For those who have read my stuff before on Card Chronicle, you know that it, for obvious reasons, consists mostly of football-related topics. For those who know me well, however, you know about my love of baseball.

I spent the majority of my free time as a student in the seats at Old Cardinal and Jim Patterson Stadium watching my buddies play baseball. It was the usual routine of walking into the park, sitting behind the dugout, eating a lot of hot dogs and ice cream, waving at Sean Moth in the press box, and critiquing the walk-up music of the guys on the team.

The fun part of being a student-athlete at the University of Louisville was being a fan of the other sports and getting to know all of the other student athletes. I had known a majority of the baseball seniors for four years, and a group of us (myself, Brian Brohm, Marc Zucconni, Blake Williams, Logan Johnson, Dan Burton, Chris Cates, and Zack Pitts) would routinely try get lunch together one or two times a week at the Cardinal Inn that used to be right across the street from Papa John's Stadium. It was a fun group to watch play.

I really didn't know how this would go, so to start off I reached out to some of the guys I knew from the 2007 baseball team and spoke with them over a two week period. I would ask guys for 20-30 minutes of their time, and invariably ended up talking for an hour and a half, almost two hours with some. The more and more I talked with guys, the more I wished I had more time to get with everyone, to dig down into even more of the details. I guess whenever Card Chronicle starts its own 30 for 30 series this would be something we could revisit, as this was a lot of fun to put together.

As the great baseball broadcaster Harry Caray once told Jeff Goldblum on the short lived television show 'Space: The Infinite Frontier': "We covered a lot of ground, shared a few laughs. Next week our guest will be Albert Einstein"

I hope you all enjoy.

WHY NOT US?

AN ORAL HISTORY OF LOUISVILLE'S 2007 RUN TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

The Louisville baseball program has known little else but success of the highest order under the helm of Dan McDonnell. In one day, they will begin their run to a third straight College World Series, and will do so as the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. For the casual college baseball fan, Louisville is a juggernaut, not missing a beat in any sentence when the blue bloods of college baseball are mentioned. As recently as nine years ago, this was far from the case. The baseball program had been to precisely one NCAA regional (2002 when led by Mark Jurich) and was in the midst of a coaching change after losing in the Big East Championship game in 2006. Lelo Prado had left to take the head coaching job at the University of South Florida in the middle of June, which led a lot of players to mull over transferring, or at the very least, wonder what was next for Cardinal baseball.

Boomer Whiting, CF, from New Wilmington, PA - Senior

It had been a rough few years for me personally. I had hurt my shoulder at the end of the 2005 season, and then re-injured it 11 games into the 2006 season and had to redshirt. When we found out Coach Prado was stepping down to take the USF position, it was a really big shock. Logan Johnson and I had a meeting with Tom Jurich a few days later. Tom has a great passion for baseball and he was going to do everything in his power to put the program in a position to succeed. That meeting with Tom really calmed everything down.

When Coach Mac came in you could see his passion and fire for the game and where he wanted to take the program. Logan and I were 100% bought in. I was excited for the running game and his style of baseball.

Logan Johnson, 2B, from Owensboro, KY - Senior

Boomer and I were immediately wowed by his (Coach Mac's) thought process for our team and how organized he was. It was very apparent that he was going to be the guy.

Chris Cates (Wee Man), SS, from Brandon, FL - Senior

I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Initially, I thought about transferring for my senior year. I followed the process very closely, and I knew that Boomer and Logan were planning on meeting with Mr. Jurich and the potential candidates during the interview process. After they had met with Coach McDonnell they told me they had a feeling that this could be big for Louisville baseball and that he knows everything it takes to be a big time program. After talking with them and my parents, it was an easy decision to stay. In the end, I just couldn't imagine leaving those guys.

Chris Dominguez, 3B, from Miami, FL - Freshman

There were a lot of questions, and I didn't really know what I was going to do. That summer I was playing in Newport, RI in the New England Collegiate League. When Coach Prado stepped down to take the USF job I was having a really good summer, and I started asking some my summer ball teammates on that team to reach out to their coaches to see if they would be interested in me coming to play. Then Coach McDonnell got hired. He came up to Rhode Island to watch me play and to talk to me about his vision for the program. He wanted me to be a big part of it. He sold me on staying at Louisville

It was huge for Coach McDonnell to keep Dominguez in Louisville. I remember when Chris came in town for his recruiting visit and all of the guys on the team talking about how they had a chance to get one of the best players in the country from Miami. It was a very big deal when he committed to Louisville, as he was ranked as the No. 1 third baseman in the country by Baseball America. At the time, he was the biggest commit in the history of the program.

Isaiah Howes, LF, from Louisville, KY - Senior

It was a questionable time for the baseball program. We were starting to have some success under Prado the prior years, making the championship game of the Big East Tournament the year before, and we felt that we had a talented group coming back. Coach McDonnell was a player's coach, though, an extremely great motivator.

Dan McDonnell was named the 18th head baseball coach in Louisville history on June 26, 2007. It was his first gig a head coach after spending the prior six seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss. He had been to the College World Series as a player in 1990 as a sophomore with The Citadel. McDonnell hired his former college teammate, Chris Lemonis, to be his hitting coach, and then landed Roger Williams, already known as one of the best pitching coaches in the country. For a number of the older guys, however, the most important hire was keeping Brian Mundorf on the staff. He had helped recruit a lot of them and was there for them when they had questions about the coaching changes.

Boomer Whiting

The staff he hired spoke for itself. Coach Williams was one of the most respected in the country, Coach Lemonis was well regarded, but the most important thing to me was that Coach Mundorf was staying around because of everything he did to keep us together during the transition. Coach Mundorf was like a second father to me.

Zack Pitts, P, from Elizabethtown, KY - Junior

Coach McDonnell was a great hire, but (pitching coach) Roger Williams was an underrated hire. He really calmed me down at the beginning of the year and got me to pitch to my full potential. I still remember it was an early season game against Stetson, and I was all over the place. He casually came to the mound, calmed me down, and then I rattled off some great starts the rest of the season.

Despite putting together a staff that had the respect of both the players and the rest of the country, a trip to Omaha still wasn't on the minds of the student athletes representing a program that hadn't won a single NCAA Tournament game before

Chris Cates

I definitely didn't think we would end up in Omaha. Maybe the coaches did, but the players didn't. The coaches made us practice dog piling at one point because Coach McDonnell said that when we celebrate winning championships we needed to know what to do.

Logan Johnson

No way we thought we were going to go to Omaha. Our goals were realistic in that they were to win the Big East conference, beat UK twice, and get into the tournament. Omaha wasn't even in the picture.

Dan Burton, 1B, OF, from New Albany, IN - Senior

Going into that year, I didn't think we had a clear line of sight of what exactly we were trying to do. Obviously we wanted to win the conference and get to the tournament, but we had never done that before.

Skylar Meade, P, from Louisville, KY - Senior

Coach Mac was big on the moments; the things that you needed to do to get to Omaha. He was all about Omaha, even if us players weren't quite there yet. The coaches did a great job all year of boosting us with confidence, which was different from the prior coaching staff. They prepared us for every situation, even the little things like dealing with the media, etc. Coach Mac had a plan for everything.

The Cardinals performed well throughout McDonnell's debut season, sweeping West Virginia, Seton Hall, and Notre Dame. They finished third in the final Big East regular season standings, and entered the league tournament knowing that they needed to win it all to guarantee themselves a spot in the big dance.

Boomer Whiting

We decided to dye our hair black for the tournament. Everyone did it correctly except for Alfonso. He was such a sloppy, messy guy with it, and he pretty much dyed his whole forehead black.

What made it better was that he had to go up front for something during the opening dinner of the tournament in front of everyone, with all of the lights shining on him. It was on display for the whole conference.

