Dominguez and Pitts Sweep BIG EAST Preseason Individual Honors
January 03, 2008 | Baseball
Jan. 3, 2008
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - University of Louisville third baseman Chris Dominguez has been selected BIG EAST Player of the Year and teammate Zack Pitts BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches, sweeping individual honors. The Cardinals, who advanced to the College World Series last season, were selected to finish 2nd in the BIG EAST, just four points behind St. John's, with a conference-high four Cardinal players also earning preseason All-Conference honors.
Pitts, one of just two unanimous selections to the preseason team, is joined by sophomore lefty Justin Marks, senior catcher Derrick Alfonso and sophomore Chris Dominguez.
The Cardinals received five first place votes to the Red Storm's seven, and 113 points overall, 21 points ahead of third place USF. Rutgers and Notre Dame round out the top five.
Last season Pitts, a senior righty from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-BIG EAST, after posting a school record-tying 10 wins, adding a 2.52 ERA in a UofL record 121.2 innings. He ranks third in U of L career history with a 3.58 ERA entering the 2008 season.
Pitts was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 30th round of the 2007 MLB Draft, but elected to return for his senior season. His stellar season was punctuated by a dominant performance against No. 14 Oklahoma State in the opening game of the Super Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium. Pitts twirled seven shutout innings, scattering four hits and a pair of walks, while striking out six in a game televised nationally by ESPN2.
Pitts was a member of the 2008 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-American Second Team. Both Pitts and Dominguez have also been honored as Louisville Slugger Third Team Preseason All- Americans as selected by Collegiate Baseball. Pitts was named to the preseason release of the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List along with Marks and Dominguez.
Dominguez, a redshirt sophomore from Miami, Fla., was the NCAA Columbia Regional MVP after batting .421 (8 for 19) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs and 11 RBI in five games. He hit .262 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs.
He hit .318 with eight home runs and 19 RBI in 11 NCAA Postseason games last year.
Marks, from Owensboro, Ky., (Owensboro Catholic) was named to the Louisville Slugger, PING! and Rivals.com Freshman All-American teams following last season.
His post-season resume also included 2007 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, and Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
Marks was 9-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 18 starts, jumping into the weekend rotation as a freshman. He struck out 87 in 104.2 innings pitched and limited opponents to a BIG EAST low .189 batting average.
Alfonso, a second team All-BIG EAST selection in 2007, played in 70 of the 71 games last season at catcher for the Cardinals, posting a .274 batting average with nine doubles, five home runs and 31 RBI in 66 starts. The Bowling Green, Kentucky native was 4 for 6 on steals and was third on the team with 10 sac bunts.
He threw out 29 of 60 baserunners, adding four pickoffs. Opponents were just 12 for 26 in BIG EAST games.
Alfonso also handled a pitching staff that set a school record for strikeouts (514) and finished the season with the 5th best ERA in the nation. He was on the watch list for the 2007 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award.
UofL won a school record 47 games last season under Rivals.com National Coach of the Year Dan McDonnell.
The Cards will be hosting their 2008 Leadoff Dinner in the South Wing of the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. sponsored by Republic Bank.
Tickets can be purchased for $50 each, by calling (502)852-2015.
The Cardinal baseball team opens the 2008 season on February 22 when they host Cleveland State in the first of a three-game series at 2:00 p.m. in Jim Patterson Stadium. Admission to all home games is free.
