LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville’s late-season surge now includes a championship — and a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals.
The Cardinals blanked Wright State 6-0 on Sunday night to sweep the Nashville Regional and advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
It marks the 10th NCAA Regional title under head coach Dan McDonnell, and this one came on the home field of the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Vanderbilt — a weekend in which Louisville beat East Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, and Wright State without suffering a loss.
Sunday’s win featured more of what carried the Cardinals through the bracket: timely hitting and dominant pitching.
Freshman starter Ethan Eberle struck out a career-high 11 batters over 6 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and three walks. Wyatt Danilowicz finished the job out of the bullpen, striking out four more to preserve the shutout. Louisville’s pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and no runs allowed for the second time in three games during the regional.
“It’s awesome just how well we pitched,” coach Dan McDonnell said on the ACC Network postgame broadcast. “We had our moments this year. We went through some struggles. But we just kept working, kept learning. When you pitch, it makes up for a lot.”
Outfielder Eddie King Jr., who returned to Louisville after going undrafted last summer, delivered a key two-run double to open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. King, who had never previously played in the NCAA postseason, said the moment validated his decision to come back.
“The draft didn’t work out for me, so I instantly knew I wanted to come back here,” King said. “I texted Coach, ‘Omaha it is.’”
After losing four of its last five games heading into the tournament, including a one-and-done showing in the ACC Tournament, Louisville suddenly looks like a complete team — and for good reason.
“We’re not 100 percent healthy,” McDonnell said, “but we’ve basically got the lineup we started the year with. That’s made a big difference.”
The Cardinals played the entire weekend with the same starting nine. And with contributions up and down the order — plus a deep bullpen — Louisville has looked more like a team on a mission than one limping into the bracket.
The NCAA will announce Super Regional sites and matchups after Monday night’s game between Miami and Southern Miss. If Miami wins, Louisville will host the next round at Jim Patterson Stadium. If Southern Miss wins, the Cardinals will travel to Hattiesburg.
“We’ve played our best at Jim Patterson Stadium,” McDonnell told the ACC Network. “But at this point, we’ll go wherever. We’re just glad we get another week together.”
Either way, they’re still playing. And still believing.
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