Derrick Alfonso, C, from Bowling Green, KY - Junior

I thought it would be cool if we did something crazy like dye our hair black. Mine was bad though. I didn't use the shower cap like I was supposed to and I had dye all over my forehead. I looked like one of the Beatles.

One win away from playing for the conference title, Louisville was beaten in back-to-back games by Rutgers. The players would now have to wait until Monday for the NCAA Tournament selection show to find out if their season would continue.

Pete Rodriguez, OF, from Miami, FL - Senior

When we lost to Rutgers I thought our season was over. Not that we didn't belong, I just felt that the Big East wasn't going to get three teams into the tournament. St. John's had won the regular season, and then Rutgers had won the tournament, so we knew they were automatic choices.

Chris Cates

I actually thought we weren't going to get in, but with all of the media there in the locker room with us, it gave me some hope thinking the media wouldn't be there if we didn't get in. I had read up on everything and thought that if we got in we were going to go to the Vanderbilt region. When they showed that region and our name didn't pop up I thought "shit, season is over."

Gavin Logsdon, P, from Careyville, KY - Sophomore

I actually might have been the only one that thought we were going to get in. I guess I was just optimistic about it.

Skylar Meade

It was an eerie feeling because we felt that we had blown our chance in the Big East Tournament. Today there are so many college baseball publications and websites, so you kind of know where you stand all season, but back then there wasn't. All of the media was in there and I thought this isn't going to be good if we don't get in with all of the seniors.

Dan Burton

They announced one side of the bracket and we weren't on it. During the commercial break I noticed Coach Williams was writing the whole bracket down, and I was thinking to myself, "he must really think we are going to make it."

Logan Johnson

I think the coaches knew we were in but didn't say anything because they wanted to see our reactions.

Chris Cates

Missouri was a national seed, and when they were getting ready to announce that region I saw Sean Moth get his camera up to take a picture. Right then I got a glimmer of hope.

The Cardinals were announced as the No. 3 seed in the Missouri regional, joining the host Tigers, Kent State and Miami.

Derrick Alfonso

I think you could hear the roar from the locker room all the way at Beef O'Brady's across the street

Boomer Whiting

The locker room erupted, and right then we thought we were the best team in the world. It was easily the best feeling I'd had up to that point at Louisville. I think the team needed to feel that success, and seeing our name in the field made us want to go play some ball immediately.

Dan Burton

I just remember hugging everyone around me. It was such a moment of accomplishment.

Chris Cates

There was so much excitement because not only had we reached our goal, but we also felt like we had nothing to lose. We were relaxed, and the coaches did a great job that week of getting us motivated and helping us believe we could do it.

Just a couple of days after the selection show, the Cards made the eight hour trek from Louisville to Columbia on the team bus.

Chris Cates

We always played cards in the back, games of hearts and spades. It was usually me and Logan against Boomer and Derrick. Isaiah and Dan would play with us too. I think we played the entire time because we were so excited.

Skylar Meade

It was a long, boring bus ride. A lot of guys played cards. I am sure Alfonso will tell you he is the best, but Boomer was probably the best on the team. Those guys devoted way too much time to card games.

Derrick Alfonso

Who's the best card player on the team? It's me and Boomer for sure, hands down. Logan and Wee Man probably said they were our biggest competition but it was a technicality because there was nobody really close.

Boomer Whiting

We competed in everything we did. Fons (Alfonso) and I used to beat Logan and Wee Man all the time. We went for blood.

Logan Johnson

My skills are completely cerebral; I outthink my opponent, which sometimes leads me into out-thinking my partner. We played cards forever, a lot of trash talking.

Chris Cates

Today, everybody flies pretty much everywhere. I think we were so excited that we didn't think anything of taking an eight hour bus trip to Missouri. We stopped in St. Louis to see the arch, which was cool because a lot of the guys had never been to St. Louis."

Skylar Meade

Once you get past St. Louis, there is nothing.

Chris Cates

Logan and I made stuff out of athletic tape when we were bored; I made a pair of glasses that I actually could wear.

Logan Johnson

I don't remember that.

Just one win in the tournament would assure this group of its place in history, but the U of L players knew how difficult that would be. Awaiting Louisville in Columbia was perennial national powerhouse Miami, a team which had stomped the Cardinals 13-4 the year before.

Chris Dominguez

The year before we had played them and it didn't go well. I could have gone there, but they didn't really push hard for me, and I felt like myself and the other guys from the Miami area had chips on our shoulders because they didn't recruit us or didn't recruit us hard enough. We were going to be ready for them this time around.

Chris Cates

We had a lot of Miami guys on the team, and they had stuck it to us pretty good the year before because we came out so tight. I think we had a little chip on our shoulder because of that, especially the south Florida guys because Miami didn't think they were good enough to play there.

Logan Johnson

We were playing Mario Kart in the hotel the night before the regionals, talking about different scenarios and how great the Miami program was. Pete just kept saying, "forget those guys, forget everyone but us."

Boomer definitely was the best Mario Kart player, but it was his game so he kind of had an advantage.

Pete Rodriguez

Boomer definitely had the most practice because it was his game, but I think we each had our different course that we liked. He always picked Princess, though. He loved being Princess on the game, make sure you type that.

NCAA REGIONAL - TAYLOR STADIUM - COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

Game 1 - Louisville vs Miami June 1, 2007

Miami came into the game loaded with professional talent and was making its 35th straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Hurricanes had been to the College World Series 11 times since 1992, including in three of the previous four years.

Boomer Whiting

We didn't want to back down to anyone. I led off the game and dropped down a bunt on a 3-2 count. Miami players looked at me like I was an idiot and just kind of stood there, but it showed we had the grit and balls to do whatever it takes to win.

Dan Burton

I was slumping big time towards the end of the season. Coach gave me a little pep talk after the Cincinnati series earlier in the season and I felt I was slowly coming around. In the first inning I hit a hard line drive right at the third baseman for an out, but I just knew we were going to rip this guy. It also helped that the zone was real tight so we could pick and choose our fastballs.

After U of L jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, the Hurricanes answered with six runs in the bottom of the second to race ahead 7-3. Reliever Gavin Logsdon came into the game and for the Cards out of a bases loaded jam.

Zack Pitts

I really pitched bad. I felt I had let the team down because we had to our bullpen so early.

Skylar Meade

Coach Williams was the best pitching coach in the country, but that day he was struggling with his rhythm, something was off. So Alfonso called pitches the rest of the game.

Derrick Alfonso

Coach Williams came up to me in the 3rd inning and said, "listen, I think they have my signs. I am going to give you dummy signs and I want you to call the game." It was something I was comfortable with, and with all of the preparation I had done for the regional, I was confident in my ability to call pitches.

Gavin Logsdon

Zack started and so I never expected to head to the bullpen until at least the 5th inning. Just one of those games.

The Cardinals battled back in the fourth and fifth innings, tying the game in the fourth on a Jorge Castillo home run down the right field line. An inning later, Dan Burton shot a single up the middle giving the Cardinals a 9-7 lead that they would never give up. Derrick Alfonso capped off the scoring for the Cardinals with his fifth hit of the game, scoring Chris Dominguez from third to make it 13-7. Logsdon would pick up the win, with him, Kyle Hollander, and Trystan Magnuson pitching 7.1 innings of shutout baseball. Hollander retired all twelve batters he faced, striking out five.

Gavin Logsdon

In the bullpen me, Hollander, and Skylar would always talk about "vulturing" a win, and I got that win. That's when you swoop in, get a couple of outs, and then somehow steal a win for your personal record. Hollander gave me a lot of grief for that one.

Derrick Alfonso

Hollander's curve ball was nasty that day so I didn't even mess around with the fastball. It was also my best game at the plate (5-6). I was locked in and could no wrong at the plate.

Skylar Meade

Missouri was a launching pad of a stadium. Our offense was huge and that win was the initial eye opener that we do belong here. It was an enormous moment.

