April 15, 2025 • 11 mins
Louisville baseball head coach Dan McDonnell and his crew are ready to celebrate Jim Patterson Stadium's 20th anniversary on April 15 at 6 PM vs Western Kentucky University.
Dan talked about the rigorous schedule ahead for Louisville baseball, and what he told his team after UK took the lead in the top of the 10th. U of L came back to win in a walk off after it looked like Kentucky was going to beat the Cardinals at Jim Patterson.
THe UK vs UofL return match is April 22 at Lexington's Kentucky Proud Park.
Dan talked about the rigorous schedule ahead for Louisville baseball, and what he told his team after UK took the lead in the top of the 10th. U of L came back to win in a walk off after it looked like Kentucky was going to beat the Cardinals at Jim Patterson.
THe UK vs UofL return match is April 22 at Lexington's Kentucky Proud Park.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm not gonna lie to you. I am too chicken
to get on any spaceship. Even if it's only for
eleven minutes, that would be ten minutes and fifty nine
seconds too long. As soon as they locked the door,
let me out. Let's bring a University of Louisville baseball coach, Dan,
They got you, coach, Could you tough that out, get
in one of those little rockets and flying space.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah. I'm pretty hard headed and adventurous, so I'm very trusting,
and so if they act like it's gonna work, I'm
all for it.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
If they act like it's gonna work, that's the goal.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
I don't know that would that'd be a little bit
frightening for me. It's good to have you back on.
I know you've got a big game tomorrow night. Let
me walk back. Game against Kentucky was very exciting and
kind of you know, that was an up and down
roller coaster ride.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It was a well pitched game, a low scoring game,
and in college baseball there's not as many as there
used to be. It's just very offensive right now, and
both teams pitch really well, and of course they take
the lead and that shrinnings, and we we did this year.
You know, we come from behind and because we're the
home team, we're able to walk them off. So just
(01:07):
a yeah, great, great game at Jim Patterson Stadium, which
is appropriate, right because our next game at Jim Patterson
Stadium is going to be pretty exciting Tomorrow night. And
I was looking at the schedule, Terry. What's crazy is
we only have nine home games left series the weekend
(01:27):
after Easter and then the last weekend before they ac
to see tournament, so they're really spread out, and then
three midweek games. So it's easy for me to look
at this game Tomorrow night and one of the most
important games, you know, in the history of Louisville baseball
because twenty years ago tomorrow night they unveiled and they
(01:49):
opened up Jim Patterson Stadium. And so to the day,
tomorrow night is the twenty year anniversary, and so mister
Patterson and his family we'll be here throughout the first
pitch and so week for him. And I've been so
blessed that, you know, eighteen plus seasons, I've had a
chance to enjoy all the excitement as I hope our
(02:12):
fans have, and just great night Tomorrow Night the show appreciation.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, you've raised the game for Louisville baseball though, you
and your coaching staff have just done a marvelous job
here for nearly two decades, and so that's brought a
lot more attention. These runs at Omaha have gotten. You know,
got to fund here, of course, and from what the
original State Stadium was to the expansions and the other
(02:38):
tweaks and upgrades, and I know there are more of
those coming. That has a lot to do with the
momentum you brought Coach McDonald.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
No doubt, but the stadium was built first. And even
when I got here, you had a talented freshman in
Chris do Mingez the numberanc high school third basement in
the country. You had a Justin Marx, one of the
top pitchers, if not the best picture in the state
of Kentucky. So you had good talented freshmen that came
(03:08):
because hey, this beautiful ballpark is going to be built.
Then we had all those older players and that perfect
storm came together and then yeah, we go to Omaha
that first year. But you look around the God I've
been very vocal about it. I mean, we have one
of the nicest basketball arenas in the country. We have
one of the nicest football staveums. I mean, our facilities
(03:30):
are top notch when you go around, you know, the
athletic facilities here and that it's been different the last years.
And obviously Nil is a big player in this and
we understand it. But these places, if you don't have
nice assilities, just not going to get some of the
best players in the country. And that's where Jim Patterson
(03:51):
deserves so much of the credit because not only does
he build the original stadium, he gives to the expansion
and then he gives again. So there's been two expansions
or renovations if you call it that. And I just again,
to me, the focus is on him and when peoples
(04:12):
and give uh, it's just it's so cool that, like
I said, his name is being ingrained with Louisville baseball.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
He played right he played for US yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I mean, yeah, he's a former you know, he's a
former athlete, loves University of Louisville, loves the athletic department,
and obviously the baseball program is just We've been so
fortunate and this place has hosted many regional regionals. I
mean the exposure. If this stadium hasn't been on ESPN
as much as any facility on our campus, I'd like
(04:46):
to know what facility has been aired more than Jim
Patterson Stadium, because I'd be willing to bet over the
last eighteen years, no facility has gotten the exposure that
this facility has brought to our university, no doubt about that.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Again, I enjoyed the return date with them a week
from tomorrow, but you got to get this win against
Western Kentucky tomorrow night. Then you get another road trip
right away. So let's talk about your run for the
end of the regular season here through these other series.
