< Previous University of Louisville n gocards.com 58 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL six of its top seven arms. The squad set school records in wins (47), innings pitched (636.2) and strikeouts (514), up from 358 in 2006. BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, Zack Pitts, who was 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA in 31.1 innings as a sophomore, tied the school record and led the BIG EAST with 10 wins in his first season under Williams in 2007, tossing a record 121.2 innings pitched while posting a 2.52 ERA. Marks was named Freshman All-American and BIG EAST Fresh- man of the Year after posting a 9-2 record with a 2.67 ERA in 104.2 IP. Opponents hit a conference-low .189 against Marks. Closer Trystan Magnuson lead the BIG EAST with a school-record 37 appearances and posted nine saves, adding a 1.77 ERA - eighth in Cardinal history and third in the modern era (1975-present). Magnu- son was drafted by the Blue Jays with the 56th pick in the draft after going undrafted in 2006, dropping his ERA from 3.69 to 1.77 in one season with Williams. Skylar Meade more than doubled his career win total, going 9-4 for the Cardinals in 2007, and relievers Gavin Logsdon and Kyle Hollander were both named to the All-Columbia Regional team, combining to allow just one earned run and strike out 12 in 15.1 IP. Logsdon was 2-0 with a 1.92 ERA in 51.2 IP his sophomore year after tossing just 6.1 innings with a 10.50 ERA as a freshman. Hol- lander was 4-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.40 ERA and signed a pro contract with the Yankees following the season. - Georgia Assistant Coach In his only season in Athens, Williams helped guide the Bulldogs to a 47-23 overall record and a spot in the College World Series. Right-hander Brooks Brown was selected 34th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the MLB Draft. Brown doubled his win total from four in 2005 to eight in 2006 and lowered his opponents’ batting average from .318 to .242 under Williams. Soph- omore closer Fields lowered his ERA from 7.00 to a minuscule 1.80, adding a school record-tying 15 saves while earning All-American honors. Weekend starters Rip Warren and Mickey Westfal combined to win four games during the 2005 slate, but under Williams they won a combined 15 games. Five freshman Bulldog hurlers also saw innings during the 2006 slate, posting a combined 17-6 mark, paced by eight-game winner and freshman All-American Nathan Moreau. - North Carolina Assistant Coach During his 11-year tenure at North Carolina, Williams had 15 pitchers selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, and six more signed free agent contracts. In Williams’ final season with the Tar Heels, the team ranked 10th in the nation in ERA (3.17) and advanced to its fourth straight regional. That 2005 staff posted seven shutouts, tying the school mark established during the 2000 season. The 2006 UNC staff that Williams helped develop during the three seasons prior was one of the nation’s elite, producing 2006 first-rounders Bard and Miller. Miller earned the Roger Clemens Award, college baseball’s equivalent of the Cy Young, was Baseball America National Player of the Year and made All-America honors from every major national outlet. Bard and Miller earned freshman All-America honors in 2004 with Bard being named the ACC Freshman of the Year. In 2005, Miller went 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA while sophomore Robert Woodard led the Tar Heels, going 8-0 with a 2.11 ERA. Sophomore closer Matt Danford was second in the ACC in ERA at 1.41 and recorded nine saves. - East Carolina Assistant Coach Following his playing career, Williams spent three seasons as the pitching coach at East Carolina, where the Pirates won 41 games in 1993 and advanced to an NCAA Regional. The pitching staff under Williams placed fifth in the nation in team ERA (2.99). Johnny Beck finished his career with the Pirates ranked first in innings (383.1) and second in wins (32) and strikeouts (317) under Williams. - North Carolina Playing Career A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer as a pitcher in 1984 and 1985, Williams ranked seventh in career wins at UNC with 24, posting a winning percentage of .800 during his three seasons. He enjoyed single-season bests in strikeouts in 1985 with 113 and ERA in 1983, a stunning 1.19. Both were top six in school history. He amassed 254 career strikeouts in Carolina Blue. Williams tied an ACC single-game record with 19 strikeouts against Duke in 1985. Williams was tabbed in the fourth round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs and went on to play six seasons of pro ball, including two seasons at AAA Des Moines. Personal Williams is a native of Greenville, N.C., where his father George was the head baseball coach at ECU from 1974-76. It was there Wil- liams completed his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1992 and earned a master’s degree in education in 1993. Williams is married to the former Stephanie Hensley of Asheville, N.C., and the couple has one daughter, Avery.Player Honors (Louisville tenure) n 2017 National Player of the Year - Brendan McKay n 23 All-Americans (13 hitters) n 52 All-Conference Selections (30 hitters) n 55 MLB Draft Picks (27 hitters) n 13 MLB Players (7 hitters) Eric Snider is in his 11th season as an assistant coach at the Uni- versity of Louisville, where he serves as recruiting coordinator and hitting coach for the Cardinals. Introduced as an assistant on July 15, 2014, by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, Snider is a highly successful recruiter with an aggressive offensive philosophy. Prior to joining the Cardinals, Snider served 16 seasons on the coaching staff at Illinois, including the previous six years as associate head coach with the Fighting Illini. During Snider’s first 10 seasons in Louisville, the Cardinals have two College World Series appearances, five ACC Atlantic Division championships, five NCAA Super Regional berths, 23 All-American selections (including 13 hitters) and 55 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Recruiting Top Talent to the Ville Since arriving in the Ville in the summer of 2014, Snider has led the charge on consistently assembling talented recruiting classes. Of the 11 classes he has signed, six of them have ranked among the top 10 nationally, including three top-three signing classes. Season Capsules - 32-24 (16-14 ACC) The Louisville offensive attack had another strong showing in 2024, ranking top 20 nationally with a .311 batting average and lead- ing the ACC with 105 stolen bases. The Cardinals also finished in the top 20 in doubles per game, slugging percentage and triples. Zion Rose was named a freshman All-American after leading the team with a .380 batting average. Gavin Kilen earned third team All-ACC honors behind a .330 average, 23 doubles and 41 RBIs. Ten Cardinals tallied 100 or more at-bats on the season, with all 10 posting averages of .290 or higher. - 31-24 (10-20 ACC) The Cardinals hit .280 as a team in 2023, coming up one double shy of 100 and swiping 88 bases. Catcher Jack Payton led the offen- sive attack, hitting a team-best .374 with 10 doubles and 12 home runs. Shortstop Christian Knapczyk earned All-ACC honors following a season that saw him hit .331 with a team-high 19 stolen bases. Knapczyk (Cleveland Guardians, fifth round) and Payton (San Fran- cisco Giants (11th round) were among the four Louisville players chosen in the 2023 MLB Draft. - 42-21-1 (18-11-1 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions The Cardinals had a banner season at the plate in 2022 ranking top 15 nationally in batting average (.309), hits, runs, walks, on- base percentage and doubles. Louisville posted its highest run and home run totals since 1992, and seven of UofL’s nine regular starters earned All-Conference recognition. Catcher Dalton Rushing continued Louisville’s impressive tradi- tion of great catchers, earning All-America honors and was selected 40th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2022 MLB Draft. Rushing hit .310 and his 23 home runs on the season were tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history. Third baseman Ben Metzinger tallied 19 home runs and 69 RBIs, while Cameron Masterman added 18 home runs and 61 RBIs of his own. Ben Bianco chipped in 11 home runs to give the Cardinals four players in double figures. The Cardinals also showed offensive prowess on the basepaths, leading the ACC with 103 stolen bases. Four different players swiped at least 10 bags, led by Levi Usher’s 36, which was the most in the ACC and eighth nationally, as well as the sixth highest total in pro- gram history. Rushing was the first of five Cardinals selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, all in the top 10 rounds. Ben Metzinger (Milwaukee Brewers, seventh round) and Levi Usher (Kansas City Royals, 10th round) also heard their names called, while Cameron Masterman inked a free agent deal with the Oakland Athletics. - 28-22 (16-16 ACC) The Louisville offense turned in another strong season in 2021, as the Cardinals ranked among the top four in the ACC in batting average, on-base percentage, runs per game, triples and stolen bases. The Cardinals checked a major milestone off the list in 2021 as catcher Henry Davis was selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis led the Cardinals with a .370 batting average while adding 15 home runs and 48 RBIs, and was a unanimous All-American. Alex Binelas paced Louisville with 19 long balls and 63 driven in. Louisville finished fifth nationally with 113 stolen bases on the season, led by 26 from Levi Usher and 20 from Cooper Bowman. Four Louisville position players earned All-Conference honors. Davis was one of seven Cardinals to be selected in the 2021 Draft, joining Binelas (Milwaukee Brewers, third round), Cooper Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator - 11th season gocards.com n University of Louisville 59 BASEBALL University of Louisville n gocards.com 60 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL Bowman (New York Yankees, fourth round), Lucas Dunn (San Diego Padres, eighth round) and Luke Brown (Pittsburgh Pirates, ninth round) among Louisville position players. - 13-4 (2-1 ACC), program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking In the shortened 2020 season, the Cardinals