Monday Cardinal Couple - Selectioning

I don't know if "selectioning" was a word, but it is now...

Men's Selectioning

So, the men's bracket was revealed last night.  It may have been the first time in my Cardinal Fandom history when I didn't hear immediate grousing from most of CardNation about how the selection disrespects UofL.  So...that's cool.

Not only did the men get a seeding that was higher than what most of CardNation seemed to be expecting, but they did so without also getting schlepped out to some obscure corner of the country to play first and second round games.

If you have been living under a sports media rock since last night, the Cardinals picked up a 2nd seed in the men's tournament, and will only have to go up the road to Indianapolis to play their 1st and 2nd round games starting Friday.  Their first round opponent is Jacksonville State.  Kentucky will also be making the trip to play in Indianapolis, along with their opponent, first-time-eligible Northern Kentucky.  While this sounds like a recipe for massive ticket shortages with at least two fan bases in Louisville and Kentucky that travel very well, there may a chance, however painful this may be for some of CardNation and Big Blue Nation, to cooperate for tickets.  Louisville has an afternoon matchup, with a 2:45'ish tip against Jacksonville State in the afternoon session, while Kentucky and NKU tangle in the late game of the evening session to tip around 9:40pm.  Find you a buddy that likes to wear blue and split the ticket price and availability between the two of you.  If you can't make the trip, both games will be televised on the main CBS channel.  Do be aware, that at least at the time of this writing, that WLKY, the local Louisville CBS affiliate, and Dish are having a carriage spat, and WLKY is not available on Dish at the moment.  Let's hope that they get this sorted out before Thursday, and definitely before Friday.

As for the region, the 1 seed is Kansas, 3 is Oregon, and 4 is Purdue.  I think Louisville, if they play their game can beat any of those teams, with Kansas being obviously the biggest worry.  Some have expressed concerned about a potential 2nd round matchup against Michigan, a concern that I share.  This is a team that has clearly shown that adversity isn't going to stop them, having advanced through and won the Big 10 tournament after literally experiencing a plane crash when they were departing to go to the tourney.

Overall, I, like it seems most of CardNation, am happy and excited for the tournament draw that the men got.

Women's Selectioning

We find out the women's draw tonight.  The selection show is at 7 o'clock on ESPN.  While CBS found out last year that a 2 hour long bracket reveal was a bad idea, and likely to see the bracket leaked (this year, they only took about 40 minutes), ESPN has never so crassly milked the bracket reveal for the women.

The pulse of CardNation seems to be trending towards a 4 seed for us, which means hosting 1st and 2nd rounds at the KFC Yum! Center.  I won't even try to predict matchups, as I suck at this sort of thing, and I'm sure our fine readers will happily express their opinions in the comment section below.  As always, let's keep it civil and respectful as you all almost always do (insert proud parent expression here).

UofL is hosting a selection show watch party at the Sports and Social Club at 4th Street Live.  Admission is free, a limited menu will be available (probably to help the event venue keep up with the crush of people expected),  UofL is encouraging reservations (presuming any are available at this point) through Toby Hammond (tobi@4thstedc.com).  Don't let a lack of reservations stop you from going, but you may be dealing with a standing room only situation and no real ability to order food, so grabbing a bite of dinner before you go is probably the right play call. Doors open at 6, show starts at 7. Free parking after 6 in the 4th Street Live garage on 5th street. 

In Other News

After cancelling Saturday's games for expected inclement weather that never really materialized, Softball did take the field against Northern Iowa yesterday afternoon at 2.

Maryssa Becker went the distance in the 8-5 win, as did pretty much the rest of the team, with no substitutions shown on the scoresheet at all, though there was one reshuffling of positions for players already in the game.  For the top of the 5th inning, Alison "Mike" Szydlowski moved to 3rd base from her designated hitter position, with the previous 3rd base player, Lillie Goetz, moving over to the DH spot.  This is the first time "Mike" has played 3rd, typically being behind the plate as catcher, but she is just the latest in a rotating cast of characters to take up the 3b spot as Sandy Pearsall searches for an option that she likes.  Personally, I'm a fan of Goetz, though she does come up a little short on the strength to get a strong throw to first from the opposite corner on the run.  Otherwise, she's probably the most aware player to have played in that spot for the Cards this year, playing very smart ball.  Mike, on the other hand, has amply demonstrated her throwing strength by gunning down several attempted steals of 2nd from the plate already in this young season.  She reminds me of Maggie Ruckenbrod, a favorite here at Cardinal Couple and someone that you just really shouldn't have tried to steal 2nd on.  Perhaps the fielding and throwing capability at 3rd is more important, a theory that I would have trouble arguing against, but I do love to see a good throw to 2nd to catch a stealing baserunner.

