Louisville Baseball Opens 2010 with Annual Leadoff Dinner
February 05, 2010 | Baseball
Feb. 5, 2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball program hosted its annual Leadoff Dinner sponsored by Republic Bank on Friday night in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Reigning National League Rookie of the Year and Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan and New York Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur entertained the crowd of more than 400 Louisville baseball supporters and fans at this year's edition of the Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner. The event also included the official introduction of the 2010 Cardinals and comments from U of L vice president of athletics Tom Jurich and Cards' head coach Dan McDonnell, while senior catcher Jeff Arnold was awarded the annual Jimmy Carraro Scholarship.
About Chris Coghlan and Jeff Francoeur
Coghlan had an outstanding summer leading all rookies and ranking sixth in the National League with a .321 average to go along with nine home runs and 47 RBI. A first round selection in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Marlins, Coghlan worked his way through the organization before making his MLB debut in May 8, 2009. On Aug. 9, 2009, he set the Marlins team record for consecutive multi-hit games at eight. A Florida native, Coghlan played college baseball at Ole Miss, where he was recruited and coached by McDonnell, who served as an assistant with the Rebels from 2001-06.
Highlighted by his 2007 Gold Glove Award, Francoeur has four and half years of MLB experience since making his debut with the Atlanta Braves on July 7, 2009. After spending the first half of the 2009 season with the Braves, Francoeur was traded to the Mets on July 10 and finished the season in the Big Apple. A native of Atlanta, Francoeur was the Braves' first round selection in the 2002 MLB Draft and also played for Team USA in the first ever World Baseball Classic in 2006.
About Louisville Baseball
Louisville will open the 2010 season against Bowling Green on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium. The Cardinals and Falcons will meet in a three-game series with game two set for Feb. 20 at 1 p.m., and game three scheduled for Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
The Cards enter 2010 as the preseason favorite to win their second straight BIG EAST Conference title. Louisville swept the BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles in 2009 and finished the season ranked 15th overall after advancing to their second NCAA Super Regional in three seasons. Louisville returns seven position starters for 2010, including All-American third baseman Phil Wunderlich, along with most of the pitching staff from their 2009 squad, which finished with a 47-18 record overall.
Wunderlich led the Cards in hitting in 2009 with a .367 average, was second on the team with 18 home runs and 78 RBI and was third on the team with 18 doubles en route to being named Second Team All-America by the NCBWA and Second Team All-BIG EAST. Louisville also welcomes back All-BIG EAST performers Andrew Clark (senior first baseman), Adam Duvall (senior second baseman) and Thomas Royse (junior right-handed pitcher) for 2010.
In McDonnell's three seasons in Louisville, the Cardinals have made three straight NCAA appearances overall, two NCAA Super Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance. Louisville also ranks sixth nationally with 135 wins over the last three seasons for an average of 45 victories per year.
