MARION, NC — Louisville has been a national power for a solid decade now, but the Cardinals head into 2022 without their usual array of proven All-Americans. Gone are mainstays Henry Davis, Alex Binelas, Lucas Dunn, Michael Kirian and Luke Brown. The Cards must replace six of the top seven hitters and two-thirds of the weekend rotation from a club that fell short of expectations a year ago, nose-diving down the stretch as injuries and scheduling disruptions piled up.

But there might be no program in college baseball that does a better job developing the next wave of talent in understudy roles behind older players. Louisville doesn’t simply plug talented newcomers into fresh holes on an annual basis; instead, the Cards excel at taking players who have waited a year or two or sometimes three for their opportunity, and turning them into stars.

This year’s squad has an exciting blend of such classic breakout candidates and veterans who have seen plenty of playing time but yet to truly reach their potential. That second bucket includes upperclassmen like outfielders...