2017 Review: Cardinals Cap Record-Setting Season in Omaha

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team concluded its record-setting 2017 season ranked fifth in every major national poll after advancing to the College World Series for the fourth time in school history, setting a school record for wins with a 53-12 mark and earning the program's third straight ACC Atlantic Division championship. In addition to the team success, the Cardinals also received numerous individual honors, highlighted by consensus National Player of the Year Brendan McKay.

ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Advancing to the College World Series for the third time in the last five seasons, the Cardinals won their CWS opener against Texas A&M and finished 1-2 in Omaha before closing the season with their highest end-of-season ranking ever at No. 5. The 53 wins in 2017 for Louisville surpassed the previous school record mark of 51 victories achieved in 2013. The Cardinals are the only team in the country to advance to an NCAA Super Regional in each of the last five seasons while ranking second nationally in total wins (251) during that five-year span.

McKay became the program's first National Player of the Year as the junior two-way standout swept each of the seven awards, including the prestigious Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. The Darlington, Pennsylvania native also earned his third straight John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year honor and was selected as the ACC Player of the Year. McKay became the highest MLB Draft selection in program history going fourth overall in the first round to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pitcher Lincoln Henzman was honored as the 2017 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year, a First Team All-American and All-ACC First Team selection while also being selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Shortstop Devin Hairston was selected as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-America honors for the second straight season and was chosen in the sixth round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Drew Ellis emerged as one of the nation's top hitters in 2017 earning First Team All-America honors, All-ACC First Team recognition and was the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The third baseman was selected 44th overall in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Additionally, sophomore reliever Sam Bordner was an All-American honoree, pitcher Nick Bennett was a Freshman All-American and All-ACC Third Team selection, Colby Fitch was an All-ACC Second Team member and was selected in the 13th round of the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, Kade McClure was an All-ACC Third Team honoree and was chosen in the sixth round of the MLB Draft by the White Sox and outfielder Logan Taylor was taken in the 16th round of the MLB Draft by the White Sox.

Cardinals head coach Dan McDonnell was named as the 2017 National Coach of the Year by Baseball America, the second such honor for the 11th-year skipper after being selected as the National Coach of the Year by Rivals.com following his first season at Louisville in 2007. McDonnell also added his third consecutive ACC Coach of the Year honor this season becoming the first coach to achieve the feat.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK ACC ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Louisville baseball team continued its impressive run in the Atlantic Coast Conference by winning its third straight Atlantic Division championship in 2017. The Cardinals, who set a single season record for ACC wins in their debut season with a 25-5 mark in 2015, have compiled a 70-19 record in the conference during the last three seasons while only Miami (59 wins) and Virginia (52) have at least 50 wins during that span. Louisville has won 26 of its 30 ACC series and is 28-1 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-1 record in rubber games.

TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS
   • Louisville set a school record for single season wins in 2017 with 53 and equaled the school record for regular season wins at 46 matching the totals achieved in 2010, 2013 and 2016.
   • The Cardinals closed the season ranked third in the nation in ERA, fourth in hits allowed per 9 IP, fourth in WHIP, sixth in shutouts, 11th in sacrifice flies, 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 12th in runs scored, 12th in strikeouts per 9 IP, 17th in stolen bases, 19th in hit-by-pitch, 21st in doubles, 23rd in home runs, 25th in scoring and 25th in hits.
   • Louisville has won 26 of its 30 ACC series since joining the league and is 28-1 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-1 record in rubber games.
   • The Cardinals have won 14 of their 15 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference.
   • The Cardinals had a 50-0 record this season when leading after eight innings.
   • A season after setting a school record for highest fielding percentage (.978), Louisville maintained a similar pace in 2017 with 60 errors in 65 games for a .975 fielding percentage.
   • Louisville was No. 1 in the ACC in ERA and third in the league in team batting average.
   • The UofL bullpen had a 2.25 ERA and 23-1 record with 243 strikeouts in 260.1 innings pitched while opponents hit just .203 overall against the Cardinals relief staff.
   • Louisville was 98-of-123 on stolen base attempts this season (17th in NCAA) after finishing 101-of-126 in 2016 (12th nationally). The Cardinals were fourth nationally with 127 stolen bases in 2015, second in the nation in 2014 with 133 and second in 2013 with 150.
   • While at Louisville, coach Dan McDonnell has guided the Cardinals to four College World Series berths, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, 10 NCAA Regional bids, eight regular season conference championships and two conference tournament titles with 34 All-Americans.