Dan Burton

On the bus after the game, everyone was talking about how we could win this regional. I had a flashback to the year before when we had made the Big East Championship game and then lost the next day because we had gone from playing so loose to playing uptight. I just kept thinking "No. We can't think ahead, we can't do that."

Logan and Boomer, being leaders on the team, spoke up and said "we can't think ahead, have to keep doing what we are doing and play ball." It was such a mature moment for our team, something we didn't have in prior years. I felt that mentality carried over for the entire postseason.

Game 2 - Louisville at Missouri - June 2, 2007

Now in the winner's bracket, the Cardinals faced top-seeded Missouri, which was 41-16 and playing in front of a record crowd at Taylor Stadium. A back and forth game ended with a 7-5 loss for the Cardinals, and future Minnesota Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson picking up the victory for the Tigers.

Chris Cates

They had a lot of really good pitchers. Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson were future major leaguers. We knew it was going to be a tough matchup.

Skylar Meade

I pitched the 6th-8th innings. I came in with the game tied, bases loaded, and no outs and got a ground out to short which scored a run, then a strike out and pop out to end the inning. We tied it up and then I went back out for the 7th.

I remember giving up the go-ahead home run, and it was a no doubter. That guy hit an absolute rocket. I remember the sound in the stadium when it went out, and I literally thought the earth shook when it left his bat. That loss was a disheartening feeling because we had the top seed on the ropes and couldn't pull it out. It was now an uphill climb.

Game 3 - Louisville vs Miami - June 3, 2007

The Cardinals ended Miami's streak of 13 straight super regional appearances by jumping on them early and then holding on to win a thriller. After giving up a 4-3 lead in the top of the 5th inning, the Cards answered in the bottom half to tie the game at 5. A Chris Dominguez bomb put U of L up 7-5, and after the Hurricanes got one of those runs back in the 9th, closer Trystan Magnuson slammed the door shut.

Chris Cates

The night before we had played late and had a quick turnaround the next day against Miami. We had worn our home white uniforms the night before and they were dirty. We showed up to the ballpark in our red tops and white pants. Miami was wearing green and white. According to the rules the home team has to wear all white. About 30 minutes to game time we are told to change our uniforms. Our white tops are at the hotel in our individual rooms because we didn't turn them in the night before. Our equipment guys had to go back to get them, so we wore dirty uniforms.

It kind of pumped us up a little and we came out and jumped on them. It was a close game, but ultimately it was so sweet to have knocked ‘The U' out of the tournament.

Trystan Magnuson, P, from Louisville, KY - Senior

I had fun. I love coming into close games like that, where it's a do or die situation. There is nothing to worry about because as soon as you start to worry, mistakes are made and then the game is over.

Chris Dominguez

Giving us the lead in that game against Miami was a big moment for me and for all of the Miami guys on that team. The next day in the Miami-Herald there was an article about the game, and the writer basically said this is what happens when you let all of the good Miami players get away.

Game 4 - Louisville vs Missouri - June 3, 2007

There was little time to celebrate for the Cards, who would face Missouri in another elimination game later that day. In the top of the 8th inning of an already contentious and competitive game, Chris Dominguez etched his name in Cardinal baseball history with a two run blast down the left field line that put Louisville up 4-2. Kyle Hollander stranded two runners in the bottom of the 9th inning to pick up the win.

Chris Dominguez

Coach McDonnell was getting me motivated for that at-bat, just telling me that I could do, to get us going. I stepped to the plate and wanted to get a good pitch to hit. That first one was there and I put a good swing on it and knew I had crushed it.

Skylar Meade

Gavin, Hollander, and I are getting loose in the bullpen. Our arms are tired. As we're throwing we hear this sound, and it's a sound where you know what just happened.

Chris Dominguez

I really thought it was going foul when I hit it so I stood there and watched it, and it happened to stay fair. I guess the catcher thought I was admiring it and started yelling at me. The whole time around the bases the Missouri players are jawing at me.

Boomer Whiting

Everyone getting on Dominguez really fired us up. He was one of the nicest guys and got along with everyone. He didn't mean to stand there.

Logan Johnson

I think that was a turning point for us. Missouri felt like they were going to get the win and move on, but it let them know we were for real. Also, anyone who hits a ball that hard and far should get to stand there and admire it.

Dan Burton

Dominguez went from being a freshman to really putting us on his back. He was a kid that just had this great attitude and great talent. We had seen it for two years but I don't think everyone had really SEEN it yet. He jumped to another level when he hit that home run. It just faded into the night at such a huge point where we were teetering on the edge. I remember watching him round the bases and thinking "yep, that guy is a pro."

Skylar Meade

I have never seen so much venom from opposing fans as he rounded the bases. The way the crowd turned against us it was like an adrenaline shot. We knew going into the next day we were going to win.

Pete Rodriguez

I was next up to bat and I thought I was going to get drilled with the first pitch.

Chris Dominguez

The next inning I went out to third base for defense and was right by their dugout. They kept yelling at me the whole time, fans were booing and throwing stuff in my direction. I had a little smirk on my face and then the umpires started telling me to stop smiling. I was like, "what do you want me to do?"

It was a crazy scene. Just thinking back to it and then winning that game was awesome. To that point it was the biggest home run I had ever hit.

Zack Pitts

I didn't even do anything in those games and I was tired, that's how intense they were. Even though I was standing in the dugout I felt like I was out in the field playing.

Game 5 - Louisville vs Missouri - June 4, 2007

Despite the dramatic wins on Sunday, the Cardinals still faced a mountainous task in the regional final against future MLB All-Star Aaron Crow. The tension from the previous night carried over when U of L arrived to the stadium to a hoard of unruly fans, and a Missouri team that immediately began jawing at the Louisville coaching staff.

Skylar Meade

There was some fat kid for their team who didn't even play, and he immediately comes walking over to our team. This guy doesn't even start talking to the players, he goes right over to the coaches and starts yelling at Coach Mac and Coach Williams, talking trash.

Derrick Alfonso

Kentucky is my least favorite team of all-time, but Missouri is pretty close. It's one thing to talk trash to us as players, but when you start talking trash to our coaches .... that got us even more fired up.

The majority of the venom was unleashed on Dominguez, who was showered with boos when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the 1st inning. The freshman promptly unloaded on the first pitch he saw to deep right center for a grand slam.

Chris Dominguez

I just wanted to stay quiet and play my game. I got a great pitch to hit with the bases loaded and was just trying to drive in another run to keep us going. The sight of the ball going out as I sprinted around the bases was a great feeling because I knew to hit it out against a pitcher like that was going to give us some great momentum.

Dan Burton

Dominguez was in their heads from the moment we got to the field. When he hit that grand slam in the first I thought "that's about right, that will shut them up."

Blake Williams, P, from Fort Collins, CO - Senior

The fans were terrible towards Mingo, but at the end of the tournament I think there was a respect for him, they saw how he handled himself, kept his head down and just kept playing hard.

Pete Rodriguez singled to follow and then Chris Cates singled him home to knock Crow out the game. After an 8-run 1st inning, the once rowdy Missouri crowd fell silent, and the Cardinal rout was on. Dominguez would later add another home run, this one a 3-run shot in the fourth inning to make it 12-5. After five innings the Cardinals had a 16-5 lead, and from that point on they could start counting down the outs.

Boomer Whiting

I got plunked later in the game and kind of jogged backwards down the first base line. That pretty much was the icing on the cake as the crowd just went crazy over that.

Blake Williams

Boomer was practically moonwalking down the first base line.

Chris Cates

Even when we won, I don't think it really sunk in that we had a chance to go to the super regionals.

After the last out, I jumped into Dan Burton's arms and held up a finger for No. 1. It was so bad. We had practiced the dog pile so many times before and then just completely butchered it in our first chance to do it for real.

Dan Burton

It was a brutal dog pile. Absolutely horrible.

Skylar Meade

It was pure elation and shock. If anyone says they knew what it would feel like it, they are lying to you.

