< Previous - 13-4 (2-1 ACC), program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking The 2020 campaign was limited to just 17 games before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season, but McDonnell and the Cardinals put together a 13-4 mark. The Cardinals opened the sea- son with the program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking and were ranked as high as second when the season stopped. Despite the short season, the Cardinals were once again prominently featured during the 2020 MLB Draft with Reid Detmers going 10th overall to the Los Angeles Angels and Bobby Miller following to the Los Angeles Dodg- ers at No. 29. Zach Britton was later selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Justin Lavey (Seattle Mariners) and Danny Oriente (Arizona Diamondbacks) each signed free agent contracts. - 51-18 (21-9 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions The Louisville program reached new heights in 2019, posting a 51-18 overall record and recording the deepest postseason run in program history. The Cardinals captured the ACC Atlantic Division crown for the fourth time in five seasons and earned a national seed for the fifth time in program history. After rallying out of the loser’s bracket to capture the Louisville regional, the Cardinals swept East Carolina in the super regional round to punch their fifth ticket to the College World Series. In Omaha, Louisville lost its opening contest before defeating Auburn and Mississippi State to reach the bracket final for the first time. The Cardinals notched their highest final ranking in program history, sit- ting third in five of the six national polls. Individually, Reid Detmers was a near consensus All-American and captured ACC Pitcher of the Year honors. Eight Cardinals were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft and signed professional contracts -- Logan Wyatt (San Francisco Giants, second round), Michael McAvene (Chicago Cubs, third round), Tyler Fitzgerald (San Fran- cisco Giants, fourth round), Nick Bennett (Milwaukee Brewers, sixth round), Bryan Hoeing (Miami Marlins, seventh round), Jake Snider (Pittsburgh Pirates, 20th round), Drew Campbell (Atlanta Braves, 23rd round) and Shay Smiddy (Tampa Bay Rays, 36th round). - 45-19 (18-12 ACC), NCAA Regional The Cardinals finished the 2018 season with a 45-19 record overall after advancing to the final round of an NCAA Regional for the seventh straight year. Louisville registered its seventh straight 40-win season and the 11th in 12 seasons under McDonnell. The Cardinals also advanced to the ACC Championship final for the first time since joining the league. Individually, a trio Louisville players earned All-America honors as lefthanded pitcher Adam Wolf was a second team selection and outfielder Josh Stowers and first base- man Logan Wyatt were third team members. Following the season, eight UofL players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft -- Stowers to the Seattle Mariners (second round); Wolf to the Detroit Tigers (fifth round); infielder Devin Mann to the Los Angeles Dodgers (fifth round); pitcher Riley Thompson to the Chicago Cubs (11th round); pitcher Sam Bordner to the Miami Marlins (16th round); pitcher Liam Jenkins to the Cleveland Indians (17th round); pitcher Austin Conway to the Chicago White Sox (31st round); and pitcher Bryan Hoeing to the San Francisco Giants (36th round). - 53-12 (23-6 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, program-record 53 wins The 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 champion- ship. In addition to the team success, the Cardinals also received numerous individual honors, highlighted by consensus National Player of the Year Brendan McKay. The 53 wins in 2017 for Lou- isville 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, includ- ing 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 Col- legiate 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 earn- ing 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 Bord- ner was an All-American honoree, pitcher Nick Bennett was a Fresh- man All-American and All-ACC Third Team selection, Colby Fitch was an All-ACC Second Team member and was selected in the 13th round University of Louisville n gocards.com 48 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALLgocards.com n University of Louisville 49 BASEBALL 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. - 50-14 (22-8 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions The Louisville baseball program experienced another strong season in 2016 as the Cardinals won their second straight ACC Atlantic Divi- sion championship, advanced to a fourth straight NCAA Super Region- al and reached the 50-win plateu for the fourth time in school history while finishing 50-14 overall. Louisville players received numerous honors and accolades in 2016, highlighted by Brendan McKay becoming the first repeat winner of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. McKay was among seven different Cardinals (Zack Burdi, Devin Hairston, Drew Harrington, Kade McClure, Corey Ray, Nick Solak) earning All-America honors this season setting a single season school record. Louisville also received a pair of ACC awards for the second straight season as Harrington was tabbed as the league’s Pitcher of the Year and McDonnell repeated as Coach of the Year. For the third time in school history and the second straight season, Louisville was chosen by the NCAA Division I Selection Committee as a national seed for the 2016 NCAA Championship. Named as the No. 7 national seed in 2010 and No. 3 national seed in 2015, the Cardinals were in the No. 2 spot in 2016 after leading the nation in RPI top 50 wins with 20 and was second overall in the RPI. The Cardinals finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally in nine different statistical categories -- hits allowed per 9 IP (2nd), sacrifice flies (3rd), shutouts (3rd), ERA (5th), batting average (6th), doubles (6th), slugging percentage (6th), WHIP (6th) and runs scored (9th). The Louisville baseball program set a school record with three players selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, while seven of the team’s eight selections were among the first 115 players selected overall. Ray became the highest draft selection ever for the Cardinals going No. 5 overall to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was joined in the first round by Burdi (No. 26, Chicago White Sox) and Will Smith (No. 32, Los Angeles Dodgers). That trio was followed by Solak (2nd Round, No. 62, New York Yankees), Harrington (3rd Round, No. 80, Atlanta Braves), Blake Tiberi (3rd Round, No. 100, New York Mets), Kyle Funkhouser (4th Round, No. 115, Detroit Tigers) and Lincoln Henzman (31st Round, Seattle Mariners). - 47-18 (25-5 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, ACC record 25 conference wins The 2015 baseball season was another record-setting campaign for Louisville, highlighted by an impressive debut in the ACC