led the country in doubles, ranked third in batting average and fifth in hits. Despite the short season, the Cardinals were once again prominently featured during the 2020 MLB Draft with Reid Detmers going 10th overall to the Los Angeles Angels and Bobby Miller following to the Los Ange- les Dodgers at No. 29. Zach Britton was later selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Justin Lavey (Seattle Mariners) and Danny Oriente (Arizona Diamondbacks) each signed free agent contracts. - 51-18 (21-9 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions Louisville’s offense finished ranked in the top 20 nationally in hits, runs, doubles, walks and stolen bases while helping the program to its fifth College World Series berth. Seven different Cardinals reached double figures in doubles, led by Danny Oriente’s 17 to go along with his team-best .332 average. Alex Binelas earned Freshman All-America honors after hitting 14 home runs and driving in 59. Binelas, Logan Wyatt, Tyler Fitzgerald and Justin Lavey all earned All-ACC recognition. Wyatt was the first Cardinal off the board in the 2019 MLB Draft, selected 51st overall in the second round by the San Fran- cisco Giants. Fitzgerald joined him as a San Francisco selection two rounds later. Jake Snider (Pittsburgh Pirates, 20th round) and Drew Campbell (Atlanta Braves, 23rd round) were also among the eight Cardinals drafted. - 45-19 (18-12 ACC), NCAA Regional The Louisville offense had a strong showing in 2018, leading the ACC in batting average, doubles, on-base percentage and stolen bases. Logan Wyatt and Josh Stowers anchored the Louisville lineup, with both earned All-America honors. Wyatt hit a team-best .339 with 22 doubles and 69 RBIs, while Stowers finished with a .336 average, 14 doubles and 60 driven in. Both were first team All-ACC selections, with Devin Mann and Danny Oriente garnering All- Conference honors of their own. Louisville finished the 2018 season with 125 stolen bases, the fifth-most nationally. Stowers swiped a team-leading 36 bags, while Jake Snider and Fitzgerald added 24 and 23, respectively. Stowers was a second round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2018 MLB Draft, the first of seven Cardinals to have their name called. Mann was picked in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. - 53-12 (23-6 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, program-record 53 wins During the 2017 College World Series season, the Cardinals ranked in the Top 25 nationally in eight different offensive categories -- 11th in sacrifice flies, 12th in runs scored, 17th in stolen bases, 19th in hit by pitch, 21st in doubles, 23rd in home runs, 25th in hits and 25th in scoring. Snider worked extensively with National Player of the Year Bren- dan McKay and All-Americans Drew Ellis and Devin Hairston dur- ing their three-year careers, which culminated with all three players being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft. With McKay going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays, Ellis going in the second round to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Hairston going in the sixth round to the Milwaukee Brewers, Colby Fitch (13th Round, Philadelphia Phillies) and Logan Taylor (16th Round, Chicago White Sox) joined that trio as MLB Draft picks for the Cardinals. Ellis had a breakout season at the plate in 2017, launching 20 home runs with 18 doubles and 61 RBIs, all of which were team highs. McKay added 18 home runs and 57 RBIs of his own with a .341 aver- age, while Hairston his .309 with 16 doubles and 52 batted in. - 50-14 (22-8 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions In Snider’s second season in Louisville in 2016, he was instru- mental as Devin Hairston (.361, 16 2B, 45 RBI), Brendan McKay (.333, 19 2B, 41 RBI), Corey Ray (.310, 16 2B, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 44 SB) and Nick Solak (.376, 14 2B, 29 RBI) garnered All-America accolades from multiple media organizations. Each of those four gocards.com n University of Louisville 61 BASEBALL standouts were also joined by Will Smith (.382, 7 HR, 43 RBI) and Blake Tiberi (.340, 18 2B, 10 HR, 51 RBI) in earning All-ACC honors. As a team, the Cardinals won their second straight ACC Atlan- tic Division title and advanced to their fourth straight NCAA Super Regional while ranking third nationally in hits, third in sacrifice flies, sixth in batting average, sixth in doubles, sixth in slugging percentage, ninth in runs scored, 12th in stolen bases, 15th in on-base percent- age, 19th in home runs, 20th in scoring and 26th in triples in 2016. The season culminated with eight players being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including four position players -- Ray (1st Round, 5th overall, Milwaukee Brewers), Smith (1st Round, 32nd overall, Los Angeles Dodgers), Solak (2nd Round, New York Yankees) and Tiberi (3rd Round, New York Mets). - 47-18 (25-5 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, ACC record 25 conference wins During his first season with the Cardinals in 2015, Snider helped Corey Ray’s rise as an All-American outfielder as well as the emer- gence of Brendan McKay as a two-way All-American. Ray