You gotta go to Clemson, Florida State comes here, as
you noted, the week after Easter, and then we got
(05:24):
an eastern date. Then you got to run up to
Notre Dame, so you got your hands on Then they
built issue all the time, so you guys have a
full wind shield.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It is a it's a fun time of the year
because we just hit the halfway point of ACC play,
so we got fifteen ACC games left, and you said it,
we go to Clemson this weekend. They right around the
top five, definitely in the top ten. Real challenge on
the road. But then the following weekend we're home versus
Florida State. You know, another top ten program. They were
(05:56):
in Omaha last year, so we got it to get
back on track a little bit. We're not playing our
best baseball of the year, but sometimes your opponent forces
you into that. So I just I love this group.
If those that have been to the stadium, I get
a lot of I've gotten more comments this year, whether
they watch us on TV or they see us in person,
(06:18):
special about that group. Man coach, I really like that group,
and obviously to come from behind wins the belief, the fight.
We're not a perfect team, but we're working to get better.
We are a fun team. So if you have not
seen this team in person, and Western Kentucky's having a
great year, so they're a top twenty five team playing
(06:40):
our top twenty five teams. It's free of the weather.
It'll be sixty and a little windy, which again my
wife would say that's perfect weather, Like she don't want
eighty and she might like forty, but we can't have
that for baseball. So I think I having sixty and
nice is good for everybody. And I just want to.
I want to celebrate tomorrow night and hopefully we do
(07:03):
our part and we play good baseball in front of
a crowd that wants today.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Do I have no doubt that you guys are going
to do that. You're going to do great obviously in
these final weeks of the regular season. But let's go
back to the UK game one more time. I want
to know what coach Max says to the players. It's
the top of the tenth, they do take the lead.
What are you saying to your guys when they're coming
(07:28):
into bat for the bottom of the tenth and they're
down a run.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Well, preparation as in our practices, in our workouts, we
talk a lot about the last three innings and or
extra innings, and honestly, it comes down to a lot
of belief and trust. And yes I need to and
the coaches needs to believe them, but they're the ones
(07:53):
stepping in the batter's box and they're the one making
making it happen and just fun. Though you can steal
the confidence in the dugout, yes I feel it, and
so it's nice that I don't have to try to
hide anything as a coach. I honestly believe because I've
seen this group all year they have the ability to
(08:14):
do special things, and so there's belief, there's trust, there's
a lot of excitement. But then you just got to
go out and you just got to earn it. Even
when you don't, as we're learning with this group, even
when we have a bad day or a bad game, man,
we bounce back quickly. I can just tell you I'm
(08:34):
having as much fun with this group as I've had
in a few years. Man, this group is a lot
of fun. And I hope our fans we have a
great group that have been behind it, and we so
appreciate that. I said, when you look at the scheduling,
go there's only nine more home games, It's like, oh
my god, what happened to the baseball season?
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
And it just like it always does, man, it just
flies by.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
What about Lucas more snaring away to stealing a home
run from UK? Did that become a poster? Is that
up on the walls in your offices? What happened with
that image?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Well, it became what we call a plus plus two,
meaning we do this little thing in practice. If you
drop a fly ball, and we do these twenty seven
fly balls. If one drops, we have to run a
long lap at the end of the drill. But I
do allow them to have a you know, get out
of jail card, and those are awarded when you make
(09:34):
great catches. So I made sure I awarded plus one
or they were begging me to do a plus two
because it was a home run, and I said, well,
I don't know about that, but it's we have a
really talented outfield and traditionally we have made home run
robbing catches every year i've been here, and again that's
(09:55):
the credit to coach Rabel and our talentedt outfield. And
we're good on def I can't say it's the best
defensive game. We we are good on defense. So if
we can if we can get back in the strike zone,
if we can stand on our toes and make plays defensively,
we've obviously shown the ability to score a lot of runs.
So we had a good practice today and we're looking
(10:19):
forward to a really good challenge, good competition tomorrow night
at six o'clock.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Let's do it at six o'clock tomorrow night, Jim Patterson
Stadium and yes, Jim Patterson, as we celebrate twenty years
coach McDonald, great talking to you again. Good happy run
through the second half of this ACC season.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Well thanks and how appropriate free admission uh for a stadium.
