5 things to know about the Louisville baseball team before the College World Series

The Louisville baseball team is heading back to the NCAA College World Series for the fifth time in program history. 

It will open the tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against No. 2 Vanderbilt, a familiar foe. Louisville, the No. 7 national seed, lost to the Commodores 6-2 on May 7 at Jim Patterson Field. 

The tournament is a double-elimination bracket, so whether or not U of L defeats Vanderbilt, the Cardinals will play either No. 6 Mississippi State or Auburn on June 18.

Before the team leaves for Omaha, Nebraska, though, we broke down five things to know and keep an eye on throughout the tournament. 

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

1.) Michael McAvene is back 

The Louisville closer was ejected from Louisville’s NCAA Regional against Indiana after expressing his displeasure to a called ball in the bottom of the ninth inning. On the replay you can see McAvene say what appears to be “That’s horrible,” after the pitch. Due to NCAA rules, because McAvene was a pitcher, he was suspended four games and has not played since.  

He will be back for the College World Series, and that’s a good thing for the Cardinals. Though the Louisville fans and players have rallied around McAvene by making “Free Mike” signs, or bringing his jersey to the field for pregame introductions, his impact is most felt on the mound.  

More:Michael McAvene's ejection was an overreaction ... and it's not even close

The 6-foot-3 right-hander has been effective all season. He has a team-leading seven saves, a 2.67 ERA, 46 strikeouts and batters are hitting just .160 against him.  

Louisville got by without him, defeating Illinois State twice and East Carolina twice, but McAvene’s return adds another strong arm to the bullpen. Expect there to be a large ovation the first time he comes out of the bullpen.  

2.) Louisville’s pitching depth is not in question 

The pitching performances Luke Smith and Bobby Miller put together, both in crucial NCAA Tournament wins, show just how deep Louisville’s pitching can be. Smith, a right-handed junior, shutdown Illinois State on June 2 allowing just two runs on three hits in 8 1/3 innings pitched. Miller, a right-handed sophomore, nearly threw a no-hitter to beat East Carolina on Sunday and send the Cardinals to the College World Series.  

Louisville knows what it will get from Reid Detmers, its ace and ACC Pitcher of the Year, and for the most part it knows what to expect from Nick Bennett. But in the NCAA Tournament, and especially the College World Series, you can’t survive off of just two pitchers.  

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

In Louisville’s case it won’t have to. In each of the last four outings, the starting rotation has given up just three runs in 25 1/3 innings pitched.  

Baseball is a funny game, though. Things could change in a heartbeat, but for now, Louisville’s pitching depth is one of the major reasons it is playing in Omaha.  

3.) Bottom of the lineup is red hot 

Louisville, like nearly every other team in the College World Series, is loaded at the top of the lineup. Lucas Dunn, Tyler Fitzgerald and Alex Binelas are all hitting over .300 on the season and Logan Wyatt, a second round draft pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, is hitting .291 with 56 RBIs.  

At the moment, it’s the bottom of the lineup that is hot and turned the Cardinals lineup into a complete force against East Carolina.  

The bottom four of the lineup includes a mix of Danny Oriente, Justin Lavey, Drew Campbell, Henry Davis, Zeke Pinkham and Zach Britton, depending on who starts and who is pinch hitting.  

More:As Louisville heads to the College World Series, their pitching depth shines

In the NCAA Super Regional, Louisville scored 26 runs on 32 hits. Together that group accounted for 17 hits, 14 RBIs and scored 11 runs. They were especially effective in the final game against East Carolina, combining to bring in eight of Louisville’s 12 runs and scoring nine of them as well.  

Campbell put it best after Saturday’s 12-0 win.  

“You got to fear the front end of the order. You have to throw to somebody,” Campbell said. “It worked out for us.”   

4.) Zach Britton’s pinch-hitting ability 

Britton has been a constant pinch-hitting threat for the Cardinals this season, hitting 11-for-19 in those opportunities. He came through with an RBI against East Carolina on Friday and came through in a big way to give Louisville a one-run lead in the seventh inning in the June 3 winner-take-all game against Illinois State.  

Overall, Britton is batting .285 with 18 RBIs, but he’s been especially effective in the pinch-hitting role.  

5.) CWS success, or lack thereof 

Louisville’s College World Series resume has been well documented by now, but it’s important to remember heading into the weekend.  

The Cardinals, who seem to be more prepared for a run in Omaha than ever before, are are just 2-8 in their four trips to the mecca of college baseball.  

U of L picked up its first win, in its first trip, in 2007 against Mississippi State. It also picked up a win in 2017 against Texas A&M to open the tournament. 

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

This year, while the Cardinals hope to push further into the tournament, they face the toughest of the two four-team brackets. They will open against No. 2 Vanderbilt, the highest-ranked team left in the field, and will play either No. 6 Mississippi State or Auburn in the next round. 

This year’s team talks often about being the best team in program history. Putting together some success in Omaha will be a step in the right direction. 

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