Softball's Sarah Gordon to Georgia -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

FRESHMAN CATCHER TO TRANSFER TO GEORGIA

Louisville starting and freshman softball catcher will be leaving Louisville to attend  and play softball at the University of Georgia next season.

Gordon entered the transfer portal on May 26th, shortly after the Cards season ended in the NCAA Tennessee Regional, The ACC Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-ACC team selection in 2023 batted ,370 for the Cards, had 11 home runs and 49 RBI's for Louisville. . 

Gordon came in a did a masterful job as the Cards main catcher with the pitching rotation.. No other catcher was listed on the UofL roster, but third basemen Ally Alexander did fill in at the spot a couple of times.

Gordon is one of three Cards in the portal, along with center fielder Korbe Otis and pitcher Cassie Grizzard. There are also five seniors or graduate students believed to be departing as well, including pitcher Taylor Roby and starter Hannah File.  

 

The big question now is...who takes over behind the plate for the Cards? Louisville's recruiting class of 2023 has six student-athletes coming to campus.  The incoming players' bios show two excellent pitchers (Brooke Gray and Lindsey Mullen), there are two outfielders (Katie Thatcher and Ava Venturelli) and players Char Lorenz and Jac Hasty are listed as infielders  catching experience.. 

It's possible the Cards could also obtain a catcher the same way Georgia landed Gordon...through the transfer portal -- but no announcement on that had been made yet. 

One might say it's rough for a freshman or new catcher to get to know a pitching rotation new to them...but that's exactly what Gordon did and it most certainly could happen again. She turned into one of the best catchers in the nation in just one year, and that's what makes the departure a tough one to handle. 

A noted philosophy is "to leave if you want a better situation and find one", so one has to figure that was part of Sarah's thinking. The Georgia Bulldogs were 42-15 in the 2023 season and the 14th seed in the NCAA Tournament. They won their regional before getting knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by #3 Florida state in the Super Regional

Gordon's statement: 

"I want to thank Louisville for an amazing first year. Thank you to Card Nation who supported me during my best and worst games and introduced me to so many amazing young girls and more. I was given an amazing opportunity to grow and start to become who I want to be in the game...alongside some amazing players who helped me do that. Being so blessed to accomplish what I did my teammates helped push me every day so I could be where I am. I am grateful that God led me here to start my career and will forever hold the memories made this year close to my heart."

Gordon will be missed, no doubt, but sometimes...when a door closes, a window opens. Let's hope for the best for the Cards behind the plate in the future and thanks to Gordon for the year she gave Louisville. 

paulie