The Louisville Cardinals will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Like basketball, the Cardinals were drawn into a brutal region. Dan McDonnell and his squad will be in the Nashville Regional and must go through the No. 1 overall team, the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Louisville baseball was drawn as the No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The other two teams rounding out the Nashville Regional are East Tennessee State, the No. 3 regional seed, and Wright State, the No. 4 regional seed.
The Cardinals' path to the Super Regionals and Omaha is tough, but anything is possible with McDonnell as their lead skipper. Louisville has made it to the Super Regionals nine times with McDonell in charge, including the last time they made the Big Dance in 2022.
Immediate observation from Louisville baseball's NCAA Tournament draw
The full schedule has not yet been released, but Cardinals fans do know that Louisville's first game in the Nashville Regional will be against the No. 3 seed in East Tennessee State. Vandy will start against the No. 4 seed in Wright State.
The Regional round is double-elimination and will start Friday, May 30. The Cardinals have played these three teams 44 times with a 20-24 record. Louisville has never played its first-round matchup with East Tennessee State before this postseason, but it has played Wright State 10 times with a 7-3 record. Louisville has played Vanderbilt 34 times, as the Cards have a 13-21 record against the No. 1 seed.
The Cardinals have a 4-1 record against the top five seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including wins over the top two seeds in Vanderbilt and Texas. On May 6, in a one-game series, the Cardinals beat the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and their Region, Vanderbilt. Louisville was led by Lucas Moore, who had three RBIs. Louisville defeated the Commodores 5-4 at Jim Patterson Stadium.
McDonnell has a 36-12 record in the Regional round but has struggled when he doesn't host from his home stadium. The Cardinals' head coach is just 8-7 when he has to travel for the Regionals.
For all the latest on Louisville baseball and recruiting, stay tuned.
Important dates to know
- Regionals: May 30-June 2
- Super Regionals: June 6-9
- College World Series Games: Begins June 13
- College World Series: June 21-23