as well as the program’s third straight NCAA Super Regional berth. In its inaugural season in the ACC, Louisville dominated the Atlantic Divi- sion in record-setting fashion with a 25-5 mark and McDonnell was honored as the ACC Coach of the Year. For the second time in school history, Louisville was tabbed by the NCAA Division I Selection Committee as a national seed for the 2015 NCAA Championship entering the postseason as the No. 3 team in the nation. Despite falling one game short of their third straight trip to Omaha, the Cardinals hosted NCAA Regional and Super Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium for the second straight sea- son while advancing to their fifth Super Regional in nine years. McKay delivered the best rookie season in school history earning national Freshman of the Year honors from multiple organizations as well as being selected as the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Tabbed as the nation’s top freshman by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game, McKay was also honored as a First Team All-American by those same three outlets as well as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and was the ACC Freshman of the Year. Led by McKay’s Freshman of the Year and Two-Way Player of the Year honors, the Cardinals earned numerous national accolades during the 2015 season. McKay was joined by Ray, Burdi and Funk- houser as All-Americans, while Henzman and Sean Leland were tabbed as Freshman All-Americans. Along with the two major awards for McDonnell and McKay, the Cardinals had a league-high five players named to the All-ACC first team to go with two second team selections and two All-Freshman Team honorees. McKay led the way for Louisville earning All-ACC first team accolades as a starting pitcher, second team accolades as a utility player and All-Freshman team recognition. The Cardinals were also represented on the All-ACC first team by infielder Sutton Whit- ing, Funkhouser, Burdi and Ray. Pitcher Josh Rogers was named to the second team and Henzman was chosen for the All-Freshman team. Following the season, three Louisville players signed professional contracts after being chosen in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. Rogers was chosen in the 11th round by the New York Yan- kees, lefty pitcher Robert Strader went in the 12th round to the Baltimore Orioles and infielder Sutton Whiting was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 24th round. Additionally, Funkhouser became the highest draft selection in school history going 35th overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first round of picks, but the righty elected to return to Louisville for his senior season in 2016. - 50-17 (19-5 American), NCAA College World Series, American Athletic Conference Champions The Cardinals continued their upward trajectory in 2014 high- lighted by the return to Omaha for the third time under McDonnell, another 50-win season, the inaugural American Conference regular season championship and a pair of successful NCAA postseason events at Jim Patterson Stadium. After being chosen as a host site for an NCAA Regional for the second straight year, Louisville swept through its NCAA Regional with wins over Kent State, Kansas and Kentucky before clinching the CWS berth with a Super Regional triumph over University of Louisville n gocards.com 50 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL Kennesaw State in front of a then-school record crowd of 6,007. Louisville ended 2014 ranked as highly as No. 6 in the final national rankings while also leaving its mark on the NCAA statistics. On the mound, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 8.4, 12th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.4), 19th nationally in shutouts with eight and 20th in ERA at 2.80. Offensively, Louisville was second in the nation in stolen bases for the second straight season with 133, fifth in stolen bases per game at 1.99, fifth in runs with 417, sixth in hit by pitch with 109 and 14th in sacrifice flies with 34. Individually, the trio of senior outfielder Jeff Gardner, junior righty closer Nick Burdi and sophomore righty starter Kyle Funkhouser led the way earning All-American honors for the Cardinals in 2014. Gardner was named Second Team All-America by Collegiate Base- ball newspaper and the NCBWA and Third Team All-America by the ABCA, while Burdi, the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, was named First Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, Perfect Game, the ABCA and the NCBWA. Funkhouser earned Second Team All-America honors from the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball news- paper and Third Team All-America accolades from Baseball America and Perfect Game. Prior to the postseason, Gardner was named American Confer- ence Player of the Year to lead a group of seven Cardinals earning All-American Conference honors. It marked the eighth time in the last eight seasons a member of the Cardinals has been selected as conference player or pitcher of the year and the first time a Cardinal was the player of the year since Chris Dominguez earned back-to- back Big East Player of the Year awards in 2008 and 2009. Joining Gardner as All-American Conference First Team selections were Burdi, third baseman Alex Chittenden and Funkhouser. Righty Jared Ruxer and outfielder/lefty pitcher Cole Sturgeon were All-American Conference Second Team honorees, while second baseman Zach Lucas was an All-American Conference Third Team pick. Major League Baseball continued to take notice in the Louisville program as a total eight Cardinals were chosen in the 2014 MLB Draft with seven of those signing professional contracts. Burdi led the way becoming the highest draft pick in school history at the time going 46th overall in the second round to the Minnesota Twins. He was followed by Gardner going in the eighth round to the Washing- ton Nationals, Sturgeon going in the 10th round to the Boston Red Sox, righty Jared Ruxer going in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, lefty Joe Filomeno went in the 15th round to the Texas Rangers, infielder Grant Kay going in the 27th round to the Tampa Bay Rays, Lucas going in the 29th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates (did not sign pro contract) and lefty Kyle McGrath in the 36th round to the San Diego Padres. - 51-14 (20-4 Big East), NCAA College World Series, Big East Conference Champions Even with all of the success in the program since McDonnell’s arrival, the 2013 season proved to be one of the best ever with the Cardinals return to the College World Series for the second time while also winning a record-setting 51 games. That victory total included a 16-game winning streak to close the regular season to clinch the fourth BIG EAST championship in five seasons. Louisville’s march to Omaha started at home where the Cardinals’ hosted an NCAA Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium for the third time. After earning wins