From 2007 nostalgia and RV parties to the 2026 roster, we explore the history and future of Louisville baseball in Omaha.

Hey, what’s up Louisville? Chances are, if the last name looks familiar to you, and you’ve hung around local Twitter (now Bluesky – I quit Twitter for purely political reasons), then you’ve seen what started as me live-tweeting Louisville baseball games from on top of an RV in left field somewhere around 2009/2010.

If memory serves me, I’m almost certain I had 3 followers (give or take), until Mark Ennis quote-tweeted one of those and made some joke about ‘we now have a guy-live tweeting Louisville baseball – we’ve arrived.” After that, my following exploded to literally tens of followers, and here we are years later.

That’s my joke, there’s the hook, so now let’s talk baseball – but we’re going to travel a bit back in time before we get to the current squad that takes the field on February 13th.

A trip down memory lane

George Carlin once said “Baseball is pastoral.”

For context, he was comparing it to football and the ways in which the two sports differ and how baseball and its fans tend to take the sport too seriously, all the way down to its ‘unwritten rules.’ I never stepped on chalk lines, I put my left cleat on first every time, and I always dug my back (right) foot into the batter’s box first. Things like ‘never discussing a no-hitter,’ or not washing your pants after a game, whichever baseball superstition you believe in whole-heatedly is fine, but the bottom line is that it’s a game that thinks way too highly of itself most of the time. It’s a gorgeous game though, and recent improvements like the pitch clock have made otherwise plodding slogs of contests relatively more easy to watch or listen to.

I was a freshman at UofL in 2003, and my first baseball game at Old Cardinal Stadium was in 2004. I played AAU ball with and against a bunch of those guys – Jason Payton, Isaiah Howes, Dan Burton (lifelong friend and New Albany High School teammate), Scott Jenkins just to name a few. I say my first game was at Old Cardinal…it was in the stands.

Getting a total of one offer to play in the NAIA ranks was the extent of my talent, so I had to watch these guys in the days where you could prop your feet up on the dugout and if you yelled at the ump there was a good chance he’d hear you because the cavernous empty stadium echoed the sound right to his ears.

Just two years removed from their first EVER (more on that in a minute) NCAA tournament appearance, All-American Mark Jurich was a senior that year, which might have been the only notable thing about that bunch who lost to USC to open the season but did notch a win over Kentucky in Lexington before going two-and-barbecue (0-2) in the Conference USA Tournament. 

Build it and they will come

2005 was similar, but with a different backdrop. Gone were games in Old Cardinal Stadium and in was the brand new, pristine, Jim Patterson Stadium, with field turf in the infield instead of astroturf over concrete. It was a shock to see such a modern, nice facility for a program with one tournament appearance and exactly zero tradition and history. Boomer Whiting and J.T. LaFountain led the team in batting average, BJ Rosenberg led in wins with 5, and Griffin Bailey posted the best ERA on the staff. That team went 0-2 against Kentucky, and 0-2 again in the C-USA Tournament, though they did post a winning record overall and in-conference.

Again in 2006, you could start to see something different, this time within the team and not just in the facility itself. Lelo Prado had the team at least visibly performing better. From my eyes, they were starting to knock on the door of the middle-top of Conference USA and it felt like stealing an at-large bid to their second NCAA tournament was not too far-fetched an idea, although that team started 0-6. In that pitching rotation was a freshman pitcher named Chad Green – yeah, THAT Chad Green, although not during that season.

They had a freshman infielder that year named Chris Dominguez – yeah, THAT Chris Dominguez, although not during that season. Six guys finished the season that year batting over .300, and a couple breaks one way or another and that year could have had a much better outcome than 31-29 and 17-10 in the conference, but alas…no NCAA tournament.

How Dan McDonnell changed everything

Do we need to talk about 2007? I’ve taken you down memory lane for that reason, because for me, your new State of Louisville Baseball Writer, 2007 is why I’m here. Lelo Prado split for South Florida to coach the Bulls. He had won his 300th career game at UofL, and felt like USF gave him a better shot at consistent postseason opportunities.

Then-Athletic Director Tom Jurich tapped Ole Miss assistant Dan McDonnell to lead the Cardinals (I may refer to him as DFM – but you can pick whether or not you say ‘frickin’ when emphasizing that ‘F’).

