Thursday, May 19
Winston-Salem, NC
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
at
Wake Forest
Brendan McKay has reached base safely in 37 straight games entering the weekend.
Cardinals Close Regular Season with Weekend Visit to Wake Forest
May 18, 2016 | Baseball
Series set for 6 p.m., ET on Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m., on Saturday
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The fourth-ranked Louisville baseball team closes the regular season with a three-game road series against Wake Forest starting Thursday at 6 p.m., ET at David F. Couch Ballpark. The Cardinals and Demon Deacons are also slated for Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games of the series will be televised by ESPN3, while radio coverage will be provided by 93.9 The Ville. Live stats for all Louisville baseball games are available at GoCards.com.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS
Louisville, ranked fourth in this week's Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll, extended its winning streak to six games with Tuesday night's 9-2 victory over No. 27 Indiana in the regular season finale at Jim Patterson Stadium. The Cardinals won their 10th straight ACC home series and moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with a sweep of No. 10 NC State last weekend. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Cardinals' magic number to clinch their second straight Atlantic Division title is two. Louisville is 19-8 in the ACC, while Florida State is second in the division at 15-8. On the mound, Louisville has set a school record with 11 shutouts (No. 2 nationally) this season while allowing two or fewer earned runs in 31 of 53 games. Entering the week, the pitching staff was ranked second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings and fourth in ERA. Offensively, the Cardinals were seventh nationally in batting average, 14th in on-base percentage and 18th in scoring.
ABOUT THE DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest enters the weekend at 32-20 overall after a midweek win against Marshall on Tuesday night in Beckley, West Virginia. The Demon Deacons are 13-14 in the ACC after winning two of three games at Virginia Tech last weekend. Guided by seventh year head coach Tom Walter, Wake Forest was 27-26 last season and finished sixth in the ACC Atlantic with a 12-18 record.
SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
Louisville is 3-0 all-time against Wake Forest having swept the only series between the two programs during the Cardinals' inaugural ACC season in 2015. During a weekend series at Jim Patterson Stadium last April, Louisville earned a 6-5 win in the opener and a 10-1 victory in game two before clinching the weekend sweep when Corey Ray stole home in the ninth inning for a 6-5 walk-off triumph. The visit to Winston-Salem will mark the fourth weekend series in North Carolina in the last two seasons for the Cardinals, who won two of three games in each of the first three visits with series wins at Duke and NC State last season and North Carolina this season.
YEAR TWO IN THE ACC FOR LOUISVILLE
A year after setting the single season record for conference wins in its debut campaign with a 25-5 ACC mark, Louisville has won six of its nine ACC series in 2016 and is atop the Atlantic Division standings. The Cardinals have lost just three of its 19 ACC series the last two seasons while compiling a 44-13 record during that stretch, including a 27-3 mark at home.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville is No. 2 in this week's NCAA RPI rankings and among 11 Atlantic Coast Conference schools in the top 41 spots.
• Collectively, the Cardinals are hitting .325 (No. 7 nationally entering the week) with nine players hitting .323 or better while starting at least 23 games.
• Louisville has won 179 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 84-of-106 on stolen bases this season (23rd nationally entering the week) continuing the aggressive approach from 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 21-for-42 on stolen bases this season as Will Smith has thrown out 11 of 25 attempts.
• Louisville has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 31 of 53 games 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 also entered the week ranked second in the nation in shutouts, second in hits allowed per nine innings, fourth in ERA, fifth in sacrifice flies, eighth in doubles, eighth in WHIP, 10th in slugging percentage, 14th in on-base percentage, 18th in scoring, 19th in fielding percentage, 19th in strikeouts per nine innings, 26th in HBP and 29th in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Louisville entered the week leading the ACC in batting average, ERA, slugging percentage, doubles, RBI and opponents' batting average.
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
Corey Ray: Entered the week ranked fourth in the nation in stolen bases, 28th in total bases, 35th in home runs and 38th in RBI.