over Bowling Green, Miami (Fla.) and Oklahoma State, Louisville traveled to Nashville, Tenn., for an NCAA Super Regional showdown with No. 2 national seed Vanderbilt. In the latest chapter of a highly competitive rivalry, the Cardinals became the first team in 2013 to take a series from the Commodores winning back-to-back days at Hawkins Field to advance to the CWS. The Cardinals closed the season ranked as highly as No. 8 in the final set of national rankings. Led by one of the nation’s best pitch- ing staffs, Louisville closed the season fifth in the NCAA in ERA at 2.52 and first in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.6. Offensively, the Cardinals were second in the nation in stolen bases with 150, just three shy of matching the school record of 153 set during the 2007 CWS season. Louisville also led the nation in hit-by-pitch with 129. Individually, Burdi and righty pitcher Jeff Thompson earned All- America honors from multiple organizations to become the 14th and 15th players respectively at Louisville to be honored among the nation’s best. Burdi garnered All-America honors from Perfect Game (First Team) and the NCBWA (Second Team), while Thompson was named Louisville Slugger Second Team All-America by Col- lege Baseball newspaper, Third Team All-America by Perfect Game and Third Team All-America by NCBWA. Two more righty pitchers, Funkhouser and Anthony Kidston, were named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Following the regular season, Thompson was honored as BIG EAST Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2013 becoming the fifth dif- ferent Louisville player to earn the award as a school record-tying 10 Cardinals earned All-BIG EAST accolades. Joining Thompson as First Team All-BIG EAST selections were Gardner and Burdi. The Cardinals, who equaled last year’s record-setting 10 All-BIG EAST selections, had four players named Second Team All-BIG EAST -- righthanded pitcher Chad Green, outfielder Coco Johnson, shortstop Sutton Whiting and junior third baseman Ty Young. Earning Third Team All-BIG EAST honors from Louisville were senior second base- man Nick Ratajczak and outfielders Adam Engel and Sturgeon. Continuing another trend since McDonnell’s arrival, Louisville was well represented in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in 2013 as seven Cardinals were selected during the three-day event. Righthander Dace Kime was taken 79th overall by the Cleve- land Indians in the third round of the 40-round draft, Thompson was selected 94th overall in the third round by the Detroit Tigers and Young was taken in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Rays to close day two. Johnson was taken in the 11th Round by the Miami Marlins, Green was selected in the 11th Round by the Detroit Tigers, lefty Cody Ege was taken in the 15th Round by the Texas Rangers and Engel was selected in the 19th Round by the Chicago White Sox. - 41-22 (18-9 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions The 2012 season was another successful one for Louisville as the Cardinals won another BIG EAST Conference regular season cham- pionship and advanced to the NCAA Regional in Tucson. Overall, Louisville finished with a 41-22 record while advancing to the NCAA Regional final before falling to eventual national champion Arizona. Along with the BIG EAST title, a school record 10 Louisville players earned All-BIG EAST honors led by BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Justin Amlung, who was also a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America selection. Louisville had five players named Second Team All-BIG EAST in 2012 - first baseman Stewart Ijames, Engel, Gardner, Sturgeon and Thompson. Ruxer became the second Louisville player ever to be named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and led a foursome of Cardinals to earn Third Team All-BIG EAST accolades. Joining Ruxer on the third team was righty reliever Derek Self, second Ratajczak and Young. Following the season, Louisville had a trio of right-handed pitch- ers in Matt Koch, Self and Amlung selected during the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Koch was selected 107th overall by the New York Mets in the third round of the 40-round, three-day draft. He was followed by Self, who was taken 294th overall in the ninth round by the Washington Nationals, and Amlung, who was selected 374th overall in the 12th round by the Chicago Cubs. - 32-29 (14-13 Big East) The Cardinals missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Dan McDonnell in 2011. However, Louisville had four play- ers earn All-BIG EAST honors - second baseman Ryan Wright (First Team), pitcher Justin Amlung (First Team), outfielder Stewart Ijames (Second Team) and pitcher Tony Zych (Third Team). Following the season, three Cardinals signed with professional teams after being selected in the 2011 MLB Draft as Zych was taken in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs, Wright was selected in the fifth round by the Cincinnati Reds and catcher J.J. Ethel was taken in the 49th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two other Cardinals, Amlung and pitcher Derek Self, elected to return to Louisville after being drafted. - 50-14 (21-6 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions, first 50-win season The 2010 season included the Cardinals earning the program’s first ever national seed (#7) for the NCAA Championships, a second straight NCAA Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium, a second straight BIG EAST regular season title and the new school record in wins. Four Cardinals - pitchers Neil Holland and Thomas Royse, second baseman Ryan Wright and third baseman Phil Wunderlich - earned All-American honors, while Royse was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, the third different Louisville player to win the league honor in four years. Overall, eight Louisville players earned All-BIG EAST accolades as first baseman Andrew Clark, Holland and Wright joined Royse on the first team, while catcher Jeff Arnold, shortstop Adam Duvall, Ijames and Wunderlich earned second-team honors. Following the completion of the 2010 season, Louisville had school-record 10 players selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, while Wright became the second Louisville player in two seasons to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He was Team USA’s top everyday hitter at .361 overall to go with 18 runs scored, a pair of home runs and 12 RBI. Wright made 17 starts in 19 games overall and was named the top designated hitter at the 2010 World Univer- sity Baseball Championships. - 47-18 (19-7 Big East), NCAA Super Regional, Big East Conference Champions The Cardinals, who earned 40 regular-season wins for the first time in school history in 2009, were led that season by All-American gocards.com n University of Louisville 51 BASEBALL University of Louisville n gocards.com 52 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL third baseman