Big Recruiting Weekend for Louisville Baseball

Unfortunately, or fortunately if you ask some of the other programs on campus, the Louisville Baseball program has been relatively quiet since the ACC tournament, outside of summer ball and a commitment or two. That quickly changed this weekend as Coach McDonnell and Co. went on a commitment frenzy on Sunday and Monday.

Kade Elam got the party started on Sunday, committing to the Cards after attending the Louisville Baseball Skills Camp this weekend. This is a name you will not hear from for a few years as he is just a freshman, but Elam could make a big splash when he makes it to campus.

As a freshman at Corbin, he is the starting quarterback for the varsity football team, leading Corbin to a 45-0 victory over Whitley County during his first start last Friday. He is also a point guard for the basketball team.

Elam, a SS, played for the varsity team last year at Corbin as an 8th grader and recorded an impressive season for the Redhounds. At the plate, he batted .375 with a home run, 16 RBI, and 24 runs with 3 saves and a 0.66 ERA on the mound.

The class rankings for 2025 have not been released by PBR but I suspect Elam will be a top prospect once they are available.

Jack Brown out of Fishers, IN was the next future Card to pull the trigger. Brown is a RHP/OF that is currently the 2nd ranked player and Indiana and 174th overall in the country in the class of 2024.

As many of the top high school athletes make the decision to sign professional contracts, this is an ideal wheelhouse to recruit and still be hopeful that the player shows up on campus. (Unless you’re Vanderbilt and you sign top 20 guys that end up in Nashville. If you know, you know.)

I would imagine both hitting coach, Eric Snider, and pitching coach, Roger Williams, are excited to have him on campus as he has the ability to play both ways at the college level.

He starts on the mound with a four pitch mix, primarily focusing on his changeup and slider, but does mix in a curveball as well. His fastball maxes out at 89 already as he heads into his sophomore year.

Jake Schweitzer, also considered a true two-way player in college, committed to Louisville on Monday night. Schweitzer, a local Trinity product, is the 3rd ranked player in Kentucky in 2024 and 186th overall in his class, according to PBR.

In July, I was told, “He is absolutely top 15 in the country” by someone I trust as much as anyone in high school baseball recruiting. I suspect he will continue to rise in the rankings over the next few years as he gains more exposure.

Like Elam, he is a SS but will also spend time on the mound in college, mixing in a curveball and slider with a fastball that maxes out at 89.

When it comes to recruiting the state of Kentucky, Louisville basically gets who Louisville wants and I am glad to see this tradition continue. The future of Louisville Baseball looks very bright.