Saturday, April 2
LOUISVILLE, KY
1:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
VIRGINIA TECH
Among the nation's best defensive shortstops, Devin Hairston is hitting .379 at the plate this season.
No. 4 Louisville Hosts Virginia Tech for Weekend Set
April 01, 2016 | Baseball
Series scheduled for Saturday (1 p.m., ET), Sunday (1 p.m.) and Monday (7 p.m.)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 4 Louisville baseball team hosts its second straight ACC series at home as Virginia Tech visits Jim Patterson Stadium for a three-game set starting Saturday at 1 p.m., ET. The Cardinals and Hokies will continue the series Sunday at 1 p.m., while Monday's finale is set for a 7 p.m., ET start. Each of the first two games will be televised by ESPN3, while the third game will be the first ACC Monday telecast on ESPNU. Radio coverage for all three games will be provided by 93.9 The Ville and live stats for all games are available at GoCards.com.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Ranked as high as No. 4 in this week's Baseball America Top 25, Louisville plays back-to-back weekends at home for the final time in the regular season. Entering the fourth week of ACC action, the Cardinals are in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 6-3 record. On the mound, Louisville has six shutouts (No. 1 nationally) while allowing two or fewer earned runs in 16 of its 25 outings. The pitching staff is ranked first in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 6.00 and third in ERA at 2.22. Offensively, the Cardinals are eighth nationally with a .330 team batting average, seventh in on-base percentage at .419 and 11th in scoring at 8.4 runs per game.
ABOUT THE HOKIES
Virginia Tech enters the weekend at 10-16 overall after a midweek loss to VMI and 1-8 in the ACC following a trio of home losses to Notre Dame last weekend. Under the guidance of third year head coach Patrick Mason, the Hokies were 27-27 last season and finished tied for third in the ACC Coastal with a 13-16 conference record.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville trails 45-12 in the all-time series with Virginia Tech, which dates back to 1979. From 1979 to 1995, the Cardinals and Hokies competed as Metro Conference foes and the programs have not met on the baseball diamond since Louisville dropped two of three at home against Virginia Tech on April 28-30, 1995.
YEAR TWO IN THE ACC FOR LOUISVILLE
A year after setting the single season record for conference wins in its debut season with a 25-5 ACC mark, Louisville kicked off its second season in the league with a trio of wins against Notre Dame on March 11-12 before suffering its first series loss at Miami on March 18-20. The Cardinals bounced back with a series win over reigning NCAA champion Virginia last week and have complied a 31-8 record in the ACC during its first two seasons, including an 18-3 mark at home.
FEELING AT HOME INSIDE JIM PATTERSON STADIUM
Since opening the gates at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2005, the Cardinals have won more than 76 percent of their games in the ballpark posting a 293-91 record (.763 winning percentage), including a 16-1 mark this season at the corner of Third and Central.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Collectively, the Cardinals are hitting .330 (eighth nationally) with six players hitting .306 or better while starting at least 17 games.
• Louisville has won 158 straight games when entering the ninth inning with a lead dating back to May 2012. The Cardinals were 43-0 last season and 46-0 in 2013 when leading after the eighth.
• The Cardinals are 51-of-61 on stolen bases this season (ninth nationally) continuing the aggressive approach from head coach Dan McDonnell. Louisville was fourth nationally with 127 stolen bases last season, second in the nation in 2014 with 133 and second in 2013 with 150.
• Conversely, Louisville's opponents are just 8-for-21 on stolen bases this season as Will Smith has allowed just four of 12 attempts.
• Louisville has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of 25 game this season, a feat achieved in 36 of 65 games last season. In 2014, they did it in 40 of 67 games, while in 2013, they accomplished the task in 36 of 65 games.
• The Cardinals are also first in the nation in hits allowed per 9 IP surrendering just 6.00, third in ERA (2.22), third in WHIP (1.01), seventh in on-base percentage (.419), seventh in slugging (.501), 11th in scoring (8.4 runs per game), 11th in doubles (59), 16th in triples (11), 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.92) and 25th in strikeouts per 9 IP (8.9).