Otherwise, things got done by committee, Freshman Caitlin Ferguson had a good game with 2 hits and 3 rbis.  Jamie Soles, The New Pride of New Egypt, reached safely all 3 of her times at bat with 2 rbis, and speedster Jordan McNary reached on 3 of her 4 at bats with an rbi.

Softball begins conference play Friday at 4pm with Pitt coming in to Ulmer for the 3 game homestand.


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NCAA WBB TOURNAMENT CARDINAL COUPLE PICK 'EM

As we have done over the past few years, we'll offer a CARDINAL COUPLE NCAA WBB Pick 'Em contest. Once the brackets are released, feel free you leave your picks in any of the next few days comments sections or e-mail them to Sonja at

cardinalcouple@twc.com

See the Right Side of the Site for an example. Basically, it's simple. Give us your first round 32 picks. Then, narrow that to 16. Next, your Great Eight. Follow that with your Final Four. Your title game two and your winner. Hey, you're probably doing one for the Men's Tournament. Why not try the Women's?

63 picks. The most right wins. In case of a tie, the earliest entry wins. We will offer a $25 Gift Card to either Panera or Cracker Barrel to the winner and "the left-over one" to second place.

Have fun, choose wisely and good luck. Entries need to be in before the first game tips off. We'll feature a few here at the site over the next couple of days. 

-- JMcA

Monday Cardinal Couple --- Softball completes the sweep...Cards 11 - Owls 3

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Cards improve to 12-6 in AAC with Temple win

- Vote for Katie!

The Louisville Softball team has found their bats and used them to bombard the Owls again Sunday. Spotting the Owls an early 3-0 advanage...Louisville proceeded to score the final 11 runs of the contest and sweeps the series on Senior Day at Ulmer Stadium.

The fans said an official goodbye to Taner Fowler, Hannah Kiyohara, Caralisa Connell, Katie Keller, Maggie Ruckenbrod and Rachel LeCoq yesterday (they actually will have one more home game Wednesday when they host UK) and then proceeded to say goodbye to several softballs and Owl pitchers.

After a three run homer in the top of the first put the Cards and Caralisa Connell behind, UofL wasted no time in putting some numbers on the left field scoreboard. The Cards got one back in the bottom of the first when Kelsi Jones doubled and scored on a Brittany Duncan sac fly.

The fourth inning proved to be fruitful for the Cards offense...five runs on five hits...and Louisville led 6-3.

Maryssa Becker went fence with Brittany Duncan onboard in the fifth to increase the lead to five at 8-3. By then, Caralisa had given away to Becker in the circle.

The Cards ended it in the sixth when Jones led off the inning with her team-best ninth home run of the season. Four singles from Jordan McNary, Kristina Dillard, Autumn McDuffie and Taner Fowler produced the final two runs to stop the game at 11-3.

Cats Wednesday. This one will cost you $5 to watch inside Ulmer, but free seating will be available on the outfield berm.

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Vote for Katie Keller! The senior and nine other softball players are in competition for college Player of the Year. You can vote once a day and Katie could use your help for the Senior Class Award title.

Link below:

VOTE FOR KATIE EVERY DAY!

( UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'LL NEED TO COPY AND PASTE THE LINK WHEN YOU GET OVER THERE . I VOTED OFF THE LINK ABOVE EARLIER AND IT WOULDN'T LET ME VOTE AGAIN WHEN I WENT BACK A FEW MINUTES LATER TO TEST IT)

Katie Keller

School

Louisville

Position

Second Base

Major

Communications

 

Classroom

Katie Keller currently carries a 3.118 overall GPA and has had solid performances in the classroom throughout her career. The communications major has been named to the Athletic Director’s honor roll (3.0 or higher for the semester)three times and was a member of the Dean’s List. Following her junior season, when she earned All-America honor on the field, she was also selected to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

Character

Katie Keller is a leader both on and off the field. As a freshman, she stepped into a starting role at second base and gained the respect of her teammates and coaches with her communication skills. Her work ethic has never been called into question. She is dedicated and determined to improve herself and her teammates. Over the years, she has grown into a leader off the field as well, giving encouragement to teammates. Katie is always able to lighten up a tense moment with her sense of humor, but knows when to be serious. She is an intense competitor and a great teammate. We are fortunate to have Katie as a member of our team.

