Cardinals 12th in D1Baseball Preseason Top 25
January 17, 2017 | Baseball
Louisville receives third preseason ranking for 2017; Cardinals among seven ACC teams in D1Baseball poll
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team was ranked 12th in the D1Baseball preseason Top 25 released Tuesday morning, the third 2017 preseason ranking for the Cardinals.
Louisville has earned a preseason national ranking in 10 consecutive seasons (2008-2017). Along with Tuesday's D1Baseball ranking, the Cardinals are No. 6 in the Perfect Game preseason Top 25 and No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll. The only program in the country to advance to an NCAA Super Regional in each of the last four seasons, Louisville has remained ranked in at least one major poll every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest stretch in school history.
Ranked No. 1 in the preseason D1Baseball poll is TCU, while No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 South Carolina and No. 5 LSU round out the top five. Louisville and Florida State are among seven ACC programs in the D1Baseball Top 25, the most for any league, joining No. 6 NC State, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 15 Clemson, No. 17 Virginia and No. 21 Miami.
The Cardinals are scheduled to open the 2017 season on Feb. 17-19 in Clearwater, Florida with a trio of games at Bright House Field. Louisville will face Alabama State on Feb. 17 at 3 p.m., ET, Maryland on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., and Ball State on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. The 2017 home-opener for the Cardinals is set for Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium against Eastern Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE BASEBALL IN 2017
The Cardinals return a trio of All-Americans and 19 total letterwinners from last year's team, which won its second straight ACC Atlantic Division championship, advanced to its fourth straight NCAA Super Regional and reached the 50-win plateau for the fourth time in school history. Two-time John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-American Brendan McKay returns for his junior season after finishing with a 12-4 record, 2.30 ERA and 128 strikeouts on the mound and a .333 batting average, six home runs, 19 doubles and 41 RBI at the plate last season.
Junior righthander Kade McClure, an All-American selection by the NCBWA and Perfect Game in 2016, is expected to give the Cardinals a 1-2 All-American punch in their weekend rotation after closing his sophomore season with a 12-0 record, 2.54 ERA and 77 strikeouts 13 starts and 15 total appearances. Joining McKay in the Louisville lineup is junior shortstop Devin Hairston, who hit .361 with three home runs, 16 doubles and 45 RBI while earning ABCA Third Team All-America honors last season.
In 10 seasons guiding the Louisville baseball program, head coach Dan McDonnell has placed the Cardinals among the nation's elite programs with three College World Series berths, six NCAA Super Regional appearances, nine NCAA Regional bids, seven regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles, 29 All-Americans and 456 wins overall.
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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