Wednesday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

—Louisville may have only won two games in its College World Series history, but both came via the exact same setup that Sunday’s game against Vandy has.

—Rick Bozich serves up five reasons why Vanderbilt is the team to beat (or fear) in Omaha.

—Three-star offensive tackle Timothy Lawson has announced that he’ll choose between Louisville, NC State and North Carolina this Saturday at noon.

—It seems day one of Ravens minicamp went well for Lamar Jackson.

—The Sporting News ranks all 130 FBS head coaches and has Scott Satterfield at No. 49.

—What would the NBA look like if all of Stephen A. Smith’s predictions over the years had been accurate?

—De’Andre Hunter wants everyone to remember he didn’t play in Virginia’s loss to UMBC.

—The Oakland Raiders will be the focus of the next season of “Hard Knocks.”

—The Tennesseean serves up five things Vandy fans should know about Louisville baseball.

—Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana is closing out their annual “Bowl For Kids’ Sake” bowling fundraiser on Thursday, June 13^th, 2019 at Main Event Entertainment. Here’s more info:

June 13th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM is a BIG night, because we are holding the Healthcare Bowl, with many of the top providers from across the state coming together to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana! Aetna, Anthem, WellCare, and many, many others have been strong supporters of the work Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana has done for the past 50 years!

Bowl for Kids’ Sake is a fun and easy way for you, your company, friends, and family to support the life-changing work of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana! Bowl for Kids’ Sake- the organizations largest annual fundraiser- brings teams of bowlers together throughout the region to benefit thousands of children in need.

Funds raised during Bowl for Kids’ Sake provide 20 percent of the organization’s annual operational budget, playing a vital role in ensuring that every local child who is facing adversity and wants a positive role model, can receive the benefits of a caring adult mentor. For more information, visit www.BowlForKidsSake.com

—This from Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden is a beautiful tribute to a life lost too soon.

—If you were looking for some CWS gear ....

—Four Cardinals have been named to Phil Steele’s preseason All-ACC team.

—With his suspension over, Louisville closer Michael McAvene is now focused on getting back on the field in Omaha.

“It’s tough to be taken out of the competition like that,” McAvene said. “You don’t want to have to be sidelined for something like that, but you have to accept that and move forward with it.”

He watched the second game of the doubleheader by his car with his parents and girlfriend. Their angle of the field wasn’t great — a set of media tents blocked most of the view — but they could see the bullpen, among other things. There wasn’t much to say at that moment. Everybody was still stunned.

“We were all just in shock by the whole thing,” Jennifer McAvene said. “It was in the heat of the moment.”

The team had a simple message for Michael McAvene, before the second game, though.

“They said they were going to get me back on the field,” he said.

—Bustin Brackets has Jaelyn Withers at No. 1 on its list of under the radar ACC prospects for 2019-20.

—A thousand times no.

—Deion Branch, Chris Redman and Tim Couch have been hosting a football camp in Louisville this week.

—If you don’t want to buy the Athlon college football preview magazine, their preview of Louisville has been posted online.

Final Analysis

Satterfield faces a multi-year rebuild of talent and attitude. Lots of work. A program that ranked fifth in the national playoff poll in November 2016 looks primed to miss the bowl scene in back-to-back seasons. There are too many questions at quarterback, running back, offensive line and across the defense. Time to recruit.

National Ranking: 81

—Louisville baseball has a new look (video) as it heads to Omaha.

—Matt McGavic over at The Crunch Zone shares his thoughts on Louisville’s latest trip to the College World Series.

—Really wish I could push back on this, but my nephew is pretty spot-on here.

—U of L’s new broadcast facility is pretty awesome.

—Patrons of Highlands Tap Room keep drawing and leaving sketches of Hulk Hogan, which is both weird and fantastic.

—Vince Tyra out here paying his respects to the fallen seats at Cardinal Stadium with that shirt choice.

Classy move.

—NBADraft.net’s first 2020 mock draft has Jordan Nwora and Steven Enoch both going in the first round.

—Toll rates for the bridges going into Southern Indiana are about to go up.

—The California Penal League?

—DeVante Parker says the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a game-changer for him.

—Eight College World Series storylines that reflect the magic of Omaha.

LOUISVILLE

Storyline: Dan McDonnell has created a national power at Louisville, with the school’s fifth tip to Omaha since 2007. Now the Cardinals would like to stay a little longer. They’re 2-8 in their first four appearances. But they’re dangerous, or maybe you didn’t see the scores from the Super Regional?

Stat to remember: Louisville just plastered East Carolina pitching by a combined score of 26-1, continuing a hot streak that started when the Cardinals lost in the regional to Illinois State. Since that defeat, they have scored 50 runs in five games and shown considerable depth in their lineup, much to the discomfort of opposing pitchers. The bottom four spots have hit .346 with 23 RBI in those five games.

A big league Cardinal to remember: Adam Duvall. He’s a Louisville kid who missed his high school senior year with back surgery, but eventually ended up down the street as a Cardinal. Later, he homered in his first game as a San Francisco Giant and in his first at-bat as a Cincinnati Red. After 87 home runs in the majors, the offensive numbers have faded and he is currently with Atlanta’s Triple-A team at Gwinnett

—And finally, a good CWS preview here where Louisville is ranked as the fourth-best team heading to Omaha.