Cardinals 15th in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll
December 19, 2011 | Baseball
Dec. 19, 2011
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Louisville baseball team will enter the 2012 season with a Top 20 national ranking for the fourth consecutive season after the Cardinals were positioned 15th in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll released on Monday afternoon.
Louisville was among two BIG EAST Conference schools ranked in the Collegiate Baseball poll with St. John's at No. 11, while future BIG EAST Conference member Central Florida is ranked 36th. Florida is the top-ranked team in the preseason poll with back-to-back NCAA champion South Carolina at No. 2.
The Cardinals, led by the return of preseason All-American pitcher and All-BIG EAST performer Justin Amlung, welcome back nearly the entire pitching staff and numerous position players with starting experience from last year's squad. Overall, Louisville returns 19 letterwinners from the 2011 team, which finished 32-29 overall.
Head coach Dan McDonnell enters his sixth season leading the Louisville baseball program. In his five previous seasons, McDonnell is 217-106 with two BIG EAST regular-season titles, two BIG EAST Tournament titles, four NCAA Regionals, two NCAA Super Regionals and one College World Series.
Louisville will open the 2012 season on Feb. 17 against Minnesota in Clearwater, Fla., at the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge. The Cardinals' home-opener at Jim Patterson Stadium is set for Feb. 22 against Eastern Kentucky.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Top 40 Poll (As of Dec. 19, 2011)
Rank School ('11 Final Record) - Points
1. Florida (53-19) - 497
2. South Carolina (55-14) - 494
3. Stanford (35-22) - 490
4. North Carolina (51-16) - 488
5. Texas (49-19) - 485
6. Texas A&M (47-22) - 484
7. Rice (42-21) - 482
8. Arkansas (40-22) - 479
9. Georgia Tech. (42-21) - 476
10. Texas Christian (43-19) - 474
11. St. John's (36-22) - 470
12. Louisiana St. (36-20) - 468
13. Florida St. (46-19) - 465
14. Miami, Fla. (38-23) - 464
15. Louisville (32-29) - 460
16. Oklahoma (41-19) - 458
17. Arizona St. (43-18) - 457
18. Georgia (33-32) - 455
19. UCLA (35-24) - 454
20. Arizona (39-21) - 452
21. Cal. St. Fullerton (41-17) - 449
22. California (38-23) - 447
23. Vanderbilt (54-12) - 445
24. Oregon St. (41-19) - 443
25. Clemson (43-20) - 437
26. Stetson (43-20) - 435
27. Oregon (33-26-1) - 432
28. Baylor (31-28) - 430
29. U.C. Irvine (43-18) - 425
30. Southern Miss. (39-19) - 422
31. Missouri St. (33-23) - 419
32. College of Charleston (39-22) - 417
33. Virginia (56-12) - 413
34. Georgia Southern (36-26) - 412
35. Texas St. (41-23) - 408
36. Central Florida (39-23) - 406
37. Wichita St. (39-26) - 403
38. Jacksonville (37-24) - 400
39. Florida International (40-20-1) - 397
40. Southern California (25-31) - 395
OTHER TEAMS RECEIVING VOTES: Coastal Carolina, Oklahoma St., Charlotte, East Carolina, Kent St., Creighton, Oral Roberts, Troy, South Alabama, San Diego, Gonzaga, San Francisco, Fresno St., Hawaii, Dallas Baptist, N.C. State, Mississippi St., Auburn, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Stony Brook, Maine, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Notre Dame, South Florida, Liberty, Winthrop, Purdue, Michigan St., Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas St., Texas Tech., Missouri, Cal Poly, Long Beach St., U.C. Riverside, James Madison, Tulane, Houston, Manhattan, Rider, Central Michigan, Illinois St., New Mexico, San Diego St., Nevada-Las Vegas, Austin Peay St., Samford, Elon, N.C. Greensboro, S.E. Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, San Jose St., New Mexico St., Cal. St. Bakersfield.
