Cardinals Arrive in Dominican Republic, Host Youth Baseball Clinic
October 02, 2015 | Baseball
Louisville players and coaches work with more than 70 kids in Juan Dolio; Games begin Saturday
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic - The Louisville baseball team completed a busy first leg to its five-day visit to the Dominican Republic by teaching the fundamentals of the game to more than 70 kids during a Friday evening clinic.
After departing Louisville for a connection in Atlanta and arriving in the capital city of Santo Domingo on Friday afternoon, the Cardinals made the 30-minute commute to Juan Dolio for lunch before heading to the field. Located at the end of a narrow dirt road, the rugged baseball diamond provided the ideal setting for the youth baseball players, ranging in ages 8 to 18 years old, who sat patiently on and around the pitcher's mound as the Louisville players and coaches arrived.
Following a brief introduction by members of the SCORE International staff, the Louisville players and coaches organized four teaching stations, where they focused on pitching, hitting, infield defense and outfield defense. The kids worked from station to station gaining instruction from the UofL coaches as well as on-field interaction and guidance from the Cardinals players.
Covering more than an hour, the clinic concluded with a group teaching session and with the Louisville players donating bats, gloves, hats, shoes and other baseball equipment with the kids. As darkness fell upon the rustic diamond, the Cardinals returned to their hotel for a team dinner.
Day two of Louisville's visit to the Dominican Republic will feature a pair of split squad scrimmages against local independent professional clubs on Saturday at 10 a.m., ET at The Highlands Complex in Boca Chica. The split squad games will allow head coach Dan McDonnell, who is in his 10th season guiding the Louisville baseball program, to provide valuable on-field experience to both upperclassmen and newcomers. Following the games, Saturday's community service schedule will have the Louisville players and coaches assisting with providing food to an orphanage as well as feeding a local village.
The featured game of the weekend for the Cardinals is slated for Sunday at 5 p.m., ET when they will challenge Estrellas Orientales in its home venue, 8,000-seat Estadio Tetelo Vargas in San Pedro de Macorís. The Estrellas Orientales baseball franchise began in 1910 and won league titles in 1954 and 1968.
Louisville's fourth and final game in the Dominican Republic is set for Monday at 11 a.m., ET against Leones del Escogido at the Arizona Diamondbacks Complex-Baseball City in Boca Chica. The Leones del Escogido baseball franchise was founded in 1921 and is a 12-time league champion while also winning four Caribbean Series championships.
The trip, which coincides with the university's mid-term break, will conclude on Tuesday with the team's return home. The Cardinals are partnering with SCORE International for its housing, transportation and community service work while on the ground in the Dominican Republic. SCORE International is a short term mission organization with extensive experience providing all-inclusive trips.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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LOUISVILLE BASEBALL 2015 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GAME SCHEDULE
Matchup: Louisville vs. Independent Professional Club (Two split squad games)
Date/Time: Saturday | 10 a.m., ET
Venue: The Highlands Complex
City: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
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Matchup: Louisville vs. Estrellas Orientales
Date/Time: Sunday | 5 p.m., ET
Venue: Estadio Tetelo Vargas
City: San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
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Matchup: Louisville vs. Leones del Escogido
Date/Time: Monday | 11 a.m., ET
Venue: Arizona Diamondback Complex-Baseball City
City: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
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After departing Louisville for a connection in Atlanta and arriving in the capital city of Santo Domingo on Friday afternoon, the Cardinals made the 30-minute commute to Juan Dolio for lunch before heading to the field. Located at the end of a narrow dirt road, the rugged baseball diamond provided the ideal setting for the youth baseball players, ranging in ages 8 to 18 years old, who sat patiently on and around the pitcher's mound as the Louisville players and coaches arrived.
Following a brief introduction by members of the SCORE International staff, the Louisville players and coaches organized four teaching stations, where they focused on pitching, hitting, infield defense and outfield defense. The kids worked from station to station gaining instruction from the UofL coaches as well as on-field interaction and guidance from the Cardinals players.
Covering more than an hour, the clinic concluded with a group teaching session and with the Louisville players donating bats, gloves, hats, shoes and other baseball equipment with the kids. As darkness fell upon the rustic diamond, the Cardinals returned to their hotel for a team dinner.
Day two of Louisville's visit to the Dominican Republic will feature a pair of split squad scrimmages against local independent professional clubs on Saturday at 10 a.m., ET at The Highlands Complex in Boca Chica. The split squad games will allow head coach Dan McDonnell, who is in his 10th season guiding the Louisville baseball program, to provide valuable on-field experience to both upperclassmen and newcomers. Following the games, Saturday's community service schedule will have the Louisville players and coaches assisting with providing food to an orphanage as well as feeding a local village.
The featured game of the weekend for the Cardinals is slated for Sunday at 5 p.m., ET when they will challenge Estrellas Orientales in its home venue, 8,000-seat Estadio Tetelo Vargas in San Pedro de Macorís. The Estrellas Orientales baseball franchise began in 1910 and won league titles in 1954 and 1968.
Louisville's fourth and final game in the Dominican Republic is set for Monday at 11 a.m., ET against Leones del Escogido at the Arizona Diamondbacks Complex-Baseball City in Boca Chica. The Leones del Escogido baseball franchise was founded in 1921 and is a 12-time league champion while also winning four Caribbean Series championships.
The trip, which coincides with the university's mid-term break, will conclude on Tuesday with the team's return home. The Cardinals are partnering with SCORE International for its housing, transportation and community service work while on the ground in the Dominican Republic. SCORE International is a short term mission organization with extensive experience providing all-inclusive trips.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
Â
LOUISVILLE BASEBALL 2015 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GAME SCHEDULE
Matchup: Louisville vs. Independent Professional Club (Two split squad games)
Date/Time: Saturday | 10 a.m., ET
Venue: The Highlands Complex
City: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
Â
Matchup: Louisville vs. Estrellas Orientales
Date/Time: Sunday | 5 p.m., ET
Venue: Estadio Tetelo Vargas
City: San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Â
Matchup: Louisville vs. Leones del Escogido
Date/Time: Monday | 11 a.m., ET
Venue: Arizona Diamondback Complex-Baseball City
City: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
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