McDonnell announces pitching rotation of McKay-McClure-McAvene for opening weekend
By: Garett Wall
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball program hosted its annual media day activities Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium with head coach Dan McDonnell and members of the sixth-ranked Cardinals previewing the 2017 season.
McDonnell, in his 11th at the helm in Louisville, was joined by senior outfielder Logan Taylor, junior shortstop Devin Hairston, junior righthanded pitcher Kade McClure and junior lefty pitcher and first baseman Brendan McKay during Tuesday's news conference in the Omaha Room. The Cardinals enter 2017 ranked in the top 12 in all six major preseason polls, including a No. 6 ranking by Perfect Game. They are also ranked seventh by Baseball America, eighth in both the NCBWA writers' poll and the USA Today Sports coaches' poll, 11th by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and 12th by D1Baseball.
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Dan McDonnell during Tuesday's news conference.
McDonnell announced Louisville's pitching rotation for the opening weekend in Clearwater with McKay starting Friday's season-opener against Alabama State (3 p.m., ET). McClure will get the starting nod against No. 22 Maryland on Saturday (6 p.m.), while freshman righthander Michael McAvene will start Sunday's weekend finale against Ball State (1 p.m.).
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Louisville is anchored in 2017 by the return of its 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. McKay, the two-time John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-American, accumulated a 12-4 record on the mound with a 2.30 ERA and 128 strikeouts last season while hitting .333 with six home runs, 19 doubles and 41 RBI at the plate.
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McClure, an All-American selection by the NCBWA and Perfect Game in 2016, gives 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. McKay is joined in the Louisville lineup by Hairston, who hit .361 with three home runs, 16 doubles and 45 RBI while earning ABCA Third Team All-America honors last season.
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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.
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