Beating Miami in a regional final. Temporary bleachers at Jim Patterson Stadium, Oklahoma State and their history. I still get a little emotional thinking about it, and you can still find ‘Why Not Us’ by Mike Rutherford over at Card Chronicle who writes circles around me, which is a full history of that run to Omaha. Omaha. It seemed impossible.

You just wanted the team to make the tournament, and then they did. And then there I was, finding Dan Burton after the final out, he was on one side of the backstop netting and I was on the other.

Two kids from New Albany who grew up playing together and neither of us could process what the heck has just taken place. I remember the only words exchanged in that moment were ‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!’ as he was fresh off of Louisville’s first ever dogpile. It felt monumental, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted the run of success to come.

Things changed after that. Once the slipper fits, you want to shed the Cinderella title. You want number two. You want to hear Adam Duritz of Counting Crows singing ‘…somewhere in middle america’ again (did I get choked up writing that? Yeah, I’m not too proud to admit). The fans were starting to notice and to go to more games. Left Field became a thing – and I can’t to this day thank George, Andrew, and Nick (may he rest peacefully) Rodman for the chance to enjoy games from the top of their RV.

The ESPN cameras loved finding us out there, and we loved playing to the cameras. It was always a party, make no mistake, and I had the sunburns and hangovers to prove it. We tossed beers back and forth from RV to RV, sang karaoke, coordinated cheers with the students watching from the roofs of the houses along 3rd Street. Baseball in Louisville, from the college standpoint, had truly arrived, and to this day the one conspiracy I firmly believe, because I was 25 feet from the foul pole in left field, is that that homerun was a foul ball. You know what I’m talking about.

Also read: 5 local Louisville restaurants you need to try today

Nostalgia to now

It’s 2026, and we are almost ready to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that first trip to Omaha, and there have been five since. Six trips to Omaha, and last year’s Cardinals made the baseball equivalent of the Final Four. That team last year was full of warriors, guys who had endured backbreaking losses that kept them out of the tournament the previous two years since the 2022 team lost to Texas A&M in the College Station Super Regional. We won’t talk about the COVID-shortened 2020 season, because you could also probably make me say “Louisville baseball was going to win the College World Series in 2020” and it wouldn’t take an ounce of bourbon to make me say it.

Sandwiched in between the last two College World Series appearances and the Super Regional run in 2022 were three really uninspiring seasons. Pitching seemed to be…off. Timely hitting seemed to escape those squads. Complimentary baseball was something that I was just yelling at my TV while just HOPING that I could fire off one of my complete nonsense home run tweets. Yeah those are probably also why I’m here. I know some former players used to have fun with those too. Alex Binelas and his family would name-search him on twitter and give them a like, probably wondering ‘is that guy ok upstairs?’ while doing so. Not to call out Alex, but he was the subject of a LOT of really dumb home run celebration tweets, although I don’t think one stands out as much perhaps as whichever one came after Cam Masterman broke Michigan’s heart in 2022.

How can you not be romantic about baseball? For me it’s always been more about how can you continue to make baseball fun and irreverent so that it’s not the sport that takes itself too seriously? We took the long way to the point by tripping through some of the depths of my personal fan hood that include precisely those efforts that started in 2007, continued through the 2010s, and now here we are in 2026.

So…who is THIS Louisville team? Who is going to take the field against Michigan State next month when the season opens at home?

2026 Louisville baseball roster breakdown

Let’s dive in to your 2026 Louisville baseball team that starts the season ranked #8 by D1 Baseball and #16 by Perfect Game. After Kamau Neighbors, Tanner Shiver, Garett Pike, and Brennyn Cutts exhausted their eligibility, losing Eddie King Jr. (GOAT), Jake Munroe, Patrick Forbes, Matt Klein, Tucker Biven, Justin West, and ridiculously talented high school signee Peter Kussow to the MLB draft, and Tagger Tyson, Nate Earley, Alex Gay, Ethan Edinger, Michael Lippe (I was hoping he’d stay) and Jared Lessman to the portal, I think the roster plays out like this.

I’m just going to start by lobbing two names out – Zion Rose and Lucas Moore, so we are starting in the outfield. Both of those guys were gigantic, humongous, in that run to Omaha last year, and they return as pre-season All Americans. Two of the most consistent and reliable presences on the diamond are back to anchor what is shaping up to be another dynamic offense and outfield presence.

