Why might this College World Series be different for Louisville baseball?

Dan McDonnell, in so many words, was asked more than once in Saturday's postgame press conference.

And he wouldn't quite say it.

Is there cause – especially after a stellar super regional – to think this Louisville baseball team has a better chance in the College World Series than four previous ones?

"I'd like to think that, but you've just got to play good baseball. You've got to get quality starts. You've got to make routine plays, and you've got to get timely hits," McDonnell told reporters. 

"But I don't blame you all for thinking that."

It's difficult to think otherwise after these past two days. 

On to Omaha:Louisville sweeps East Carolina, clinches College World Series berth

Louisville simply decimated a very good East Carolina team, proving Friday's blowout wasn't a fluke by doing the same thing Saturday. 

It was an astonishing performance. But it was not an unprecedented accomplishment.

These Cards celebrated their super regional victory just like four other Louisville teams before them. To be clear, this doesn't get old. But in a big-picture sense, it's no longer as satisfying as it once was, which is a credit to Louisville's baseball program.

Going to Omaha is an annual expectation. That's obvious and it's every day, a message McDonnell sends to his players at all times, from the team's meeting room ("The Omaha Room" with pictures of the College World Series all over the walls) to the fact they break team huddles with a count to Omaha.

Even before this weekend, the Cards have proven they belong there.

But when actually playing in the College World Series, Louisville is 2-8 and hasn't won more than one game in any of its four trips.

Read this:3 takeaways from Louisville baseball's dream NCAA Super Regional

For this program, the next step can only come while in Omaha.

"Hopefully, I'm better prepared," McDonnell said. "My job is to keep these guys better prepared. You're supposed to celebrate (a super regional). You're supposed to dogpile. It's not easy. I want them to enjoy this. But we've still got baseball to play. 

"We want to play better in Omaha. We haven't played as well as we're capable of."

Why might that happen this time? 

Cards look like a more complete team

There have been Louisville teams with more high-profile stars, more power at the plate, more dominance on the mound, both in the starting rotation and back end of the bullpen.

But there might not have been many Louisville teams that are as deep in both areas, combining quality hitting and pitching the way this one does.

Entering Saturday's games, Louisville's 488 runs this season were 25 more than any other team in the ACC. Georgia Tech's .300 average was the only one better than the .294 for Louisville. And that was before a 12-run, 14-hit effort against ECU on Saturday.

All nine players in Louisville's lineup Saturday were batting at least .276. Compare that to ECU, which had three starters at .251 or worse. Of the Cards' 14 hits Saturday, 11 were from batters below the No. 5 spot in the order.

Meanwhile, Louisville's staff ERA of 3.61 continued to lead any other teams in the ACC. Miami was next at 3.84. And that was before Bobby Miller (probably this team's third-best starter) nearly no-hit ECU on Saturday.

If you're good enough to essentially lead the ACC – one of the best conferences in college baseball – in both hitting and pitching, you're going to be a handful for anyone to deal with in a postseason format, especially if you're playing well.

Just ask East Carolina.

Momentum abounds for Cards

Louisville's past three trips to the College World Series also came after super regional sweeps. But Vanderbilt in 2013 (7-4 score), Kennesaw State in 2014 (12-7) and Kentucky in 2017 (11-4) each played Louisville a lot closer than East Carolina did.

Not only did the Cardinals outscore the Pirates 26-1, they out-hit them 32-8 and used four pitchers compared to ECU's 13.

Earlier:After a short slump, the Louisville baseball 'locomotive' back is back on track

Things won't continue to be this easy, of course, but that's about as much momentum as a team can carry to Omaha. And that can't be a bad thing.

It was timely, too. Louisville had trouble scoring runs in the ACC Tournament and then played tight at times in the opening regional. Once the Cards jumped on the Pirates, however, the pressure was off and they had fun, again proving this can be a very dangerous team.

Louisville is built for the ballpark

Louisville scored 26 runs the past two days without hitting a home run.

ECU's coach pointed out Saturday that Louisville is a speedy team built to play on a turf field, while the Pirates are a power team that was confronted with the wind blowing into a stadium that didn't play to their strengths.

Game 2:Offensive outburst leads Louisville past East Carolina in super regional opener

TD Ameritrade Park is much the same. Omaha's stadium has long had a reputation for being a pitchers' park that does not yield many home runs. There were only six home runs, for example, hit during 30 combined College World Series games in 2013 and 2014.

While there have been more CWS home runs hit in recent years, the stadium still is one that's likely to favor a small-ball approach.

Gentry Estes: 502-582-4205; gestes@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @Gentry_Estes. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/gentrye.