Here we go again.
Somehow the University of Louisville baseball team wrapped up a tie for first place with St. John’s in the Big East during the regular season, securing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament at Clearwater.
The pitching staff barely clinging to respectability during the final series with Pittsburgh, with a flu-stricken Justin Amlung surviving through five and two-thirds innings while giving up five hits and three walks in a 6-5 win. Jared Ruxer giving up 10 hits in a 9-5 win the final game. But Jeff Thompson walking four batters and allowing six hits in two innings that led to 8-2 Pitt romp?
Scary stuff. Enough so that Dan McDonnell has to be seriously considering changes in the pitching rotation.
Speaking of sporadic, the hitting has been up and down, home runs and extra bases a rarity, base hits sometimes few and far between.
This team has made a habit of not meeting expectations — good or bad — in posting a 38-18 record and its third Big East title in four years. Louisville has lost when it was expected to win, won when there was little hope. The lesson: Don’t expect too much, and don’t be surprised.