and BIG EAST Player of the Year Chris Dominguez, All-American left-handed pitcher and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Justin Marks and Wunderlich, an All-American utility player and an All-BIG EAST selection. Joining that trio as All-BIG EAST selections in 2009 were Royse (Second Team), Clark (Second Team) and Duvall (Third Team), while Clark also earned the Jack Kaiser Award as the Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship. Following the season, Louisville had three players from the 2009 team as well as five signees selected in the MLB Draft. Leading the way were Dominguez, who was selected in the third round by the San Fran- cisco Giants, and Marks, a third-round selection by the Oakland A’s. The offseason was also a busy one for McDonnell, who served as an assistant coach for the 2009 USA National Baseball Team, which won the World Baseball Challenge and finished with an impressive 19-5 record overall. The Cards’ head coach was joined on Team USA by Zych, who worked out of the US bullpen throughout the summer, as well as Cards’ catcher Justin Haywood (bullpen catcher for Team USA) and former U of L strength and conditioning coach Eric Ham- mer (strength coach for Team USA). - 41-21 (16-11 Big East), NCAA Regional The 2008 season featured the continued rise of Dominguez as one of the nation’s top players as he was named to five All-America teams, earned BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year honors and was named MVP of the BIG EAST Tournament. Joining Dominguez with All-BIG EAST honors in 2008 were catcher Derrick Alfonso (First Team), Marks (First Team), Clark (Second Team), Ijames (Third Team), second baseman Jus- tin McClanahan (Third Team) and B.J. Rosenberg (Third Team). Marks was named Third Team All-America by two publications in 2008. Overall, the Cardinals won 41 games in 2008 to earn back-to- back 40-win seasons for the first time in school history and earn back-to-back NCAA Championship bids for the first time in the pro- gram’s history. Following the season, the Cards also had five players from the 2008 squad and four signees selected in the MLB Draft. Leading the way was Dominguez, a fifth-round pick by the Colorado Rockies who elected to return to Louisville for his junior season. - 47-24 (19-8 Big East), First NCAA College World Series The first season under McDonnell was more than just the first trip to Omaha in school history as five different players were named to All-America teams. A school-record nine players were named to the All-BIG EAST teams, including three first-team selections and five members of the second team. Senior Zack Pitts was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and Justin Marks was tabbed as BIG EAST Fresh- man of the Year. Overall, the Cardinals did not lose three straight games and only lost consecutive games five times in 2007. UofL finished the 2007 season ranked 6th or 7th in all five major college baseball polls. The team set 20 individual career and single- season records as well as U of L team records for at bats, doubles, stolen bases, wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. Six players and four signees were tabbed in the 2007 MLB Draft, including Trystan Magnuson, who was selected 56th overall - the highest pick in school history. Seven players played pro ball following the `07 season. In the 12 team categories ranked statistically by the NCAA, the Cards were in the top 62 in 11 of them, the top 50 in nine categories and the top 10 in two. Twenty-six individuals ranked in the top 100 nationally and 16 in the top 50. The Cards were second in the nation in steals and senior Boomer Whiting won the NCAA stolen base crown with his BIG EAST-record 73. - Ole Miss Assistant Coach As the top assistant and recruiting coordinator for Mike Bianco at the University of Mississippi for six seasons prior to taking over as head coach at Louisville, McDonnell and the Rebels had four top-20 recruiting classes and three groups that ranked in the top 10 nation- ally. The first full recruiting class for the Rebels under McDonnell’s direction was ranked No. 6 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. In each of his last two seasons with the Rebels, Ole Miss was one win away from advancing to Omaha. His recruiting classes produced three first-team Freshman All- Americans, one second-team Freshman All-American and two hon- orable mention Freshman All-Americans. Former Rebel outfielder Seth Smith, who played for the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 MLB World Series, was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002 and first baseman/left-handed pitcher Stephen Head earned the honor in 2003. Head was also selected as one of four National Freshmen of the Year by Collegiate Baseball in 2003. As the Rebels’ infield coach, McDonnell helped coach Head to All-America honors in 2003, 2004 and 2005 to become the first three-time All-American in school history. Head also earned SEC Co- Player of the Year honors in 2004 and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the most prestigious in college baseball. A pair of Ole Miss infielders signed and coached by McDonnell, Zack Cozart and Justin Henry were tabbed in the 2007 MLB Draft (second and ninth rounds, respectively). Four of McDonnell’s signees and players in his final two seasons at Ole Miss competed in the USA Baseball trials, including Cozart, who was the everyday shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds in 2012. In the five seasons that preceded McDonnell’s arrival at Ole Miss, the team averaged just 28 wins per season and finished no higher than fifth in the SEC Western Division. In his six seasons in Oxford, the team averaged just over 40 wins per season and finished in the top three on four occasions, winning the 2006 SEC Tournament and sharing the 2005 regular season title.gocards.com n University of Louisville 53 BASEBALL Infielders Josh Christian, Cooper Osteen, Brian Pettway, Jon Swearingen, Matt Tolbert and Head have all advanced to play profes- sional baseball following their tutelage under McDonnell. Head and Pettway were both First Team All-America selections in 2005, while Head was joined by Smith on the US National Team that took home the silver medal in the 2003 Pan American Games. In the 2005 MLB Draft, Ole Miss was the only team in the nation with four players selected in the top 100. A total of 21 Missis- sippi players were drafted during McDonnell’s final three seasons in Oxford, including six Rebels in the 2006 Draft. - The Citadel Assistant Coach Before his arrival in Oxford, Miss., McDonnell was an assistant and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, The Citadel, for eight seasons. The Bulldogs advanced to four NCAA Regionals and won five Southern Conference titles during that span. He was the top assistant from 1995-2000. Primarily working with the Bulldog infielders and hitters, McDon- nell also worked with the baserunners, establishing a conference record for steals in a