Derrick Alfonso

We slugged our way out of that regional, but I felt our pitching staff was tremendous -- from our starters all the way to our bullpen. They ate up some big innings and made big pitches when we needed them. 'Double play Gavin' was clutch.

Gavin Logsdon

Winning that regional was getting over that peak. It meant a lot to me to be named to the All-Tournament Team because it made me feel like I was an integral part of getting us those wins. I also remember going over to the football stadium locker room after the game to take the coldest shower I had ever taken in my life. But it was also the best coldest shower I had ever taken in my life.

Zack Pitts

Coldest shower I had ever taken in my life after that game, but it didn't matter. Felt so good, beyond words, to win that regional.

Chris Dominguez finished the day 3 for 4 with 7 RBI and was named the regional's Most Valuable Player. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Dan Burton, Logan Johnson, Chris Cates, Boomer Whiting, Kyle Hollander, and Gavin Logsdon. A few short hours away in Fayetteville, Oklahoma State had just upset favored Arkansas to earn the right to face U of L in the supers.

Chris Cates

On the bus ride home, Coach Mac put Mr. Jurich on speaker. He talked about how proud he was of us, how proud we made the community, and how he was going to do everything in his power to get us to host the super regional.

Logan Johnson

Wee Man was always trying to be connected to everything, and I remember him saying that he had heard we were hosting.

Dan Burton

We were watching a few seasons of Entourage on the way back, and found out we were hosting. My initial reaction was that I wanted to keep playing on the road because we were winning all these road games. I quickly changed my mind about that.

Skylar Meade

For a lot us, especially me being a Louisville guy, a super regional at home was a stage we could have never dreamed of.

NCAA TOURNAMENT SUPER REGIONAL - JIM PATTERSON STADIUM - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

Game 1 - Oklahoma State vs Louisville - June 8, 2007

Pete Rodriguez

It was either that week of practice or when I was sitting in the locker room, but there was a sports magazine sitting around. I was flipping through it and there was an article about Lebron James or something and he was talking about the Lakers, or Bulls or something -- I really don't know, I didn't care too much about basketball -- but he was talking about the playoffs and said "Why Not Us."

I ripped that article out and showed Logan and was just like "why not us, man?" We just ran with it.

Blake Williams

The Red Sox used to say that during their postseason run. Logan was a huge Red Sox fan and any relation between us and the 2004 Red Sox, he was going to run with it.

Dan Burton

It went from a quote in a magazine article to being put on t-shirts that were being sold at Kroger across the street.

Chris Cates

Now we were two wins away from Omaha, and for the first time in my college career I felt nerves because it is every player's dream to go to Omaha. Suddenly, it was right in front of us.

Skylar Meade

It was a more serious preparation that week because we were now focused on one team. I really felt that our whole mindset changed when Mingo hit that home run to beat Missouri. It gave us the feeling that we were as good or better than anyone we are going to face.

Louisville hosted the super regional despite being a worse seed than Oklahoma State, a storied program which had been to the College World Series 19 times. Not that the Cardinal players were particularly impressed

Blake Williams

I wasn't impressed with Oklahoma State's players. One of our guys was late because of summer school classes and was warming up with one of our managers. He overthrew him into center field and it rolled over to the Oklahoma State guys who were out there. Our manager holds up his glove to ask for the ball back and the Oklahoma State guy acts like he is going to throw it back and then turns around and launches it over the centerfield fence.

It's one thing to play guys that you respect, but we quickly didn't respect them.

Dan Burton

Playing first base I got to see them up close when they would get on base, and their attitudes were terrible. They talked a lot of smack and were trying to pick small fights whenever they could. The thing is, though, they weren't intimidating at all. I actually was more intimidated by guys that were nice and I liked.

Skylar Meade

The first game was delayed a little because of some rain, so it delayed the crowd a little. It kind of sucked because all I kept thinking was how we finally have a chance to pack the house and it rains? But then they showed up and it unreal.

Blake Williams

To have that kind of crowd for us was great. We were guys who had played games at Old Cardinal Stadium, where if you had 100 fans in a 30,000 seat stadium, it made it look like there were 10 people there.

Louisville struck early for three runs in the 1st inning, which would prove to be more than enough support for ace Zack Pitts, who bounced back in a monster way from his poor effort in the first game of the Columbia regional.

Zack Pitts

I am not going to lie; I was scared going into that game. Kyle Hollander had pitched for them the year before, and all year long he had told me how good their hitters were and how disciplined their approach was at the plate. So in my mind I'm thinking that I'm going out here to face the 1927 Yankees. I was nervous.

Chris Cates

We always felt comfortable with Zack on the mound because he threw strikes and he competed. He had a rough start to the tournament against Miami so we knew he really wanted to redeem himself in Game 1.

Skylar Meade

He and Coach Williams executed the game plan to perfection. He kept them off balance all day long.

Blake Williams

Pitts absolutely dealt.

Zack Pitts

Once the game started I just locked in. I knew I had prepared well with the scouting report, so it was just up to me to execute. After putting the staff in such a bad spot in game one of the regional against Miami, to win that first game and not burn our bullpen was a great feeling. To do it in front of about 52 family members on ESPN was even sweeter.

I felt like one of the football players doing the interview after the game.

Derrick Alfonso

Oklahoma State had one of the top offenses in the country that year; they were prolific and could jump on you at any time. Pitts came out that day and threw the best game of the season. He was hitting his spots so well that I probably could have caught him with my eyes closed. Gavin then came in after him and did the same thing.

Chris Cates

Zach dominated. I remember everything he threw was right where he wanted it. It really set the tone for the weekend because we thought we were going to have to outscore them, but Zack made sure we didn't have to. He got a standing ovation when he finished the 7th inning.

The Cardinal offense didn't have a bad day either, belting three home runs and 13 total hits as U of L ran away with a 9-0 win.

Logan Johnson

I remember getting a big kick out of one of the Oklahoma State message boards after the game. Some guy said "how can a team of 4 Gringos, 4 Latinos, and a gnome score 9 runs against us!"

Boomer Whiting

Coach Mac was all about letting our speed set up our hitters, and allowing our offense to jump on people. The base stealing helped us because it caused the opposing pitchers to throw fastballs to try and keep us off the bases. We were a team that crushed fastballs.

Pete Rodriguez

That fan support was amazing, playing in right field and seeing all of the fans down the line was great. I hadn't hit a home run all year and I hit one in the game. It was the perfect time for me to start contributing.

Game 2 - Oklahoma State vs Louisville - June 9, 2007

After a phenomenal outing by starter Justin Marks, Louisville carried a 2-1 lead into the 9th inning. Closer Trystan Magnuson, who had been lights out all year for the Cardinals, had worked a scoreless 8th inning, and the Cards were just three outs away from Omaha. Ty Wright, the leadoff man and left fielder for the Cowboys, sent a dagger into the collective heart of the record crowd at Jim Patterson Stadium with a solo shot that barely cleared the left field wall and sent the game into extra innings. The Cowboys scored an unearned run in the top of the 12th and to pull off a soul-crushing 3-2 victory.

Blake Williams

Going into that game, we felt that there was no doubt that we were going to win. We had Marks on the mound, and we didn't feel that Oklahoma State's No. 2 starter was that good. They ended up starting their closer though, which kind of threw us off a little. That guy pitched well.

Chris Cates

We were that close. I remember seeing my dad down the left field line before the 9th inning and thinking we were three outs away from doing it. I think afterward, a lot of the guys were thinking instead of being one win away from Omaha, we were now one loss away from being finished.

Derrick Alfonso

I told some of my friends after the game that I thought we had given away Omaha.

Dan Burton

I remember watching TV with Logan that night after the game. I kept thinking that maybe our luck had run out and that we had lost all of our momentum.

I texted Coach Mac and said I want to win really bad tomorrow, do you think we can? He responded back to me, and I can't remember what it was exactly, but it was along the line of "we got this."

