Cardinal Nine Prep For Pizza Bowl Friday
October 16, 2008 | Baseball
Oct. 16, 2008
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team will cap its fall season with a best of three intra-squad series at Jim Patterson Stadium Friday, Saturday and Sunday. First pitch of the third annual Pizza Bowl is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:00 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be free and open to the public.
Dan McDonnell, who is in his third season as head coach of the Cardinals, guided the team to their first College World Series in Omaha in his first season in 2007, winning a school record 47 games. The 2008 squad notched 41 wins on their way to a BIG EAST title and second consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals.
The team held a draft to determine the squads. Assistant Coach Xan Barksdale will be coaching Xan's Zephyrs, and they will be going up against Jimmy's Jets under the guidance of student assistant coach James Belanger. The Zephyrs will be the home team Friday, with the Jets winning the coin toss for home field advantage Sunday after hosting Saturday. No matter the result of the first two games, the third game will be played Sunday.
The games will mark the end of the fall workouts which began the first week of September.
On Friday sophomore Dean Kiekhefer will start on the mound for the Zephyrs and will face fellow sophomore southpaw Bob Revesz. Saturday's game will feature a pair of highly touted freshman as 6-7 lefty Keith Landers, who was drafted by the Orioles in the 18th round of the 2008 MLB Draft, will get the call for the Jets and faces righty Mike Nastold, the top prospect in the state of Ohio.
The final game of the series has a pair of righties in redshirt sophomore Tyler Mathis working for the Zephyrs and junior Matt Lea on the hill for the Jets.
The Cards bring back 24 players from last season, including BIG EAST Player of the Year, third baseman Chris Dominguez, who was chosen first overall by the Zephyrs.