hit .325 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI and 34 stolen bases while earning Second Team All-America accolades from Baseball America and NCBWA and Third Team honors from D1Baseball. McKay, chosen as the National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well as ACC Freshman of the Year by the league’s head coaches, hit .308 with four home runs, 34 RBI and 14 doubles for Louisville, which set an ACC record for confer- ence wins in a single season (25-5) and advanced to its third straight NCAA Super Regional. - Illinois Assistant Coach (1999-2008) / Associate Head Coach (2008-14) Snider helped lead Illinois to NCAA Regional appearances in 2011 (advanced to final of Fullerton Regional) and 2013 (Nashville Regional) as well as the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in 2011. As associate head coach, he was instrumental in recruiting for the Fighting Illini while also coordinating the team’s offense and hitting instruction. He also worked with the Illini infielders and out- fielders, directed the off-season conditioning program for the entire squad, served as the third-base coach and was responsible for plac- ing the Illini in summer leagues across the country. Snider led the Illini offense to batting averages of better than .300 in nine of his 16 seasons, including a .335 mark in 2008. He also has coached the Illinois defense to fielding percentages of better than .960 in 15 of his 16 years and marks over .965 in 10 campaigns, including a school-record .973 in 2011, a .972 mark in 2012 and a .971 percentage in 2013. Under his tutelage, the Illini also led the NCAA in double plays per game in 2012 with 1.3. In addition, the Illini’s 2008 offense broke school records for hits, runs, RBIs, doubles and walks in a Big Ten season, and fell just three stolen bases short of breaking that record in a conference season. Snider was instrumental in Illinois’ aggressive offensive approach, including a large number of stolen bases. The 2007 squad posted the most steals in a season in 25 years, swiping 109-of-143 bags. The Illini stole 101 bases in 2008, while the 2010 squad was even better stealing 114-of-144 bases. In 2013, the Illini finished 115-of- 143 in stolen bases, marking the second-most steals in school history behind only the school-record mark of 150. Snider began his Illini tenure by recruiting three Freshman All- Americans in four years. Recruiting paydirt came again for Snider at Illinois with Freshman All-Americans in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014. Overall, 27 position players made the jump to professional base- ball since Snider joined the Illinois staff. - Waterloo Bucks Head Coach / General Manager (Northwoods League) Snider compiled a record of 163-90 (.644) over the four years and was twice named Northwoods League Manager of the Year. Snider was honored in 2004 for his contribution to the NWL by being named to the NWL All-Decade team. Other Coaching Stops n 1992-95 - Austin Peay Assistant Coach n 1992-93 - Champaign County Colts Manager (Central Illinois Collegiate League) n 1990-92 - Iowa Graduate Assistant Coach Playing Career A two-year letterwinner at Northern Iowa, Snider finished his playing career with a .411 career batting average and 69 stolen bases in 72 attempts on the way to being a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection. Snider transferred to Northern Iowa from Kirkwood Community College where he was a junior college All-American shortstop. Personal Snider earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and coaching from Northern Iowa in 1987 and added a master’s degree in health and physical education from Austin Peay in 1993. A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Snider and his wife Holly have two sons, Jacob and Noa, and one daughter, Jenna.Player Honors (Louisville tenure) n 2017 National Player of the Year - Brendan McKay n 23 All-Americans (13 hitters) n 52 All-Conference Selections (30 hitters) n 55 MLB Draft Picks (27 hitters) n 13 MLB Players (7 hitters) Adam Vrable is in his 11th season as an assistant coach at Louis- ville after being introduced on Aug. 1, 2014. He works with the Car- dinals’ hitters and outfielders while also assisting with the program’s recruiting efforts. During his first 10 seasons in Louisville, the Cardinals have two College World Series appearances, five ACC Atlantic Division cham- pionships, five NCAA Super Regional berths, 23 All-American selec- tions (including 13 hitters) and 55 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Season Capsules - 32-24 (16-14 ACC) The Louisville offensive attack had another strong showing in 2024, ranking top 20 nationally with a .311 batting average and leading the ACC with 105 stolen bases. The Cardinals also finished in the top 20 in doubles per game, slugging percentage and triples. Zion Rose was named a freshman All-American after leading the team with a .380 batting average. Gavin Kilen earned third team All-ACC honors behind a .330 average, 23 doubles and 41 RBIs. Ten Cardinals tallied 100 or more at-bats on the season, with all 10 posting averages of .290 or higher. - 31-24 (10-20 ACC) The Cardinals hit .280 as a team in 2023, coming up one