PLAYER NOTES AND TRENDS
   • Brendan McKay: Consensus 2017 National Player of the Year (including Golden Spikes Award & Dick Howser Trophy), John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year... All-ACC First Team as starting pitcher and DH/utility player... Third in nation in strikeouts as a pitcher and 20th in NCAA in slugging percentage as a hitter... Had eight or more strikeouts 28 times in collegiate career, including career-high 15 strikeouts in March 10 win over Pitt... In 31 career pitching appearances at home (including 26 starts), McKay was 21-3 with four saves, a 2.00 ERA (40 earned runs in 180.0 IP) and 228 strikeouts... School record holder for career strikeouts (391) and single season strikeouts (146)... Highest draft selection in school history going No. 4 overall to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 MLB Draft.
   • Kade McClure: Selected in sixth round of MLB Draft by Chicago White Sox... All-ACC Third Team... Ranked fifth in ACC in strikeouts... Had 21-5 career record to rank seventh in career wins... 111 strikeouts in 2017 rank as eighth most in a season at Louisville... Won 12 of 13 starts in 2016 and was tied for fifth in NCAA in wins... Was also in top 10 in WHIP and hits allowed per 9 IP while earning All-America honors last season.
   • Nick Bennett: Freshman All-American... All-ACC Third Team... Had 5-1 record in 12 collegiate starts... Ranked eighth in ACC in WHIP and 10th in ERA... Twirled career-best seven scoreless innings in April 23 win over Duke... Allowed one hit and had seven strikeouts while facing minimum 18 batters for first career victory in first ever start against Eastern Michigan March 3.
   • Lincoln Henzman: Chosen in fourth round of MLB Draft by Chicago White Sox... NCBWA Stopper of the Year... NCBWA First Team All-American... All-ACC First Team... Ranked No. 3 in the nation with 16 saves... Opened 2017 with 13.1 consecutive innings of scoreless relief... 19 career saves tied for third all-time at Louisville.
   • Drew Ellis: Named First Team All-America by four organizations... All-ACC First Team... Semifinalist for 2017 Golden Spikes Award... Second round selection in MLB Draft by Arizona Diamondbacks... National Player of the Month for April by NCBWA... 10th in NCAA in home runs and 11th in slugging... .342 career batting average.
   • Devin Hairston: Sixth round pick in MLB Draft by Milwaukee Brewers... ACC Defensive Player of the Year... All-ACC Third Team... Finalist for Brooks Wallace Award... Just three errors in 239 chances (.987%) while starting all 65 games... Career-best five RBIs in three-hit game vs. Fort Wayne March 8... All-America and All-ACC honors in 2016 and 2017... 189 career starts.
   • Logan Taylor: Selected in 16th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox to cap college career... Hit in leadoff spot in the lineup in 56 of 58 starts this season... Third in ACC in stolen bases... Reached base safely in 52 of 58 starts... Played in 238 career games with 139 starts... One of three team captains in 2017.
   • Colby Fitch: Tabbed in 13th round of MLB Draft by Philadelphia Phillies... All-ACC Second Team... ACC Player of the Week on May 15 after hitting .500 with three home runs and five RBIs from May 9-14... Started 49 of 65 games at catcher while starting another 13 games at designated hitter... Hit four of five home runs, 22 of 25 RBIs in his 27 starts last season.
   • Devin Mann: Matched career-high with three hits versus Miami (Ohio) on May 2... Reached base safely in 32 of last 36 games and 53 of 64 starts this season... Hit .307 with eight doubles, 16 RBIs and 13 runs in 19 starts last season.
   • Josh Stowers: Hit .407 with seven extra-base hits, nine RBI and nine runs scored in eight NCAA Championship games... Ranked third in ACC in stolen bases... Had career-best four hits in May 25 win over Notre Dame... Set career highs with two home runs, four RBIs in April 28 win over Toledo... Had two-hit outing and one RBI in first start on Feb. 18 against No. 22 Maryland.
   • Colin Lyman: Had career highs with four hits and five RBIs in April 30 win over Toledo... Hit first career home run and had career-best three hits on March 1 against Morehead State... Had 47 starts and 60 games played last season... 222 career appearances.

