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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team will travel west on Wednesday to take on the Louisville Cardinals in a midweek game at Jim Patterson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

EKU is coming off a 17-6 home loss to Oakland on Saturday. Senior outfielder Aaron Barrows paced the Colonel offense in that game, going 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore outfielder Ryan Faidley also contributed with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

The Colonels hope to get their bats going against Louisville. EKU returns their top five hitters from last year, including junior first baseman Anthony Ottrando (.354 in 2008), Barrows (.339), senior second baseman Tyler Rehmel (.306), sophomore third baseman Jayson Langfels (.304) and senior outfielder Matt Davis (.302). Only Barrows and Rehmel (1-for-2 with a run scored) recorded a hit in the Oakland game.

Langfels, a 2008 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, did not play in the Oakland game but will suit up on Wednesday for the first time in 2009. 

With only 11 players back from last year, the Colonels will rely on several new faces in 2009. Saturday was promising for those newcomers as three freshmen recorded their first career hits. #A.J. Jamison started at designated hitter and delivered a double off the left field wall to open the bottom of the second. He would later score on a Faidley single. Richie Rodriguez started at shortstop and notched a double down the right field line in the seventh while Dustin Dunlop# pinch hit in the sixth and laced a single through the left side in his first at-bat as a Colonel.

Junior right-hander Jim Clancy will likely make his first start of the season on Wednesday. Clancy spent most of last season as the Colonels’ closer, leading EKU with 22 appearances. The hard-throwing Lemont, Ill. native rarely pitched more than an inning in any of those appearances, however, and will have to prove that he can carry more of a workload in 2009. Sophomore Matt Fyffe and freshmen Greg Terry and Matt Harris are also expected to see some time on the mound.

Louisville is fresh off being swept at #11 Florida in a three-game series this past weekend. Preseason Big East favorites, the Cardinals return nearly everyone from a team that beat EKU in both matchups last season. Just two years ago, Louisville was a participant in the College World Series.

Sophomore southpaw Bob Revesz is scheduled to start on the mound for the Cardinals.