CARDINALS

Louisville baseball seniors seek one last run to Omaha

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj

Some baseball players cover the underbill of their cap with signatures and sayings and superstition.

Outfielder Jeff Gardner managed to keep it simple in his four years at the University of Louisville.

“It’s just my name on there and then ... do you know the Boogie Man?” Gardner asked, referring to Scott Spicer, a die-hard U of L fan known for his dance moves and full Cardinals get-up at basketball games.

“The Boogie Man came through our line and I said, ‘Hey, you’re the Boogie Man.’ And he signed it, so that was pretty great.”

No story better illustrates Gardner’s time in college than that: the signing of his underbill by a superfan after the baseball team was honored at a basketball game this past winter for its run to the 2013 College World Series.

The prospect of that time coming to an end felt odd to Gardner and his classmates, who will be honored at Saturday’s 1 p.m. senior-day game at Jim Patterson Stadium. It’s the finale of a three-game series against Cincinnati that will begin at 6 p.m. today, then the Cards will start the postseason with next week’s American Athletic Conference Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.

Gardner, outfielder Cole Sturgeon, infielder Alex Chittenden and catchers Shane Crain and Kyle Gibson represent a senior class that’s put together one of the better runs in U of L history.

“To be honest, I’m not really thinking about that now,” said Sturgeon, whose .316 batting average is second on the team to Gardner’s .337. “When you’re in the rhythm of the season like this, it feels like just another game or series. We’re pretty focused in on what we have to do.”

Gardner and Sturgeon both know the emotion of the moment will be hard to ignore, but they and their teammates insist their vision is tunneled.

The Cards (40-13) are good enough to return to the College World Series, and they want a better experience than last year’s two-losses-and-out trip to Omaha.

“We’re all about the dogpile in Omaha,” junior closer Nick Burdi said.

If they do get back there and find more success, the impact of the seniors can’t be understated.

Gardner, a Louisville native and regular fixture on all-conference teams, also leads the team in home runs (seven), RBIs (58) and three other offensive categories.

Sturgeon, an Owensboro product, leads in triples and runs scored and has given up just six earned runs in 22 relief appearances.

Chittenden is third in batting average and first in on-base percentage.

And the senior catchers? They’ve combined to start 41 games behind the plate, managing a pitching staff that ranks 21st in NCAA Division I in ERA.

Those numbers won’t mean much to them if they don’t push back to Omaha, but it’s clear why U of L’s senior day — and senior series — won’t be just another annual celebration.

This one means a lot to the program. Just don’t expect the seniors themselves to get caught up in the moment. Not with so much else on their minds, including winning the American Athletic Conference regular-eason title. They’re tied for first with Central Florida at 16-5, three games ahead of Houston.

“You don’t want to just act like it’s not there — you’re a senior kind of at the end of the road,” Gardner said. “But right now my job is to help this team win every game. If I focus on that, day in and day out, I try not to worry too much about whatever else comes next.”

Reach Louisville writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).

Up next

Cincinnati at U of L

6 p.m. today, Jim Patterson Stadium