Game 3 - Oklahoma State vs Louisville - June 10, 2007

A day after the most crushing loss of their baseball careers, the Cards showed up to Jim Patterson to prepare for a win or go home game with a trip to Omaha on the line. Coach McDonnell would deliver a speech before the game that would stay with the players to this day.

Chris Cates

A majority of the guys had that look on their faces -- they were nervous. Coach Mac saw that right away. He said, "You know what? The heck with the scouting report."

He then went off on this emotional speech about how much we deserved this, about how we had earned this, and about how great a team we were. He talked about all the different personalities we had, and how no matter if we won or lost we were an Omaha caliber team. It single-handedly fired everyone up.

Skylar Meade

I remember that speech like it was yesterday.

Coach Mac always stood in the same spot when he talked to us before a game, and he wouldn't move his feet. We would even put some tape out in the shape of a square for him to stand in. Our team always had good energy, but it was a little odd that day, there was a tension in the air.

He came in the room and said "Listen guys, there is nothing to say about Oklahoma State. All I have been talking about is Omaha, I have obsessed about getting to Omaha, it's all I have talked out. I have been wrong. This is about people and relationships. No matter what happens, you are the best team in the history of this University. It's about you, not about Oklahoma State, it's just about you and your execution."

He was tearing up, crying.

"It doesn't matter what happens at 4:00," I thought. "There is no way we are losing this game."

Dan Burton

That speech was exactly what we needed to hear. Coach Mac never talked about Ole Miss, just never did. But on that day he talked about how he had been in this exact situation two times before and lost both times.

I remember, he said: "As a recruiter it was all about getting to Omaha, get to Omaha, and that's all it was about. It's all I have been preaching to you guys. But you know what I have learned this year, it's about the relationships. We are still going to be the best team that has ever played here, always the team that did it first, you guys will have the friendships and bonds that will never go away."

We were crying too, some guys were bawling. It took all the pressure off of winning, but I still remember going out to throw and thinking we are going to win today. It was a loose environment after that, and I was as confident as I had ever been.

Boomer Whiting

His speech was spot on. We had so much adrenaline, and then during that speech I started crying because I just thought -- it doesn't get any better than this. What we could accomplish at home, but also if we don't, how amazing this ride has already been.

Then Coach Williams gave a little speech. He didn't say much to the position players usually, but he made a little speech. He was a guy that had been there and done everything, and he is such a genuine guy. In his country accent he said "guys, in all my years of coaching this has been my favorite group."

It meant a lot to our seniors who had been through so many ups and downs.

Pete Rodriguez

Honestly, I don't remember much about it because I really wasn't paying attention. I am sure it was a great speech, but as he was speaking I was just thinking about all of the guys and how I wanted to keep playing baseball with them. I was ready to go because I didn't want it to end that day.

Chris Cates

Did that energy allows us to score 20 runs? Probably not, but it allowed us to jump all over them with confidence."

After scoring a run in the first, Louisville exploded in the second inning for five runs to race out to a 6-0 lead. The outcome was never in question after that, and the slaughter didn't stop until an Isaiah Howes grand slam extended the Cardinal advantage to 20-2.

Boomer Whiting

It went from 0-100 real fast. I walked in the first and on the first pitch stole second. Dan knocked me in and it was on. It didn't matter who they brought in, everyone was finding barrels.

Skylar Meade

We got to let it settle in because we knew we were going to win. When Isaiah hit the grand slam to make it 20-2, the whole place was like Derby Day: an absolute party.

Isaiah Howes

I knew it was going to be my last at bat at home. The ironic thing was that I had ended senior day with my last at bat as a home run. I went into that at bat looking for a fastball to hit as hard as I could. The pitcher put it on a silver platter for me and I knew it was gone as soon as it connected.

Pete Rodriguez

Having Coach Pitino there and all of the football guys, basketball guys -- it was neat having all of that support from all of the other athletes.

Chris Cates

The 9th was the longest three outs I have ever been a part of. I knew we were going to win and I was focusing on my spot in the dog pile.

Logan Johnson

I loved that last inning. I kept looking over at Wee Man and trying to mess with him.

Blake Williams

Even up 20-2, we still had guys in the bullpen just in case, but once we got two outs they shut it down and got ready for the dog pile.

Andrew Salguiero worked a flawless ninth inning, getting pinch hitter Dylan Brown to look at a called strike three to end the game. The Cards erupted out of the dugout and onto the field where the dog pile was beginning.

Derrick Alfonso

I replay that strike three in my mind all the time. After our terrible dog pile in Missouri, I knew I had one job: I had to tackle Salguiero and get him to the ground.

Gavin Logsdon

I am all about the dog pile. I think I like it more than anybody else. It's the final stamp on winning a championship or achieving something. Somebody was giving out these little towels that said "It's all about the dog pile," and I still have it to this day.

Dan Burton

We got that dog pile right. I remember finding my family and hugging my dad and saying "we did it." My dad had pushed me all my life, taught me to be competitive, I felt that he was just as much a part of it. My sister had sacrificed a lot of her childhood to go to all those games and I felt she was just a big a part of it as well. She is now going to go to Kanas to study sports journalism and wants to cover the baseball team. It was a real special moment for my family.

Boomer Whiting

That dog pile was something I will always remember. We were just yelling and screaming for no reason -- I don't think any of us knew what we were doing. It was like all of the emotions just coming out after four years.

Blake Williams

I am pretty sure my heart leapt out of my chest.

Chris Dominguez

If you would have told me that we were going to go to Omaha a year after 2006 I would have said no way. We went from not having an identity as a team to putting it all together and going to Omaha. It was an accomplishment nobody saw coming.

Pete Rodriguez

I didn't want to leave the field. I was getting carpel tunnel signing autographs.

Chris Cates

It was all such a blur, like a dream. To this day it's still the best feeling I have ever had. To hear Louisville and Omaha in the same sentence, it was such an accomplishment. We finally felt like we belonged.

Isaiah Howes

It was still this dream, couldn't believe it. The Courier-Journal ran with the headline "Better than a Dream" the next day, and I have that framed in my office.

Logan Johnson

It was great having all of our family and friends there. A lot of us went over to Beef O'Brady's after the game where I think if you asked some of our dads about it they would confess that they probably had a few too many cold ones."

Zack Pitts

As a pitching staff, we were very proud of what we did against Oklahoma State. We shut them down. They only scored five runs in three games.

Boomer Whiting

I found Coach Mundorf and gave him a huge hug. He was crying and saying "we did it, we did it." So then I started crying. In the locker room after the game, Coach Mac gave the MVP shirt to Coach Mundorf and thanked him for all he had done to help get the program to that point and keeping it together. It meant a lot to the older players that Coach Mac gave that shirt to Coach Mundorf.

THE TRIP TO OMAHA

Chris Cates

Before we left, there was a big celebration downtown at Fourth Street Live. Everyone had bought camcorders and we were filming everything. I had always loved Louisville as a school and a program, but now I felt a connection to the city. Being from Florida and not a local guy, it was really rewarding to me.

Boomer Whiting

I got to speak at the rally downtown. As I was talking to the crowd, in my head I was like, "Did I ever think as a Louisville baseball player I would be doing this?" For four years nobody really knew who we were, and now I'm at Jersey Mike's getting a sub and three guys recognize me and want to wish us well and talk about the team. That was a new thing to me. It was new for all of us.

Chris Cates

So we pull up to the airport and we are going around it. Everyone was wondering where we were going. All of a sudden we pull up to the tarmac and a gate we didn't know existed. We see this big plane, and everyone was saying "Is this really our plane?" We had never been on a chartered plane before. Tom Jurich was sitting right in front ... we had all of the free Mountain Dew we wanted."

Boomer Whiting

I have no idea how it started, but Mountain Dew was probably the official drink of the baseball team. We chugged it all the time, sprayed it after big wins. Wee would run around yelling "Got to get the DEW in you."