Community

Katie Keller has dedicated community service hours to several organizations including: Dreams with Wings, the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, the Humane Society, and the Hunger Walk. She has donated her time to help carve pumpkins with special needs children and assisted with a dance for people with disabilities who are residents of the Douglas Community Center in Louisville. Keller has also spent hours working with the Fit4Me program, in which UofL female athletes work with middle-school girls to improve their nutrition and fitness and encourage healthy habits,

Competition

Katie Kopeeller was recently named to the Top 50 Watch List for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She earned NFCA All-America second team honors in 2013 after registering a .402 batting average and 54 RBIs and belting out a team-best 12 home runs. She was also named to the All-Great Lakes Region and All-BIG EAST first teams as a junior. In 2013, Keller was one of the Top 25 Finalists for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

The three-year starter and three-time All-BIG EAST selection became the first player in program history to sweep Louisville Slugger/NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week honors on March 5, 2013. She is also two-time All-Great Lakes Region selection. She has an innate knowledge of the game and performs well under pressure.

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Our latest broadcast on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is now available on the SoundCloud. Several of you have e-mailed me about not being able to find the archived broadcasts. I hope the link below helps:

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO 04-26-14

Let us know...

WE will be out of the studio Derby Day...and back live again on 5/10/14.

We have (5) different Lacrosse interviews to hear on the 4/26/14 broadcast...two with Coach Kellie Young, two with Faye Brust and one with Kay Morissette. 

paulie

Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Softball enters crucial three game series...Radio Today!

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Pearsall's squad takes on Owls this weekend

- Radio Today!

- More "Talk Derby to me"

- Wanna follow Angel & Shoni on TV?


With only six conference games left and a non-conference meeting with UK at Ulmer on Wednesday night...the time is now for the softball Cards (28-18) to go on a regular-season ending win streak to bolster their chances in the AAC Softball tournament in Houston and for an NCAA bid. Prior to last weekend's debacle at UCF...where Louisville went 0-3...Louisville had won eight in a row.

The Cards are currently in third place in the AAC with a 9-6 mark. Ahead of them is UCF at 9-3 and Houston at 11-4. USF sits behind Louisville with a 7-5 mark.

The good news is that Louisville doesn't have to play any of the above three to end the season. After Temple, the Cards conclude the regular season at Memphis next weekend. The Tigers are in seventh place in the AAC with a 4-10 record.

Directly ahead is Temple, sitting in fifth place with Rutgers at 5-7. The Owls are 15-22 on the season.

It will be the second meeting lifetime between the two squads. Louisville shut out the Owls 8-0 last season in the Citrus Classic in Orlando on March 1st.

Temple is led by senior Sarah Prezioso, who is hitting .385 and leads the Owls in hits (45), runs (32), RBI's (22), stolen bases (16), home runs (8) and doubles (8). The team captains .708 slugging percentage leads the AAC.

In the circle, sophomore Kelsey Dominick (9-9) and freshman Amanda Gatt see most of the work. Dominick has three shut-outs on the season.

For UofL, second second baseman Katie Keller has been on fire lately and leads the team with a .393 batting average. She gets plenty of help from junior transfer Kelsi Jones, who leads Louisville with eight home runs, junior transfer Brittany Duncan and senior catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod. Marge leads the AAC in throwing out would-be base stealers.

The Cards will count on Maryssa Becker in the circle. The Oregon freshman is 12-5 and carries a 1.98 ERA. She's also a legit threat at the plate. Senior Rachel Le Coq has come around as of late when called on to pitch and the Cards do have senior Caralisa Connell and freshman Tierra Sanabria available if the Owl bats get busy.

First pitch is noon. The second game scheduled for around 2:30.

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CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO today at 11 a.m. We've got plenty to discuss with lacrosse, softball, golf, more Louisville women's sports and some great audio from lax's Faye Brust, Kay Morissette and Coach Young. We'll also try to stump Worldwide and the listening audience with another of Paulie's quizzes and Don Paulie holds court with another aspect of life he is confused about.