• 12 of Ray's 25 career home runs have either tied the score or given Louisville a lead.
• In the first inning this season (all in the leadoff spot), Ray is hitting .340 with three home runs and 13 runs scored.
Blake Tiberi: Third on the team with 24 multiple-hit games and second with 12 multiple-RBI games this season.
Devin Hairston: Reached base safely in 18 straight games while ranking 11th in the ACC in hitting and 12th in runs scored.
Nick Solak: Connected for two home runs last week as Cardinals were 4-0.
• Had reached base safely in 33 straight games before the streak ended March 25 against Virginia after departing in the third inning with a bone bruise on his right hand.
Will Smith: Entered the week ranked seventh in the ACC in on-base percentage, 12th in hitting and No. 1 in hit by pitch.
Colby Fitch: Has hit safely in 19 of the 24 games he has started this season.
Danny Rosenbaum: Team high 138 career starts and 197 games played while starting 45 games this season, including 17 straight.
Drew Ellis: Has connected for three home runs in last six games. The redshirt freshman has 21 starts this season in left field, one at third base and one at second base.
Devin Mann: While being called into everyday duty with the injury to Nick Solak, the freshman managed himself well hitting .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored in 19 starts.
Colin Lyman: Has 40 starts and 50 total games played this season with all 40 starts coming in right field.
Logan Taylor: Has played in 167 games in collegiate career with 75 starts, including 38 starts this season.
Brendan McKay: Has recorded eight or more strikeouts in nine of his 13 starts this season and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 16 times in his career.
• McKay ranks among top 20 in the nation with 99 strikeouts this season.
• In 20 career appearances on the mound at home (including 15 starts), McKay is 15-0 with four saves, a 1.34 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched.
• In his 15 collegiate starts at Jim Patterson Stadium, McKay is 14-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 101.1 innings.
• At the plate, McKay has reached base safely in career best 37 consecutive games and ranks seventh in the ACC in doubles, .
Drew Harrington: Has won nine of his last 11 starts and has allowed two or fewer earned runs run in 11 of 13 starts this season.
• Harrington is second in the nation with 10 wins and ranks in the top 20 with his 1.80 ERA.
• In nine ACC starts, Harrington is 7-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.
Kyle Funkhouser: Louisville's career leader in wins (33), strikeouts (359), innings pitched (363.2) and starts (54). He also holds the school record for single season wins with 13 in 2014.
• Funkhouser has won four straight starts and registered 96 mph in 7th inning on April 30.
Kade McClure: Has won 11 of 12 starts to rank among the national leaders in wins. He's also in the top 10 in the nation in WHIP and hits allowed per 9 IP.
Zack Burdi: Named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week on May 16 after registering three saves during the week of May 10-15. He finished with nine strikeouts without surrendering a hit or a walk in 4.1 innings of shutout work against a trio of nationally ranked foes during that stretch.
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.
CARDINALS SET SCHOOL RECORD WITH 11 SHUTOUTS IN 2016
With its 2-0 win over No. 10 NC State on May 13, the Louisville baseball team set a school record with its 11th shutout of the season breaking the previous mark of 10 set during the 2010 season. The Cardinals rank second nationally with the 11 shutouts, while five of those shutouts have come against ACC foes. The starting pitcher breakdown in those 11 shutouts includes four each for Drew Harrington and Brendan McKay, two for Kade McClure and one for Kyle Funkhouser.
LOUISVILLE HONORS SENIOR TRIO OF FUNKHOUSER, KIDSTON AND ROSENBAUM
Prior to the May 15 home game against NC State, the Louisville baseball program honored the senior trio of pitchers Kyle Funkhouser and Anthony Kidston and infielder Danny Rosenbaum. The 2016 senior class has accumulated 190 wins, three conference championships, three straight NCAA Regionals at home, three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances and two College World Series berths.