LOUISVILLE SWEEPS PAST KENTUCKY IN NCAA SUPER REGIONAL
The fourth College World Series berth in school history for Louisville was clinched after sweeping the first two games of the NCAA Super Regional against rival Kentucky. The Cardinals never trailed against the Wildcats earning a 5-2 win in game one and a 6-2 triumph in game two. Drew Ellis was the star of the weekend as the junior infielder was 4-for-8 with three home runs and six RBI in the two games. School record crowds of 6,237 in game two and 6,235 in game one packed in to Jim Patterson Stadium to watch the Battle of the Bluegrass.

CARDINALS PUSH NCAA REGIONAL WINNING STREAK TO 15 GAMES
Louisville won its fifth straight NCAA Regional while extending its winning streak in NCAA Regional games to 15 after sweeping through Radford (11-6), Oklahoma (11-1) and Xavier (8-7) to open the 2017 NCAA Championship. Josh Stowers paced the offense in the opening weekend of the tournament finishing 6-for-10 at the plate with four doubles, one home run and seven RBI in the three games as Louisville finished with 11 extra-base hits in the NCAA Regional.

NATIONAL SEED FOR THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON, FOURTH TIME OVERALL
Louisville was chosen as a national seed for the third straight season and the fourth time in school history. The Cardinals were also a national seed in 2010 (No. 7), 2015 (No. 3) and 2016 (No. 2). Louisville made its 10th NCAA postseason appearance in the last 11 seasons and the 11th NCAA appearance overall. Along with the 2017 NCAA Regional, the Cardinals also hosted the regional round of the NCAA Championship in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 while also hosting NCAA Super Regional series in 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

MCKAY WINS GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD, DICK HOWSER TROPHY; TWO-WAY STANDOUT CAPS CAREER AS CONSENSUS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brendan McKay became the University of Louisville baseball program's first National Player of the Year in 2017. McKay swept each of the seven National Player of the Year awards during his junior season, including the prestigious Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. The Darlington, Pennsylvania native was also named as the nation's top player by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper, D1Baseball and Perfect Game. McKay added his third straight John Olerud Two-Way National Player of the Year Award this season and became the highest MLB Draft selection in school history going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round.

McKay closed his collegiate career with an 11-3 record, 2.56 ERA and school record 146 strikeouts on the mound during final season with the Cardinals. He accumulated a 32-10 record (second most wins in school history) with a 2.23 ERA and 391 strikeouts, the most ever for a Louisville pitcher, during his three seasons. At the plate, he had a .341 batting average, 18 home runs, 15 doubles, 57 RBIs and a .457 on-base percentage in 63 starts as a hitter this season. McKay finished with a .328 career batting average with 28 home runs, 48 doubles and 132 RBIs in 182 career starts and 189 total appearances.

BASEBALL AMERICA NAMES MCDONNELL NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Dan McDonnell was named as the 2017 National Coach of the Year by Baseball America after leading the Cardinals through a record-setting campaign during his 11th season at the helm. The honor was the second for McDonnell, who was selected as the National Coach of the Year by Rivals.com following his first season at Louisville in 2007. Under McDonnell's guidance, Louisville closed the season with a 53-12 mark overall after making the program's fourth College World Series appearance, including the third in the last five seasons. The win total set a school record surpassing the previous mark of 51 victories achieved in 2013. The Cardinals won their CWS opener against Texas A&M and finished 1-2 in Omaha before closing the season ranked fifth in every major national poll, the highest end-of-season ranking ever. Louisville won its third straight ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2017 and McDonnell received his third consecutive ACC Coach of the Year honor becoming the first coach to achieve the feat.

MCKAY WINS THIRD STRAIGHT JOHN OLERUD AWARD
Having already set the standard as the only two-time winner of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016, Brendan McKay took it to another level earning the honor for a third consecutive season as the 2017 recipient. McKay separated himself in 2017 as not only the best two-way player in the country, but as the nation's top collegiate baseball player. He served as the ace in the starting pitching rotation for No. 5 Louisville and was the cleanup hitter for the Cardinals during his final two collegiate seasons.

HENZMAN WINS STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Junior righthanded pitcher Lincoln Henzman was named the 2017 Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association during a news conference at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, becoming the second Cardinals player to capture the award since its inception in 2005. The announcement was made during the annual NCBWA awards news conference at the home of the College World Series. Henzman ranked third in career saves at Louisville with 19 and third in single season saves with 16 during 2017 season while also adding a 3-0 record with 1.67 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 37.2 innings. He was also named a First Team All-American by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball newspaper and was selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox to cap his three-year collegiate career.

