The Louisville Cardinals unseated Oregon State in Tuesday's College World Series showdown, punching their ticket to the semifinals in Omaha. As bracket one continues to unfold, the Cards are picking up serious momentum.
As usual, Louisville will rely on a deep pitching staff to propel them through an especially brutal gauntlet. This was the first of potentially three games in three days, with Brennyn Cutts pitching 3.0 innings and allowing three hits, four walks and two earned runs in Tuesday's start before turning it over to the bullpen.
The Cardinals' bats also came alive, with Zion Rose and Jake Munroe both going yard in the victory.
Things got dramatic in the ninth inning as the Beavers erased a three-run deficit in the top of the frame. With bases loaded, Eddie King Jr. hit the sacrifice fly that kept his team alive in the CWS.
Louisville took down a very good Oregon State team. Next up is the small-school powerhouse — a lovable not-so-underdog that is thus far undefeated in CWS play.
Who will Louisville face next after win over Oregon State?
The Cardinals' semifinals opponent will be the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers of Myrtle Beach. The Chanticleers are 53-11 on the season, ranked 11th in the NCAA's top 25. While one might not think of Coastal Carolina as an athletic hotspot, this is a very good baseball team with a ton of momentum, offering Louisville arguably its toughest challenge yet.
When does Louisville play next in Omaha?
The Cardinals will face the Chanticleers tomorrow — Wednesday, June 18 — with their next game slated for the following day, June 19, if Louisville advances. The Cardinals are close enough to taste the glory of CWS victory, but it will take incredible endurance and perhaps a bit of luck, as always.
After such a thrilling, walkoff victory to keep its season alive, the Cardinals have some momentum of their own. One could argue it's a good thing to play right away the next day, when the vibes are high and there's a feeling of invincibility in the air.
Oregon State very nearly completed the ninth-inning comeback — Louisville's bullpen wavered in a way it rarely has all season — but tomorrow is a new day, and the Cardinals feel like a live threat to finally topple Coastal Carolina and push the ACC closer to College World Series history.
Buckle in, folks, there's good baseball on the horizon.