For most of the years, most of the game have
been free emission, which is just kind of crazy when
you're watching Adam Duvall and you and you get you
get to walk through the gate for free. So I
continue to take advantage of it. We appreciate everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
You bet you see you tomorrow night. Thanks Dan McDonald,
head coach to Louisville Baseball six o'clock tomorrow night versus
Western Kentucky University. There back weekend after next with a
three game series versus Florida State. That's April twenty fifth.
Eastern will be here late in April. Then they're at
Notre Dame. Then Vanderbilts is here, the always annoying Vanderbilt condoores.
(11:22):
And there's more ahead here too on news radio eight
forty whas
I'm not gonna lie to you. I am too chicken
to get on any spaceship. Even if it's only for
eleven minutes, that would be ten minutes and fifty nine
seconds too long. As soon as they locked the door,
let me out. Let's bring a University of Louisville baseball coach, Dan,
They got you, coach, Could you tough that out, get
in one of those little rockets and flying space.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah. I'm pretty hard headed and adventurous, so I'm very trusting,
and so if they act like it's gonna work, I'm
all for it.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
If they act like it's gonna work, that's the goal.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
I don't know that would that'd be a little bit
frightening for me. It's good to have you back on.
I know you've got a big game tomorrow night. Let
me walk back. Game against Kentucky was very exciting and
kind of you know, that was an up and down
roller coaster ride.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It was a well pitched game, a low scoring game,
and in college baseball there's not as many as there
used to be. It's just very offensive right now, and
both teams pitch really well, and of course they take
the lead and that shrinnings, and we we did this year.
You know, we come from behind and because we're the
home team, we're able to walk them off. So just
(01:07):
a yeah, great, great game at Jim Patterson Stadium, which
is appropriate, right because our next game at Jim Patterson
Stadium is going to be pretty exciting Tomorrow night. And
I was looking at the schedule, Terry. What's crazy is
we only have nine home games left series the weekend
(01:27):
after Easter and then the last weekend before they ac
to see tournament, so they're really spread out, and then
three midweek games. So it's easy for me to look
at this game Tomorrow night and one of the most
important games, you know, in the history of Louisville baseball
because twenty years ago tomorrow night they unveiled and they
(01:49):
opened up Jim Patterson Stadium. And so to the day,
tomorrow night is the twenty year anniversary, and so mister
Patterson and his family we'll be here throughout the first
pitch and so week for him. And I've been so
blessed that, you know, eighteen plus seasons, I've had a
chance to enjoy all the excitement as I hope our
(02:12):
fans have, and just great night Tomorrow Night the show appreciation.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, you've raised the game for Louisville baseball though, you
and your coaching staff have just done a marvelous job
here for nearly two decades, and so that's brought a
lot more attention. These runs at Omaha have gotten. You know,
got to fund here, of course, and from what the
original State Stadium was to the expansions and the other
(02:38):
tweaks and upgrades, and I know there are more of
those coming. That has a lot to do with the
momentum you brought Coach McDonald.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
No doubt, but the stadium was built first. And even
when I got here, you had a talented freshman in
Chris do Mingez the numberanc high school third basement in
the country. You had a Justin Marx, one of the
top pitchers, if not the best picture in the state
of Kentucky. So you had good talented freshmen that came
(03:08):
because hey, this beautiful ballpark is going to be built.
Then we had all those older players and that perfect
storm came together and then yeah, we go to Omaha
that first year. But you look around the God I've
been very vocal about it. I mean, we have one
of the nicest basketball arenas in the country. We have
one of the nicest football staveums. I mean, our facilities
(03:30):
are top notch when you go around, you know, the
athletic facilities here and that it's been different the last years.
And obviously Nil is a big player in this and
we understand it. But these places, if you don't have
nice assilities, just not going to get some of the
best players in the country. And that's where Jim Patterson
(03:51):
deserves so much of the credit because not only does
he build the original stadium, he gives to the expansion
and then he gives again. So there's been two expansions
or renovations if you call it that. And I just again,
to me, the focus is on him and when peoples
(04:12):
and give uh, it's just it's so cool that, like
I said, his name is being ingrained with Louisville baseball.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
He played right he played for US yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I mean, yeah, he's a former you know, he's a
former athlete, loves University of Louisville, loves the athletic department,
and obviously the baseball program is just We've been so
fortunate and this place has hosted many regional regionals. I
mean the exposure. If this stadium hasn't been on ESPN
as much as any facility on our campus, I'd like
(04:46):
to know what facility has been aired more than Jim
Patterson Stadium, because I'd be willing to bet over the
last eighteen years, no facility has gotten the exposure that
this facility has brought to our university, no doubt about that.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Again, I enjoyed the return date with them a week
from tomorrow, but you got to get this win against
Western Kentucky tomorrow night. Then you get another road trip
right away. So let's talk about your run for the
end of the regular season here through these other series.