Lucas Moore is a fast, fast man, and I can’t wait to see him add to his stolen base totals this season. Ben Slanker, an All-MAC newcomer from Ohio U via the transfer portal, should fill that third outfield spot. Griffin Crain and Kyle Campbell, both sophomores, should get some decent mid-week run in the outfield, and Chase Porter, a Freshman, has a shot to see some innings, especially early on if games are out of hand in UofL’s favor.

Infield depth and new faces

In the infield, Junior Alex Alicea returns as almost assuredly one of the top Shortstops in the ACC and nationally. With a solid year, he’ll find his way toward the top of the draft as well as all-ACC honors. He’s one that no matter where in the batting order he finds himself, he’s always an on-base threat, with incredible speed. He’ll get some pressure from dynamic impact freshman Kade Elam, which is incredible since he is a Kentucky Mr. Baseball out of Corbin, and ranked as #99 in Perfect Game’s top incoming freshmen. When Alicea is gone, Elam will be in line to be the next great Louisville baseball shortstop. In a pinch, we may see Elam take the mound as well, but I think he’ll see more time backing up Alicea and playing in a mid-week role.

Shortstop is rounded out freshmen Zach Davis and Collin Ossenbaugh.

Tague Davis, who I feel like one day will be one of those guys we say “yeah, THAT Tague Davis,” is back manning First Base, and he also is listed by Perfect Game at the #35 Sophomore in the country. Davis showed he was a good defensive First Basemen as a freshman last season, though his production at the plate waned a bit toward the end of conference play and through the NCAA Tournament. You expect that from a freshman, and the expectations for production this year will be high and Tague will be up to that challenge. He also might derail one of Sean Moth’s outfield trains. I can hear it now…”2-1 the count for Tague Davis as a northbound CSX engine rolls slowly through right center field. The pitch, and that’s a deep drive by Davis…GRASS, TRACK, WALL, THAT BALL…has struck the train and oh…oh my…it’s knocked the train completely off the track. You don’t see that one everyday folks, but play will continue here at 3rd and Central while cleanup starts just beyond the All-Americans along the outfield wall. Hello, kids out on the Steepleton playground, enjoy the view of your first derailed train.” But I digress.

First Base duties can also be handled by incoming freshmen Kaden Schoenly and Drew Freeman (no relation to Freddie) who is a split First Baseman/Catcher. 

George Baker and Collin Mowry return at the Catcher spot, but will each get some competition from a newcomer from the JUCO ranks, Jimmy Nugent. Mowry played in 19 games with 11 starts in 2025 due to the injury to Matt Klein, with Baker playing in 27 with 15 starts, and that experience for each was invaluable. Neither batting average for the season was great, but as freshmen forced into duty, each did an admirable job which should translate well to the fight for the starting spot this season. Drew Freeman could also see some time behind the plate.

Bayram Hot returns and will likely be your starter at Second Base. He had a terrific Omaha Challenge and will be a significant contributor locking down the right side of the infield with Tague Davis, unless another transfer portal newcomer moves him to Third Base.

Speaking of, Third Base will be an interesting spot, vacated after Jake Munroe went to follow in Jo Adell’s footsteps, getting snatched up by the Angels in the 4th round of the MLB draft. Again, Bayram Hot *can* play here if AJ Martin from Charleston Southern takes over at Second Base. Martin was a summer late-addition when Harper College infielder Dominic Jacoby didn’t make it to campus. Coach Mac having options at these spots, as well as depth with guys like Jax Hisle coming out of the JUCO ranks, is always a plus. I absolutely would not mind seeing Bayram shift over here, since his defense is solid, but most of all because we all need a very literal HOT corner. My kids think I’m hilarious.

Can Louisville baseball pitching staff fill the void?

On the mound, most of the young talent returns – but who fills the void left by Patrick Forbes will be the biggest variable that defines the season, in my opinion. When Louisville has been good, like Omaha-good, it’s because the starters can get into the middle-late innings, and turn the game over to the bullpen with a lead. Louisville’s relief pitchers dialed it in late in the season, which was incredible, and a testament to the game being a marathon, not a sprint. For much of the year, pitching was ‘bend-don’t-break,’ and in the years Louisville baseball failed to make the tournament field, relief pitching gave up way too many runs to compliment the offense, which forced UofL hitters to try and do too much.