It's internet radio that defies description and that's the way we like it. Crescent Hill Radio is local stuff. Good to listen to at any time. Music, talk shows and comedy. Eventually the station will be on FM as well. We'll see if they keep us around after that...

Join us, won't you?

LINK BELOW:

http://www.crescenthillradio.com

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Another snippet of lunacy and babble has been posted over at my personal blog about that most unholiest of things...The Kentucky Derby. With Derby and Oaks just around the corner...I'll be striving to put a little "something, sumthin" over there each day.

You have been advised.

LINK:

http://www.paulsykes.com

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Fox Sports South and SportSouth have released their Atlanta Dream schedule for 2014. 15 games!

paulie

Friday Cardinal Couple -- Softball, Hoops and Tennis

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

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GAME UPDATE...Louisville defeats NIU 7-1 in first game of the FAU Classic. Cards get home runs from Kelsi Jones and Kayla Soles. Caralisa Connell and Maryssa Becker hold Huskies to two hits. Becker with 5 K's.

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- Softball ready to get it started

- Louisville WBB holding open media day Fri.

- Tennis sweeps Morehead St.

- Walz says he wants to keep the series going

Louisville softball begins the 2014 season Friday in Boca Raton, FL. with two games...facing Northern Illinois and FAU. Despite the Cards little time to prepare on actual field conditions because of the icy Louisville weather, Sandy Pearsall's crew are ready for the five game opening weekend in the Florida Atlantic Kick-Off Classic.

Louisville will open up against the Northern Illinois Huskies. NIU went 27-31 last season and finished second in the Mid-American Conference Championship. They return two All-MAC first team selections in Nicole Gremillion (.337, 41 runs) and pitcher Jessica Sturm (11-14, 2.93 ERA)

The nightcap pits UofL against the FAU Owls. The Boca Raton batters went 28-29 in 2013 and 1-2 in Sun Belt Conference Tournament play. Sluggers Carnesha Thompson (.312, 10 steals) and Christina Martinez (.307, 51 hits) return for the tournament hosts.

So who will the Cards put on the field? Shortshop Whitney Arion is probably a game-time decision with shoulder issues...let's look at the potential starting lineup...

PITCHER

Caralisa Connell will most likely draw the start. She was 25-5 last year with a 2.45 ERA. Steady Rachel LeCoq will see action in Boca Raton as well. She went 22-8 in 2013 and produced a 2.12 ERA. Both were All-BIG EAST selections. Pearsall will most likely use freshmen Tiarra Sanabria and Maryssa Becker to deliver strikes also during the Classic. 

CATCHER

Maggie Ruckenbrod returns to glove the mound offerings and throw out would-be base-stealers. "Peg" batted .331 last season and has thrown out 23 potential thieves in her career. Taner Fowler, another senior, can don the gear and crouch in front of the ump. It's one of several field positions she's adept at. She swings a mean bat as well...currently seventh in Louisville career home run hitters with 26 bombs over Brandeis St.

FIRST BASE

Louisville looks to replace Alicja Wolny with either Fowler or transfer Brittany Duncan at the bag. Sanabria or Becker have experience there also. WE expect to see TF there when she isn't behind the plate and Duncan covering if Fowler is catching or at designated hitter.




SECOND BASE

Three time ALL-BIG EAST Katie Keller will start here for Pearsall. She was a All-American selection last season and hit .402 with 54 RBI's and a team-leading 12 home runs. Pearsall lists freshman Paige Alford and Hannah Kiyohara as backups.


SHORTSTOP

If Arion can't go, Pearsall could look to either Kiyohara or one of the freshmen to cover. Arion, a junior who started there as a freshman, batted .300 in 2013 and was also an ALL BIG-EAST pick. Both Rachel Houck and Autumn McDuffie played shortstop in high school

THIRD BASE

Kayla Soles will get the nod after Katelyn Mann's graduation. The two shared the spot last year. Soles ive hit .309 and sent five taters out of the garden. Fowler and Rachel Houck can go there if needed.

OUTFIELD

With Jennifer Esteban and Jordan Trimble graduated, Kiyohara is the lone returning starter. Brittany Sims saw time patrolling the grass last season and will compete with Missouri transfer Kelsi Jones and freshmen Morgan Meyer and Autumn McDuffie if Kiyohara moves to the infield. Jordan McNary, another freshman, will get looks there also.