double shy of 100 and swiping 88 bases. Catcher Jack Payton led the offen- sive attack, hitting a team-best .374 with 10 doubles and 12 home runs. Shortstop Christian Knapczyk earned All-ACC honors following a season that saw him hit .331 with a team-high 19 stolen bases. Knapczyk (Cleveland Guardians, fifth round) and Payton (San Fran- cisco Giants (11th round) were among the four Louisville players chosen in the 2023 MLB Draft. - 42-21-1 (18-11-1 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions The Cardinals had a banner season at the plate in 2022 ranking top 15 nationally in batting average (.309), hits, runs, walks, on- base percentage and doubles. Louisville posted its highest run and home run totals since 1992, and seven of UofL’s nine regular starters earned All-Conference recognition. Catcher Dalton Rushing continued Louisville’s impressive tradi- tion of great catchers, earning All-America honors and was selected 40th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2022 MLB Draft. Rushing hit .310 and his 23 home runs on the season were tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history. Third baseman Ben Metzinger tallied 19 home runs and 69 RBIs, while Cameron Masterman added 18 home runs and 61 RBIs of his own. Ben Bianco chipped in 11 home runs to give the Cardinals four players in double figures. The Cardinals also showed offensive prowess on the basepaths, leading the ACC with 103 stolen bases. Four different players swiped at least 10 bags, led by Levi Usher’s 36, which was the most in the ACC and eighth nationally, as well as the sixth highest total in pro- gram history. Rushing was the first of five Cardinals selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, all in the top 10 rounds. Ben Metzinger (Milwaukee Brewers, seventh round) and Levi Usher (Kansas City Royals, 10th round) also heard their names called, while Cameron Masterman inked a free agent deal with the Oakland Athletics. - 28-22 (16-16 ACC) The Louisville offense turned in another strong season in 2021, as the Cardinals ranked among the top four in the ACC in batting average, on-base percentage, runs per game, triples and stolen bases. The Cardinals checked a major milestone off the list in 2021 as catcher Henry Davis was selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Davis led the Cardinals with a .370 batting average while adding 15 home runs and 48 RBIs, and was a unanimous All-American. Alex Binelas paced Louisville with 19 long balls and 63 driven in. Louisville finished fifth nationally with 113 stolen bases on the season, led by 26 from Levi Usher and 20 from Cooper Bowman. Four Louisville position players earned All-Conference honors. Davis was one of seven Cardinals to be selected in the 2021 Draft, joining Binelas (Milwaukee Brewers, third round), Cooper Bowman (New York Yankees, fourth round), Lucas Dunn (San Diego Padres, eighth round) and Luke Brown (Pittsburgh Pirates, ninth round) among Louisville position players. Assistant Coach - 11th season University of Louisville n gocards.com 62 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALLgocards.com n University of Louisville 63 BASEBALL - 13-4 (2-1 ACC), program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking In the shortened 2020 season, the Cardinals led the country in doubles, ranked third in batting average and fifth in hits. Despite the short season, the Cardinals were once again prominently featured during the 2020 MLB Draft with Reid Detmers going 10th overall to the Los Angeles Angels and Bobby Miller following to the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 29. Zach Britton was later selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Justin Lavey (Seattle Mariners) and Danny Oriente (Arizona Diamondbacks) each signed free agent contracts. - 51-18 (21-9 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions Louisville’s offense finished ranked in the top 20 nationally in hits, runs, doubles, walks and stolen bases while helping the program to its fifth College World Series berth. Seven different Cardinals reached double figures in doubles, led by Danny Oriente’s 17 to go along with his team-best .332 average. Alex Binelas earned Freshman All-America honors after hitting 14 home runs and driving in 59. Binelas, Logan Wyatt, Tyler Fitzgerald and Justin Lavey all earned All-ACC recognition. Wyatt was the first Cardinal off the board in the 2019 MLB Draft, selected 51st overall in the second round by the San Fran- cisco Giants. Fitzgerald joined him as a San Francisco selection two rounds later. Jake Snider (Pittsburgh Pirates, 20th round) and Drew Campbell (Atlanta Braves, 23rd round) were also among the eight Cardinals drafted. - 45-19 (18-12 ACC), NCAA Regional The Louisville offense had a strong showing in 2018, leading the ACC in batting average, doubles, on-base percentage and stolen bases. Logan Wyatt and Josh Stowers anchored the Louisville lineup, with both earned All-America honors. Wyatt hit a team-best .339 with 22 doubles and 69 RBIs, while Stowers finished with a .336 average, 14 doubles and 60 driven in. Both were first team All-ACC selections, with Devin Mann and Danny Oriente garnering All- Conference honors of their