Louisville’s run to Omaha last year came largely because the pitching staff was able to slam the door at the right time, and continue to play from ahead (despite trading walk-offs with Oregon State in Omaha). This season, picking the weekend rotation might be more difficult thanI thought, but Parker Detmers (if he can go this season due to injury rehab), Colton Hartman, and Jake Bean, out of the portal via Kent State, will challenge for a those three weekend spots while Peter Michael and Jack Brown should get a lot of the mid-week looks along with some of the younger guys. Wyatt Danilowicz should fill the closer role.

Roger Williams did a great job with the middle rotation at the end of the season (shout out TJ Schlageter, Ty Starke, and Jake Schweitzer, who snuck into Perfect Game’s top sophomores at #99), and he’s earned the trust and right to put the pieces together with the returning guys while working in Bryce Koch, who came in via the portal out of Cincinnati and is recovering from UCL surgery.

Incoming freshmen to the program this season are led by Perfect Game’s #63-ranked newcomer Brandon Shannon. He’s going to really challenge for a rotation spot. Go watch some video of this kid’s pitches. He can really evolve into having truly electric stuff at the collegiate level. Tanner Thomas, Zane Stahl, Joe Olson, Nick Ballard (local kid from across the street from UofL at Manual), and Anthony Karbowski round out the freshman pitching class. Despite losing some guys to the draft and portal, I’m pretty bullish on the pitching staff this season. 

I mentioned trading walk-off wins with Oregon State in Omaha. Schweitzer losing that opener that way stung, but man was it nice to see Eddie King Jr (GOAT) get revenge in incredible fashion with that clutch sac fly. Eddie deserved every bit of that stellar showing in the CWS, and filling his void will be a tall task for this team. Whenever Louisville baseball needed it, it seemed like Eddie was there. 

What this team is capable of is, plainly put, a return to Nebraska for the seventh time. Winning the College World Series is hard, but Louisville baseball is going to get one, one day. I hope it’s finally the one I can make it out to, but I won’t complain either way.

Keeping some guys out of the portal and from going the Gavin Kilen route (man that guy on last year’s team would have been ridiculous, huh?) is going to be crucial, and it seems as though Coach Mac and the staff have embraced what NIL and utilization of the portal can do, as evidenced by the naming of Aaron Flaker as Player Personnel Consultant.

A huge addition to the squad.

▪️ Creating NIL opportunities
▪️ Dugout Club
▪️ Driving revenue for facility upgrades
▪️ Alumni relations
▪️ Community engagement
▪️ And much more…

Welcome to the team, @flakerville‼️#GoCards pic.twitter.com/WznQP4MklG

— Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB) October 23, 2025

Flaker will be crucial in leveraging NIL deals for players while maximizing the potential of The Dugout Club and those avenues to keep NIL dollars flowing towards baseball. The future continues to look bright with Flaker leading that charge, and the run to Omaha last season no doubt re-energized Coach McDonnell and the rest of Louisville’s stellar coaching staff. 

The verdict: What defines success in 2026?

Winning the CWS is difficult, but just getting to Omaha is not easy either. How can you define whether or not this season will be a success? So much goes into success in baseball from all facets of the team’s performance but if there is postseason baseball, a season is generally successful, because so much can happen in the tournament. Personally, I’d like to see this team finally make noise in the ACC tournament, and of course be a national seed.

If this team can get ahead early, pitch with a lead and play complimentary baseball, and refrain from base running mistakes, the sky is the limit. Louisville baseball as a program will always take risks and be aggressive on the base paths, and you want that. You want those Sean Moth calls of Corey Ray stealing home to sweep Wake Forest. You want Boomer Whiting swiping 73 bases in a season, or Levi Usher (again…him on last year’s team…what could have been) robbing five bases in a single game. Aggression on the basepaths is fun, but guys have to be smart (looking at you, Kamau Neighbors against Miami in the Supers last year).

There will be offense this season, for sure, as any lineup in the country would love to have Rose, Moore, Alicea and Davis, and if the defense and pitching hold, there will be late May and early June baseball at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Playing at home on the road to Omaha is what you want, and this squad has the firepower to go deep into a Super Regional and dogpile, just as those six other UofL squads have done in the past, starting with that unexpected one back in 2007. 

It’s almost time to play ball, and I’ll see you there vs. Michigan State. Go Cards.