Cardinals Hold Annual Media Day
February 19, 2008 | Baseball
Feb. 19, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Head Coach Dan McDonnell and the University of Louisville baseball team gathered at Jim Patterson Stadium on a sunny Tuesday afternoon for its annual Media Day.
The Cardinals open the 2008 season on Friday when they host Cleveland State for the first of three against the Vikings. This marks the first time in NCAA history that all Division I baseball teams have a uniform start date, creating the first ever Opening Day for college baseball.
The Cardinals return 17 letterwinners from the 2007 team that set a school record with 47 wins and advanced to the College World Series in Omaha.
McDonnell, Rivals.com National Coach of the Year, and seniors Zack Pitts and Derrick Alfonso addressed the media in the press box at Patterson Stadium Tuesday.
Pitts, 2007 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-BIG EAST member, was tabbed to repeat both honors this season in a preseason poll by the league coaches. He is on the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, presented annually to the national college baseball player, and a Louisville Slugger Third Team Preseason All- Americans as selected by Collegiate Baseball.
Alfonso was also selected to the preseason All-BIG EAST first team after earning second team honors last spring. They are joined by senior pitcher B.J. Rosenberg as tri-captains of the 2008 team as voted by the players and coaches.
The 2008 season marks the 100th anniversary of the first baseball team in Cardinal history, the 1909 squad. The Cardinals will honor the event during the season with various promotions at home game. A special logo was designed to commemorate the event featuring a member of the 1909 team, former head coach Dr. John Heldman Jr.(309-149-4 in 28 seasons), Jim LaFountain('75-76 Academic All-American and All-Region Selection and Trystan Magnuson('03-'07 highest draft pick in school history and member of the 2007 CWS team).
Sixteen of the first 20 games this season will be home games at Jim Patterson Stadium. Admission is free to all regular season home games.