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 four different occasions this season, including back-to-back games against NC State on May 13-14. Since then, Burdi registered 101 twice at Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field on May 10, 100 mph multiple times at North Carolina's Boshamer Stadium and once on the official radar gun at Florida State's Dick Howser Stadium on April 9. Last season, Burdi touched 101 mph on the scoreboard at Clemson's Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
FIVE LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ALUMNI EARN MLB CALLS IN 2016
The 2016 Major League Baseball season has started fast for Louisville baseball alumni as five former Cardinals have gotten the call-up to the big leagues. Adam Duvall (Cincinnati Reds) and Tony Zych (Seattle Mariners) were on opening day rosters while Cody Ege (Miami Marlins), Dean Kiekhefer (St. Louis Cardinals) and Chad Green (Yankees) have been promoted to their respective MLB clubs this season.
FOUR ACC PLAYER, PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2016
The Louisville baseball team has accumulated four Atlantic Coast Conference Player or Pitcher of the Week honors this season with junior righthander Zack Burdi becoming the latest addition to that group. Burdi was named as the Pitcher of the Week on May 16, while junior outfielder Corey Ray has received a pair of ACC Player of the Week honors on Feb. 22 and March 28. Additionally, sophomore Brendan McKay was tabbed as the ACC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29. The Cardinals also received four ACC weekly honors last season.
MCKAY ACCEPTS INVITE TO USA 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.
FUNKHOUSER SELECTED AS FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Kyle Funkhouser was named April 26 as a finalist for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate baseball. Funkhouser was among 10 baseball student-athletes, who excel both on and off the diamond, selected as finalists for the prestigious award. Funkhouser becomes the second Louisville player in the last three seasons to be chosen as a finalist for the award joining former Cardinals outfielder Jeff Gardner, a finalist 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.
Finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 candidates announced in March. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through June 7. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. This year's Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 College World Series® in June. For more information on all of the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
CARDINALS ON THE NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
The Louisville baseball program is well represented on watch lists for multiple national awards. Here is the current list of Cardinals on those watch lists:
• GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD: Brendan McKay, Nick Solak & Corey Ray
Corey Ray, baseman Nick Solak and Brendan McKay were named April 20 to the midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list. The award, given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player, will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles. The midseason watch list features 60 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks. Louisville is among three schools with three players named to the updated watch list, which includes 18 players featured on the preseason list and 42 new players.
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on June 1. The list of semifinalists will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow amateur baseball closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 38 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
The 2016 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Thursday, June 30, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
• JOHN OLERUD TWO-WAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brendan McKay
Brendan McKay, the reigning John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, was named May 10 by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame to the Top 18 list for this season's Olerud Award, which honors the nation's top player both on the mound and at the plate. The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and who was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented as part of the Hall of Fame's Night of Champions celebration July 1-2 in Lubbock.
• NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Drew Harrington, Kade McClure & Brendan McKay
Drew Harrington, Kade McClure and Brendan McKay remained on the updated watch list on May 11 for the 2016 National Pitcher of the Year Award, presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. The award will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock as part of the annual Night of Champions event. Louisville is among five schools with three representatives on the watch list joining Florida, South Carolina, TCU and Vanderbilt. The Southeastern Conference features 16 representatives, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11.
• BROOKS WALLACE SHORTSTOP OF THE YEAR: Devin Hairston
Devin Hairston was named April 21 to the initial 2016 watch list for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award. The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented as part of the annual Night of Champions celebration on July 2 in Lubbock. "To see so many younger guys already being really competitive at the shortstop position is exciting," said Tyler Young, Wallace Award co-chair. "While there are plenty of experienced players on the watch list, it's great to see the success some of these freshmen and sophomores are having."
• STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD: 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: 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.
