Photo by: Karthik Kalvakuri | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Ranked Second in Perfect Game Preseason Poll
January 06, 2021 | Baseball
Louisville was one of six ACC teams in the preseason top 25.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball program was ranked second in the preseason top 25 rankings released by Perfect Game on Wednesday.
Florida held the top spot in the poll followed by the Cardinals, Texas Tech, UCLA and Ole Miss. Louisville was one of six ACC teams in the preseason top 25.
The No. 2 ranking comes one day after placing five student-athletes on the Perfect Game Preseason All-America teams, the most of any program in the country.
The Cardinals head into 2021 after a 13-4 showing during the shortened 2020 season that saw them open up the year as the top-ranked team in the country. Louisville finished the season ranked as high as No. 2.
Dan McDonnell gets set to begin his 15th season as the helm of the program, which has won more games than any Division I program since McDonnell took the reins in 2007.
McDonnell brings back a veteran, experienced squad in 2021 led by a position player group that returns starters at six different spots. Levi Usher (.411, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 11 SB) and Henry Davis (.372, 3 HR, 13 RBI) led the Louisville offense last spring and were both named to Perfect Game's Preseason All-America teams Tuesday.
Luke Brown (.328, 5 2B, 11 SB) is back for his second season in a Louisville uniform while Ben Bianco (.268, 3 HR, 14 RBI), Tim Borden II (.444, 1 HR, 9 RBI), Ben Metzinger (.349, 2 HR, 8 RBI) and Jared Poland (.281, 1 HR, 7 RBI) return after starting at least half of the 17 games in 2020.
The Cardinals also return Alex Binelas and Lucas Dunn, both of which missed the majority of the 2020 campaign due to injury. The two were key fixtures in Louisville's 2019 team that reached the College World Series, and Binelas earned Preseason All-America honors from Perfect Game.
On the mound, Luke Smith (3-0, 3.42 ERA) is the lone returning weekend starter after Reid Detmers and Bobby Miller were both selected in the first round of the MLB Draft in June.
However, the Cardinals have a plethora of options to fill the weekend spots and return their bullpen fully intact from a season ago. Preseason All-America selections Michael Kirian (6 saves, 0.00 ERA) and Poland return on the pitching staff, along with fifth-year senior Adam Elliott (1-0, 0.87 ERA) and right-hander Glenn Albanese (8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 18 K).
The Perfect Game preseason poll is the second set of rankings released for the 2021 season. The Cardinals were voted No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason rankings released in December.
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Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
Florida held the top spot in the poll followed by the Cardinals, Texas Tech, UCLA and Ole Miss. Louisville was one of six ACC teams in the preseason top 25.
The No. 2 ranking comes one day after placing five student-athletes on the Perfect Game Preseason All-America teams, the most of any program in the country.
The Cardinals head into 2021 after a 13-4 showing during the shortened 2020 season that saw them open up the year as the top-ranked team in the country. Louisville finished the season ranked as high as No. 2.
Dan McDonnell gets set to begin his 15th season as the helm of the program, which has won more games than any Division I program since McDonnell took the reins in 2007.
McDonnell brings back a veteran, experienced squad in 2021 led by a position player group that returns starters at six different spots. Levi Usher (.411, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 11 SB) and Henry Davis (.372, 3 HR, 13 RBI) led the Louisville offense last spring and were both named to Perfect Game's Preseason All-America teams Tuesday.
Luke Brown (.328, 5 2B, 11 SB) is back for his second season in a Louisville uniform while Ben Bianco (.268, 3 HR, 14 RBI), Tim Borden II (.444, 1 HR, 9 RBI), Ben Metzinger (.349, 2 HR, 8 RBI) and Jared Poland (.281, 1 HR, 7 RBI) return after starting at least half of the 17 games in 2020.
The Cardinals also return Alex Binelas and Lucas Dunn, both of which missed the majority of the 2020 campaign due to injury. The two were key fixtures in Louisville's 2019 team that reached the College World Series, and Binelas earned Preseason All-America honors from Perfect Game.
On the mound, Luke Smith (3-0, 3.42 ERA) is the lone returning weekend starter after Reid Detmers and Bobby Miller were both selected in the first round of the MLB Draft in June.
However, the Cardinals have a plethora of options to fill the weekend spots and return their bullpen fully intact from a season ago. Preseason All-America selections Michael Kirian (6 saves, 0.00 ERA) and Poland return on the pitching staff, along with fifth-year senior Adam Elliott (1-0, 0.87 ERA) and right-hander Glenn Albanese (8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 18 K).
The Perfect Game preseason poll is the second set of rankings released for the 2021 season. The Cardinals were voted No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason rankings released in December.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
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