single season in 2000 with 198 in 240 attempts over 59 games. The Citadel was paced by junior outfielder Chris Morris, who led the nation with 84 bags. - The Citadel Playing Career During his playing days for the Bulldogs, McDonnell earned four letters, helping The Citadel to the 1990 College World Series, marking the first time a military school has made the trip to Omaha. He was a member of the All-Atlantic Regional team in Miami that same season. As a second baseman, he was named first-team All-Southern Conference as a junior. He finished his career as the league’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 99, a total that now places him fourth in school history. He is the school’s all-time leader in walks, picking up 185 bases on balls, and is ninth in runs scored in Bulldog history with 165. Personal McDonnell graduated from The Citadel in 1992 and later com- pleted his master’s degree in business administration in 1995. He is married to the former Julie Anne Underwood of Charlotte, N.C. The couple has two sons, Jake and Justin. OPPONENT W-L H A N Akron 6-0 6-0 0-0 0-0 Alabama 3-1 3-0 0-1 0-0 Alabama A&M 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Alabama State 2-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 Arizona 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 Arkansas State 1-2 0-0 0-0 1-2 Auburn 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Ball State 9-1 8-1 0-0 1-0 Bellarmine 7-0 6-0 1-0 0-0 Bethune-Cookman 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Boston College 23-5 14-1 9-3 0-1 Bowling Green 9-1 9-1 0-0 0-0 Brown 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Bucknell 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Butler 4-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 Cal 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Cal State Fullerton 1-5 1-2 0-2 0-1 Charlotte 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Chicago State 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 Cincinnati 27-6 12-1 12-5 3-0 Clemson 15-17 8-4 6-9 1-4 Cleveland State 2-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 Connecticut 17-12 9-3 6-3 2-6 Dartmouth 2-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 Dayton 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Delaware 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Duke 10-6 4-2 5-4 1-0 East Carolina 2-1 2-0 0-0 0-1 Eastern Illinois 2-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 Eastern Kentucky 22-2 17-0 5-2 0-0 Eastern Michigan 3-2 3-2 0-0 0-0 Elon 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Evansville 3-2 2-1 1-1 0-0 Florida 0-4 0-0 0-3 0-1 Florida International 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Florida State 10-19 7-7 3-9 0-3 Fort Wayne 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 George Mason 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Georgetown 15-3 8-1 7-2 0-0 Georgia 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 Georgia Tech 10-8 6-3 4-2 0-3 Houston 3-1 0-0 3-0 0-1 Illinois 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Illinois Chicago 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Illinois State 4-2 4-2 0-0 0-0 Indiana 16-12 9-6 7-4 0-2 Indiana State 3-2 3-1 0-0 0-1 Iowa 2-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 James Madison 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Kansas 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Kennesaw State 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 Kent State 11-3 9-3 0-0 2-0 Kentucky 21-13 13-6 8-7 0-0 Le Moyne 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Lipscomb 2-2 2-2 0-0 0-0 Longwood 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Marshall 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 Maryland 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Memphis 3-1 2-1 0-0 1-0 Miami 11-11 6-7 3-3 2-1 Miami (OH) 6-1 6-1 0-0 0-0 Michigan 9-2 6-2 0-0 3-0 Michigan State 2-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 Middle Tennessee 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Milwaukee 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 Minnesota 2-1 0-0 0-0 2-1 Mississippi 8-7 4-2 4-5 0-0 Mississippi State 2-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 Missouri 3-1 0-0 2-1 1-0 Morehead State 17-1 17-1 0-0 0-0 Murray State 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 New Mexico State 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 North Carolina 7-10 4-2 2-7 1-1 North Carolina A&T 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 North Carolina State 21-7 9-3 11-4 1-0 Northern Kentucky 6-0 6-0 0-0 0-0 Northwestern 2-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 Northwestern State 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Notre Dame 38-7 21-3 14-3 3-1 Oakland 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Ohio State 10-1 5-0 4-1 1-0 Oklahoma 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Oklahoma State 3-1 3-1 0-0 0-0 Omaha 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Oral Roberts 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Oregon 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Oregon State 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 Pepperdine 5-1 2-1 3-0 0-0 Pitt 21-11 10-2 8-7 3-2 Princeton 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Purdue 7-2 4-1 2-1 1-0 Radford 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Rice 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 Richmond 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 Rutgers 15-8 8-4 5-1 2-3 Saint Louis 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 Samford 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Seton Hall 8-8 3-3 4-5 1-0 SEMO 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 SIU Edwardsville 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Southern Illinois 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 Southern Miss 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 St. Bonaventure 3-1 3-1 0-0 0-0 St. John’s 13-15 8-4 4-8 1-3 Stetson 1-2 0-0 1-2 0-0 TCU 2-1 1-0 0-0 1-1 Temple 2-1 0-0 2-1 0-0 Tennessee 1-1 0-1 1-0 0-0 Texas 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 Texas A&M 2-2 0-0 0-2 2-0 Texas Tech 1-3 1-1 0-2 0-0 The Citadel 1-2 0-0 1-2 0-0 Toledo 6-2 6-2 0-0 0-0 UCF 1-2 0-0 1-2 0-0 UC Santa Barbara 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 USC 2-2 2-0 0-2 0-0 USC Upstate 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 USF 17-7 7-2 7-3 3-2 Valparaiso 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Vanderbilt 10-16 4-9 6-4 0-3 Villanova 17-3 7-2 7-1 3-0 Virginia 14-14 6-6 8-7 0-1 Virginia Tech 8-4 4-2 4-2 0-0 Wake Forest 21-10-1 11-4 8-6-1 2-0 West Virginia 13-4 5-1 6-3 2-0 Western Carolina 3-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 Western Illinois 4-1 4-1 0-0 0-0 Western Kentucky 23-6 16-1 7-5 0-0 Western Michigan 7-1 7-1 0-0 0-0 Wright State 4-1 4-1 0-0 0-0 Xavier 20-6 20-6 0-0 0-0 Youngstown State 6-0 6-0 0-0 0-0 751-335-1 485-133 