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 #4 Louisville at Wake Forest Location: Winston-Salem, N.C. Venue: David F. Couch Ballpark (3,184) Twitter Updates: @UofLBaseball Series History: Louisville leads 3-0 all-time Game Notes: Louisville | Wake Forest Thursday, May 19 | 6:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPN3 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: So. LHP Brendan McKay (10-2, 2.02 ERA) WF: Jr. RHP Parker Dunshee (8-3, 3.27 ERA) Friday, May 20 | 6:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPN3 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: Jr. LHP Drew Harrington (10-1, 1.80 ERA) WF: Jr. RHP Connor Johnstone (2-4, 5.04 ERA) Saturday, May 21 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ESPN3 (Watch) | Radio: 93.9 The Ville (Listen) LOU: Sr. RHP Kyle Funkhouser (7-3, 4.24 ERA) WF: So. RHP Drew Loepprich (3-1, 4.62 ERA) |
Louisville, ranked fourth in this week's Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll, extended its winning streak to six games with Tuesday night's 9-2 victory over No. 27 Indiana in the regular season finale at Jim Patterson Stadium. The Cardinals won their 10th straight ACC home series and moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with a sweep of No. 10 NC State last weekend. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Cardinals' magic number to clinch their second straight Atlantic Division title is two. Louisville is 19-8 in the ACC, while Florida State is second in the division at 15-8. On the mound, Louisville has set a school record with 11 shutouts (No. 2 nationally) this season while allowing two or fewer earned runs in 31 of 53 games. Entering the week, the pitching staff was ranked second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings and fourth in ERA. Offensively, the Cardinals were seventh nationally in batting average, 14th in on-base percentage and 18th in scoring.
ABOUT THE DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest enters the weekend at 32-20 overall after a midweek win against Marshall on Tuesday night in Beckley, West Virginia. The Demon Deacons are 13-14 in the ACC after winning two of three games at Virginia Tech last weekend. Guided by seventh year head coach Tom Walter, Wake Forest was 27-26 last season and finished sixth in the ACC Atlantic with a 12-18 record.
SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
Louisville is 3-0 all-time against Wake Forest having swept the only series between the two programs during the Cardinals' inaugural ACC season in 2015. During a weekend series at Jim Patterson Stadium last April, Louisville earned a 6-5 win in the opener and a 10-1 victory in game two before clinching the weekend sweep when Corey Ray stole home in the ninth inning for a 6-5 walk-off triumph. The visit to Winston-Salem will mark the fourth weekend series in North Carolina in the last two seasons for the Cardinals, who won two of three games in each of the first three visits with series wins at Duke and NC State last season and North Carolina this season.
YEAR TWO IN THE ACC FOR LOUISVILLE
A year after setting the single season record for conference wins in its debut campaign with a 25-5 ACC mark, Louisville has won six of its nine ACC series in 2016 and is atop the Atlantic Division standings. The Cardinals have lost just three of its 19 ACC series the last two seasons while compiling a 44-13 record during that stretch, including a 27-3 mark at home.
TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
• Louisville is No. 2 in this week's NCAA RPI rankings and among 11 Atlantic Coast Conference schools in the top 41 spots.
• Collectively, the Cardinals are hitting .325 (No. 7 nationally entering the week) with nine players hitting .323 or better while starting at least 23 games.
• Louisville has won 179 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 84-of-106 on stolen bases this season (23rd nationally entering the week) continuing the aggressive approach from 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 21-for-42 on stolen bases this season as Will Smith has thrown out 11 of 25 attempts.
• Louisville has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 31 of 53 games 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 also entered the week ranked second in the nation in shutouts, second in hits allowed per nine innings, fourth in ERA, fifth in sacrifice flies, eighth in doubles, eighth in WHIP, 10th in slugging percentage, 14th in on-base percentage, 18th in scoring, 19th in fielding percentage, 19th in strikeouts per nine innings, 26th in HBP and 29th in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Louisville entered the week leading the ACC in batting average, ERA, slugging percentage, doubles, RBI and opponents' batting average.
PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
Corey Ray: Entered the week ranked fourth in the nation in stolen bases, 28th in total bases, 35th in home runs and 38th in RBI.