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
Corey Ray: Ray is second in the nation with 25 stolen bases (on 28 attempts) this season, 16th nationally with 32 RBI, 18th in total bases (68) and 30th in the nation with his seven home runs.
• 10 of Ray's 18 career home runs have either tied the score or given Louisville a lead.
• Ray leads the Cardinals with 10 multiple RBI games this season.
• In the first inning this season (all in the leadoff spot), Ray is hitting .416 with three home runs and runs scored.
• Ray is one of just two players in the nation with at least seven home runs and 13 or more stolen bases (Auburn's Anfernee Grier is the other).
Nick Solak: Solak had reached base safely in 33 straight games dating back to last season before streak was ended on March 25 against Virginia after departing in the third inning with a bone bruise on his right hand.
• Solak ranks sixth nationally in on-base percentage (.564), ninth in hitting with a .455 average and 33rd with 28 runs scored.
• Solak set a school record with five walks in Louisville's 12-0 win over SIUE on Feb. 20.
• In four games from March 8-12, Solak hit .471 with four RBI, five runs scored, four stolen bases and a game-winning walk-off home run in the 11th inning against Notre Dame on March 11.
Blake Tiberi: Tiberi is tied for the team lead with 12 multiple-hit games and is second on the team with six multiple-RBI games this season.
• Tiberi connected for two home runs in the series at Miami on March 18-20 and has eight career home runs.
Devin Hairston: Hairston is tied for the team lead with 12 multiple-hit games and second in multiple-RBI games with six.
Colby Fitch: Fitch has hit safely in all 11 games he has started this season and has a .514 average with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in those 11 starts.
Brendan McKay: McKay has recorded eight or more strikeouts in five of his six starts this season and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 12 times in his career. On March 11, he had a career-best 13 strikeouts against Notre Dame, the most for a Louisville pitchers since 2003.
• McKay is 12th in the nation with 51 strikeouts and 20th in ERA at 1.10.
• In 16 career appearances on the mound at home (including 11 starts), McKay is 11-0 with four saves, a 1.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched.
• In his 11 collegiate starts at Patterson Stadium, McKay is 10-0 with a 1.09 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 73.2 innings.
Drew Harrington: Harrington has won four straight starts and ranks 22nd in the nation in strikeouts-to-walk ratio at 8.75 (35 strikeouts, four walks).
Kyle Funkhouser: Funkhouser continues his climb up Louisville's career pitching charts ranking first in strikeouts (313) and innings pitched (322.1), second in wins (28) and second in starts (47). He also holds the school record for single season wins with 13 in 2014.
Kade McClure: McClure has won all six midweek starts this season and ranks second in the nation in WHIP at 0.61 and fourth in hits allowed per 9 IP (3.55).
LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012
Louisville has enjoyed a historic run by remaining in at least one of the major national polls every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest such span in school history. The unanimous choice as the No. 2 team in the nation in the six national preseason 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. The No. 2 ranking was 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 equaled the best overall ranking in history.
MCKAY ACCEPTS INVITE TO USA BASEBALL COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM
Sophomore Brendan McKay has accepted an invitation to compete for the 2016 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer. It will mark the second straight year McKay has played for Team USA after making four relief appearances without allowing an earned run and earning six starts as a hitter last summer. Guided by University of Oregon head coach George Horton, the USA Collegiate National Team will conduct a training camp in Southern California from June 28-July 2 before visiting Taiwan (July 5-9), Japan (July 12-17) and Cuba (July 22-26) for a series of games. The trip to Japan will include the 40th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series.
McKay's second tour with Team USA marks the 11th time a Louisville player has earned an invitation from the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team joining Zack Burdi (2015), Corey Ray (2015), Kyle Funkhouser (2014), Nick Burdi (2013), Ryan Wright (2010), Phil Wunderlich (2009), Tony Zych (2009), Justin Marks (2008) and Mark Jurich (2002). It marks the 18th time a player coached or signed by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, who served as an assistant with the 2009 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, earned international baseball experience.
