Louisville's 2014 Summer Baseball Assignments

June 24, 2014 | Baseball

June 24, 2014

Kyle Funkhouser (left) & Logan Taylor prior to Team USA's game against High Point-Thomasville on Monday (photo: USA Baseball).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Fresh off its second straight College World Series appearance and another highly successful season in 2014, the Louisville baseball program started its preparations for 2015 with 22 underclassmen being assigned to four different wooden bat leagues as well as the USA Collegiate National Team Trials this summer.

With the summer baseball action underway around the nation, the Louisville players were late joining in after the Cardinals reached the College World Series for the third time in eight seasons. Leading the Louisville contingent into summer ball is righthanded pitcher Kyle Funkhouser, who is competing for a roster spot with Team USA. The Oak Forest, Ill., native made his debut at the Trials on Monday night by striking out three in two innings of shutout relief as Team USA defeated the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League during its Red, White and Blue Tour

The USA Collegiate National Team Trials, which started last weekend, will conclude with the release of the 24-man roster on June 29. Team USA will play games against Chinese Taipei and Japan on U.S. soil while also making trips to The Netherlands for the Honkbal - Haarlem Baseball Week and to Havana, Cuba for a Friendship Series against Cuba. The Red, White and Blue Tour, which started on June 21, will visit various cities across the United States.

Once again, the Cardinals will be well represented in the prestigious Cape Cod League with seven players designated for three clubs. Playing for the Bourne Braves will be lefty pitcher Josh Rogers, righty pitcher Jake Sparger and infielder Sutton Whiting. The trio of lefty pitcher Drew Harrington, outfielder Corey Ray and infielder Danny Rosenbaum are slated to play for the Wareham Gatemen. Righty pitcher Zack Burdi will play for the Chatham Anglers this summer and could be joined by Funkhouser if he is not selected for the USA Collegiate National Team.

Louisville has 10 players assigned to the New England Collegiate League led by four players - outfielder Colin Lyman, infielder Nick Solak, lefty pitcher Robert Strader and infielder Blake Tiberi - playing for the Vermont Mountaineers. Slated to compete for the Newport Gulls are lefty pitcher Kyle McGrath, righty pitcher Mason Richardson and utility player Will Smith. Infielder Zach Lucas and righty pitcher Jonah Philley are assigned to the North Adams SteepleCats, managed by former Louisville shortstop Chris Cates.

In the Coastal Plain League, righty pitcher Jordan Simons and outfielder Logan Taylor are playing for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, while in the Great Lakes League, righthanded pitcher/first baseman Michael Bollmer and righty pitcher Alex Sears are assigned to the Lexington Hustlers.

Following the completion of the collegiate summer season, players will return to campus for the fall semester in late August to continue the Cardinals' preparation for the 2015 college baseball season. Along with the return to Omaha, Louisville won its fifth regular season conference championship in the last six seasons and finished 50-17 overall in 2014. Winning NCAA Regional and NCAA Super Regional rounds at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2014, the Cardinals have hosted NCAA postseason baseball six times in the last eight seasons.

Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.

2014 University of Louisville Summer Baseball Assignments

USA Collegiate National Team Trials
- RHP Kyle Funkhouser

Cape Cod League
- LHP Josh Rogers, Bourne Braves
- RHP Jake Sparger, Bourne Braves
- INF Sutton Whiting, Bourne Braves
- RHP Zack Burdi, Chatham Anglers
- LHP Drew Harrington, Wareham Gatemen
- OF Corey Ray, Wareham Gatemen
- INF Danny Rosenbaum, Wareham Gatemen

New England Collegiate League
- C/OF Ryan Summers, Keene Swamp Bats
- LHP Kyle McGrath, Newport Gulls
- RHP Mason Richardson, Newport Gulls
- UTL Will Smith, Newport Gulls
- INF Zach Lucas, North Adams SteepleCats
- RHP Jonah Philley, North Adams SteepleCats
- OF Colin Lyman, Vermont Mountaineers
- INF Nick Solak, Vermont Mountaineers
- LHP Robert Strader, Vermont Mountaineers
- INF Blake Tiberi, Vermont Mountaineers