with head coach Pearsall before the season begins. She was a tough one to catch for commentary last year. Heck, we may even try to get in a little batting and fielding practice as well. I'm guessing Paul could still put one over the left field fence (as long as they're 'slow pitching' him...). The "big guy" was a fence clearer back in his prime...

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No surprise here...Louisville leads BIG EAST schools in home attendance for women's basketball. The LADY CARDS have drawn an average of 11,394 for the first seven home games...those numbers aided by 22,000+ crowds for Tennessee and UK. Connecticut is pulling in 9000+ after eight home appearances and Notre Dame is seeing crowds of 8400+ in the Purcell Pavillion after nine home games. No other BIG EAST squad is over 3000 in home attendance...although all but Georgetown and Providence have access to facilities that will handle 3000+. With the excellent season DePaul is having...would have figured Doug Bruno's Lady Blue Demons would be drawing more. There is a lot to in the 'Windy City', though...

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Shoni Schimmel was second in the Big East in assists thru 13 games and Monique Reid second in shooting percentage at 58.6%. Becky Burke second in three point shooting % at 42.6% and Sherrone Vails third in blocked shots for the season.

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Louisville is fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring...averaging 78.6 points per game. The LADY CARDS are fourth in field goal percentage (46.8%) and second in 3-point field goals made with 99 thru 13 games. They lead the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4%). The Cards also have the most steals in the BIG EAST this year with 173 thru 13 games. Steal, shoot and score....sounds like a pretty good formula for wins....

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Ex UofL head coach Tom Collen must have watched the UofL vs. UK game video...his Arkansas Razorbacks defeated UK 78-67 last night in Fayetteville. Arkansas jumped out to a 35-27 halftime lead and won going away. Former (Louisville) Fairdale star C'eira Ricketts led the Hog charge with 19 points. # 25 Arkansas is 13-1 this season, defeating Oklahoma and losing only to Florida. The Hogs held UK to 28.4% shooting while going 50% from the field. Like Louisville, though...they had no answer for UK senior Victoria Dunlap. 'V.D.' punished Collen's crew for 26 points and 13 rebounds. Her 11-18 efforts from the charity stripe weren't spectacular...but UK outscored Arky 23-6 on 2nd chance points and had 10 steals. 42 total fouls in this one and whistle happy Dee Kanter was part of the officiating crew... along with Tina Napier. UK guard and (Louisville) Iroquois product A'dia Mathies fouled out after 13 points. Two losses in a row for Mattie Mitchell's Big Blue and a disappearance from the top 25...

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Collen has had a history of building great pre-conference records in his 4 years at Arkansas and then falling by the wayside in SEC play. The SEC West doesn't look all that powerful this year, though...and with LSU falling to South Carolina last night...the Hogs may finally have a plus .500 effort in the SEC. WE wonder if the LADY CARDS will ever schedule a home and away with Arkansas?

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