own. Louisville finished the 2018 season with 125 stolen bases, the fifth-most nationally. Stowers swiped a team-leading 36 bags, while Jake Snider and Fitzgerald added 24 and 23, respectively. Stowers was a second round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2018 MLB Draft, the first of seven Cardinals to have their name called. Mann was picked in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. - 53-12 (23-6 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, program-record 53 wins During the 2017 College World Series season, the Cardinals ranked in the Top 25 nationally in eight different offensive categories — 11th in sacrifice flies, 12th in runs scored, 17th in stolen bases, 19th in hit by pitch, 21st in doubles, 23rd in home runs, 25th in hits and 25th in scoring. Vrable worked with National Player of the Year Brendan McKay and All-Americans Drew Ellis and Devin Hairston during their three- year careers, which culminated with all three players being selected in the 2017 MLB Draft. With McKay going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays, Ellis going in the second round to the Arizona Dia- mondbacks and Hairston going in the sixth round to the Milwaukee Brewers, Colby Fitch (13th Round, Philadelphia Phillies) and Logan Taylor (16th Round, Chicago White Sox) joined that trio as MLB Draft picks for the Cardinals. Ellis had a breakout season at the plate in 2017, launching 20 home runs with 18 doubles and 61 RBIs, all of which were team highs. McKay added 18 home runs and 57 RBIs of his own with a .341 aver- age, while Hairston his .309 with 16 doubles and 52 batted in. - 50-14 (22-8 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions In Vrable’s second season in Louisville in 2016, Devin Hairston (.361, 16 2B, 45 RBI), Brendan McKay (.333, 19 2B, 41 RBI), Corey Ray (.310, 16 2B, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 44 SB) and Nick Solak (.376, 14 2B, 29 RBI) garnered All-America accolades from multiple media organizations. Each of those four standouts were also joined by Will Smith (.382, 7 HR, 43 RBI) and Blake Tiberi (.340, 18 2B, 10 HR, 51 RBI) in earning All-ACC honors. As a team, the Cardinals won their second straight ACC Atlantic Division title and advanced to their fourth straight NCAA Super Regional while ranking third nationally in hits, third in sacrifice flies, sixth in batting average, sixth in doubles, sixth in slugging percent- age, ninth in runs scored, 12th in stolen bases, 15th in on-base percentage, 19th in home runs, 20th in scoring and 26th in triples in 2016. The season culminated with eight players being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including four position players -- Ray (1st Round, 5th overall, Milwaukee Brewers), Smith (1st Round, 32nd overall, Los Angeles Dodgers), Solak (2nd Round, New York Yankees) and Tiberi (3rd Round, New York Mets). - 47-18 (25-5 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, ACC record 25 conference wins During his first season with the Cardinals in 2015, Vrable helped Corey Ray’s rise as an All-American outfielder as well as the emer- gence of Brendan McKay as a two-way All-American. Ray hit .325 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI and 34 stolen bases while earning Second Team All-America accolades from Baseball America and NCBWA and Third Team honors from D1Baseball. McKay, chosen as the National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well as ACC Freshman of the Year by the league’s head coaches, hit .308 with four home runs, 34 RBI and 14 doubles for Louisville, which set an ACC record for confer- ence wins in a single season (25-5) and advanced to its third straight NCAA Super Regional. - Charleston Southern Assistant Coach Vrable’s influence was felt in his only season at CSU as the team won 30 games for the first time in 14 years and established a school- single season record with 20 home wins in 2014. The Buccaneers’ bats were a big reason why, as CSU led the Big South and ranked 17th nationally with a .298 batting average. - The Citadel Assistant Coach Prior to joining the Charleston Southern program, Vrable spent two years on Fred Jordan’s staff at The Citadel, where he worked with hitters and outfielders making a big impact in the Bulldogs’ 35-25 record during the 2013 season. The Citadel reached the Southern Conference Tournament championship game on the strength of a prolific offense, which ranked third in the country with 66 home runs. Under Vrable’s tutelage, the Bulldogs also placed fourth nation- ally in slugging percentage, 12th in runs, 13th in batting average, and 19th in hits. - Furman Assistant Coach Vrable served as Furman’s outfield, baserunning and hitting coach during the 2011 season. The Paladins hit .277 as a team with 101 doubles and stole 66 bases. Playing Career Vrable enjoyed an excellent playing career at Coastal Carolina University helping the Chanticleers to a pair of Big South Champion- ships and No. 1 seeds in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Regionals. He led his squad with a .324 batting average during the 2006 season. Personal A native of Bay City, Michigan, Vrable is a 2007 graduate of Coastal Carolina with a degree in