Off to its best 20-game start in school history, the University of Louisville baseball team will open Big East Conference play on Friday.
The Cardinals (18-2), ranked No. 4 in the country by Baseball America, will host Rutgers (6-10) in a three-game series. The game on Friday is slated for 5 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday first-pitch set for 1 o’clock.
U of L has tied the 2010 team for the best start after 20 games and that team went on to win 50 games. The Cardinals have won nine in a row since dropping the final game of a three-game set with Kent State on March 3.
Junior right hander Chad Green (3-1, 1.16 ERA) will get the start in the first game, followed by Jeff Thompson (5-0, 0.55 ERA) and Jared Ruxer (0-0, 3.86).
The Cardinals are ranked second in the nation in ERA at 1.84 after sweeping a two-game midweek series with 12-time NCAA champion Southern California. U of L also ranks second in the nation with 66 stolen bases this season.
U of L was the preseason favorite to win the Big East Conference and has the best record among any team in the league. Every other team already has at least five losses with six of the teams already 10 or more defeats.
Admission is free.