Cardinal Nine is Regional Bound
May 28, 2007 | Baseball
May 28, 2007
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team has been selected to play in the NCAA Regional for just the second time in school history. The Cardinals (40-20), who set a single season record for wins will be the #3 seed in the Columbia Regional as they open with a game on Friday at 1:00 p.m. CT against #2 seed Miami(Fl) (36-22). Top-seed and host, #11 Missouri (40-16) will open with fourth seed Kent State (33-24) at 6:30 p.m.
I am happy to see that this group of young men have been rewarded for what they have worked so hard for all year long," noted first-year Head Coach Dan McDonnell.
The winner of the four-team double elimination tournament that will take place June 1-4 at Taylor Stadium advances to a super regional along with 15 other teams. The winners of the super regionals June 8-11, which is a best of three head-to-head series, will head to the College World Series in Omaha June 15-25.
The Columbia Regional will feature two games each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and if the championship is not decided on Sunday, the if-necessary title game will be played on Monday, June 4th. The first game each day will take place at 1 p.m., with the second game to follow at 6:30 p.m., and the Monday title game set for 1 p.m., barring any adjustments made for potential televised games.
The Cardinals met Miami in the 2006 opener, losing on the road 13-4 in the only previous meeting between the two. U of L has never met Missouri, and have a 7-10 mark against the Golden Flashes, losing 4-2 on March 11 in the last meeting between the two.
The Cardinals have not lost three straight games all season long and have only lost consecutive games five times.
Friday starter Zack Pitts, a junior from Elizabethtown was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, compiling an 8-3 record with a 1.78 ERA(ranked 10th nationally), striking out 80 in 106.0 IP and limiting opponents to a .204 batting average.
Saturday starter Justin Marks was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.44(ranked 57th nationally), fanning 72 in 85 innings while opposing batters hit just .191 against the freshman lefty from Owensboro.
Senior closer Trystan Magnuson, from Louisville Manual High School, in 62nd in saves nationally, and has converted eight of ten opportunities. He pitched the team to a win in both blown saves. Magnuson is 3-1 with a 0.92 ERA in 31 appearances covering 49.0 IP, striking out 49. Opponents are batting .172 against him. He worked the first 23.1 innings of the season before he gave up an earned run, and put together another stretch of 18.0 scoreless.
A record nine Louisville players were named to the All-BIG EAST teams, including three first-team selections and five members of the second team.
In 12 team categories ranked by the NCAA, the Cardinals are in the top 100 in 11, in the top 70 in nine, top 50 in four and twice in the top five.
In the 18 individual categories ranked by the NCAA, the Cardinals have 19 players ranked in the top 100, eight in the top 50 and four in the top 10 including the top base-stealer in the nation in senior centerfielder Boomer Whiting who is 69-80 on the season. Logan Johnson is ranked in the top 100 in six categories.
A record nine Louisville players were named to the All-BIG EAST teams, including Pitts, Whiting and Johnson on the first-team. Derrick Alfonso, Chris Cates, Isaiah Howes, Daniel Burton and Justin Marks were all named to the second team. Magnuson was a third team selection.
The Cards established a new school record with a BIG EAST leading 141 steals, and the pitching staff under Roger Williams has struck out a school record 441 batters.
The Cardinals join BIG EAST tournament champion Rutgers and regular season winner St. John's in the round of 64, marking the third time in the history of the conference that three teams have advanced to NCAA Regional play. The BIG EAST is one of nine leagues with three or more teams in the championship.
The 2002 Cardinals were the first team to advance to a regional losing, playing in at Atlanta, losing to Georgia 7-1 and Coastal Carolina 9-1.
All postseason games will be carried live in Louisville on WAVG 1450 AM.
For more information you can visit the official regional website.
