CHAMPAIGN — Sitting roughly 20 rows behind the Louisville dugout at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., Tim Smith watched his son walk off the mound on Friday night.
Louisville pitcher Luke Smith had just struck out Vanderbilt first baseman Julian Infante to end the top of the eighth inning in a semifinal game at the College World Series.
The Cardinals held a precarious 2-1 lead, thanks in large part from a strong pitching performance by the Centennial graduate in front of 24,673 fans.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander from Champaign was looking strong, with Infante his 10th strikeout of the night.