• 12 of Ray's 25 career home runs have either tied the score or given Louisville a lead.
• In the first inning this season (all in the leadoff spot), Ray is hitting .340 with three home runs and 13 runs scored.
Blake Tiberi: Third on the team with 24 multiple-hit games and second with 12 multiple-RBI games this season.
Devin Hairston: Reached base safely in 18 straight games while ranking 11th in the ACC in hitting and 12th in runs scored.
Nick Solak: Connected for two home runs last week as Cardinals were 4-0.
• Had reached base safely in 33 straight games before the streak ended March 25 against Virginia after departing in the third inning with a bone bruise on his right hand.
Will Smith: Entered the week ranked seventh in the ACC in on-base percentage, 12th in hitting and No. 1 in hit by pitch.
Colby Fitch: Has hit safely in 19 of the 24 games he has started this season.
Danny Rosenbaum: Team high 138 career starts and 197 games played while starting 45 games this season, including 17 straight.
Drew Ellis: Has connected for three home runs in last six games. The redshirt freshman has 21 starts this season in left field, one at third base and one at second base.
Devin Mann: While being called into everyday duty with the injury to Nick Solak, the freshman managed himself well hitting .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored in 19 starts.
Colin Lyman: Has 40 starts and 50 total games played this season with all 40 starts coming in right field.
Logan Taylor: Has played in 167 games in collegiate career with 75 starts, including 38 starts this season.
Brendan McKay: Has recorded eight or more strikeouts in nine of his 13 starts this season and has finished with eight or more strikeouts 16 times in his career.
• McKay ranks among top 20 in the nation with 99 strikeouts this season.
• In 20 career appearances on the mound at home (including 15 starts), McKay is 15-0 with four saves, a 1.34 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched.
• In his 15 collegiate starts at Jim Patterson Stadium, McKay is 14-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 101.1 innings.
• At the plate, McKay has reached base safely in career best 37 consecutive games and ranks seventh in the ACC in doubles, .
Drew Harrington: Has won nine of his last 11 starts and has allowed two or fewer earned runs run in 11 of 13 starts this season.
• Harrington is second in the nation with 10 wins and ranks in the top 20 with his 1.80 ERA.
• In nine ACC starts, Harrington is 7-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.
Kyle Funkhouser: Louisville's career leader in wins (33), strikeouts (359), innings pitched (363.2) and starts (54). He also holds the school record for single season wins with 13 in 2014.
• Funkhouser has won four straight starts and registered 96 mph in 7th inning on April 30.
Kade McClure: Has won 11 of 12 starts to rank among the national leaders in wins. He's also in the top 10 in the nation in WHIP and hits allowed per 9 IP.
Zack Burdi: Named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week on May 16 after registering three saves during the week of May 10-15. He finished with nine strikeouts without surrendering a hit or a walk in 4.1 innings of shutout work against a trio of nationally ranked foes during that stretch.
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.
CARDINALS SET SCHOOL RECORD WITH 11 SHUTOUTS IN 2016
With its 2-0 win over No. 10 NC State on May 13, the Louisville baseball team set a school record with its 11th shutout of the season breaking the previous mark of 10 set during the 2010 season. The Cardinals rank second nationally with the 11 shutouts, while five of those shutouts have come against ACC foes. The starting pitcher breakdown in those 11 shutouts includes four each for Drew Harrington and Brendan McKay, two for Kade McClure and one for Kyle Funkhouser.
LOUISVILLE HONORS SENIOR TRIO OF FUNKHOUSER, KIDSTON AND ROSENBAUM
Prior to the May 15 home game against NC State, the Louisville baseball program honored the senior trio of pitchers Kyle Funkhouser and Anthony Kidston and infielder Danny Rosenbaum. The 2016 senior class has accumulated 190 wins, three conference championships, three straight NCAA Regionals at home, three straight NCAA Super Regional appearances and two College World Series berths.