202-153-1 64-49 Dan McDonnell vs. Opponents2013 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year Player Honors (Louisville tenure) n 2017 National Player of the Year - Brendan McKay n 22 All-Americans n 41 All-Conference Selections n 7 Conference Pitchers of the Year n 3 Conference Freshmen of the Year n 55 MLB Draft Picks (pitchers) n 17 MLB Pitchers R oger Williams is in his 19th season as pitching coach and 11th season as associate head coach for the University of Louisville baseball team, where his pitchers have been integral in the Cardi- nals’ five College World Series appearances, 13 NCAA Champion- ship appearances, 10 regular-season conference titles and two con- ference tournament championships. During Williams’ time at Louisville, 55 pitchers have been draft- ed, including six first round selections and 17 pitchers taken in the first five rounds. The Ville to the Show The University of Louisville program had produced just two play- ers that had reached the MLB level prior to 2007. Right-handed pitcher Trystan Magnuson was selected with the 59th overall pick in the 2007 draft and became the first Louisville pitcher under Roger Williams’ tutelage to reach the big leagues. Magnuson opened the floodgates for Louisville pitchers’ pathway to The Show. The Cardinals have had at least one former pitcher make his MLB debut in 12 of the last 14 seasons. In total, 17 Louisville pitchers have reached the Major Leagues since Williams arrival in 2007. Season Capsules – 32-24 (16-14 ACC) The 2024 season saw 20 different arms take the mound for the Cardinals, including 10 that made starts. Evan Webster turned in an All-Conference season after transitioning from the bullpen into the starting rotation for his final season, going 5-3 with a 4.18 ERA. Patrick Forbes and Tucker Biven each went to play for the USA Collegiate National Team in the 2024 summer. Sebastian Gongora (Baltimore Orioles, 11th round) and Kaleb Corbett (Tampa Bay Rays, 20th round) were each selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. - 31-24 (10-20 ACC) The Cardinals finished among the top 25 nationally in ERA and hits allowed per nine innings in 2023. Carson Liggett led Louisville’s pitching staff with a 7-2 record and 3.42 ERA, earning All-ACC honors. Tate Kuehner (Milwaukee Brewers, seventh round) and Ryan Hawks (Seattle Mariners, eighth round) were each selected in the 2023 MLB Draft. - 42-21-1 (18-11-1 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions Louisville spread the wealth around in 2022, with 20 different pitchers recording at least 10 innings on the mound. Jared Poland led the Cardinals’ starting staff with a 3.46 ERA and finished fifth in the ACC with 103 strikeouts. Closer Michael Prosecky locked down the ninth inning, finishing second in the ACC and top-20 nationally with 11 saves, the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Poland (Miami Marlins, sixth round) and Prosecky (Colorado Rockies, sixth round) each had their name called in the MLB Draft. - 28-22 (16-16 ACC) Twenty-one different Cardinals took the ball at least once during the 2021 season. Michael Kirian led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts, while Luke Seed held a team-best 2.64 ERA in 12 starts. The 2021 MLB Draft saw two Louisville pitchers selected with Kirian (Washington Nationals, sixth round) and Glenn Albanese (Los Ange- les Angels, 15th round) both chosen. - 13-4 (2-1 ACC), program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking During the shortened season in 2020, the Louisville pitching staff ranked top 10 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings and helped the Cardinals to a 13-4 start. Reid Detmers was second in the country with 48 punchouts in four starts and was selected with the 10th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels. Bobby Miller heard his name called shortly after, getting selected with the 29th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2020 MLB Draft marked the first time multiple Louisville pitchers had been chosen in the first round in the same season. Associate Head Coach – 19th Season University of Louisville n gocards.com 54 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL- 51-18 (21-9 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions The Louisville pitching staff led the ACC with a 3.53 team ERA, and ranked top-10 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10.4), hits allowed per nine innings (7.04) and WHIP (1.20) helping the Cardinals to their fifth College World Series appearance. South- paw Reid Detmers was a near-consensus All-American and captured ACC Pitcher of the Year honors after tying the program record for wins in a single season after posting a 13-4 record with a 2.78 ERA and school record 167 strikeouts. The Cardinals had four pitchers taken in the 2019 MLB Draft, led by Michael McAvene’s third-round selection by the Chicago Cubs. Nick Bennett (Milwaukee Brewers, sixth round), Bryan Hoeing (Miami Marlins, seventh round) and Shay Smiddy (Tampa Bay Rays, 36th round) were also selected. - 45-19 (18-12 ACC), NCAA Regional Louisville’s pitching staff was amongst the best in the ACC in 2018, leading the league with a 3.53 ERA. The Cardinals were also top five nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.40) and top 20 in strikeouts per nine (9.5). Lefthander Adam Wolf earned All- America honors after going 8-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 109 strikeouts. Six Louisville pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft - Wolf to the Detroit Tigers (fifth round); pitcher Riley Thompson to the Chicago Cubs (11th round); pitcher Sam Bordner to the Miami Marlins (16th round); pitcher Liam Jenkins to the Cleveland Indians (17th round); pitcher Austin Conway to the Chicago White Sox (31st round); and pitcher Bryan Hoeing to the San Francisco Giants (36th round). - 53-12 (23-6 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, program-record 53 wins Three Louisville pitchers earned All-America honors highlighted by a pair of national award winners -- consensus National Player of the Year Brendan McKay (11-3, 2.56 ERA, 146 SO) and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Lincoln Henzman (3-0, 1.67 ERA, 16 SV). Reliever Sam Bordner (2-0, 0.41 ERA, 2 SV) also received All-America recognition as a third team selection by the NCBWA. McKay led a trio of pitchers selected in the 2017 MLB Draft going No. 4 overall to the Tampa Bay Rays while Henzman went in the fourth round to the Chicago White Sox and Kade McClure went in the sixth round to the White Sox. As a staff, the Louisville pitchers ranked in the top 12 nationally in six different categories in 2017 -- third in ERA, fourth in WHIP, fourth in hits allowed per nine innings, sixth in shutouts, 11th in strikeout-to- walk ratio and 12th in strikeouts per nine innings. McKay anchored the pitching staff closing his career among the most decorated players in college baseball history winning Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in 