history. He is married to the former Renee Rasmer of Bay City, Michigan, and the couple has three sons, Hank, Lou and Len. B rian Mundorf is in his 19th season as the Direc- tor of Baseball Operations, but he has been a member of the Cardinal staff since 1996. He previously coached the outfielders and hitters in addi- tion to his administrative duties, which included travel, scheduling, recruiting and scouting. He also served as the third base coach. In his 11 years as an assistant coach with the Cardinals, there were eight All-Conference out- fielders, four All-Freshman team members in the outfield and two All-American outfielders (Mark Jurich and Boomer Whiting). Thirty-four Cardinals went on to play pro ball under the tutelage of Mundorf. He came to Louisville after serving one year as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa under Lelo Prado where he also worked with the outfielders and hitters as well as being respon- sible for training and developing junior varsity and varsity players. His off-field duties included scheduling, conditioning, game preparation and field maintenance. He had a successful collegiate career at Ameri- can International College where he led the Yellow Jackets to the East Regional Championship and the College World Series in 1991. He was named the East Regional MVP in 1991. He captained the 1991 and 1992 squads and was awarded the Henry Butova Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to athletics on and off the field. He departed as the career leader in hits (180) and triples (13) at AIC. Hit a school-record eight triples in `91 and batted .406 in the `89 season. After graduation, he worked for the Westfield, Mass., Public School System, where he also served as assistant varsity baseball coach. He ran the Westfield Park and Recreation Department’s youth basketball league and served as coach, umpire and tournament volunteer for the Babe Ruth League. A native of Westfield, Mass., Brian and his wife Carrie are proud parents of their two daughters, Olivia and Kaci. Director of Operations | 30th Season University of Louisville n gocards.com 64 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALLM ichael Allman is in his 12th season with the University of Louisville baseball program and his fifth as the Director of Player Development. Allman coordinates the program’s internal video, analytics and use of tech- nology to assist with the development of the Louisville student-athletes. His respon- sibilities include operation, data collection and analysis of all baseball technology, including Trackman, Rapsodo and BATS. Allman also assists with opponent scout- ing reports. Allman spent four seasons as a student manager and one as a graduate assistant with the Louisville program prior to mov- ing into the player development role. During his 11 seasons with the Car- dinals, Louisville has advanced to eight NCAA regionals, six Super Regionals and three College World Series (2014, 2017, 2019). The Cardinals have also won five ACC Atlantic Division titles over that span. Allman is a two-time graduate of the University of Louisville, completing his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration in 2017 and a Master’s in Business Admin- istration in 2018. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Allman and his wife Abby have one son – Lincoln. Director of Player Development | 12th Season Support Staff Thomas Theobald Athletic Fields Emily Bridges Marketing/Promotions Savanah Feldpausch Nutrition Asaad Ali Content Producer Nick Kanine Marketing/Promotions Dylan Hoy Team Assistant Will Kempf Team Assistant Cameron Robinson Graduate Assistant Noah Bush Team Assistant Nathan Frazier Team Assistant Jalen Borders Team Assistant Evan Dyer Facilities Taris Smith Photographer C hris Morgan serves as the Campus Director for the University of Louis- ville athletic department. Born and raised in Louisville, Morgan has been with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) since 1998. Through this role, he has spoken to many college and professional teams including Duke Uni- versity, University of Kentucky, Indiana University, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics. A gifted speaker and motivator, Chris views his responsibilities not as a job, but as his passion. “FCA is not something I do, it is what I am,” says Chris. Chris is married to the former Tammy Britton and they have three daughters — Taylor, Britton and Lainey. UofL FCA Campus Director J osh Gruber joined the UofL Sports Medicine Department as a Seasonal Assistant Athletic Trainer in July of 2021. He was elevated to an Assistant Athletic Trainer in May of 2022 and is in his fourth season working with the Louisville base- ball program. A 2019 graduate from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Athletic Training, Gruber earned a master’s degree in Education Administration from Uni- versity of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2021. At Nebraska, he spent two years with Baseball and Men’s Golf as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer. As an undergrad student he gained experience working with UConn baseball and football. A native of Hillside, NJ, Gruber