Louisville Ranked No. 2 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team received its highest preseason ranking in school history Monday landing at No. 2 in the 2016 Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll.

Monday's ranking was two spots better than the Cardinals' previous best preseason ranking of No. 4 by Baseball America during Louisville's 2013 College World Series season. The No. 2 ranking matches the best overall ranking in school history equaling the high point last season when the Cardinals were second in the nation on May 4, 2015 in the D1Baseball.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls and again on May 11, 2015 in the D1Baseball.com, NCBWA, USA Today & Perfect Game polls.

The Cardinals have received a preseason top 10 ranking in four straight seasons (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and have earned a preseason national ranking in nine straight seasons (2008-2016) overall. Monday's ranking extends a record-setting run for the Louisville baseball program, which has remained ranked in at least one major national poll every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest such stretch in school history.

Sitting atop the Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll is Florida, while No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 Miami and No. 5 Texas A&M round out the top five behind the Cardinals. Louisville is the highest ranked team among seven ACC programs and is joined by the Hurricanes at No. 4, reigning NCAA champion Virginia at No. 9, No. 16 Florida State, No. 21 Georgia Tech, No. 22 North Carolina and No. 27 Notre Dame.

The Cardinals are slated to open the 2016 season on Feb. 19 at Jim Patterson Stadium in the first game of a weekend series at home against SIU Edwardsville.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE BASEBALL IN 2016
The Cardinals return an experienced, talented and deep roster of players from last year's record-setting club, which won the ACC Atlantic Division title with the most league wins in conference history (25-5 record) and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight season. Louisville returns more than 75 percent of its pitching starts from 2015, anchored by the 1-2 All-American punch of senior righty Kyle Funkhouser and sophomore lefty Brendan McKay. The pitching staff also returns 83 percent of its relief innings, including junior closer Zack Burdi, talented junior lefty Drew Harrington and Freshman All-Americans Lincoln Henzman and Sean Leland.

Offensively, the Cardinals return seven players who started 30 or more games last season, including the top three hitters in junior outfielder and All-American Corey Ray, junior infielder Nick Solak and McKay, the reigning John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year. Collectively, Louisville returns 78 percent of its runs driven in, 73 percent of its extra-base hits, 72 percent of its total hits and 70 percent of its runs scored from the 2015 team.

In his nine seasons guiding the Louisville baseball program, head coach Dan McDonnell has placed the Cardinals among the nation's elite with three College World Series berths, five NCAA Super Regional appearances, eight NCAA Regional bids, six conference regular season titles, two conference tournament titles, 22 All-Americans and 406 wins overall (sixth most nationally during that nine-year span).

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

2016 COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER PRESEASON POLL
Rank   Team (2015 Final Record)
1.        Florida (52-18)
2.        Louisville (47-18)
3.        Vanderbilt (51-21)
4.        Miami, Fla. (50-17)
5.        Texas A&M (50-14)
6.        Louisiana-Lafayette (42-23)
7.        Louisiana St. (54-12)
8.        Oregon St. (39-18-1)
9.        Virginia (44-24)
10.       UCLA (45-16)
11.       Mississippi St. (24-30)
12.       Cal. St. Fullerton (39-25)
13.       California (36-21)
14.       Oregon (38-25)
15.       Texas Christian (51-15)
16.       Florida St. (44-21)
17.       Missouri St. (49-12)
18.       Houston (43-20)
19.       Tulane (35-25)
20.       Rice (37-22)
21.       Georgia Tech (32-23)
22.       North Carolina (34-24)
23.       Michigan (39-25)
24.       Arkansas (40-25)
25.       Oklahoma St. (38-20)
26.       Stony Brook (35-16-1)
27.       Notre Dame (37-23)
28.       Maryland (42-24)
29.       Kentucky (30-25)
30.       Pepperdine (32-29)
31.       Dallas Baptist (46-15)
32.       College of Charleston (45-15)
33.       Coastal Carolina (39-21)
34.       Missouri (30-28)
35.       South Carolina (32-25)
36.       San Diego St. (41-23)
37.       South Alabama (37-20)
38.       Winthrop (40-19)
39.       Texas Tech. (31-24)
40.       Texas (30-27)

University of Louisville Athletics

Louisville Ranked No. 2 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll

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Players Mentioned

Zack Burdi

Kyle Funkhouser

Drew Harrington

Lincoln Henzman

Sean Leland

Brendan McKay

Corey Ray

Nick Solak

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