TRIO OF ACC PLAYER, PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2016
Louisville has accumulated three ACC Player or Pitcher of the Week honors this season, including two honors for Corey Ray. The junior outfielder was named ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 22 and March 28, while sophomore Brendan McKay was tabbed as the ACC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29.
TRIPLE DIGITS ON THE RADAR GUN FOR BURDI
Junior righty closer Zack Burdi has reached 100 mph on the Jim Patterson Stadium radar gun on two different occasions this season, including once on a swing-and-miss strike three in the 11th inning of Louisville's March 11 win over Notre Dame. Last season, Burdi touched 101 mph on the scoreboard at Clemson's Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
CARDINALS LIKE HOME ENOUGH TO STEAL IT IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS
Under head coach Dan McDonnell, Louisville has earned a reputation for being among the nation's most aggressive teams on the bases and that approach has helped the Cardinals steal home in each of the last two seasons. On March 16 of this season, junior Logan Taylor capped Louisville's five-run fifth inning against Wright State by stealing home in a play that landed at No. 3 on the SportsCenter Top 10 the following morning. Even more amazing is that Taylor's accomplishment marked the second time in 11 months the Cardinals had stolen home as Corey Ray achieved the feat on April 18, 2015 against Wake Forest.
Not only did Ray steal home, but he did it in the bottom of the ninth to score the game-winning run and complete a series sweep of the visiting Demon Deacons. Moments after the Cardinals had tied the game on a wild pitch, Ray charged down the third base line sliding around the attempted tag and across home plate. The play was featured at No. 8 in on the SC Top 10 on April 19 and was also used by ESPN during its opening segment of SportsCenter that morning.
The person with the best view of the two swipes of home was Will Smith, who was at the plate for each of the dramatic plays. Who better to hold his ground in the box as a teammate came sliding across the plate than Louisville's primary catcher during the last two seasons.
FUNKHOUSER CHOSEN AS CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Kyle Funkhouser was selected on March 14 as a candidate for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate baseball. Funkhouser was among 30 baseball student-athletes, who excel both on and off the diamond, chosen to receive consideration for the prestigious award. Funkhouser becomes the second Louisville player in the last three seasons to be selected as a candidate for the award joining former Cardinals outfielder Jeff Gardner, who was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the honor in 2014. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 College World Series in June. For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
MCKAY NAMED NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Sophomore lefty Brendan McKay was selected as the National Pitcher of the Month for February by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. One of the top two-way players in the nation, McKay has been nearly untouchable to start 2016. The Darlington, Pennsylvania, native boasts a perfect 0.00 ERA in 14 innings across two starts, including a three-hit shutout at No. 21 Ole Miss on Feb. 27. McKay was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for that performance, where he struck out eight Rebels and didn't issue a walk.
CARDINALS ON THE NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
The Louisville baseball program is well represented on the early season watch lists for multiple national awards. Here is the current list of Cardinals on those watch lists:
• GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST: Kyle Funkhouser, Brendan McKay & Corey Ray
Kyle Funkhouser, Corey Ray and Brendan McKay were named to the 50-player preseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list released Feb. 16. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 39th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The preseason watch list features 50 of the nation's top amateur players, from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season. Louisville and Florida lead all schools in representation with three players each on the list. Funkhouser is among four players named to the preseason watch list for the second consecutive year, while McKay is one of just two players on the watch list who were also named as semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award in 2015.
• STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST: Zack Burdi
Zack Burdi was named on Feb. 15 to the initial watch list for the 12th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. The 2016 Stopper of the Year Watch List will be updated with a midseason release on Wednesday, April 27, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 8, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced at the 2016 College World Series. Previous winners of the award include former Louisville standout and 2014 recipient Nick Burdi, older brother of Zack.
• JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST: Will Smith
Will Smith was named March 9 to the official watch list for the 2016 Johnny Bench Award as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The award is given annually to the top NCAA Division I catcher. The watch list will be narrowed to the semifinalists on May 18, 2016. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 6, 2016. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30, 2016.
FIVE CARDINALS RECEIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION
Senior pitcher Kyle Funkhouser, junior pitcher Zack Burdi, junior infielder Nick Solak, junior outfielder Corey Ray and sophomore pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay earned preseason All-America accolades from various organizations for 2016. Burdi, Funkhouser, McKay and Ray were named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper, D1Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game. Additionally, Solak was named as a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
LOUISVILLE TABBED AS ACC FAVORITE BY CONFERENCE HEAD COACHES
Louisville was selected as the 2016 ACC preseason favorite in a vote of the conference's 14 head coaches. The Cardinals were a unanimous selection as the team to beat in both the Atlantic Division and in the conference. Louisville, which set an ACC record for conference wins with a 25-5 mark last season, tallied 98 points while Florida State was the second choice in the division with 74 points. NC State was third (72) and was followed by Notre Dame (50), Clemson (46), Wake Forest (35) and Boston College (17). Miami, which reached the College World Series last year, was named by 13 coaches as the favorite in the Coastal Division. Defending national champion Virginia received one vote for first place in the division and was second with 80 points, followed by North Carolina (71), Georgia Tech (58), Duke (38), Virginia Tech (30), and Pitt (18).
BURDI, SMITH AND SOLAK NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2016
Junior righthanded pitcher Zack Burdi, junior catcher Will Smith and junior infielder Nick Solak were chosen by Louisville players and coaches as team captains for the Cardinals baseball team in 2016. Burdi was a Third Team Louisville Slugger All-American and All-ACC First Team selection last season while earning a 6-1 record with nine saves and a 0.92 ERA in 20 relief appearances. Smith started 47 games behind the plate in 2015 hitting .242 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Solak emerged as one of Louisville's top offensive players in 2015 hitting .324 with three home runs, 40 RBI, 15 doubles and 18 stolen bases while starting all 65 games.
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.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
| GAME DAY INFORMATION (Promotions) #4 Louisville vs. Virginia Tech Location: Louisville, Ky. Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Series History: Louisville trails 45-12 all-time Game Notes: Louisville | Virginia Tech Saturday, April 2 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPN3 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: So. LHP Brendan McKay (5-1, 1.10 ERA) VT: Jr. LHP Kit Scheetz (3-2, 3.09 ERA) Sunday, April 3 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPN3 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: Jr. LHP Drew Harrington (5-1, 1.42 ERA) VT: Sr. LHP Jon Woodcock (1-5, 5.46 ERA) Monday, April 4 | 7:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPNU (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: Sr. RHP Kyle Funkhouser (2-2, 4.89 ERA) VT: TBD |
Ranked as high as No. 4 in this week's Baseball America Top 25, Louisville plays back-to-back weekends at home for the final time in the regular season. Entering the fourth week of ACC action, the Cardinals are in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 6-3 record. On the mound, Louisville has six shutouts (No. 1 nationally) while allowing two or fewer earned runs in 16 of its 25 outings. The pitching staff is ranked first in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 6.00 and third in ERA at 2.22. Offensively, the Cardinals are eighth nationally with a .330 team batting average, seventh in on-base percentage at .419 and 11th in scoring at 8.4 runs per game.
ABOUT THE HOKIES
Virginia Tech enters the weekend at 10-16 overall after a midweek loss to VMI and 1-8 in the ACC following a trio of home losses to Notre Dame last weekend. Under the guidance of third year head coach Patrick Mason, the Hokies were 27-27 last season and finished tied for third in the ACC Coastal with a 13-16 conference record.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville trails 45-12 in the all-time series with Virginia Tech, which dates back to 1979. From 1979 to 1995, the Cardinals and Hokies competed as Metro Conference foes and the programs have not met on the baseball diamond since Louisville dropped two of three at home against Virginia Tech on April 28-30, 1995.