You gotta go to Clemson, Florida State comes here, as
you noted, the week after Easter, and then we got
(05:24):
an eastern date. Then you got to run up to
Notre Dame, so you got your hands on Then they
built issue all the time, so you guys have a
full wind shield.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It is a it's a fun time of the year
because we just hit the halfway point of ACC play,
so we got fifteen ACC games left, and you said it,
we go to Clemson this weekend. They right around the
top five, definitely in the top ten. Real challenge on
the road. But then the following weekend we're home versus
Florida State. You know, another top ten program. They were
(05:56):
in Omaha last year, so we got it to get
back on track a little bit. We're not playing our
best baseball of the year, but sometimes your opponent forces
you into that. So I just I love this group.
If those that have been to the stadium, I get
a lot of I've gotten more comments this year, whether
they watch us on TV or they see us in person,
(06:18):
special about that group. Man coach, I really like that group,
and obviously to come from behind wins the belief, the fight.
We're not a perfect team, but we're working to get better.
We are a fun team. So if you have not
seen this team in person, and Western Kentucky's having a
great year, so they're a top twenty five team playing
(06:40):
our top twenty five teams. It's free of the weather.
It'll be sixty and a little windy, which again my
wife would say that's perfect weather, Like she don't want
eighty and she might like forty, but we can't have
that for baseball. So I think I having sixty and
nice is good for everybody. And I just want to.
I want to celebrate tomorrow night and hopefully we do
(07:03):
our part and we play good baseball in front of
a crowd that wants today.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Do I have no doubt that you guys are going
to do that. You're going to do great obviously in
these final weeks of the regular season. But let's go
back to the UK game one more time. I want
to know what coach Max says to the players. It's
the top of the tenth, they do take the lead.
What are you saying to your guys when they're coming
(07:28):
into bat for the bottom of the tenth and they're
down a run.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Well, preparation as in our practices, in our workouts, we
talk a lot about the last three innings and or
extra innings, and honestly, it comes down to a lot
of belief and trust. And yes I need to and
the coaches needs to believe them, but they're the ones
(07:53):
stepping in the batter's box and they're the one making
making it happen and just fun. Though you can steal
the confidence in the dugout, yes I feel it, and
so it's nice that I don't have to try to
hide anything as a coach. I honestly believe because I've
seen this group all year they have the ability to
(08:14):
do special things, and so there's belief, there's trust, there's
a lot of excitement. But then you just got to
go out and you just got to earn it. Even
when you don't, as we're learning with this group, even
when we have a bad day or a bad game, man,
we bounce back quickly. I can just tell you I'm
(08:34):
having as much fun with this group as I've had
in a few years. Man, this group is a lot
of fun. And I hope our fans we have a
great group that have been behind it, and we so
appreciate that. I said, when you look at the scheduling,
go there's only nine more home games, It's like, oh
my god, what happened to the baseball season?
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
And it just like it always does, man, it just
flies by.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
What about Lucas more snaring away to stealing a home
run from UK? Did that become a poster? Is that
up on the walls in your offices? What happened with
that image?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Well, it became what we call a plus plus two,
meaning we do this little thing in practice. If you
drop a fly ball, and we do these twenty seven
fly balls. If one drops, we have to run a
long lap at the end of the drill. But I
do allow them to have a you know, get out
of jail card, and those are awarded when you make
(09:34):
great catches. So I made sure I awarded plus one
or they were begging me to do a plus two
because it was a home run, and I said, well,
I don't know about that, but it's we have a
really talented outfield and traditionally we have made home run
robbing catches every year i've been here, and again that's
(09:55):
the credit to coach Rabel and our talentedt outfield. And
we're good on def I can't say it's the best
defensive game. We we are good on defense. So if
we can if we can get back in the strike zone,
if we can stand on our toes and make plays defensively,
we've obviously shown the ability to score a lot of runs.
So we had a good practice today and we're looking
(10:19):
forward to a really good challenge, good competition tomorrow night
at six o'clock.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Let's do it at six o'clock tomorrow night, Jim Patterson
Stadium and yes, Jim Patterson, as we celebrate twenty years
coach McDonald, great talking to you again. Good happy run
through the second half of this ACC season.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Well thanks and how appropriate free admission uh for a stadium.
For most of the years, most of the game have
been free emission, which is just kind of crazy when
you're watching Adam Duvall and you and you get you
get to walk through the gate for free. So I
continue to take advantage of it. We appreciate everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
You bet you see you tomorrow night. Thanks Dan McDonald,
head coach to Louisville Baseball six o'clock tomorrow night versus
Western Kentucky University. There back weekend after next with a
three game series versus Florida State. That's April twenty fifth.
Eastern will be here late in April. Then they're at
Notre Dame. Then Vanderbilts is here, the always annoying Vanderbilt condoores.
(11:22):
And there's more ahead here too on news radio eight
forty whas
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