Louisville Cardinals
Overall Rank: #11
Conference Rank: #3 ACC
Despite another very good season, Louisville did not host a regional and had to head to Lubbock. That was a tough matchup for the Cardinals, who ended up losing to the Red Raiders twice. For a team that had previously won seven regular season conference titles, going home that early was a bit of a disappointment. However, this is an experienced group and they should be hosting a regional in 2019, even if an ACC title remains elusive.
2018: 45-19, 18-12
2018 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Dan McDonnell
Key Departed Players:
Josh Stowers, OF, .336 BA, 9 HR, 60 RBI, 36 SB
Devin Mann, IF, .303 BA, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 15 SB
Adam Wolf, P, 2.63 ERA, 8-2 W/L, 102.2 IP, 109 SO
Key Returning Players:
Logan Wyatt, 1B, .339 BA, 6 HR, 69 RBI
Danny Oriente, OF, .331 BA, 1 HR, 41 RBI
Drew Campbell, OF, .313 BA, 2 HR, 31 RBI
Jake Snider, OF, .300 BA, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 24 SB
Tyler Fitzgerald, IF, .264 BA, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 23 SB
Justin Lavey, IF, .248 BA, 3 HR, 33 RBI
Nick Bennett, P, 2.84 ERA, 8-2 W/L, 73.0 IP, 72 SO
Bryan Hoeing, P, 2.88 ERA, 7-2 W/L, 68.2 IP, 51 SO
Bobby Miller, P, 2.97 ERA, 6-1 W/L, 66.2 IP, 55 SO
Projection:
Louisville lost some of their power at the plate and speed on the bases with the departure of Josh Stowers and Devin Mann, but this should still be a very potent offense. Logan Wyatt hit a team high .339 and drove in 69 runs. Wyatt will again have the opportunity to bring home a ton of runs this season, especially with Danny Oriente, Drew Campbell and Jake Snider getting on base consistently. Those three all hit .300 or higher last season. Shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald could see a big boost in production after hitting .264 with three homeruns, 24 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. The Cardinals will generate plenty of runs this year, but the pitching staff should make it so this group does not have to score too much. Nick Bennett, Bryan Hoeing and Bobby Miller all have starting experience from last season and boasted a sub-3.00 ERA. There are a few holes for Coach Dan McDonnell to fill, but this team has the experience to fill those holes effectively and compete for a trip to Omaha.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
