Written By: Cameron Bramham
Typically, when you hear the Louisville Cardinals brought up in a discussion, odds have it basketball or football will be the topic of conversation. However, University of Louisville head baseball coach, Dan McDonnell has quietly built another powerhouse program in the bluegrass. Although this powerhouse program takes to a field covered with green grass, brown dirt, and four bases. The Louisville Cardinals baseball team was ranked number eight in the preseason polls and obtain an array of talent across the diamond.
Since the beginning of the season, the Cards are out to an 8-0 record as of March 1, after picking up a 20-2 victory at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville against Morehead State. Cards currently hold the number nine ranking in the country and are looking forward to another run towards the College World Series. Louisville is coming off another successful, yet disappointing campaign in 2016 where they fell short of a College World Series birth after a walk-off home run against UC Santa Barbara in the Super Regionals ended their season.
The team lost many impactful players including; MLB draft’s number five overall pick, outfielder Corey Ray; two other first round picks including pitcher Zack Burdi and catcher Will Smith, and two top of the rotation pitchers Kyle Funkhouser and Drew Harrington. By no means are any of those players easy to replace, but the number nine recruiting class from 2015 and the number 17 class from 2016 is a good place to start.
It also helps when the team returns back-to-back winner of the John Olerud Award (Nation’s best two-way player) and National Player of the Year candidate, Brendan McKay who hit .333 last season with 41 RBI and threw 128 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched last season. McKay, a junior, will now shoulder more the leadership role as the biggest impact player returning from last season.
Other players that will play key roles this upcoming year include infielders Devin Hairston, Drew Ellis, and Drew Mann along with catcher Colby Fitch; whom McDonald is relying on to help McKay provide more of an offensive punch to the lineup. Each player averaged .300 or better last year at the plate and like McKay will step into bigger roles for the team. There is some experience among them as they combined for 78 starts between them. Talented freshman infielder Tyler Fitzgerald will also be asked to step-up more as the season advances.
The outfield brings back the most experienced group and plenty of speed to match it. Starters Colin Lyman and Logan Taylor return after combining for 27 stolen bases last year. Lymon is expected to leadoff for the Cards. Ryan Summers and Josh Stowers will battle it out for playing time at the other outfield position with both players stepping into key roles after playing behind Rey last year.
As strong as this team can be, one noticeable area of concern early could be on the mound, in particular, the bullpen. Replacing three prominent arms is not simple especially when you consider all three were drafted within the first four rounds. However, don’t tell that to McDonald as he remains fully confident in his returning staff that will include McKay and Kade McClure who went 12-0 last year as the spot-in starter. The bullpen will rely on two players who were drafted last year in later rounds but ultimately, decided to return to school. Those players, junior Lincoln Henzman and redshirt freshmen Riley Thompson, could have the biggest upgraded roles as they are in line to replace All-American, Burdi as the team closer.
It is rare that a team can lose so much talent off a top ten nationally ranked team and return just as much, if not more. However, that is exactly what McDonald feels he has going into the season. In an interview with the Courier-Journal’s Steve Jones, McDonald said, “I think as coaches we’re prepared to turn over a lot of players. There are a lot of players here, and they’re developing. We’ve just got to be ready and get the next group ready to go.”
Louisville is prime for another ACC Championship run as well as a potential birth in the College World Series. Already off to an undefeated season, the team has a lot of expectations for themselves and for their fans. The road will not be easy as the ACC currently has five teams in the top 25 nationally; but like their football and basketball counterparts, the Cards have created a system of incoming players that are ready to step in and contribute to their continued success.
Since the beginning of the season, the Cards are out to an 8-0 record as of March 1, after picking up a 20-2 victory at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville against Morehead State. Cards currently hold the number nine ranking in the country and are looking forward to another run towards the College World Series. Louisville is coming off another successful, yet disappointing campaign in 2016 where they fell short of a College World Series birth after a walk-off home run against UC Santa Barbara in the Super Regionals ended their season.
The team lost many impactful players including; MLB draft’s number five overall pick, outfielder Corey Ray; two other first round picks including pitcher Zack Burdi and catcher Will Smith, and two top of the rotation pitchers Kyle Funkhouser and Drew Harrington. By no means are any of those players easy to replace, but the number nine recruiting class from 2015 and the number 17 class from 2016 is a good place to start.
It also helps when the team returns back-to-back winner of the John Olerud Award (Nation’s best two-way player) and National Player of the Year candidate, Brendan McKay who hit .333 last season with 41 RBI and threw 128 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched last season. McKay, a junior, will now shoulder more the leadership role as the biggest impact player returning from last season.
Other players that will play key roles this upcoming year include infielders Devin Hairston, Drew Ellis, and Drew Mann along with catcher Colby Fitch; whom McDonald is relying on to help McKay provide more of an offensive punch to the lineup. Each player averaged .300 or better last year at the plate and like McKay will step into bigger roles for the team. There is some experience among them as they combined for 78 starts between them. Talented freshman infielder Tyler Fitzgerald will also be asked to step-up more as the season advances.
The outfield brings back the most experienced group and plenty of speed to match it. Starters Colin Lyman and Logan Taylor return after combining for 27 stolen bases last year. Lymon is expected to leadoff for the Cards. Ryan Summers and Josh Stowers will battle it out for playing time at the other outfield position with both players stepping into key roles after playing behind Rey last year.
As strong as this team can be, one noticeable area of concern early could be on the mound, in particular, the bullpen. Replacing three prominent arms is not simple especially when you consider all three were drafted within the first four rounds. However, don’t tell that to McDonald as he remains fully confident in his returning staff that will include McKay and Kade McClure who went 12-0 last year as the spot-in starter. The bullpen will rely on two players who were drafted last year in later rounds but ultimately, decided to return to school. Those players, junior Lincoln Henzman and redshirt freshmen Riley Thompson, could have the biggest upgraded roles as they are in line to replace All-American, Burdi as the team closer.
It is rare that a team can lose so much talent off a top ten nationally ranked team and return just as much, if not more. However, that is exactly what McDonald feels he has going into the season. In an interview with the Courier-Journal’s Steve Jones, McDonald said, “I think as coaches we’re prepared to turn over a lot of players. There are a lot of players here, and they’re developing. We’ve just got to be ready and get the next group ready to go.”
Louisville is prime for another ACC Championship run as well as a potential birth in the College World Series. Already off to an undefeated season, the team has a lot of expectations for themselves and for their fans. The road will not be easy as the ACC currently has five teams in the top 25 nationally; but like their football and basketball counterparts, the Cards have created a system of incoming players that are ready to step in and contribute to their continued success.