2017, earning three straight John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year honors and becoming a three-time First Team All- American after opening his career as the National Freshman of the Year in 2015. McKay capped his three years in Louisville as the program’s career leader in strikeouts (391) and ranking No. 2 in career wins (32). - 50-14 (22-8 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions Four Louisville pitchers garnered All-America honors during the 2016 season while the team ranked second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings, third in shutouts with a school record 11, fifth in ERA, sixth in WHIP, 15th in strikeouts per nine innings and 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio. The All-America accolades were abundant for Louisville in 2016 as righty Zack Burdi (11 saves, 47 strikeouts in 30.0 IP), lefty Drew Harrington (12-2, 1.95 ERA), McClure (12-0, 2.54 ERA) and McKay (12-4, 2.30 ERA) each earned First Team All-America recognition from various outlets. It marked the second straight season Burdi and McKay earned the national recognition. McKay also became the first repeat winner of the presti- gious John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. In his first season in the Cardinals’ weekend pitching rotation, Harrington emerged as one of the nation’s most consistent and domi- nant hurlers while garnering the 2016 ACC Pitcher of the Year Award. The junior was 8-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his 10 conference starts and became the sixth different Louisville pitcher to earn a conference pitcher of the year award in Williams’ first 10 seasons with the Cardinals. Harrington was joined by Burdi and McKay in receiving All-ACC recognition. The 2016 season culminated with eight players being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including four pitchers -- Burdi (1st Round, 26th overall, Chicago White Sox), Har- rington (3rd Round, 80th overall, Atlanta Braves), righthander Kyle Funkhouser (4th Round, 115th overall, Detroit Tigers) and righty Lincoln Henzman (31st Round, Seattle Mariners). - 47-18 (25-5 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, ACC record 25 conference wins The 2015 season was highlighted by a trio of Louisville pitch- ers earning All-America honors while the team ranked in the top 12 nationally in five different pitching categories -- third in hits allowed per nine innings, seventh in ERA, ninth in strikeouts per nine innings, 12th in WHIP and 12th in shutouts. The All-American honors included numerous first team accolades for McKay, who was also chosen as National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well as ACC Freshman of the Year gocards.com n University of Louisville 55 BASEBALL University of Louisville n gocards.com 56 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASEBALL by the league’s head coaches. Selected as the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, McKay was 9-3 with a 1.77 ERA, four saves and 117 strikeouts in 96.2 innings on the mound. He finished fourth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings, 12th in strikeouts, 14th in WHIP and 23rd in ERA. Joining McKay with All-America honors in 2015 were Burdi and righty Kyle Funkhouser, third team selections by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Burdi was 6-1 with nine saves, a 0.92 ERA and 30 strike- outs in 29.1 innings pitched as the Louisville closer, while Funk- houser was 8-5 with a 3.20 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 112.1 innings as the team’s Friday night ace. Additionally, McKay, Henzman and Sean Leland were named Freshman All-Americans following the 2015 season. Henzman was named as a Freshman All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper and D1Baseball, while Leland was named by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. A trio of Louisville pitchers were selected in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, highlighted by Funkhouser going 35th over- all to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first round. Additionally, lefty Josh Rogers was chosen in the 11th round by the New York Yankees and lefty Robert Strader went in the 12th round to the Baltimore Orioles. - 50-17 (19-5 American), NCAA College World Series, American Athletic Conference Champions Louisville’s pitching staff was a key reason for the program’s sec- ond straight College World Series appearance and the third visit to Omaha in eight seasons. Overall, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 8.4, 12th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.4), 19th nationally in shutouts with eight and 20th in ERA at 2.80. Following the 2014 season, Williams was promoted to associate head coach by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell. Individually, the duo of junior righty closer Nick Burdi and Funk- houser led the way earning All-American honors for the Cardinals in 2014. Chosen as the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, Burdi was named First Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, Perfect Game, the American Baseball Coaches Association and the NCBWA while setting a school record with 18 saves as a junior. Adding a 3-1 record with a 0.49 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 37.0 innings pitched in 2014, Burdi became the Cardinals’ highest draft pick at the time when the Minnesota Twins selected him 46th overall in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The hard-throwing righty closed his collegiate career as Louisville’s all-time saves leader with 34 to go along with a school record 1.79 ERA. In his first season as a weekend starter for the Cardinals, Funk- houser emerged as the ace of the staff earning Second Team All- America honors from the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball newspa- per and Third Team All-America accolades from Baseball America and Perfect Game. Statistically, he set a school record for single season wins finishing 13-3 overall with a 1.94 ERA and 122 strike- outs (third most at Louisville) in 120.1 innings pitched (second most at Louisville) and 18 starts. Following Louisville’s trip to Omaha, Funkhouser pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team finishing with a team-high 36 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in six appearances and 28.1 innings. In June, Burdi was one of four Louisville pitchers chosen in the MLB Draft as righty Jared Ruxer was taken in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, lefty Joe Filomeno went in the 15th round to the Texas Rangers and lefty Kyle McGrath went in the 36th round to the San Diego Padres. It marked the second straight season the Cardinals had four pitchers selected in the MLB Draft. - 51-14 (20-4 Big East), NCAA College World Series, Big East Conference Champions Louisville’s second CWS berth was anchored by a pitching staff that ranked among the nation’s best as the Cardinals closed