YEAR TWO IN THE ACC FOR LOUISVILLE
A year after setting the single season record for conference wins in its debut season with a 25-5 ACC mark, Louisville kicked off its second season in the league with a trio of wins against Notre Dame on March 11-12 before suffering its first series loss at Miami on March 18-20. The Cardinals bounced back with a series win over reigning NCAA champion Virginia last week and have complied a 31-8 record in the ACC during its first two seasons, including an 18-3 mark at home.
FEELING AT HOME INSIDE JIM PATTERSON STADIUM
Since opening the gates at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2005, the Cardinals have won more than 76 percent of their games in the ballpark posting a 293-91 record (.763 winning percentage), including a 16-1 mark this season at the corner of Third and Central.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Collectively, the Cardinals are hitting .330 (eighth nationally) with six players hitting .306 or better while starting at least 17 games.
• Louisville has won 158 straight games when entering the ninth inning with a lead dating back to May 2012. The Cardinals were 43-0 last season and 46-0 in 2013 when leading after the eighth.
• The Cardinals are 51-of-61 on stolen bases this season (ninth nationally) continuing the aggressive approach from head coach Dan McDonnell. Louisville was fourth nationally with 127 stolen bases last season, second in the nation in 2014 with 133 and second in 2013 with 150.
• Conversely, Louisville's opponents are just 8-for-21 on stolen bases this season as Will Smith has allowed just four of 12 attempts.
• Louisville has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of 25 game this season, a feat achieved in 36 of 65 games last season. In 2014, they did it in 40 of 67 games, while in 2013, they accomplished the task in 36 of 65 games.
• The Cardinals are also first in the nation in hits allowed per 9 IP surrendering just 6.00, third in ERA (2.22), third in WHIP (1.01), seventh in on-base percentage (.419), seventh in slugging (.501), 11th in scoring (8.4 runs per game), 11th in doubles (59), 16th in triples (11), 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.92) and 25th in strikeouts per 9 IP (8.9).
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
Corey Ray: Ray is second in the nation with 25 stolen bases (on 28 attempts) this season, 16th nationally with 32 RBI, 18th in total bases (68) and 30th in the nation with his seven home runs.
• 10 of Ray's 18 career home runs have either tied the score or given Louisville a lead.
• Ray leads the Cardinals with 10 multiple RBI games this season.
• In the first inning this season (all in the leadoff spot), Ray is hitting .416 with three home runs and runs scored.
• Ray is one of just two players in the nation with at least seven home runs and 13 or more stolen bases (Auburn's Anfernee Grier is the other).
Nick Solak: Solak had reached base safely in 33 straight games dating back to last season before streak was ended on March 25 against Virginia after departing in the third inning with a bone bruise on his right hand.
• Solak ranks sixth nationally in on-base percentage (.564), ninth in hitting with a .455 average and 33rd with 28 runs scored.
• Solak set a school record with five walks in Louisville's 12-0 win over SIUE on Feb. 20.
• In four games from March 8-12, Solak hit .471 with four RBI, five runs scored, four stolen bases and a game-winning walk-off home run in the 11th inning against Notre Dame on March 11.
Blake Tiberi: Tiberi is tied for the team lead with 12 multiple-hit games and is second on the team with six multiple-RBI games this season.
• Tiberi connected for two home runs in the series at Miami on March 18-20 and has eight career home runs.
Devin Hairston: Hairston is tied for the team lead with 12 multiple-hit games and second in multiple-RBI games with six.
Colby Fitch: Fitch has hit safely in all 11 games he has started this season and has a .514 average with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in those 11 starts.
Brendan McKay: McKay has recorded eight or more strikeouts in five of his six starts this season and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 12 times in his career. On March 11, he had a career-best 13 strikeouts against Notre Dame, the most for a Louisville pitchers since 2003.
• McKay is 12th in the nation with 51 strikeouts and 20th in ERA at 1.10.