The Cards get it started today at 4 p.m. against NIU. It'll be on GameTracker and we're pretty sure there will be tweets about it as well through UofLSoftball.

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There will be a media opportunity Friday @ 1:30 to talk to UofL head WBB Coach Jeff Walz and selected Cardinal players before the team departs for Connecticut. No word on which players will be answering questions...but CARDINAL COUPLE will be there with the TASCAM DR-05 in hand to digitally record voice impressions.

Linear PCM Recorders rule.

We'll sample the remarks on the SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE Radio Show (11 a.m.)...so make sure and listen.

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The UofL women's tennis team swept Morehead yesterday in the BAss-Rudd Center 7-0.

Winning their volleys were singles participants:

Becca Shine    6-3, 6-3
Manuela Velasquez   6-4, 6-0
Becky Bodine   6-0, 6-0
Cassie Pough   6-5, 6-3
Olivia Boesing  6-2, 6-1

In doubles...

Julia Fellerhoff/Rebecca Shine   6-0
Manuela Velasquez/Elle Stokes   6-0

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JOHN ALTAVILA from the Hartford Courant talked with Jeff Walz about the game and the rivalry. His article is below:

Great news from Louisville coach Jeff Walz this afternoon as we all prepare for Sunday’s showdown between No. 1 UConn and No. 4 Louisville at Gampel Pavilion. The game will be for first place in The American between the only two teams without a conference loss so far.

Although Louisville is leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference after the season, Walz says that there have already been substantive talks about a multiple-year deal to play again, likely beginning in 2015-16. Why is this important? Duh? Without Notre Dame, Rutgers and Louisville around next year, UConn is going to need a strong non-conference schedule to keep its attention span in tact – perhaps forever.

The Notre Dame series begins again next year in South Bend. And now Louisville, who has twice lost to UConn in national championship games in the last five years, will likely be back, too.

“I enjoying competing against [Geno Auriemma],” Walz said Thursday. “We have to figure out a way somehow to beat him. So until we do, it’s not a rivalry in my mind. It’s just a game. He is 10-0 against my teams. It’s not a rivalry until we beat him.

“But I have had people calling me, wondering if we’re going to play UConn again after we leave for the ACC next season. Are we going to do it? Yes. We are going to do it. I know it’s hard to prepare for them because there is so much to prepare for. But you know his kids are always going to play hard.

“We’re working on something, although it won’t be next year. I have to be concerned right now
about not killing myself [competitively] after going to the ACC, especially after graduating as many kids as we are [after this season]. I’m likely in a spot where I’ll start two or three freshman next season. But I’m thinking, unless we can figure something out for next year, we will start a two- or four-year home and home in 2015-16. There have already been discussions about it.”

Also, Walz said Louisville will be without both guard Bria Smith and forward Shawnta Dyer on Sunday. Smith has a knee injury; Dyer a stress fracture.

“I wish Bria was healthy,” Walz said. “Her athleticism helps us so much on both ends. But we’re excited about [the game]. It’s going to be fun. Is the end-all, end-all? No. But it’s going to be a great environment to play; two teams excited to play and one of them is going to emerge a game up in first place in the league.”

(WALZ WAS ALSO ON JODY DEMLING'S TALK SHOW FRIDAY MORNING SAYING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. SMITH WILL UNDERGO A KNEE PROCEDURE THAT IS PREVENTATIVE IN NATURE SO SHE WON'T BE IN CONSTANT PAIN THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AND WILL SIT AGAINST THE HUSKIES. DYER? YEAH, WE KNEW THAT. SUNDAY. 1 PM. ON ESPN. IT'S GO TIME) 

School	Conf	CPct.	Overall	Pct.	Streak
UConn	11-0	1.000	24-0	1.000	W24
Louisville	11-0	1.000	23-1	0.958	W16
Rutgers	8-3	0.727	17-5	0.773	W2
USF	7-4	0.636	12-10	0.545	W1
SMU	5-6	0.455	14-8	0.636	L1
Temple	5-6	0.455	11-11	0.500	W1
Memphis	4-7	0.364	11-12	0.478	L2
Cincinnati	2-9	0.182	9-13	0.409	L3
UCF	2-9	0.182	9-13	0.409	L1
Houston	0-11	0.000	4-18	0.182	L11

paulie
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Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Softball ranked 19th in USA Today Preseason poll

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Cards, USF only AAC teams in top 25


The USA Today/Coaches poll was released a couple of days ago and the University of Louisville softball team has been ranked 19th. The poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches...one from each conference.

