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7th Inning Stretch: The Road Ends Here (Week 18)

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 6:00 AM ET

It's been over half a decade since their last trip to the College World Series, but the Louisville baseball program has finally made the long road back to Omaha, Neb.

The Cardinals (40-22) might have needed to use all three games of the Louisville Super Regional, but in the end, it still resulted of a takedown of Miami to punch their ticket to the CWS. It will be their sixth all-time trip to Omaha in program history, and their first since 2019.

Louisville had several players step up to the plate (pun not intended) in their Supers win over the Canes. Eddie King Jr. went 6-for-10 with two home runs and four RBI - including the go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning of game three. Third baseman Jake Munroe went 5-for-12 with three homers and six RBI, most of which came in the Cards' game one victory.

Even Louisville's pitching staff, on the heels of a great showing down in the Nashville Regional, doubled down and held up their end of the deal against The U. The starting rotation combined for 13 strikeouts, six walks and four earned runs in 14.1 innings, and the staff as a whole allowed just eight earned runs while striking out 21 against 12 walks.

While the College World Series field as a whole is the most wide open that we have seen in quite some time, just getting to the CWS Finals will still be difficult. Louisville will take on No. 8 Oregon State (47-14-1) to start their run in Omaha, with Arizona (44-19) and No. 13 Coastal Carolina (53-11) also on their side of the bracket.

As a reminder, the eight teams in the College World Series will square off in a pair of four-team double elimination pods. The winners of each pod will face off in the CWS Finals, which is a best-of-three series. The teams on the other side of the bracket are No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 6 LSU, and No. 15 UCLA vs. Murray State.

As it currently stands, Louisville has the second-longest odds to win the College World Series, ahead of only four-seed Cinderella Murray State. That being said, if you're good enough to get to Omaha, you're good enough to win the whole thing.

News & Notes

Of head coach Dan McDonnell's five previous trips to the College World Series, he holds a 4-10 record. Louisville went 0-2 in 2013 and 2014, 1-2 in 2007 and 2017, and 2-2 in 2019. The Cardinals have never reached the CWS Finals.
Louisville has already faced one other team in the College World Series this season. They took down Arizona, 13-1 in eight innings, back on Feb. 16 in Arlington, Tex. as part of the Shriners Children's College Showdown.
Outfielder Lucas Moore ranks first nationally in stolen bases with 51, third in runs with 83, and 18th in hits with 89.
Outfielder Eddie King Jr. ranks eighth nationally in slugging percentage at .770.
Right-Handed Pitcher Patrick Forbes ranks third nationally in strikeouts per nine innings at 14.59, and 26th in total strikeouts with 107.

The Week Ahead

Neutral (Charles Schwab Field - Omaha, Neb.)

Friday, June 13

Game 1: Arizona vs. No. 13 Coastal Carolina - 2:00 p.m. EST
Game 2: Louisville vs. No. 8 Oregon State - 7:00 p.m. EST

Sunday, June 15

Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser - 2:00 p.m. EST
Game 6: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 7:00 p.m. EST

Tuesday, June 17

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser - 2:00 p.m. EST

Wednesday, June 18

Game 11: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner - 2:00 p.m, EST

Thursday, June 19

*Game 11 Loser vs. Game 11 Winner - Time TBA

*If Necessary

Know The Foe

Oregon State Beavers

Head Coach (school record): Mitch Canham (223-101-1)
2025 Record (conference record): 47-14-1 (N/A)
All-Time Series Record: Oregon State Leads 1-0

Top Performers (Hitters):

INF Aiva Arquette (62 GP, 62 GS): .354/.466/.658, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 17 2B, 1 3B, 39 BB, 7 SB
OF Gavin Turley (62 GP, 62 GS): .346/.474/.645, 19 HR, 66 RBI, 12 2B, 50 BB, 4 SB
C Wilson Weber (60 GP, 57 GS): .333/.412/.584, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 15 2B, 2 3B, 25 BB, 2 SB

Top Performers (Pitchers):

LHP Ethan Kleinschmit (16 APP, 16 GS): 3.54 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 86.1 IP, 106 K, 33 BB, .195 B/AVG
RHP Dax Whitney (16 APP, 16 GS): 3.66 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 71.1 IP, 111 K, 36 BB, .221 B/AVG
RHP Wyatt Queen (20 APP, 5 GS): 3.35 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 45.2 IP, 58 K, 18 BB, .230 B/AVG

Arizona Wildcats

Head Coach (school record): Chip Hale (152-93)
2025 Record (conference record): 44-19 (18-12)
All-Time Series Record: Arizona Leads 2-1

Top Performers (Hitters):

INF Mason White (63 GP, 63 GS): .332/.414/.692, 19 HR, 72 RBI, 17 2B, 8 3B, 25 BB, 4 SB
OF Aaron Walton (63 GP, 63 GS): .320/.434/.595, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 22 2B, 2 3B, 30 BB, 18 SB
C Adonys Guzman (60 GP, 59 GS): .318/.406/.475, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 11 2B, 27 BB

Top Performers (Pitchers):

RHP Smith Bailey (17 APP, 17 GS): 4.01 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 83.0 IP, 76 K, 30 BB, .266 B/AVG
RHP Owen Kramkowski (17 APP, 17 GS): 5.48 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 87.0 IP, 83 K, 17 BB, .299 B/AVG
RHP Tony Pluta (28 APP, 0 GS): 1.26 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 35.2 IP, 34 K, 7 BB, .183 B/AVG, 14 SV

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Head Coach (school record): Kevin Schnall (53-11)
2025 Record (conference record): 53-11 (26-4)
All-Time Series Record: No Previous Meetings

Top Performers (Hitters):

OF Sebastian Alexander (55 GP, 55 GS): .320/.432/.543, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 12 2B, 1 3B, 25 BB, 27 SB
INF Blake Barthol (64 GP, 64 GS): .279/.390/.481, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 11 2B, 30 BB, 12 SB
C Caden Bodine (62 GP, 62 GS): .332/.466/.487, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 18 2B, 1 3B, 45 BB, 2 SB

Top Performers (Pitchers):

RHP Jacob Morrison (17 APP, 16 GS): 2.15 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 96.1 IP, 95 K, 22 BB, .195 B/AVG
RHP Riley Eikhoff (15 APP, 15 GS): 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 80.2 IP, 63 K, 10 BB, .252 B/AVG
RHP Cameron Flukey (16 APP, 16 GS): 3.24 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 91.2 IP, 106 K, 21 BB, .214 B/AVG