University of Louisville
Syracuse University
Louisville Rounds Out Home Schedule with Syracuse
April 23, 2026 | Softball
Louisville will honor four seniors on Sunday - Bri Despines, Easton Lotus, Chelsea Mack, and Alyssa Zabala.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 25-ranked University of Louisville softball team will welcome Syracuse for its final three home games of the 2026 season.
Following a Wednesday night loss to Kentucky, Louisville enters the series with a 38-10 overall record and a 13-5 showing in ACC play. Syracuse comes in with an 18-20 record, going 4-12 in conference games, after splitting a doubleheader with Buffalo on Wednesday night.
Game times are set for Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Sunday's game will feature pregame festivities to honor Louisville's four seniors: Bri Despines, Easton Lotus, Chelsea Mack and Alyssa Zabala.
QUICK HITS
- Chelsea Mack leads the team with a .448 batting average, tallying 74 hits in 165 at-bats, 55 runs scored, 37 stolen bases, and 18 RBIs. Her 37 stolen bases rank second in the NCAA.
- Madison Pickens is second on the team with a .438 average, collecting 67 hits, 51 runs, 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and 64 RBIs.
- Bri Despines is third on the team with a .406 average, posting 56 hits, 14 doubles, and 55 RBIs, with a .696 slugging percentage. Camryn Lookadoo is fourth with a .403 average and leads the team with 19 doubles.
- Louisville leads the ACC in stolen bases (105) and triples (25), and is second in the conference in on-base percentage (.449). The Cards rank second in the ACC with a .356 batting average.
- Through 44 games, five Cardinals have at least 30 RBIs and seven have recorded at least 40 hits.
- Sophomore Anna Wise leads the Louisville pitching staff with a 2.9ERA and eight wins in 61.2 innings pitched, giving up just 26 earned runs and striking out 43 so far.
- Senior Alyssa Zabala leads the team with 85 strikeouts and 12 wins in 104.2 innings. She has made a team-high 34 appearances in 18 starts, limiting opponents to a .252 batting average.
SCOUTING THE ORANGE
Series Record: Louisville leads 29-12 (W2 streak)
At Louisville: Louisville leads 15-5
At Syracuse: Louisville leads 10-5
Last Meeting: April 1, 2023 – Louisville swept the doubleheader in Syracuse, N.Y.
Scouting the Orange: The Orange come into the series with an 18-20 record and a 4-12 bid in ACC play. Syracuse has taken wins off of Pittsburgh, Boston College and Notre Dame this season, including a 6-4 win over BC in nine innings.
- Madison Knight leads in the circle with a 4.10 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 21 appearances and 99 innings. Julianna Verni closes out the one-two punch for the Orange with a 4.63 ERA through 23 appearances and 96.2 innings. Knight and Verni have combined for 11 complete games, two shutouts and three saves to go along with 163 strikeouts.
- Jadyn Burney leads all hitters with a .324 batting average that features 33 hits and 15 RBIs, including two doubles, two triples and three home runs. Burney provides most of the speed on the basepaths as she is a perfect 19-for-19 in stolen bases, a mark that sits her first in the conference in stolen base percentage and third in total stolen bases. From the batter's box, Knight owns a team-high 1.041 OPS and a team-high 12 homers of her 29 total hits.
- Shannon Doepking is in her eighth season with Syracuse, logging a 175-178-1 record with the Orange. Through her 13 career seasons, she boasts a 281-268-2 record across three schools.