ELLIS EARNS FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA HONOR, NAMED ACC BASEBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Junior infielder Drew Ellis capped his college career as a First Team All-America selection by four organizations and was the recipient of the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. Ellis earned All-America First Team honors from ABCA, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game to go along with All-America Second Team recognition from Baseball America and NCBWA. A sports administration major from Jeffersonville, Indiana, Ellis was named to the Dean's List and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll this year. The All-ACC First Team honoree led the conference with a .701 slugging percentage and ranked in the top 10 in home runs (No. 2) with 20, total bases (No. 2) with 162, batting average (No. 5 at .355), on-base percentage (No. 6 at .448), runs batted in (No. 7 with 61), hits (No. 8 with 82), and walks (No. 10 with 40).

HAIRSTON NAMED TO GOLD GLOVE TEAM, EARNS ALL-AMERICA HONOR
Junior shortstop Devin Hairston was named to the 2017 American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove Team and was an ABCA All-America honoree for the second straight season. The announcement marked the second straight year a Cardinals player has earned the prestigious Gold Glove honor after catcher Will Smith became the program's first Gold Glove winner in 2016. Selected as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Hairston performed at a high level this season posting a .987 fielding percentage with just three errors in 239 chances. The Lexington, Kentucky native, who is also a two-time All-ACC standout, had a .309 batting average with three home runs, 52 RBI and 16 doubles while starting all 65 games this season.

EIGHT CARDINALS SELECTED IN 2017 MLB DRAFT; SEVEN SIGN CONTRACTS
For the second consecutive season, the Louisville baseball team had eight players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and seven of those players signed professional contracts with their respective teams. A pair of Cardinals were selected during the first two rounds of the MLB Draft as junior lefthander Brendan McKay became the highest draft selection in school history going fourth overall to the Tampa Bay Rays, while junior infielder Drew Ellis was selected 44th overall (second round) by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Louisville added a trio of selections during the second day of the MLB Draft as junior righthander Lincoln Henzman went to the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round (117th overall), junior shortstop Devin Hairston went in the sixth round to the Milwaukee Brewers (174th overall) and junior righty Kade McClure went to the White Sox in the sixth round (177th overall). During the final day of the draft, junior catcher Colby Fitch was selected in the 13th round (383rd overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies, senior outfielder Logan Taylor went in the 16th round (477th overall) to the Chicago White Sox and sophomore righthander Riley Thompson was taken in the 25th round (752nd overall) by the New York Yankees. A draft eligible sophomore, Thompson was the only player of the eight chosen in the 2017 MLB Draft to chose not to sign a professional contract while opting to return to Louisville for his junior season.

The eight Cardinals chosen in this year's draft (as well as the 2016 draft) ranks as the second highest total in school history trailing only the 10 players selected in 2010. Overall, Louisville has produced seven or more MLB Draft selections five times in the last eight years, including four of the last five (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).

MCKAY NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR, HAIRSTON TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER, MCDONNELL EARNS THIRD STRAIGHT COACH OF THE YEAR
Junior two-way standout Brendan McKay was named 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, junior shortstop Devin Hairston received the inaugural Defensive Player of the Year honor and Dan McDonnell earned his third straight Coach of the Year award. The announcement marked the third straight season the Cardinals have received at least two of the ACC's major individual honors and it is the ninth time in the last 11 seasons Louisville has claimed a conference Player or Pitcher of the Year award.

McKay adds the prestigious Player of the Year honor to his 2015 Freshman of the Year award while also being tabbed as an All-ACC First Team selection as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter/utility player. McDonnell becomes the first skipper in ACC history to receive three consecutive Coach of the Year honors.

Along with the three major award winners, Louisville had four All-ACC First Team honorees as junior third baseman Drew Ellis and junior righthanded reliever Lincoln Henzman accompanied McKay's two selections. Junior catcher Colby Fitch was named All-ACC Second Team, while freshman lefthanded starter Nick Bennett, Hairston and junior righty starter Kade McClure were All-ACC Third Team members. Bennett was also named to the All-Freshman Team.

BORDNER RECEIVES FIRST CAREER ALL-AMERICA HONOR
Sophomore righthanded relief pitcher Sam Bordner was named as a Third Team All-American in 2017 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the first career honor for the Baltimore, Ohio native. Bordner accumulated a 2-0 record, three saves and a miniscule 0.41 ERA in 43.2 innings and 23 total appearances.