Louisville finished the 2013 season with a 47-13 record and went to the NCAA Tournament for the tenth season in a row. The Cards were a #18 preseason selection last year and were ranked as high as eighth in the regular season.

Louisville also hosted regional action in the tournament last year but was sent to the sidelines by UCLA in a game most Cardinal softball fans would like to forget...the Bruins putting a 19-2 pasting on UofL. The Cards went 18-4 in their final season in the BIG EAST Conference but got eliminated in the conference tournament by USF.

USF is the only other AAC team in the preseason top 25...sneaking in at 25th. They are a dangerous bunch and talented pitcher Sara Nevins returns for them.

As for Sandy Pearsall's sluggers...plenty of talent returns for the 2014 season. All BIG EAST team members Whitney Arion, Caralisa Connell, Hannah Kiyohara, Caralisa Connell, Rachel Le Coq and Maggie Ruckenbrod will suit up and take the field. 2012 All-American Taner Fowler is back also.

Oh, yeah...some kid named Keller is returning. It's said she can hit a bit. She was also on the 2013 All-American team.

Louisville adds 10 newcomers to the lineup and the pitching staff that fell apart at the seams because of injuries at the end of the 2013 season gets Connell and LeCoq back and is bolstered by the arrival of two highly heralded freshmen flamethrowers.

One other team from Kentucky was selected in the top 25...that school located in Lexington. They check in at 12th.

UK will be on the Cards schedule again this season twice and Sandy's squad will also face in-state schools EKU, WKU, and NKU. The Cards will also go up against preseason ranked #5 Michigan and get a rematch against #16 UCLA.

The Top Ten in the poll?

1) Tennessee              6) Alabama
2) Oklahoma               7) Arizona State
3) Washington             8) Oregon
4) Florida                    9) Nebraska
5) Michigan                 10) Texas

The Cards get it started on Feb. 7th. in Boca Raton, FL. at the FAU Kickoff. UofL's first home game will be in the Cardinal Classic against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 21st.

Louisville will play 56 regular season games before American Athletic Conference Tournament action starts on May 8th. in Houston, TX.

Softball in Louisville in late Feburary...

With the current arctic blast encompassing Louisville today on Jan 23rd...it sounds foreboding. We all know how weather can be around this region, though, in late Feb.-early March. T-shirts and shorts one week and parka and gloves the next.

UofL staff underlings duck and cover as Paulie takes a
photo of Coach Sandy Pearsall and Sonja

With the returning crew and a cast of talented newcomers, it looks like Pearsall has plentiful and powerful players to punish the patsies in AAC play. USF will be a threat. Houston got a couple of "others receiving votes".

As we've said in several sports this year...we're not looking to buy, we're just renting for a year before moving into the mansion...when it comes to the AAC. It is interesting to note...however...that only (1) ACC school got top-25 recognition. Florida State landed 15th. in the poll.

Ulmer Stadium is undergoing a facelift/renovation and the press box is being enlarged. That's good...means I won't have to sit on milk crates or in the utility closet this year.

Maybe...

Chalk up the baselines, warm "Marge-Peg's" arm up and stock up on the Texas Roadhouse peanuts. The annual ding of the bat and bombardment of the grassy knoll at Arthur and Brandeis streets is less than a month away.

paulie
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Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Is Maggie Ruckenbrod the best catcher in College Softball?

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Maggie Ruckenbrod set for a sensational senior season.

I had the opportunity to hear UofL softball coach Sandy Pearsall and senior catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod speak at a dinner Wednesday night. A wonderful presentation by both and it served to fire me up about the upcoming UofL softball season.

It got me thinking about the squad and more directly about Maggie's role on the team this year. You remember Maggie, don't you? The fear and loathing of potential base runners this year in The American has to be off the charts.

Ask Oklahoma. Ask UCF.  See the parade of disillusioned would-be base pilferers while they walk dejectedly back to the dugout after arriving at second or third to find the ball already there.....delivered from Ruckenbrod's rifle right arm...and a smiling Cardinal infielder waiting to tag them out.