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 four different occasions this season, including back-to-back games against NC State on May 13-14. Since then, Burdi registered 101 twice at Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field on May 10, 100 mph multiple times at North Carolina's Boshamer Stadium and once on the official radar gun at Florida State's Dick Howser Stadium on April 9. Last season, Burdi touched 101 mph on the scoreboard at Clemson's Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
FIVE LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ALUMNI EARN MLB CALLS IN 2016
The 2016 Major League Baseball season has started fast for Louisville baseball alumni as five former Cardinals have gotten the call-up to the big leagues. Adam Duvall (Cincinnati Reds) and Tony Zych (Seattle Mariners) were on opening day rosters while Cody Ege (Miami Marlins), Dean Kiekhefer (St. Louis Cardinals) and Chad Green (Yankees) have been promoted to their respective MLB clubs this season.
FOUR ACC PLAYER, PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS IN 2016
The Louisville baseball team has accumulated four Atlantic Coast Conference Player or Pitcher of the Week honors this season with junior righthander Zack Burdi becoming the latest addition to that group. Burdi was named as the Pitcher of the Week on May 16, while junior outfielder Corey Ray has received a pair of ACC Player of the Week honors on Feb. 22 and March 28. Additionally, sophomore Brendan McKay was tabbed as the ACC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29. The Cardinals also received four ACC weekly honors last season.
MCKAY ACCEPTS INVITE TO USA 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.
FUNKHOUSER SELECTED AS FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Kyle Funkhouser was named April 26 as a finalist for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate baseball. Funkhouser was among 10 baseball student-athletes, who excel both on and off the diamond, selected as finalists for the prestigious award. Funkhouser becomes the second Louisville player in the last three seasons to be chosen as a finalist for the award joining former Cardinals outfielder Jeff Gardner, a finalist 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.
Finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 candidates announced in March. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through June 7. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. This year's Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 College World Series® in June. For more information on all of the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
CARDINALS ON THE NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
The Louisville baseball program is well represented on watch lists for multiple national awards. Here is the current list of Cardinals on those watch lists:
• GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD: Brendan McKay, Nick Solak & Corey Ray
Corey Ray, baseman Nick Solak and Brendan McKay were named April 20 to the midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list. The award, given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player, will be presented on June 30 in Los Angeles. The midseason watch list features 60 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks. Louisville is among three schools with three players named to the updated watch list, which includes 18 players featured on the preseason list and 42 new players.
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of athletes, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before announcing the semifinalists on June 1. The list of semifinalists will be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of the media that follow amateur baseball closely, select professional baseball personnel, current USA Baseball staff and the 38 previous winners of the award, representing a group of more than 200 voters.
The 2016 Golden Spikes Award winner will be named on Thursday, June 30, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Dinner that evening at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.
• JOHN OLERUD TWO-WAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brendan McKay
Brendan McKay, the reigning John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, was named May 10 by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame to the Top 18 list for this season's Olerud Award, which honors the nation's top player both on the mound and at the plate. The award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and who was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented as part of the Hall of Fame's Night of Champions celebration July 1-2 in Lubbock.
• NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Drew Harrington, Kade McClure & Brendan McKay
Drew Harrington, Kade McClure and Brendan McKay remained on the updated watch list on May 11 for the 2016 National Pitcher of the Year Award, presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. The award will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock as part of the annual Night of Champions event. Louisville is among five schools with three representatives on the watch list joining Florida, South Carolina, TCU and Vanderbilt. The Southeastern Conference features 16 representatives, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11.
• BROOKS WALLACE SHORTSTOP OF THE YEAR: Devin Hairston
Devin Hairston was named April 21 to the initial 2016 watch list for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award. The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented as part of the annual Night of Champions celebration on July 2 in Lubbock. "To see so many younger guys already being really competitive at the shortstop position is exciting," said Tyler Young, Wallace Award co-chair. "While there are plenty of experienced players on the watch list, it's great to see the success some of these freshmen and sophomores are having."
• STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD: 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: 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.
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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