the 2013 season at No. 5 in the NCAA in ERA at 2.52, No. 1 overall in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.6, No. 2 in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (6.93), ninth in WHIP (1.15) and 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.82 strikeouts per walk). Louisville also set a school record for shut- outs in 2013 with 10 surpassing the previous school record of seven set during the program’s first College World Series appearance in 2007. For his work with the Cardinals in 2013, Williams was selected as the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year. Overall, Louisville finished with a school record 629 strikeouts on the mound while opponents hit just .214 against the Cardinals in 2013. The 2.52 ERA was the lowest for a Louisville team since 1958. During the run to the College World Series, the Cardinals had a 2.47 ERA in seven NCAA Championship games with 60 strikeouts in 62.0 innings pitched. The pitching staff was a key component to Louisville’s NCAA Super Regional win at No. 2 national seed Vander- bilt as the Cardinals outpitched the Commodores allowing just three earned runs and a .176 batting average (12 hits, one extra-base hit) in the two-game sweep in Nashville. Individually, a pair of Louisville pitchers earned All-America hon- ors in 2013 as sophomore righty Nick Burdi (16 saves, 0.76 ERA) was a First Team Perfect Game All-American and a Second Team NCBWA All-American while junior righty Jeff Thompson (11-2, 2.19 ERA) was Louisville Slugger Second Team All-America by College Baseball newspaper, Third Team All-America by Perfect Game and Third Team All-America by NCBWA. Thompson was also selected as BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year marking the fifth time in seven years a Louisville player has earned the conference award. Two more Louisville pitch- ers - righthanders Kyle Funkhouser (5-1, 2.14 ERA) and Anthony Kidston (5-0, 1.31 ERA) - were named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans in 2013.gocards.com n University of Louisville 57 BASEBALL Following the season, Louisville had four pitchers selected in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft -- righthander Dace Kime was taken 79th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the third round, Thompson was selected 94th overall in the third round by the Detroit Tigers, righty Chad Green was selected in the 11th Round by the Detroit Tigers and lefty Cody Ege was taken in the 15th Round by the Texas Rangers. - 41-22 (18-9 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions Louisville won the BIG EAST regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Regional final in Tucson. Leading the way for the pitchers was righty Justin Amlung, a Louisville Slugger All-American and the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, who was 9-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 109 innings. Righty Jared Ruxer became the second Louisville pitcher to be selected as BIG EAST Rookie of the Year as he went 8-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 14 starts. Joining Amlung and Ruxer as All-BIG EAST selections was Thompson, who was 9-4 with 73 strikeouts in 78.2 innings, and right-handed reliever Derek Self, who led the Cards with seven saves to go with a 2-2 record and a 3.41 ERA. Following the season, righty Matt Koch led a trio of Louisville pitchers selected in the 2012 MLB Draft when he was taken in the third round (107th overall) by the New York Mets. Self followed by going in the ninth round by the Washington Nationals, while Amlung went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round. - 32-29 (14-13 Big East) Louisville’s trend of success on the mound continued in 2011 when the 3.06 team ERA was the program’s lowest in more than 30 years. The pitching staff was led by Amlung, a First Team All-BIG EAST selection, who finished 10-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 105.0 innings of work. Following Amlung was closer and All-BIG EAST honoree Tony Zych, who had 13 saves and was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. - 50-14 (21-6 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions, first 50-win season The Cardinals’ 2010 stable of pitchers was led by First Team All-American closer Neil Holland and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Thomas Royse. Holland finished the season ranked second in the nation with 17 saves to go along with an 8-1 record. In 56.1 innings of relief, the First Team All-BIG EAST selection had a 2.08 ERA and 59 strikeouts while opposing batters hit just .160 against him. Royse finished 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 104.1 innings of work. Following the season, Royse was selected 114th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2010 MLB Draft, while Holland was an 11th Round selection by the Washington Nationals. As a group, the Louisville pitchers led the BIG EAST and ranked 11th nationally with a 3.69 ERA while also leading the league in opposing batting average (.261) and strikeouts (485). - 47-18 (19-7 Big East), NCAA Super Regional, Big East Conference Champions Williams’ 2009 pitching staff was led by Justin Marks, who set a single-season school record with 11 wins to earn Second Team All-America and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year accolades. Marks also finished his three-year career as the Cards’ all-time leader in wins (29), strikeouts (305), ERA (2.96) and starts (48) before being drafted in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. Overall, the Cards’ 2009 pitching staff led the BIG EAST in ERA at 4.32 and ranked 22nd in the nation. Along with Marks, Royse also earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2009, while newcomers Derek Self and Tony Zych earned Freshman All-America recognition. Self was 7-0 on the season with a 3.88 ERA, while Zych was 6-2 overall, including a win in the BIG EAST Tourna- ment title game over UConn to earn All-Tournament honors and a win in the Cards’ NCAA Regional title game triumph over Vanderbilt to earn All-Regional honors. - 41-21 (16-11 Big East), NCAA Regional After making an immediate impact on the Cards’ pitching staff in the program’s run to the College World Series in 2007, Williams saw his pitching staff continue its impressive success in 2008 with the program’s first-ever BIG EAST Tournament title. The Cards were 4-0 in the tournament, including a pair of wins by Marks, who finished 2008 with a 9-2 record overall and a 2.37 ERA en route to earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors as well as Second Team (Ping!Baseball) and Third Team (ABCA) All-America honors. - 47-24 (19-8 Big East), First NCAA College World Series In his first season in Louisville, Williams’ pitching staff finished the 2007 season with a trip to Omaha and an ERA that closed the season ranked fifth in the nation. Williams dropped the team ERA from 4.87 in 2006 to 3.14 in 2007, despite inheriting a staff that lost Next >