Early in its history, Louisville played many home games at Eclipse Park in Louisville, until the venue burned down in 1922. Other early venues included the Belknap Campus Diamond, Shawnee Park, Manual Stadium, and St. Xavier Field.[3]
Parkway Field, located on the university's campus, was the program's home sporadically from 1923 to 1960 and full-time from 1961 to 1995. The grandstand that allowed professional baseball to be played at the venue in the first half of the 20th century was torn down in 1961.[3][4]
Derby City Field
For all of the 1996 and 1997 seasons and parts of the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the Cardinals played at Derby City Field.[3]
From the start of the 1998 season through mid-April 2005, Louisville played at Old Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals played a full schedule at Cardinal Stadium from 2000 to 2004 and portions of their schedule there in 1998, 1999, and 2005. At points in its history, the stadium was also home to the Louisville football program, minor league baseball teams, and minor league football teams.[3][5]
Since partway through the 2005 season, the program has played at Jim Patterson Stadium, located on Louisville's campus. The venue has a capacity of 4,000 spectators, cost $8.5 million, and is named for businessman and former Louisville baseball player Jim Patterson.[6] It underwent $4 million renovations prior to the 2013 season to increase its capacity and upgrade its facilities.[7] It has hosted Eight NCAA Regionals (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) and six Super Regionals (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019).[8] Jim Patterson Stadium is conveniently located just behind Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium, home of the Louisville Cardinals football stadium. In effort to build JPS, Tino Martinez donated money and has his initials above the press box behind home plate. He is the brother-in-law of former head coach, Lelo Prado.
Head coaches
Dan McDonnell, the program's current head coach, is Louisville's wins leader, with 605. Lelo Prado, the program's head coach from 1996 to 2006, is second, with 320. John Heldman, who served as head coach for 26 seasons, is the program's longest tenured head coach.[9]
Below is a table of the program's yearly records. Louisville's first season of varsity intercollegiate baseball was 1909. It did not sponsor a team from 1913 to 1919, in 1923 (not enough players), or from 1943 to 1944 (World War II).[9][10][11][12][13]
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
^"Cards Fall in Battle of the Bluegrass Nines 12–11". GoCards.com. Louisville Sports Information. March 20, 2005. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Game one of the three game set will be Friday at 6:00 p.m. in what will be the final three home games in Cardinal Stadium before the Cardinal baseball team opens Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday, April 15th against defending C-USA champion East Carolina.