Cardinals Ranked No. 4 in Baseball America Preseason Top 25
No. 4 ranking highest in school history surpassing No. 6 ranking
following 2007 CWS appearance
http://www.gocards.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/012413aaa.html
DURHAM, N.C. - The Louisville baseball program received
its highest ranking in school history on Thursday as the Cardinals were tabbed
at No. 4 in the 2013 Baseball America Preseason Top 25.
The Baseball America ranking was two spots better than
Louisville's previous best ever ranking of No. 6 following the Cardinals'
College World Series appearance in 2007. Louisville's previous best preseason
ranking was No. 8 in 2009 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
In its final analysis of the Cardinals, Baseball America had this
to say about Louisville in 2013: "The Cardinals reached a regional final at
eventual national champion Arizona last year, and anything short of their first
trip to Omaha since 2007 will be a disappointment this spring. This team is a
legitimate championship contender."
With the release on Thursday of the Baseball America poll and the
USA Today preseason coaches' poll, which had UofL ranked at No. 25 overall, the
Cardinals are ranked in each of the first four major preseason national polls
announced for 2013. Louisville is also ranked No. 15 by Perfect Game and No. 22
by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Future ACC foe North Carolina sits atop the
Baseball America poll, while Arkansas is No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll.
Louisville, which won its third BIG EAST regular season title in
the last four seasons in 2012, is led in 2013 by the return of seven of its
school record 10 All-BIG EAST performers from last season, including second
team outfielders Adam Engel and Cole Sturgeon. Most of the Cardinals' pitching
staff returns for 2013, led by All-BIG EAST right-hander Jeff Thompson as well
as BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-American righty Jared Ruxer.
Overall, Louisville returns 21 letterwinners from the 2012 team,
which finished 41-22 and advanced to an NCAA Regional for the fifth time in six
seasons. In his six previous seasons leading the Cardinals, McDonnell is
258-122 with three BIG EAST regular-season titles, two BIG EAST Tournament
titles, two NCAA Super Regional appearances and one College World Series berth.
Louisville will open the 2013 season on Friday, Feb. 15 against
Indiana (7:30 p.m., ET) in Dunedin, Fla., at the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge.
The Cardinals' 36-game home slate at the newly expanded Jim Patterson Stadium
is set to open on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m., ET against Eastern Kentucky.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and
on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
Baseball America Preseason Top 25
1. North
Carolina 46-16 17
2.
Vanderbilt 35-28 NR
3. Arkansas
46-22 6
4.
Louisville
41-22 NR
5. Mississippi
State 40-24
22
6. Oregon
State 40-20 24
7. South
Carolina 49-20 2
8. North Carolina
State 43-20 12
9.
Stanford
41-18 13
10. Louisiana
State
47-18 9
11.
Kentucky
45-18 20
12. UCLA
48-16 5
13.
Mississippi 37-26 NR
14. Texas Christian
40-22 16
15. Oregon 49-16
11
16. Georgia Tech
38-28 NR
17. Florida
47-20 3
18.
Rice 41-19 18
19.
Oklahoma 42-25 14
20. Florida
State 50-17 4
21. New
Mexico 37-24 NR
22. Cal State
Fullerton 36-21 21
23. Southern
Mississippi 32-24 NR
24. Arizona 48-17
1
25. San
Diego 40-17 NR