• In 16 career appearances on the mound at home (including 11 starts), McKay is 11-0 with four saves, a 1.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched.
• In his 11 collegiate starts at Patterson Stadium, McKay is 10-0 with a 1.09 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 73.2 innings.
Drew Harrington: Harrington has won four straight starts and ranks 22nd in the nation in strikeouts-to-walk ratio at 8.75 (35 strikeouts, four walks).
Kyle Funkhouser: Funkhouser continues his climb up Louisville's career pitching charts ranking first in strikeouts (313) and innings pitched (322.1), second in wins (28) and second in starts (47). He also holds the school record for single season wins with 13 in 2014.
Kade McClure: McClure has won all six midweek starts this season and ranks second in the nation in WHIP at 0.61 and fourth in hits allowed per 9 IP (3.55).
LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012
Louisville has enjoyed a historic run by remaining in at least one of the major national polls every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest such span in school history. The unanimous choice as the No. 2 team in the nation in the six national preseason 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. The No. 2 ranking was 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 equaled the best overall ranking in history.
MCKAY ACCEPTS INVITE TO USA BASEBALL COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM
Sophomore Brendan McKay has accepted an invitation to compete for the 2016 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer. It will mark the second straight year McKay has played for Team USA after making four relief appearances without allowing an earned run and earning six starts as a hitter last summer. Guided by University of Oregon head coach George Horton, the USA Collegiate National Team will conduct a training camp in Southern California from June 28-July 2 before visiting Taiwan (July 5-9), Japan (July 12-17) and Cuba (July 22-26) for a series of games. The trip to Japan will include the 40th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series.
McKay's second tour with Team USA marks the 11th time a Louisville player has earned an invitation from the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team joining Zack Burdi (2015), Corey Ray (2015), Kyle Funkhouser (2014), Nick Burdi (2013), Ryan Wright (2010), Phil Wunderlich (2009), Tony Zych (2009), Justin Marks (2008) and Mark Jurich (2002). It marks the 18th time a player coached or signed by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, who served as an assistant with the 2009 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, earned international baseball experience.
TRIO OF ACC PLAYER, PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2016
Louisville has accumulated three ACC Player or Pitcher of the Week honors this season, including two honors for Corey Ray. The junior outfielder was named ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 22 and March 28, while sophomore Brendan McKay was tabbed as the ACC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29.
TRIPLE DIGITS ON THE RADAR GUN FOR BURDI
Junior righty closer Zack Burdi has reached 100 mph on the Jim Patterson Stadium radar gun on two different occasions this season, including once on a swing-and-miss strike three in the 11th inning of Louisville's March 11 win over Notre Dame. Last season, Burdi touched 101 mph on the scoreboard at Clemson's Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
CARDINALS LIKE HOME ENOUGH TO STEAL IT IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS
Under head coach Dan McDonnell, Louisville has earned a reputation for being among the nation's most aggressive teams on the bases and that approach has helped the Cardinals steal home in each of the last two seasons. On March 16 of this season, junior Logan Taylor capped Louisville's five-run fifth inning against Wright State by stealing home in a play that landed at No. 3 on the SportsCenter Top 10 the following morning. Even more amazing is that Taylor's accomplishment marked the second time in 11 months the Cardinals had stolen home as Corey Ray achieved the feat on April 18, 2015 against Wake Forest.
Not only did Ray steal home, but he did it in the bottom of the ninth to score the game-winning run and complete a series sweep of the visiting Demon Deacons. Moments after the Cardinals had tied the game on a wild pitch, Ray charged down the third base line sliding around the attempted tag and across home plate. The play was featured at No. 8 in on the SC Top 10 on April 19 and was also used by ESPN during its opening segment of SportsCenter that morning.
The person with the best view of the two swipes of home was Will Smith, who was at the plate for each of the dramatic plays. Who better to hold his ground in the box as a teammate came sliding across the plate than Louisville's primary catcher during the last two seasons.