is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Eastern Athletic Train- ing Association. He holds certifications in OnBaseU Pitching. In his free time Gruber enjoys hiking and traveling. Assistant Athletic Trainer | 4th Season gocards.com n University of Louisville 65 BASEBALLMission Building Athletes and Preparing Champi- ons - for sport and for life. Philosophy We are committed to building great ath- letes and preparing championship teams! Adhering to a holistic approach, we address the entire anatomy of a champion - body, mind and spirit. Our comprehensive training system and assess- ment-driven program design simultaneously impacts prevention and performance, and our creative and competitive methods chal- lenge athletes mentally and physically. Our programs are built on a foundation of sci- ence and education, and are implemented using state-of-the art equipment and leading technology in a world-class facility. High-Performance Training Principles 1. Character Becoming a champion requires more than talent and training. A foundation of disci- pline, courage, perseverance and selflessness is essential for true success. These qualities must be emphasized, modeled, developed and rewarded in all team members. 2. Sport-Specific Training To be effective a training program must prepare athletes to perform sport-specific movements safely, efficiently and explosive- ly. It must develop energy systems appropri- ately and promote muscular adaptations that lead to superior sport performance. 3. Multiple Joint Movements In sport, the entire body works syner- gistically to produce complex movements. Running, jumping, shooting, kicking and throwing all require multiple joint actions (musculoskeletal system) timed in synchro- nized recruitment patterns (nervous sys- tem). To improve movement quality and overall performance- while reducing injury riskintegrated movements (not individual muscles) must be trained. Louisville Sports Performance 4. Multiple Plane Movements Sport- by nature- is multi-plane. Move- ments occurs in the sagittal (forward-back- ward), frontal (side-to-side) and transverse (rotational) planes- and combinations of the three. Resistance training and movement training (speed/agility) must incorporate exer- cises and drills that develop starting and stop- ping strength and overall efficiency all planes. 5. Ground-Based Movements Most sport skills are initiated by applying force in to the ground, on one leg or two. The more force an athlete can apply against the ground, the faster they will accelerate, the higher they will jump and the more speed they will generate performing sport- specific movements- making them more effective in sport. Exercises must be selected that enhance this ability to generate force at high rates of speed. 6. Explosive Training The ability to generate force at high rates of speed (power) is crucial in sport. Power output is the result of motor unit recruit- ment by the nervous system. There are two types of motor units- fast and slow- that vary greatly in their ability to generate force. Training explosively, using ground-based, multiple joint movements trains the body to preferentially recruit fast motor units at high rates of speed. This, in turn, improves perfor- mance potential. 7. Periodization/Planning Short and long-term planning is critical for sport success. With elite athletes per- formance gains will quickly plateau (and even diminish) if the training prescription is not effectively planned and progressed. Non-linear periodization is a proven model that manipulates training variables (ie: vol- ume, load, relative intensity, frequency, rest, tempo, exercise selection) to progressively overload the body at times, and unload the body at other times, to bring about specific adaptations. 8. Performance Nutrition & Regeneration No training program can be success- ful without a commitment to nutrition and recovery. This includes high performance eating, high quality sleeping, and the con- sistent use of regeneration tools and tech- niques (stretching, massage, ART, nutrient timing, hydrotherapy and vibration). Without question, the time and energy invested in nutrition and regeneration creates an inside “edge”- making these items a top priority for the LSP staff. Nieko Torres Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coach University of Louisville n gocards.com 66 gocards.com n University of Louisville 67 BASEBALL T he state-of-the-art Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence houses academic operations and provides a central location for all student-athletes and academic staff, further assisting UofL student-athletes to excel in the classroom. The over 40,000-square-foot center fea- tures tutorial areas, a high-performance training table to feed the student-athletes, computer laboratories, and office and class- room space that will serve over 750 student- athletes across the Cardinals’ 23 sports on a daily basis. A massive artistic video wall greets visitors upon entry in the Republic Bank Atrium and segmented spaces through- out the facility are numerous. The 204-seat auditorium is equipped with an 18.5 feet by 10.5 feet screen and projection system. Rachel Overton Associate Director Academic ServicesNext >