You don't step on Superman's cape.
You don't spit in the wind when it's large
You don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger
And you don't try to steal on Marge.

She'll have four pitchers to train, coddle, direct and handle this season. Two seniors (Le Coq and Connell) and two freshmen (Becker and Sanabria). For Cardinal fans who watched the collapse of the pitching staff in the NCAA Regionals...this is good news. And, it is rumored that the freshmen hurlers can also hit...quite well, in fact.

Oh, yeah. Marge can hit a bit, too. She led the team in doubles last season and had seven home runs. Here's a recap of her junior year:

2013 All-Great Lakes Region Second Team Selection
2013 All-BIG EAST Third Team SelectionAs a junior (2013): Started 59 games... Posted a .331 batting average with seven home runs, and tied for a team and conference-best 18 doubles... Third on the team with 41 RBIs... Fourth on the team with 35 runs... Selected to the All-Great Lakes Region second team... Named to the All-BIG EAST third team... Hit two home runs in the 16-2 win over Providence (4/9)... Scored a career-high three runs in the 17-6 win over Providence (49)... Two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week (3/18 and 4/15)... CollegeSportsMadness.com Big East Player of the Week (3/18)... Hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 4-2 win over No. 24 North Carolina (3/15)... Owns career record for pickoffs (23); and single season pickoff record (11 in 2011); currently has 10... Went 2 for 4 with four RBIs in the 9-3 win over Illinois State... Set a school record by throwing out three base stealers in the 5-3 win over UCF... Hit a home run in the 6-2 win over No. 11 LSU (3/3).

We're thinking she's the best catcher in NCAA Women's Softball. The hard part is realizing she's entering her senior season. Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday she was behind the plate...as a freshman...with the Big Wol at first, C.B. at the hot corner and torrid Tori Collins in the circle....

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The UofL Softball "Bullpen" Dinner is Jan 25th. at the Brown and Williamson Club in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. For ticket and more information, go to www.gocards.com

It's a good evening. We suggest you go!

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CARDINAL COUPLE COLUMNIST AND STAFF HOOPS GURU JENNY SENDS THIS ABOUT  THE MCDONALD'S GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAME NOMINATIONS AND A LINK:

4 out of the 5 2014 signees are nominated!

http://epkzone.com/2014allamericangames/media/2014_MCDAAG_NomineeList.pdf

Mariya Moore

Syd Brackmyre

Myisha Hines-Allen

Ariana Freema

Arica Carter…is the only one who did not make the nomination list.

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paulie
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Tuesday Cardinal Couple

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

THE END OF THE YEAR....WHILE COLD WEATHER WRAPS THE LOUISVILLE REGION, A YOUNG MAN'S THOUGHTS NATURALLY TURN TO...SOFTBALL? OUR COLUMNIST WORLDWIDE JEFF MCADAMS, BUNDLED UP IN HIS WINTER COAT AND SCARF, SENDS THIS REPORT ON THE SOFTBALL CLASS THAT RECENTLY SIGNED IN NOVEMBER AND WILL TAKE THE FIELD OF HONOR IN THE 2015 SEASON. IT IS OVER A YEAR BEFORE THESE YOUNG LADIES WILL DEBUT IN GAME ACTION. NEVER FEAR, THOUGH...JEFF IS ALREADY OUT AT ULMER WITH HIS 19 COMMUNICATION DEVICES AWAITING THE STRIKES, BALLS, HOME RUNS AND HOLDING HIS MARGE RUCKENBROD POSTER...



Mid-November was the early signing period for many sports.  WE here at the Cardinal Couple had information in a few of our articles at the time about the signing classes for some of our sports, but didn't cover them all.  I'd like to rectify that oversight a bit, now.  Let's talk Softball today.

The New Signees

For spring sports such as Softball and Women's Lacrosse, the early signing really is early.  The class
that signed in November of 2013 won't play their first competitions for their signed schools for approximately 15 months after their signing, with first games for spring sports typically being in the early February timeframe, and for this signing class, that will be February of 2015.

Sydney Benz

Sydney will be joining us from the Chicago area as an infielder/short stop.  An impressive batter, Benz received several honors for her 2013 season where she chalked up a .459 batting average.  Sydney has also received a number of academic honors.

Whitney Arion is our current starting short stop and is a junior this year, so Sydney will likely have a year to watch and learn from Whit's senior year in the position or look to apply her skills in other infield positions...Katie Keller will be graduating from second base, for example.

