Louisville baseball is set for its first pitch against East Tennessee State on Friday, May 30, at 2 p.m. local time in Nashville, Tenn. The Cardinals return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 and will look to advance to the Super Regional, but they will face a tough road ahead.
Louisville has had an up-and-down season as the Cardinals ended the season, losing five of their last six and seven of their previous 10, losing in the first round, and being upset by the Pitt Panthers in the 2025 ACC Baseball Tournament. The Cardinals have also shown huge potential this season as five players earned All-ACC honors and helped Dan McDonnell and his Cards' earn the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cardinals now look to turn the page as their road to Omaha will run through the Nashville region. The Nashville region will consist of the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance, Vanderbilt, ETSU, and Wright State. We are here to break down the history Louisville has with all three schools and recent postseason numbers for Dan McDonnell's Cardinals.
Louisville baseball’s NCAA Tournament journey starts with these key stats
The Regional round is a double-elimination tournament, and the winner of the bracket will advance to the Super Regionals. The Cardinals' head coach has an impressive 36-12 record in Regionals, but his record on the road doesn't impress many. When he doesn't host the Regionals from his home stadium, he is just 8-7.
McDonnell has led the Cardinals to the Super Regionals nine times, but has only led the Cardinals once when they were not hosting the tournament. Louisville has had a tough schedule as they are 12-14 against Quadrant 1 programs, but the Cardinals have held their ground against the elite teams.
The Louisville Cardinals have been battle-tested all year long, boasting an astounding 4-1 record against the top five overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament and a 6-2 record against the top nine national seeds in the Big Dance.
As for the Cardinals' history against the three teams in the Nashville region, Louisville has played these three teams a total of 44 times with a 20-24 record. The Cardinals have never played ETSU, making their first matchup a crucial game for their road to Omaha.
As for Vanderbilt and Wright State, the Cards hold a 13-21 record against the Commodores but are 6-1 in their last seven matchups with Vandy from Nashville. The Cardinals are 5-5 in their last 10 matchups with Vanderbilt, including their 5-4 victory on May 6 this season at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Louisville had a 0-3 record against Vanderbilt when they met in the NCAA Tournament in Omaha. As for Wright State, the Cardinals hold a 7-3 record against the Raiders.
The Cardinals' journey to Omaha starts Friday from Hawkins Field against ETSU. If the Cards earn a win in Game 1, then they advance to the winners' bracket and play the winner of Vanderbilt and Wright State at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 31. If they lose, they play the loser at 3 p.m. local time on Saturday.
Louisville will need to earn three wins in the Regionals to advance to the Super Regional round. For all the latest on Louisville baseball's postseason run, stay tuned.