Louisville-Cal State Fullerton Super Regional Preview

SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 6 | 11 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville
Web: CardsTV Audio (Listen) | Live Stats: Gametracker
LOU: Jr. RHP Kyle Funkhouser (8-5, 3.25 ERA)
CSF: Jr. RHP Thomas Eshelman (8-5, 1.61 ERA)

Sunday, June 7 | Noon ET
TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville
Web: CardsTV Audio (Listen) | Live Stats: Gametracker
LOU: TBA
CSF: TBA

Monday, June 8 | Time TBD
TV: ESPN or ESPN2 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville
Web: CardsTV Audio (Listen) | Live Stats: Gametracker
LOU: TBA
CSF: TBA

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Louisville

Defeated Morehead State 7-2
Defeated Michigan 4-3
Defeated Michigan 13-14

Cal State Fullerton

Defeated Pepperdine 9-3
Defeated Arizona State 3-2 (14 innings)
Defeated Pepperdine 10-1

Notable:

--Louisville has won 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament games at Jim Patterson Stadium, a streak which dates back to 2013. The Cards are 6-3 all-time in Super Regional play and 3-1 in Super Rrgional series.

--Fullerton is 16-10 (.615) all-time in Super Regional play. The Titans have gone 0-2 only twice in a Super (2008 & 2013). This will be Fullerton's 12th appearance in the Super Regionals but only third on the road. The Titans defeated Ohio State in three games in 1999 as the No. 3 national seed but lost to UCLA in three games back in 2010.

--The Titans and Cardinals have faced off only three times all-time, the first two coming in 2009 at the Fullerton Super Regional. The Titans swept the Cardinals in 2009, outscoring them 23-2 in the two games to clinch a trip to the College World Series. Since then, the Titans have not been to Omaha in the last six seasons while the Cardinals are coming off two straight trips to the College World Series and are in search of their third straight trip with a series win this weekend.

--In seven NCAA postseason appearances on the mound, junior Kyle Funkhouser has a 2.90 ERA (10 ER in 31.1 IP) with 26 strikeouts.

--Thomas Eshelman leads the Big West with a 0.80 WHIP, which also ranks fourth in the nation. Eshelman also ranks seventh in the country in strikeouts (125), 17th in ERA (1.57) and 10th in complete games (5). His 9.12 strikeouts-per-nine innings average is a career high and also ranks fifth in the Big West. He has struck out 125 batters and walked only six.

--Fullerton ranks first in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings with a 1.72 average. They are also first in the country with a 4.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In addition, the Titans led the Big West in shutouts with nine, a mark that also ranks fourth in the country. The Titans also rank highly in the following categories: WHIP (1.12; 1st BWC, 5th Nation), sacrifice bunts (64; 3rd BWC, 16th Nation), strikeouts per nine innings (8.5; 1st BWC, 18th Nation) and triples (17, 3rd BWC, 52nd Nation).

--In 17 NCAA postseason games during the last three seasons, the Cardinals have stolen 25 bases in 35 attempts, including 12 of 14 last season. Louisville is 5-for-8 this season and was 8-for-13 in 2013. They'll be attempting to run on one of the country's best defensive catchers in A.J. Kennedy this weekend.

--Louisville has won 138 straight games when entering the ninth inning with a lead dating back to May 2012. The Cardinals were 43-0 last season and 46-0 in 2013 when leading after the eighth.

--Louisville is 30-0 this season when scoring first and 15-0 when scoring in the first inning.

Card Chronicle Prediction: Louisville in 3