Bridgette Flaherty

Bridgette will be making a trip to the north to come to Louisville, coming from the Atlanta, GA area,
specifically Woodstock, GA.  Flaherty will be only the second every southpaw pitcher for the Louisville Cardinals.  Flaherty has also picked up several honors in the academic realm in addition to being a force to be reckoned with from 43 feet away.

Rachel LeCoq and Caralisa "Carl" Connell will both be graduating at the end of this 2014 season.  While Coach Pearsall has picked up several pitchers in the current freshmen class, we don't want a repeat from the 2013 post-season where we ran out of pitching steam at the end of the season.  Besides, there are few enough left-handed pitchers in the college game that being able to put a leftie out there is very valuable.

Sydney Melton

This is actually
Syd Brackemyer.
I snuck her pic
in to see if you are
paying attention

 

OK, what is it with all of the Sydneys coming in next fall?  Two here for Softball along with Sydney Brackmyre coming in to be on the Women's Basketball team, we're going to be overloaded with Sydneys.  Well, that just means I have fewer names to have to learn how to spell.

Melton is also a short stop, so there may be some competition for that position in this class.  Sydney comes to us from Columbus, OH.  This is beginning to become a familiar refrain...Sydney has also earned number academic honors in high school.

Sydney has also competed in Swimming, Basketball, and some Track & Field, though we have no word about her participating in any of these sports at UofL.

Ashley Nikolao

The lone Kentuckian of the class, Ashley will just be coming a short distance up the
road from Flaherty, KY and Meade County High School.  As a utility player, Nikolao can fill in any position on the field.

Yes, you guessed it, numerous academic honors for Ashley as well.  In addition, Nikolao made the first-team All-State team here in Kentucky twice.

Madi Norman

How's this number grab you?  .639 for a high school career batting average.  That means Madi plays one of the traditional power positions like catcher or first base, right?  Nope, she's a pitcher.

And, yes, do I really even need to say it?  Norman has quite a few academic honors as well.  Madi hails from Tipton, MO, pretty much right in the middle of the state.

Alison Szydlowski

"Szydlowski", you're kidding me, right?  Another "Sid", Alison hails from Imperial, MO, which sounded familiar to me and took me a minute to realize that UofL Volleyballer Haley Pouliezos is also from Imperial.  Apparently you have to have a hard-to-spell last name if you're from Imperial.

Szydlowski is a catcher and third baseman.  Current Cardinal catchers and Cardinal Couple favorites
Maggie "Marge" Ruckenbrod and Taner Fowler both graduate after this season, so we'll be looking for another catcher to pick off runners at second base.  Conveniently, Alison played in the same club program that Ruckenbrod did, so might we see another productive pairing between Alison Szydlowski and perhaps Sydney Benz like we have with Marge Ruckenbrod and Katie Keller?

Oh yeah, can't forget a fair number of academic honors here as well.

Bullpen Club Dinner

Sidney Melton. See I
didn't forget to add her pic.

While we're on the subject of Softball, a reminder that the Bullpen Club Dinner is January 25th at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.  Featured speaker for the night is Olympian and four-time All American pitcher Monica Abbott.  Doors to the Brown & Williamson Club at PJCS will open at 6 for a reception with the dinner and program to start at 7:30.  To reserve your seats, you can contact the always-delightful Christy Waltrip at Christy@gocards.com.

I had intended to attend this event but will be out of town that week and so will be unable to be there.  You can be sure, though, that I will make some appearances at the newly renovated Ulmer Stadium this spring to cheer on the Softball Cards.

JEFF MCADAMS

WE HOPE ALL OUR READERS HAVE A SAFE AND FUN NEW YEAR'S EVE AND REMIND YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE TONIGHT. WE'LL PREVIEW THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST TEMPLE IN PHILLY NEXT YEAR TOMORROW HERE AT THE C.C.

WE ALSO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE OUT CELEBRATING THIS EVENING AND HAVE "HAD ONE TOO MANY"...DO THE RIGHT THING AND CALL A CAB OR APPOINT A DESIGNATED DRIVER.  REMEMBER, IT'S 'AMATEUR NIGHT' OUT THERE AND THE COPS WILL BE WATCHING...
SO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DON'T DRIVE DRUNK.

PAULIE

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