Series Preview: Louisville
By: clemson May 2, 2015

By Trey McCurry.

Clemson hosts the ACC’s top team Louisville for a three game series starting Saturday.  TCI previews this critical Atlantic Division showdown.

 

 

Louisville (35-10, 19-2 ACC) @ Clemson (23-21, 12-11 ACC)

Doug Kingsmore Stadium v Clemson, SC

Saturday, 1:00PM (RSN) v Sunday, 6:30PM v Monday, 7:00PM (ESPNU)

Rankings:     Louisville – #4 BA, #3 CB, #4 USA          Clemson – NR

 

The Series

Meetings:                   6 (first met in 1970)

Series Record:            Clemson leads 6-0

Record at Clemson:     Clemson leads 6-0 (Clemson leads 6-0 at DKS)

Last Meeting(s):          Clemson swept two games at Clemson in 1972 (10-0, 14-2)

vs. Leggett:                Leggett has never faced Louisville

 

The Cardinals

Head Coach:               Dan McDonnell (9nd season at Louisville)

2014 Record:               50-17 (19-15; 1st AAC) – College World Series – #6 BA, #7 CB, #6 USA

Preseason:                 2nd in ACC Atlantic Division (out of 7 teams)

Road Record:              12-6…9-3 on road/3-3 neutral (2014: 16-10…12-6 on road/4-4 neutral)

Last week:                  Beat Kentucky 2-1 (10 innings) on Tuesday night after sweeping a three-game home series from Bethune-Cookman last weekend (10-4, 7-2, 5-4)

 

2015 Batting Stats:      .281 (5.7 RPG) with 83 2B, 12 3B, 19 HR, 195 BB, 45 HBP, 276 K, 97-125 SB

2015 Pitching Stats:     2.29 ERA, .205 OBA (305 hits), 150 BB & 428 K in 412.0 innings

2015 Fielding Stats:     .965 (62 errors in 1765 chances)

 

The Tigers

2014 Record:               36-25 (15-14; T2nd in ACC Atlantic) – Nashville Regional – NR

Preseason:                 3rd in ACC Atlantic Division (7 teams)

Home Record:            12-11 (2014: 22-12)

Last week:                  Did not play any midweek games (due to exams) after dropping two of three games at Georgia Tech last weekend (2-4, 11-3, 4-5 in 10 innings)

 

2015 Batting Stats:      .279 (6.0 RPG) with 80 2B, 11 3B, 27 HR, 192 BB, 33 HBP, 304 K, 43-65 SB

2015 Pitching Stats:     3.62 ERA, .249 OBA (383 hits), 142 BB & 356 K in 400.0 innings

2015 Fielding Stats:     .963 (63 errors in 1707 chances)

 

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

C        #30 Will Smith (SO/.256 BA with 6 2B, 1 3B, & 11 RBI in 38 games in 2015)

1B      #38 Brendan McKay (FR/.319 BA with 10 2B, 1 HR, & 22 RBI in 41 games in 2015)

2B      #29 Devin Hairston (FR/.230 BA with 6 2B, 1 HR, & 27 RBI in 40 games in 2015)

SS      #1 Sutton Whiting (SR/.347 BA with 10 2B, 2 3B, & 19 RBI in 45 games in 2015)

3B      #11 Zach Lucas (SR/.234 BA with 8 2B, 3 HR, & 18 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

LF      #17 Nick Solak (SO/.339 BA with 12 2B, 2 3B, & 31 RBI in 45 games in 2015)

RF      #18 Mike White (SR/.289 BA with 8 2B, 1 HR, & 13 RBI in 35 games in 2015)

RF      #2 Corey Ray (SO/.324 BA with 10 2B, 9 HR, & 42 RBI in 45 games in 2015)

DH     #26 Blake Tiberi (FR/.284 BA with 3 2B, 3 HR, & 16 RBI in 35 games in 2015)

 

Clemson

C        #25 Chris Okey (SO/.329 BA with 12 2B, 8 HR, & 42 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

1B      #6 Andrew Cox (*SO/.235 BA with 4 2B, 6 RBI, & 15 R in 41 games in 2015)

2B      #3 Tyler Krieger (JR/.345 BA with 11 2B, 1 HR, & 25 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

SS      #4 Eli White (SO/.285 BA with 6 2B, 3 HR, & 22 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

3B      #8 Weston Wilson (SO/.215 BA with 4 2B, 5 HR, & 17 RBI in 40 games in 2015)

LF      #26 Reed Rohlman (*FR/.352 BA with 12 2B, 2 HR, & 31 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

CF      #18 Tyler Slaton (SR/.201 BA with 6 2B, 1 HR, & 14 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

RF      #9 Steven Duggar (JR/.270 BA with 8 2B, 3 HR, & 31 RBI in 44 games in 2015)

DH     #5 Chase Pinder (FR/.262 BA with 7 2B, 3 HR, & 24 RBI in 42 games in 2015)

 

Projected Starting Pitchers

Game One

JR RHP #16 Kyle Funkhouser (2.24 ERA/6-2/11 starts/76.1 IP/.205 OBA (57 hits)/31 BB/75 K)

vs.

JR LHP #44 Matthew Crownover (1.22 ERA/7-1/11 starts/74.0 IP/.180 OBA (48 hits)/26 BB/74 K)

 

Game Two

FR LHP #38 Brendan McKay (1.83 ERA/7-1/14 app/7 starts/59.0 IP/.145 OBA (29 hits)/20 BB/78 K)

vs.

JR LHP #33 Zach Erwin (2.97 ERA/4-3/12 app/11 starts/72.2 IP/.260 OBA (75 hits)/10 BB/61 K)

 

Game Three

SO LHP #13 Josh Rogers (2.97 ERA/7-1/11 starts/63.2 IP/.258 OBA (64 hits)/14 BB/57 K)

vs.

Clemson’s starter is Jake Long

 

Worth Noting

  • Clemson is 23-13 all-time on May 2 with a 10-5 mark at home.
  • The Tigers are 24-15 all-time on May 3 with an 8-9 mark at home.
  • Clemson is 25-16 all-time on May 4 with a 15-5 mark at home.
  • All six meetings between the Tigers and Cardinals took place as two-game series at Clemson in three consecutive seasons (1970-72).
  • The first two years of meetings were played as doubleheaders with each game consisting of seven innings.

 

Tiger Career Stats vs. Louisville

Player                             ERA    G-S     W-L    IP       H       R        ER      BB      SO      OBA

Pat Krall *^             0.00    2-0     0-0     2.1     4        0        0        0        2        .364

* – has one save. ^ – Krall spent 2014 season at Temple.