Logan Johnson

This sounds terrible, but a lot of guys drank Mountain Dew as a pre-workout drink.

Skylar Meade

I didn't know what a charter plane looked like. I quickly learned that it is much better than flying commercially.

Gavin Logsdon

I knew Tom Jurich was the best AD in the country, but that just solidified it even more in my book. My favorite part was the milk and cookies on the plane. Guys kept asking for more and more, definitely abusing the milk and cookie privileges. Then when we landed we were given Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Even though we were trying to stay in shape I think it was ok to make that exception for the doughnuts.

Pete Rodriguez

I learned on the flight that you can listen to music when you are taking off and landing, you don't have to turn it off. They had been lying to us about it all this time

Chris Cates

A week ago we were on an eight hour bus to Missouri, now we are on a chartered plane to Omaha. We get off the plane and there is a bus with our logo on it. We didn't have to get our bags, people got them for us. I felt like I was playing for the Yankees.

Blake Williams

The thought of Omaha wasn't real to me until we were on the bus heading to the stadium. I had watched it on TV my whole life and now it was our turn.

Chris Cates

We went straight to the field, to the old stadium. The feeling of seeing the statue in person when you had seen it on TV as a little kid, being a part of it, it gave me goose bumps.

Chris Dominguez

I remember watching all of those games as a little kid, watching Miami and LSU play in the College World Series. It didn't hit me until we got to the field, put on our uniforms and took BP that we were really there.

Boomer Whiting

As a college baseball player you watch the World Series every year, and honestly we never thought we would be there. Even though we were a Division-I baseball team at Louisville, It still felt like it was watching a different level of baseball.

Logan Johnson

I watched the College World Series as a kid and just idolized those players that made it to Omaha. It always felt that it was a different level.

Chris Cates

After we checked into the hotel, we were free to check out the city. We walked downtown and numerous people stopped us and said they were rooting for us. They said that if they don't have a dog in the fight they like to pull for the first year teams or the underdogs, so we had a lot of fan support.

Blake Williams

If Nebraska, Wichita State, or Creighton aren't in it, the fans usually root for the underdog. So we had a lot of outside fan support.

Logan Johnson

The cool part about Omaha is how the city rallies around that thing. The fans in Omaha kind of gravitate towards the underdog teams or the teams that are there for the first time. So as we are walking around in our Louisville polos, fans are coming up and wishing us well, telling us they are pulling for the Cards. Having that fan support was something else.

Skylar Meade

It was a festive atmosphere the entire trip to Omaha. It was surreal to think that we were contending for the national championship.

I was just hoping that we would get to meet Erin Andrews, Orel Hershisher, Barry Larkin, and all those cats who worked it, which we did.

Zack Pitts

Skylar tried to hit on Erin Andrews. We saw her in the lobby as we were walking out to go to dinner. Skylar said hello and asked if she wanted to join us. She very politely let him down, said she had been traveling and needed to get some stuff done. It was classy of her, she easily could have just rudely said no.

Chris Cates

While we were there we got a lot of free stuff. I was all about the free stuff. We got new shoes, bats, batting gloves, cleats, etc. But we didn't want to use any of it, we wanted to use the stuff that we had been using all year, the stuff that had gotten us to Omaha.

Gavin Logsdon

Adidas gave us a whole bag full of stuff; they definitely took care of us. Also, the hotel staff was amazing. They would wish us well on the way out to head to the stadium.

Chris Cates

For the opening ceremony we got to walk out from centerfield with the lights on, with 20,000 fans cheering. I felt like a Major Leaguer at that point. I wanted to soak it all in and savor everything.

Gavin Logsdon

The fireworks show was not quite Thunder over Louisville, but it was pretty close. That opening night when you realize there are only eight teams left really puts everything into focus. You want to go out and play hard.

Boomer Whiting

That was kind of our "ah-ha" moment. We are here and we are playing for a national championship.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES - ROSENBLATT STADIUM - OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Game 1 - Louisville vs Rice - June 15, 2007

The Cardinals opened up the College World Series as the No. 8 seed on June 15th, 2007. Their first opponent was the top-seeded Rice Owls, most experts' pick to win the whole thing. On the shoulders of a three-run Chris Dominguez bomb, Louisville jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but Rice battled back with four straight RBI singles in the bottom of the third. After two consecutive singles by the Owls, Joe Savery then hit one deep into the right center gap, where Boomer Whiting made what is still considered one of the best defensive plays in College World Series history.

Logan Johnson

I thought it was going to be an easy double, so I ran out that deep to set up for the double cut just in case it was needed. I couldn't believe he held onto it after hitting the wall like that.

Chris Cates

I thought it was gone. I remember jogging out that way and seeing Boomer sprinting after it like he was actually going to try and make a play.

I just looked at Logan saying "he really caught it, he really caught it." I was just amazed that he got to the ball in the first place, but to jump, catch it, hit the wall, and then hold onto it was incredible. I can still see it in my mind like it was yesterday.

Boomer Whiting

I had injured my shoulder the year before running into a wall, so my senior season I played a little tentatively when going after balls at the fence. But once the postseason started I changed that and decided I needed to make every play out there.

It happened so quickly. I felt I had a great jump on the ball and went after it kamikaze style, even though originally I thought it was gone. When I jumped to catch it I had no clue where I was in relation to the wall, or if I was actually going to catch it. The ball hit my glove, caught it, and I landed backwards to the ground after hitting the wall. I had this huge adrenaline rush as the crowd went nuts. After making that catch I just knew we were going to win that game.

Pete Rodriguez

I still thank Boomer for that catch because every time they show it on ESPN I get to see myself running in from right field to try and play it off the wall.

Louisville wound up building a 10-4 lead, but watched it slip away as the Owls continued to put up runs to narrow the deficit. Rice then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the 8th to finish the scoring at 15-10.

Blake Williams

That game literally turned on a pebble. A ground ball to Wee Man and a play he makes 100 out of 100 times. It took a weird bounce off the dirt and hopped over him. The game slipped out of our hands after that.

Chris Cates

I made an error on a play I made a million times. I was trying to be too quick and it ended up costing us a few runs.

Gavin Logsdon

I got called in the 5th and I come in and we were up a few runs. I remember being in the bullpen and all of the cameras being around, etc. Coach Mac did a good job of preparing us for all of the media. I definitely felt the added importance, but once you step on the field it's just another game.Unfortunately that outing didn't go as planned. I wanted to put up a goose-egg but instead gave up a jack to Joe Savery.

Now I am a pretty superstitious guy during the games, and I would do the same thing every game. In the 5th inning I would eat my Lance Peanut Butter Crackers, take four Ibuprofen, and drink a Gatorade. It would prep me for the rest of the game. I still feel the reason I gave up the home run was because I was wearing that stupid 'Phiten' brand necklace. I hadn't worn it all year long and I decided to keep it on during that game. I changed it up and the necklace made me keep the ball over the plate. The baseball gods got me. That loss was on me and my stupid necklace.

I don't know if anyone knows that so I'll take the blame for that one.

Derrick Alfonso

If we win that first game, I think we win the whole thing. I came up in the 8th inning, and we were up 10-9 with the bases loaded and two outs. They had a lefty on the mound that I had noticed always threw a changeup when he got the count to 1-0. I get 1-0 and look changeup, and sure enough he threw it. I hit the hardest ball I had hit all season right to the left fielder on a line. He caught it without moving. I replay that moment a lot in my head because it could have flipped the momentum back to us.

Dan Burton

I give Rice a lot of credit. They had been there the year before and they were a mature team. They just kept playing their game, didn't get down, and battled back.

Chris Cates

After the game Coach Mac told us we got a little bit ahead of ourselves, jumped out and got complacent.

Pete Rodriguez

We had that game.

Blake Williams

Losing that first game puts so much pressure on the next one. Teams that win that first game are in the driver's seat because they can start setting their pitching and getting it in line for later games.

