Founded 1909 | Colors Red and Black | |
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Location Louisville, Kentucky, United States | ||
The Louisville Cardinals baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of the University of Louisville, located in Louisville, Kentucky. The program was a member of the NCAA Division I American Athletic Conference for the 2014 season and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in July 2014. The Cardinals have played at Jim Patterson Stadium since the venue opened during the 2005 season. Dan McDonnell has been the program's head coach since the start of the 2007 season. As of the end of the 2016 season, the program has appeared in ten NCAA Tournaments and three College World Series. In conference postseason play, it has won two Big East Conference Baseball Tournaments. In regular season play, it has won two Metro Conference titles, four Big East Conference titles, one American Athletic Conference title, and one Atlantic Coast Conference title. Louisville also set the ACC record for most conference wins in a season with 25 on May 16, 2015. As of the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season, four former Cardinals have appeared in Major League Baseball.
Contents
- Conference affiliations
- Early venues
- Parkway Field
- Derby City Field
- Old Cardinal Stadium
- Jim Patterson Stadium
- Head coaches
- References
Conference affiliations
Early venues
Early in its history, Louisville played many home games at Eclipse Park in Louisville, until the venue burned down in 1922. Other early venues included the Belknap Campus Diamond, Shawnee Park, Manual Stadium, and St. Xavier Field.
Parkway Field
Parkway Field, located on the university's campus, was the program's home sporadically from 1923 to 1960 and full-time from 1961 to 1995. The grandstand that allowed professional baseball to be played at the venue in the first half of the 20th century was torn down in 1961.
Derby City Field
For all of the 1996 and 1997 seasons and parts of the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the Cardinals played at Derby City Field.
Old Cardinal Stadium
From the start of the 1998 season through mid-April 2005, Louisville played at Old Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals played a full schedule at Cardinal Stadium from 2000 to 2004 and portions of their schedule there in 1998, 1999, and 2005. At points in its history, the stadium was also home to the Louisville football program, minor league baseball teams, and minor league football teams.
Jim Patterson Stadium
Since partway through the 2005 season, the program has played at Jim Patterson Stadium, located on Louisville's campus. The venue has a capacity of 4,000 spectators, cost $8.5 million, and is named for businessman and former Louisville baseball player Jim Patterson. It underwent $4 million renovations prior to the 2013 season to increase its capacity and upgrade its facilities. It has hosted Five NCAA Regionals (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015) and two Super Regionals (2007 and 2015). Jim Patterson Stadium is conveniently located just behind Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium, home of the Louisville Cardinals football stadium. In effort to build JPS, Tino Martinez donated money and has his initials above the press box behind home plate. He is the brother-in-law of former head coach, Lelo Prado.
Head coaches
Dan McDonnell, the program's current head coach, is Louisville's wins leader, with 407. Lelo Prado, the program's head coach from 1996 to 2006, is second, with 320. John Heldman, who served as head coach for 26 seasons, is the program's longest tenured head coach.