FUNKHOUSER CHOSEN AS CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Kyle Funkhouser was selected on March 14 as a candidate for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate baseball. Funkhouser was among 30 baseball student-athletes, who excel both on and off the diamond, chosen to receive consideration for the prestigious award. Funkhouser becomes the second Louisville player in the last three seasons to be selected as a candidate for the award joining former Cardinals outfielder Jeff Gardner, who was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the honor in 2014. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 College World Series in June. For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
MCKAY NAMED NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Sophomore lefty Brendan McKay was selected as the National Pitcher of the Month for February by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. One of the top two-way players in the nation, McKay has been nearly untouchable to start 2016. The Darlington, Pennsylvania, native boasts a perfect 0.00 ERA in 14 innings across two starts, including a three-hit shutout at No. 21 Ole Miss on Feb. 27. McKay was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for that performance, where he struck out eight Rebels and didn't issue a walk.
CARDINALS ON THE NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
The Louisville baseball program is well represented on the early season watch lists for multiple national awards. Here is the current list of Cardinals on those watch lists:
• GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST: Kyle Funkhouser, Brendan McKay & Corey Ray
Kyle Funkhouser, Corey Ray and Brendan McKay were named to the 50-player preseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list released Feb. 16. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, the 39th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The preseason watch list features 50 of the nation's top amateur players, from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season. Louisville and Florida lead all schools in representation with three players each on the list. Funkhouser is among four players named to the preseason watch list for the second consecutive year, while McKay is one of just two players on the watch list who were also named as semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award in 2015.
• STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST: Zack Burdi
Zack Burdi was named on Feb. 15 to the initial watch list for the 12th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. The 2016 Stopper of the Year Watch List will be updated with a midseason release on Wednesday, April 27, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 8, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced at the 2016 College World Series. Previous winners of the award include former Louisville standout and 2014 recipient Nick Burdi, older brother of Zack.
• JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST: Will Smith
Will Smith was named March 9 to the official watch list for the 2016 Johnny Bench Award as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The award is given annually to the top NCAA Division I catcher. The watch list will be narrowed to the semifinalists on May 18, 2016. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 6, 2016. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30, 2016.
FIVE CARDINALS RECEIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION
Senior pitcher Kyle Funkhouser, junior pitcher Zack Burdi, junior infielder Nick Solak, junior outfielder Corey Ray and sophomore pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay earned preseason All-America accolades from various organizations for 2016. Burdi, Funkhouser, McKay and Ray were named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper, D1Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game. Additionally, Solak was named as a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
LOUISVILLE TABBED AS ACC FAVORITE BY CONFERENCE HEAD COACHES
Louisville was selected as the 2016 ACC preseason favorite in a vote of the conference's 14 head coaches. The Cardinals were a unanimous selection as the team to beat in both the Atlantic Division and in the conference. Louisville, which set an ACC record for conference wins with a 25-5 mark last season, tallied 98 points while Florida State was the second choice in the division with 74 points. NC State was third (72) and was followed by Notre Dame (50), Clemson (46), Wake Forest (35) and Boston College (17). Miami, which reached the College World Series last year, was named by 13 coaches as the favorite in the Coastal Division. Defending national champion Virginia received one vote for first place in the division and was second with 80 points, followed by North Carolina (71), Georgia Tech (58), Duke (38), Virginia Tech (30), and Pitt (18).
BURDI, SMITH AND SOLAK NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2016
Junior righthanded pitcher Zack Burdi, junior catcher Will Smith and junior infielder Nick Solak were chosen by Louisville players and coaches as team captains for the Cardinals baseball team in 2016. Burdi was a Third Team Louisville Slugger All-American and All-ACC First Team selection last season while earning a 6-1 record with nine saves and a 0.92 ERA in 20 relief appearances. Smith started 47 games behind the plate in 2015 hitting .242 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Solak emerged as one of Louisville's top offensive players in 2015 hitting .324 with three home runs, 40 RBI, 15 doubles and 18 stolen bases while starting all 65 games.
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.
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