Louisville Cardinals Fall to Michigan State Spartans in Season Opener

Spartans rally late to defeat Cardinals 4-3 at Jim Patterson Stadium

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Louisville Cardinals baseball team fell to the Michigan State Spartans 4-3 in their season opener at Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday, February 13, 2026. Michigan State rallied late, with a go-ahead home run in the 8th inning, to secure the victory over the Cardinals.

Why it matters

This loss marks a tough start to the season for the Louisville Cardinals, who were hoping to build momentum after a strong 2025 campaign. The game highlights the competitiveness of early-season matchups between top college baseball programs as they vie for postseason positioning.

The details

Louisville starting pitcher Ethan Eberle had a solid outing, allowing one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts over 4.1 innings. However, the Cardinals' bullpen struggled, with relievers Casen Murphy and Jack Brown giving up three runs over the final 3.2 innings. Michigan State's comeback was capped by a go-ahead 8th inning home run from infielder Randy Seymour.

  • The game took place on Friday, February 13, 2026 at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
  • Michigan State's go-ahead home run came in the 8th inning.

The players

Ethan Eberle

Louisville starting pitcher who allowed one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts over 4.1 innings.

Casen Murphy

Louisville relief pitcher who allowed two runs on two hits with four strikeouts over two innings.

Jack Brown

Louisville relief pitcher who allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout over 1.2 innings.

Randy Seymour

Michigan State infielder who hit the go-ahead home run in the 8th inning.

Dan McDonnell

Louisville's head baseball coach.

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What they’re saying

“We must regroup and learn from this tough loss as we look ahead to the rest of the season.”

— Dan McDonnell, Louisville Head Coach (Louisville Courier Journal)

What’s next

Louisville will look to bounce back in the remaining two games of their three-game series against Michigan State this weekend.

The takeaway

Despite the season-opening loss, the Louisville Cardinals have the talent and coaching to compete at a high level this season. This early-season matchup against a tough Michigan State team will provide valuable experience as the Cardinals work to build momentum and position themselves for a successful campaign.