Baseball Picked to Finish Second in BIG EAST in 2012
January 04, 2012 | Baseball
Jan. 4, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior right-hander Justin Amlung was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year and senior outfielder Stewart Ijames was named preseason All-BIG EAST on Wednesday, while the Louisville baseball team was picked to finish second in the 2012 BIG EAST Conference race by the league's head coaches.
The Cardinals had 110 points, including four first-place votes, to trail only St. John's, which was selected as the BIG EAST favorite by the league's head coaches with 118 points and eight first-place votes. Connecticut was picked third with 92 points and was followed by USF (88) in fourth, Seton Hall (77) in fifth and Notre Dame (69) in sixth. Cincinnati (64) was seventh, Pittsburgh (60) in eighth, Rutgers (42) in ninth, West Virginia (39) in 10th, Villanova (19) in 11th and Georgetown (14) in 12th.
A 2012 Third Team Preseason All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Amlung was 10-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 15 starts while earning First Team All-BIG EAST Conference honors last season. A Louisville native and a graduate of St. Xavier High School, Amlung ranks second on Louisville's career ERA list at 3.06 to go along with a 15-4 record overall entering the 2012 season.
A Second Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2011, Ijames hit .247 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI last season for Louisville. During his career as a Cardinal, Ijames has also been selected Second Team All-BIG EAST in 2010 and Third Team All-BIG EAST in 2008 and was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America in 2008.
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.
The 15th-ranked Cardinals will open the 2012 season on Feb. 17 against Minnesota in Clearwater, Fla., at the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge. Louisville's home-opener at Jim Patterson Stadium is set for Feb. 22 against Eastern Kentucky.
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2012 Preseason BIG EAST Baseball Coaches' Poll
1. St. John's (8) 118
2. Louisville (4) 110
3. Connecticut 92
4. USF 88
5. Seton Hall 77
6. Notre Dame 69
7. Cincinnati 64
8. Pittsburgh 60
9. Rutgers 42
10. West Virginia 39
11. Villanova 19
12. Georgetown 14
(First-place votes in parentheses)
Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year: Jeremy Baltz, OF, St. John's
Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year: Justin Amlung, RHP, Louisville
2012 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Pos. Name, Class, School (Key 2011 Stats)
P - Justin Amlung, Jr., Louisville (10-2, 2.31 ERA, 105.0 IP, 80 K, 27 BB, .206 OBA)
P - Matt Iannazzo, Sr., Pittsburgh (8-3, 2.73 ERA, 102.1 IP, 62 K, 22 BB, .242 OBA)
P - Kyle Hansen, Jr., St. John's (8-7, 3.09 ERA, 107.2 IP, 106 K, 41 BB, .223 OBA)
P - Jon Prosinksi, Jr., Seton Hall (7-4, 1.91 ERA, 94.1 IP, 56 K, 30 BB, .228 OBA)
C - Joe Pavone, Sr., Connecticut (.273, 5 HR, 20 RBI)
1B - Trey Mancini, So., Notre Dame (.323, 9 HR, 34 RBI)
2B - L.J. Mazzilli, Jr., Connecticut (.338, 3 HR, 32 RBI)
SS - Matt Wessinger, Sr., St. John's (.273, 6 HR, 42 RBI)
3B - Tim Martin, Sr., Connecticut (.298, 4 HR, 29 RBI)
OF - Rand Ravnaas, Sr., Georgetown (.352, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 25 SB)
OF - Stewart Ijames, Sr., Louisville (.247, 11 HR, 45 RBI)
OF - Jeremy Baltz, Jr., St. John's (.311, 6 HR, 60 RBI)
DH - Dan DiBartolomeo, Sr., West Virginia (.338, 6 HR, 28 RBI)
