Louisville baseball to face Bellarmine Wednesday, honor Old National Bank shooting victims

One day after postponing its game with Kentucky in the wake of a mass shooting in downtown Louisville, U of L baseball announced it will face Bellarmine as part of "Heroes Week."

The game, scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium, will recognize the first responders who saved lives during Monday's shooting at Old National Bank. There will be a pregame moment of silence to honor the victims. Admission is free.

"Like all of us who call Louisville home, these two programs fiercely love this city," Louisville athletic director Josh Heird said in a statement. "As (Bellarmine AD) Scott Wiegandt, (Bellarmine coach) Chris Dominguez, (Louisville coach) Dan McDonnell, and myself all discussed the idea of playing this game, we had one simple objective in mind — can we somehow help this city heal from the tragic events that transpired on Monday. We are hopeful this game is one way we might be able to offer a small reprieve as we navigate this time as a community."

"Heroes Week" will extend to the Cardinals' weekend series against visiting Wake Forest.

How you can help: Fundraisers for shooting victims' families, donating blood and more

On Monday morning, a shooter identified as Connor Sturgeon killed five people inside the downtown bank. He used a rifle and was livestreaming at the time, according to Louisville Metro Police. Sturgeon was also killed at the scene and at least eight others were injured.

Jim Patterson Stadium, where the Cardinals play, is about five miles from where the shooting occurred.

"Today is a day that is heartbreaking for our city, for all of us, especially for the people in that office at Old National Bank and their loved ones," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said during a Monday news conference.

What we know: Who were the victims in the Louisville shooting?

This will be the fifth time No. 8 Louisville (24-7, 7-5 ACC) and Bellarmine (10-22, 5-7 ASUN) have played each other; the Cardinals won the previous four meetings. U of L and Kentucky (27-5, 9-3 SEC) have not announced a new date for their game.

“I just want to put my thoughts and prayers out to those folks in Louisville," Wildcats head coach Nick Mingione said Monday. "As you guys know, anytime you have an event like this, it not only affects the city, the state, but our entire country. My thoughts and prayers are gonna go out to them."

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville shooting updates: UofL vs Bellarmine will honor victims