After that game, like every other stage in the postseason I got drug tested. I always found it funny because if you think that I was on steroids or drugs you would think I would pitch more than one inning during the season. I had drank so much water during the game that I couldn't get the acidity level correct for the test and had to keep taking it until it was right. I missed the team bus back to the hotel and had to find a ride back.

Chris Cates

On our off day we went to the Air Force Base and got to tour some fighter jets, and did a simulator. It was a good thing to get away from all the baseball for a little while, took our mind off the game.

Blake Williams

The trip to Offut Air Force Base was fun. We got to tour a model of Air Force One and got to a do a flight simulator. A lot of guys were crashing, and then Trystan steps into it. The nerd that he is, he lands it no problem. No wonder he was an engineering major.

Game 2 - Louisville vs Mississippi State - June 17, 2007

The Cardinals faced the sixth-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs in an elimination game on Father's Day. The players showed no signs of any emotional fatigue from the game one loss, pounding out four home runs and 18 total hits to stay alive in the Series, 12-4.

Chris Cates

I asked Coach Mac if we could wear blue wristbands for Father's Day. I found a store that had them and bought all I could for the team. They were Under Armour brand so we had to turn them inside out.

It was really special to be in Omaha playing on Father's Day in front of our dads. I told my dad I was playing for him as thanks for all that he had done for me in my baseball career.

Boomer Whiting

Playing on Father's Day and wearing the blue wrist bands was special. Our parents and especially the dads were so close, they were inseparable. They were so proud of everything we were doing.

Dan Burton

Hitting a home run on Father's Day is a memory I will never forget. We just totally lit them up.

Skylar Meade

My arm was about done in the super regional against Oklahoma State, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to pitch in the College World Series. I went 2 innings and got Mitch Moreland (MLB) to ground out on a 1-1 fastball to end the game. To do it on Father's Day was special.

Zack Pitts

Skylar had actually pulled himself out of the super regional because he wanted so badly to pitch in the World Series. His arm was literally hanging by a thread. He battled through so much during his career, so him getting that last out was great to see.

Gavin Logsdon

I felt really good watching Skylar pitch so well. I leaned on him a lot during the year and was proud of the way he battled out there every game.

Chris Cates

It was a special win, a relief that we didn't go two and out in the series, but also it helped remind us that we belonged and that we can beat anyone here.

Logan Johnson

It wasn't a big celebration getting the win. It was relaxed -- now onto the next one. I was just ready to go back to the hotel and play video games.

Game 3 - Louisville vs North Carolina - June 19, 2007

Two days after the win over Mississippi State, the Cardinals faced the second-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in another elimination game.

Chris Cates

We definitely respected them. They were a great program and lost the prior year in the championship, but our mindset was that we were going to beat them, then beat Rice, and then get to the national championship.

Logan Johnson got the Cardinals on the scoreboard first when he hit a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall. It was his fourth of the tournament which tied a College World Series record.

Gavin Logsdon

Logan's home runs on the big stage were nothing new to me, he had such a sweet swing. I could never get him out in practice.

Chris Cates

Logan hit a home run in the first inning, his first opposite field home run probably ever. We were more pumped for Logan than we were for the fact it gave us a 1-0 lead. We couldn't believe he went oppo.

Skylar Meade

Before the game, Colby Wark was throwing up. He was really nervous, but he was outstanding. He pitched a great game.

Derrick Alfonso

Colby threw the ball really well, he kept them off balance. The umpire behind the plate was consistent, but he was consistently horrible. It was tough to get a feel for where the strike zone was.

Despite Wark's strong effort on the hill, a surprisingly quiet Louisville offense and a throwing error in the second inning that allowed two UNC runs to score proved to be U of L's undoing. The most successful season in the history of Cardinal baseball ended with a 3-1 loss.

Skylar Meade

For the first time in what seemed like forever, we just didn't hit well.

Boomer Whiting

I felt that the umpire, you never want to blame it on the umps, but that the strike zone was expanded so much that it took our offense out the game. It worked both ways, but we just couldn't get anything going coming from behind.

Chris Dominguez

I made an error early in the game that was tough, because it was a play I made all the time. Things like that happen.

We had put in a really good run. It was a bittersweet day. I was disappointed for the older guys, but proud that our team had put the program on the map.

Logan Johnson

I will never forget that strike zone. The funny thing is, I think that umpire goes to Omaha every year. That is how baseball goes sometimes.

Blake Williams

I remember Boomer and Logan upset over some of the calls at the plate not being consistent. We always felt that we were going to come back. You hate losing a game that way, you wished it was a slug fest like 15-14 or something where you always felt you were in it.

Chris Cates

Afterwards we obviously were devastated, not that we lost a baseball game, but that the postseason run was over. There were 8 or 9 of us that played four years together and we were not able to do that anymore.

Boomer Whiting

It wasn't that we lost, but that we were never going to play together as a team again. It was such a diverse group of guys. I was from the East Coast, you had the country guys from Kentucky, the south Florida guys from Miami.

Skylar Meade

We said as a group that no matter what happens there is only one team that ends the season happy, so if it does end, at least let it end in Omaha. I didn't want to think about the loss, but instead of all the great things that had just happened. To come back from all of the arm troubles I had, I felt so fortunate that I didn't want to let any negativity creep in my mind.

Blake Williams

For a lot of those guys baseball was going to continue, but for me I was done. My shoulder was gone and I knew it was my last baseball game ever.

Chris Cates

It was the greatest baseball experience of my life, even more than being drafted. We are all close to this day and still try to see each other whenever we can.

THE AFTERMATH

Pete Rodriguez

The welcome party when we got back was awesome and being introduced the following fall during halftime of the football game was great. Even though we lost, it felt like we had won the whole thing, having all of these people behind you.

Boomer Whiting

In my five years at Louisville we had never been honored for anything during a football game. We had seen all of the other programs honored and for us to have our moment on the field that fall as a team was special.

Blake Williams

There is a lot of pride in being a part of that program, and all of us still care so much about Coach Mac and the team. We will always have that stamp of winning the first regional, first trip to Omaha, first win in the College World Series.

Trystan Magnuson

The 2007 team was special. Many of us had been together through some tough times. We were the same team who showed so much potential in the past that now was running on all cylinders. Everyone was finally playing the way they could, each of us was playing to our potential. That is fun. When everyone is on the same page, everyone has the same mission, everyone has each other's back, everyone is rooting for each other, that's a special team and that's what we had.

Logan Johnson

I am still close with all those guys, we all keep in touch. It is a very nice shared memory.

Chris Cates

WHY NOT US!

I couldn't tell you what went on those first 50 games of the season, or really what went on in the conference tournament, but I remember that run in the postseason like it was yesterday. We were so close to not getting in, but it wouldn't have been anything new for us to miss the tournament. To go from running sprints in the horse barns at KFEC, to opening Jim Patterson Stadium, to winning a regional, to the College World Series; I am very proud of being able to start the tradition of Louisville baseball.

I will always be a Louisville Cardinal, and it will always hold a special place in my heart no matter where I am coaching. The city means so much to me and my wife and I always enjoy our trips back. Maybe one day I can get back there and be a part of the baseball program again.

Pete Rodriguez

Coming from Miami, FL to Louisville, KY is like night and day, but those guys made me feel welcome from day one. Life takes its course and we all go our different ways, but every time I talk to any of those guys it feels like nothing is different. The bond and love we had for everyone, all the struggles from the year before; it made it that much sweeter.

I also want to thank all of the people behind the scenes that made me feel welcome. Sean Moth (The Voice), our athletic trainer Eric Beckman, Al Greener (I think he played the piano), Rick Bell (our grounds crew chief who passed away, RIP), and our equipment managers, Jeff Mason and Matt Hulsman. All of those guys were great and mean a lot to me. I would also like to thank Ann Swank, and also Ricky, for the best cookies in Louisville!