BENNETT EARNS FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Lefthanded pitcher Nick Bennett was selected as a Freshman All-American by five organizations in 2017 -- NCBWA (First Team), Baseball America (Second Team), D1Baseball (Second Team), Perfect Game (Second Team) and Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Bennett accumulated a 5-1 record with a 3.18 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 65.0 innings and 15 total appearances, including 13 starts. A native of Cincinnati, Bennett was an All-ACC Third Team selection and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team while serving as the No. 3 starter in the weekend rotation for the ACC Atlantic Division champions. Bennett closed the season ranked eighth in the ACC in WHIP and 10th in ERA.

FITCH HONORED AS NCAA ELITE 90 WINNER; 10 CARDINALS NAMED TO ALL-ACC ACADEMIC TEAM
Junior catcher Colby Fitch was honored as the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner as the player with the highest GPA among the eight teams at the College World Series, while 10 Cardinals were named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Drew Ellis paced the way as the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was joined on the All-ACC Academic Team by Fitch, Nick Bennett, Sam Bordner, Devin Hairston, Lincoln Henzman, Colin Lyman, Josh Stowers, Logan Taylor and Adam Wolf. Louisville led all schools with its 10 selections.

LOUISVILLE REACHES 50 WINS FOUR TIMES IN FIVE SEASONS; SIX CONSECUTIVE 40-WIN SEASONS FOR THE CARDINALS
Louisville has reached the 50-win plateau for the fourth time in the last five seasons and the Cardinals have won 40 or more games in 10 of head coach Dan McDonnell's 11 seasons, including each of the last six. Prior to McDonnell's arrival in Louisville, the Cardinals had never reached 40 wins in a season while the single season school record for victories was 39 in 2002. Louisville's current school record for single season wins is 51 in 2013.

SIX STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES IN THREE DIFFERENT LEAGUES
On May 13, 2017, Louisville clinched its third consecutive ACC Atlantic Division championship marking the program's sixth straight regular season conference title in three different leagues. Last season, Louisville won the ACC Atlantic with a 22-8 record, while in 2015, the Cardinals set an ACC record for regular season wins finishing 25-5 to win the Atlantic in their debut season. After finishing with an 18-9 record and sharing the 2012 Big East title with St. John's, the Cardinals stood alone as champions in their final season in the league in 2013. In the program's only season in the American Athletic Conference in 2014, Louisville had a 19-5 league record for sole ownership of the conference title. Overall, the Cardinals have won eight regular season conference titles in 11 seasons under Dan McDonnell.

LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012
Louisville, which surpassed its previous high national ranking of No. 2 (in 2016) with the No. 1 ranking on March 13 and March 20, has enjoyed a historic run by remaining ranked in at least one major national poll every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings -- the longest such span in school history. Ranked in the top 12 in all six major preseason polls for 2017, the Cardinals have received a preseason top 10 ranking in five straight seasons (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and have earned a preseason national ranking in 10 straight seasons (2008-2017) overall. Louisville held down the No. 2 ranking for eight weeks from March 27 to May 15.

FEELING AT HOME INSIDE JIM PATTERSON STADIUM
Since opening the gates at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2005, the Cardinals have won more than 78 percent of their games in the ballpark posting a 346-97 record (.781 winning percentage), including a impressive 33-4 mark during the 2017 season at the corner of Third and Central. Louisville has won 69 of its last 76 games at Jim Patterson Stadium.

SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM CONTINUES FOR LOUISVILLE
As the Louisville baseball team was working towards a third straight ACC Atlantic Division championship, the Cardinals also maintained their impressive work in the classroom registering a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or better for the 12th consecutive semester. The notable stretch of academic success has covered six years overall since starting with fall semester in 2011. The span of 12 straight semesters with a team GPA of 3.0 or better includes the 2013 and 2014 seasons, which culminated with back-to-back appearances at the College World Series. In each of those trips to Omaha, the Cardinals received the CWS Academic Award for having the highest team GPA of the eight programs advancing to the pinnacle of collegiate baseball.

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.

University of Louisville Athletics

2017 Review: Cardinals Cap Record-Setting Season in Omaha

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Players Mentioned

Nick Bennett

Sam Bordner

Drew Ellis

Colby Fitch

Devin Hairston

Lincoln Henzman

Colin Lyman

Devin Mann

Kade McClure

Brendan McKay

Will Smith

Josh Stowers

Logan Taylor

Riley Thompson

Adam Wolf

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