LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — You could stop keeping score after the first inning. First, the University of Louisville baseball team ran out of pitching. Then it ran out of season.
Coastal Carolina treated the Cardinals as harshly as the Chanticleers treated their previous 25 opponents, scoring six runs in the first inning before cruise-controlling to an 11-3 College World Series victory on a steamy Wednesday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Colton Hartman, coach Dan McDonnell’s surprise choice as Louisville’s starting pitcher, faced five hitters. He retired none. A single. Two hit batsmen. Another single. A double. The Cards were behind 6-0 before you could reach for Cracker Jack.
“You’ve got to give credit to (Coastal Carolina) coaches,” McDonnell said. “They’ve got those guys on point. They’re a well-oiled machine. They’re efficient and they’ve obviously put themselves in a great position.”
Indeed. Coastal has won 26 straight and will begin the World Series championship series against Arkansas or Louisiana State on Saturday.
But the Cards also answered a question that has burned for months: Could they make it back to Omaha, for the sixth time in program history?
They could. They did. They made it all the way to the final four.
That’s deeper than anybody projected three weeks ago.
It’s as deep as any U of L baseball squad has advanced in this marvelous event.
It’s deeper than any Atlantic Coast Conference program.
And other than the U of L volleyball squad, it’s deeper than other Cardinal athletic programs went this school year.
It was another reminder of the tenacious strength of the program McDonnell has built over 19 seasons.
But sports being sports, as soon as Louisville answered that question, another popped up:
Can the success of the baseball program continue as we transition into professional college sports. You know, schools paying the players.
Will the athletic department continue to back the program at the current level or even dial it up a notch, as many suggest will be necessary to remain a program capable of chasing national titles?
McDonnell talked like a guy who believed great things remained possible.
“I'm thankful to be the head coach at the University of Louisville,” he said. “My wife and I just love it. Just love it. As hard as the last few years have been, oh my gosh, it's been hard, but we're very thankful, man.”
Louisville has many solid amenities around its program. But there are a string of programs in the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences that have nicer stadiums, better training facilities and more money to pay players.
Money is tight and getting tighter. Baseball has been consistently successful and entertaining. But it does not pay the bills.
Coincidentally, the ugly scoreboard numbers in Omaha weren’t the only numbers to chew on Wednesday.
The athletic department projected that the baseball team will generate $270,931 in revenue during the 2025-26 school year.
Baseball expenses are budgeted at more than $4.4 million — nearly $3 million in salaries, $44,0209 in financial aid and $935,000 in operating expenses,
We’re talking about a program that is dynamic nearly every season. But we’re also talking about program projected to operate at a deficit of more than $4.1 million.
Will that continue? Should it continue? Women’s basketball ($4.25 million) and volleyball ($1.7 million) also operate in the red. They’re fan favorites and growing in popularity.
There are financial questions to ask about many U of L programs, other than football (projected to essentially break even) and men’s basketball, which carries the department at almost $17 million in the black.
Are we racing into a world when athletic programs across America will have to choose which programs schools will embrace at a championship level?
As he has several times this spring, McDonnell mentioned the challenges and criticism that surrounded the program recently, especially when the Cards missed the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and 2024.
“We obviously took a step back as a program.,” McDonnell said after the game. “And so the last few years, man, it's been tough. I mean, I've talked about it openly, and won't get real deep into but, man, it's been bleak
“And so, you know, be careful how high you set the bar. Don't set these kids up to fail. You know, are we really getting the support to go to Omaha and win a national championship?
“It's like you're trying to find that balance as a coach.”
This season, McDonnell found that balance. To manage the Cards into becoming one of the last four programs standing, McDonnell and his players eliminated four programs (Vanderbilt, Miami, Arizona and Oregon State) with national championships in their pedigrees.
That’s something to applaud because Louisville does not have the weather, recruiting base or revenue to exceed some of those schools. But the Cards did.
Emphasizing the word “joy,” McDonnell talked like a guy determined to bring the Cards back to Omaha to win the national title that has escaped the program.
In the new world of professional college athletics, it will be fascinating to watch how it plays out.
Related Stories:
CRAWFORD | They got back up: Louisville’s CWS run ends, but the program reclaims its place
Coffee with Crawford | Against Coastal Carolina, Louisville is the real Cinderella
STILL SWINGING! Louisville walks off Oregon State to stay alive in Omaha
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