PREVIEW: Kentucky and No. 14 Louisville to clash in Battle of the Bluegrass

Kentucky and No. 14 Louisville will clash in the annual Battle of the Bluegrass for the 125th time on Tuesday. The ‘Cats lead the all-time series 73-50-1 and won the first ever game played between the two programs on April 13, 1925 (8-2).

Although the Louisville program has suffered a few down years (missed the NCAA Tournament in both 2023 and 2024), the Cardinals look well on their way back to the Big Dance this season. Dan McDonnell’s team is currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the Athens (Georgia) Regional.

A season removed from their first ever Men’s College World Series appearance, the ‘Cats are currently in a bit of a tight spot. After opening the SEC with a 5-7 record, Kentucky’s next two conference series are against No. 2 Texas (at home) and No. 5 Tennessee (on the road). A win over the No. 14 ranked Cardinals, which would be its second in a row for the first time since April 1 & April 15, 2014, would be a major RPI boost for Nick Mingione’s team.

No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (24-7, 8-4)

Louisville, which has won 24 of its 31 games this season and opened ACC play with an 8-4 record, jumped four spots in this week’s D1Baseball Top 25 Rankings to No. 14. Tuesday’s game will mark the 28th since 2003 with the Cardinals ranked inside the Top 25, and Kentucky is 9-18 in those games.

Not only does Louisville boast a conference series win over No. 16 North Carolina, but the Cardinals also opened the season with wins over No. 2 Texas and No. 24 Arizona in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. Their RPI currently sits at No. 33, which is 11 spots higher than Kentucky (No. 44).

As a team, Louisville is hitting for a .325 batting average, which ranks ninth in the country. Six different batters (with at least 90 at-bats totaled this season) are hitting over .300, led by junior third baseman Jake Munroe (.390) and sophomore outfielders Lucas Moore (.378) and Zion Rose (.341). Moore in particular has been a demon on the base paths, as he’s successfully stolen 24 bases and has yet to be thrown out.

Freshman first baseman Tague Davis has emerged as one of the breakout freshmen in all of College Baseball, as his 12 home runs are most in the country hit by a freshman. Nationally, he is tied for 21st in NCAA with 12 other players.

On the pitching side, the Cardinals boast a 5.08 ERA, which ranks 85th nationally. Junior right-handed pitcher Patrick Forbes, who boasts a 2-1 record with a 4.24 ERA in 40 1/3 innings this season, was just named to the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball. His 69 strikeouts lead all ACC arms.

However, Kentucky will likely face sophomore left-hander TJ Schlageter, who started last Tuesday’s midweek game against Indiana. In 13 1/3 innings pitched this season, Schlageter is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. The ‘Cats will likely see a slew of arms however, as eight different arms pitched for the ‘Cards in last season’s Battle of the Bluegrass.

Louisville has won 13 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams, including eight of the last 10 at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Kentucky Wildcats (18-11, 5-7)

Kentucky will be attempting to win its second consecutive game over for Louisville Tuesday night for the first time since 2014.

The ‘Cats nearly won their second consecutive conference series over No. 6 Ole Miss last weekend, but dropped the last two games of the series by a combined three runs. Miscues and lack of execution especially cost them Saturday’s series finale, as at least two Wildcat base runners reached scoring position in four of the last seven innings and just one run was scored.

Freshman shortstop Tyler Bell however continued his high level of play in the series, as he is now 11-26 (.423) with five doubles, a home run and seven RBIs over his last six SEC games against Texas A&M and No. 6 Ole Miss. His season batting average is up to .333, which ranks fifth among freshmen in the conference.

As a whole, the ‘Cats are hitting for a .279 batting average, which ranks 137th in the NCAA. Just three batters are hitting for at least a .300 average, including Bell, senior outfielder Cole Hage (.350) and senior third baseman Patrick Herrera (.333). Senior catcher Devin Burkes, who is hitting for a .295 average this season, is 1-5 at the plate in two games against Louisville.

Freshman right-hander Nate Harris has been Kentucky’s midweek starter all season, but started Friday’s series opener against No. 6 Ole Miss. His status, along with who will start Tuesday’s game for Kentucky, is currently up in the air.

Since taking over as head coach in 2017, Nick Mingione is just 4-9 in 13 games against Louisville. He’ll be looking for win number five Tuesday night, as first pitch between the ‘Cats and ‘Cards is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST at Jim Patterson Stadium.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Kentucky leads 73-50-1

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (Kentucky Proud Park – 7:00 p.m. EST) ACC Network
UK: TBA vs LOU: RHP TJ Schlageter (2-0, 2.02 ERA, 13.1 IP)

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