Skylar Meade

I remember all of the funny moments with all of the guys, and now it's fun to get together and talk about our time as Louisville Cardinals. It was a perfect storm. Coach Prado and Coach Mundorf had done a great job building a talented roster, but we needed somebody to stir the pot a little differently. Coach McDonnell was the perfect guy to do it.

What he has done is, in my opinion, the best job anyone has done with any of the programs at Louisville. He changed that program and has kept it a high level. Now that I am a coach and players or other coaches find out that I played at Louisville, they consider it the same thing as if it were Texas, Miami, LSU, UCLA.

Chris Dominguez

Those older guys taught me so much about the game, how to play it right. Wee Man was such a lightning bolt. Boomer was just so tough and competitive. Pete was a Miami guy that I knew well and lived with, he did all the little things so well and was a great player. I could go on and on about all of those guys and more. They really helped me out in my career at Louisville.

Coming out of high school I had narrowed it down to Arizona State and North Carolina State. My trip to visit Louisville was great, and I remember coming home and telling my dad that I really wanted to go there. I felt it was the right place for me and my family. Looking back on it now, it was a great decision. We helped build the program to what it is today and they can't take that away from us. What Coach Mac has continued to do in the ACC is unreal. I couldn't be more proud to be a Louisville Cardinal and to be a part of the program.

Zack Pitts

That team was just a bunch of guys that wanted to keep playing one more game with each other. All of those guys were great. Logan was one of the best hitters I have ever been around; he didn't look intimidating in the box but could absolutely crush you. Skylar was one of my best friends, and seeing him battle through the adversity he did in his career was amazing. I had known Gavin since I was 12-years-old, and for him to have my back out of the bullpen in so many games was great. Boomer is probably still faster than most big leaguers. Having him, Isaiah, and Pete in the outfield -- I probably took those guys for granted. They ran down everything.

Coach Mac, you realize he is there for a reason. He was such a great hire for the university. I am proud of all of the things he has done for the program.

Gavin Logsdon

The program is somewhere now where I never thought it would be, and that's a credit to Coach Mac and all he has done. I texted Coach Mac the other day congratulating him on the season the team had, and he texted back saying the 2007 team set the foundation. You don't think about it then, but to see it now is incredible.

Going through that whole experience and the friendships we made was really cool. They were all good guys. Coach Mac always said that when you do something special together, it stays forever. When I see the guys now it's just like we are back in the locker room. I do want to thank all of the guys for their defense behind me, Logan and Wee up the middle; Isaiah, Boomer, and Petey in the outfield. They gave me a confidence on the mound that I didn't always have.

Derrick Alfonso

Coach Mac is phenomenal, and I think that season did a lot in pushing the program over the edge. As teammates we are still very close. We play in a fantasy football league together, and that keeps us in touch and talking trash to each other. I am looking forward to having a reunion at some point with those guys. I still wear red and black everywhere, so much so that people ask me if I own any other colors. I make sure to tell them that I don't own any blue.

Boomer Whiting

I didn't really appreciate what we did at the time because it was such a whirlwind because as soon as we finished a lot of us left for pro ball as soon as we got back. After the emotions had subsided I was finally able to look back on it, and that run was amazing. We finally felt our worth as a program. That was why I came to the University of Louisville -- to play college baseball, to play in games like that. I am proud to be a part of the alumni of Louisville baseball.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

I can't thank the guys enough for their time and energy in helping put this together. As much fun as it was to reminisce about one of the great baseball teams in Louisville history, it was more fun to hear about what each was doing with their life now.

Skylar Meade was 9-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 2007 as a fifth year senior. He joined Eastern Illinois as pitching coach in 2008 and for a year and a half was the youngest assistant coach in the country. In 2012 he took the pitching coach job at Middle Tennessee State, and after three successful years in Murfreesboro, Skylar was hired in August of 2014 as the pitching coach at Michigan State. He lives in East Lansing with his wife Jesse, and they are expecting their first child in October.

Trystan Magnuson had a 1.77 ERA and 9 saves for the Cardinals in 2007 and was a third team All-Big East selection. He was a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds of the MLB draft, the 56th overall selection by the Toronto Blue Jays. He would be called up to the Oakland Athletics and make his Major League debut on May 17, 2011, pitching 1 inning and striking out 1 in a 14-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He would make eight more appearances that season. He also played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for Canada. He and his wife Emily live in Detroit, MI, where he is a mechanical engineer for Ford.

Pete Rodriguez batted .289 with 2 home runs and 24 RBIs. He lives in St. Augustine, FL where he is in physical therapy school.

Dan Burton played two years of independent baseball in the Frontier League after batting .309 during his senior season and being named to the All-Big East second team. He now lives in Sellersburg, IN where he works at Heartland Payment Systems. He and his fiancé Makenzie Dale are to be married on July 3rd.

Isaiah Howes led the Cards with a .391 average, 109 hits, 18 HR, and 69 RBI during the season and was named to the All-Big East second team. He was an 11th round selection by the New York Yankees and played one season of minor league baseball. He lives in Louisville and works for The Law Firm of James Howes.

Logan Johnson batted .365 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs, and was also hit by a pitch 32 times in 2007. He was named a third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a First Team All-Big East selection. He was a 20th round selection by the Chicago White Sox and played parts of three seasons in the minor leagues. He and his wife Jamie have one boy, Henry, who will turn one in June. Logan is the head baseball coach at Owensboro High School.

Side note: Logan was an excellent kicker in high school and in return for letting me hit in the batting cages at the baseball complex I would let him come kick with me on the game field. One day he challenged me to a game of PIG and it lasted forever. I finally had to take him back to 50 plus yards to win it. The guy can kick a football.

Boomer Whiting batted .368, led the team in runs scored (setting a single-season school record), and stole a nation leading 73 bases during the season. He was named First Team All-Big East and a Third Team All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. He was a 28th round selection by the Washington Nationals, making it to Triple-A with the organization. He and his wife Niki live in Louisville and have one daughter, Westley.

Chris Cates was a second team All-Big East selection and the defensive MVP of the Cardinals in 2007 and was a 38th round selection by the Minnesota Twins and made it to Double-A with the organization. He is now an assistant baseball coach at the University of South Florida. Previously Chris was a graduate assistant at Florida State and an assistant at the University of Tampa. He and his wife Meagan live in Tampa.

Chris Dominguez batted .262 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI during his redshirt-freshman season, where he was named a freshman All-American. Chris was a 3rd round selection by the San Francisco Giants in the 2009 MLB Draft. He was called up and made his major league debut on September 3, 2014 and appeared in 8 games with the World Series champions. He got his first major league hit on September 21st at San Diego, hitting a two-run home run. He now is with the Cincinnati Reds and was on the opening day roster.

Zack Pitts was the 2007 Big East Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All-Big East selection after going 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA. He was a 24th round selection by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2008 MLB Draft. He married his wife Bailey, a Louisville graduate, in 2013 and is a realtor for ReMax Executive Group in Louisville, KY.

Gavin Logsdon made 32 appearances out of the bullpen in 2007, going 2-0 with a 1.92 ERA. He is an assistant baseball coach at Grayson County High School. He and his wife Alisha have an 11 month old baby girl named Landry Kate.

Blake Williams pitched one inning in 2007 before experiencing some arm trouble. He now lives in Scottsdale, AZ, where he is the outreach pastor at Shiloh Community Church. He and his wife Brittany have been married since March of 2012, and have a 7-month old baby girl named Stella.

Derrick Alfonso hit .274 with 5 home runs and 31 RBI during his junior season, and was a second team All-Big East selection. He was a 26th round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 MLB Draft and played two seasons in the minor leagues. He owns a baseball training facility in Bowling Green, KY and has had a great deal of success training players. He and his wife Karrie have been married for two years, and they have a 7-month old baby girl named Ava.

Best of luck to Coach McDonnell and the baseball program as they start their quest to get back to Omaha this weekend.