Cardinals Host 2016 Baseball Media Day
February 15, 2016 | Baseball
McDonnell announces pitching rotation of Funkhouser-McKay-Harrington for opening weekend
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville baseball head coach Dan McDonnell and members of the second-ranked Cardinals previewed the 2016 season during Monday afternoon's annual media day activities in the Omaha Room at Jim Patterson Stadium.
McDonnell, in his 10th season at Louisville, was joined by juniors Zack Burdi, Drew Harrington, Corey Ray, Will Smith and Nick Solak and sophomore Brendan McKay in discussing the high expectations for the Cardinals, the unanimous choice as the nation's No. 2-ranked team in each of the six preseason national polls. The No. 2 ranking is the highest preseason ranking in program history for Louisville, two spots better than their previous preseason high of No. 4 by Baseball America during the 2013 College World Series season. The No. 2 ranking also equals the best overall ranking in history.
During Monday's news conference, McDonnell released Louisville's starting pitching rotation for this weekend's season-opening series against SIU Edwardsville, which will begin with senior righthander Kyle Funkhouser on the mound for Friday's opener (3 p.m., ET). McKay will get the start on Saturday (2 p.m.), while Harrington will close the weekend in the starting role for Sunday's finale (1 p.m.). Admission is free throughout the weekend at Patterson Stadium.
McDonnell also announced his plans to begin the season with Ray in the leadoff spot in the Cardinals batting order. Last season, Ray hit third in the Louisville lineup for all 65 games, but was very successful as the leadoff hitter for the USA Collegiate National Team for much of the summer. During his sophomore season with Louisville in 2015, Ray carried a .385 (20-for-52) average when leading off an inning.
Louisville returns 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 and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight season. The Cardinals bring back more than 75 percent of their pitching starts, anchored by the 1-2 All-American punch of Funkhouser and McKay. The pitching staff also returns 83 percent of its relief innings.
Offensively, the Cardinals return seven players who started 30 or more games last season, including the top three hitters in Ray, 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.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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McDonnell, in his 10th season at Louisville, was joined by juniors Zack Burdi, Drew Harrington, Corey Ray, Will Smith and Nick Solak and sophomore Brendan McKay in discussing the high expectations for the Cardinals, the unanimous choice as the nation's No. 2-ranked team in each of the six preseason national polls. The No. 2 ranking is the highest preseason ranking in program history for Louisville, two spots better than their previous preseason high of No. 4 by Baseball America during the 2013 College World Series season. The No. 2 ranking also equals the best overall ranking in history.
During Monday's news conference, McDonnell released Louisville's starting pitching rotation for this weekend's season-opening series against SIU Edwardsville, which will begin with senior righthander Kyle Funkhouser on the mound for Friday's opener (3 p.m., ET). McKay will get the start on Saturday (2 p.m.), while Harrington will close the weekend in the starting role for Sunday's finale (1 p.m.). Admission is free throughout the weekend at Patterson Stadium.
McDonnell also announced his plans to begin the season with Ray in the leadoff spot in the Cardinals batting order. Last season, Ray hit third in the Louisville lineup for all 65 games, but was very successful as the leadoff hitter for the USA Collegiate National Team for much of the summer. During his sophomore season with Louisville in 2015, Ray carried a .385 (20-for-52) average when leading off an inning.
Louisville returns 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 and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight season. The Cardinals bring back more than 75 percent of their pitching starts, anchored by the 1-2 All-American punch of Funkhouser and McKay. The pitching staff also returns 83 percent of its relief innings.
Offensively, the Cardinals return seven players who started 30 or more games last season, including the top three hitters in Ray, 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.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
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