Cards Baseball Is Rolling

Well basketball season is over and the first game in football isn't for 5 months. You know what that means? It's baseball season and manger Dan McDonnell's Louisville Cardinals are off to a great 20-9 start. To steal a line from the great Harry Doyle, "In case you haven't noticed and judging by the attendance you haven't". The Cardinals are 16-2 at home this season and since dropping their first three games in Gainsville against the #11th ranked Gators, Louisville has gone 20-6.

Third baseman Chris Dominguez (drafted 5th round by Rockies) decided to return to Louisville and has been destroying the ball. He is leading the team in home runs (9), RBIs (40), and slugging percentage (.641) but is also leading the Cards in strikeouts (24). He is hitting .333, good for 4th on the team behind Phil Wunderlich (.348), Josh Richmond (.336), and Freshman Ryan Wright (.336).

Wunderlich just recently had a career high 3 home runs in one game against Cincinnati. First baseman Andrew Clark, who was big in the Cards post season run last season, is one of six Cards batting over .300 (.313) and has hit 4 home runs with 26 RBIs.

Louisville returned several key players from last season but has also added to that with the additions of Freshman Ryan Wright and JUCO Adam Duvall. Both have been consistent starters and contributors. Wright (2B/SS) is second on the Cards in batting while recording 2 home runs, 2 triples, and 5 doubles so far. He (Wright) is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Adam Duvall (2B) come to the Cards from Chipola JC, where he was named to All-World Series Team after leading Chipola to Junior College World Series. He (Duvall) is batting .329 (5th on team) and 11 doubles (tied for 1st on team) this season but has committed 8 errors (2nd on team, Dominguez leads with 9) already.

The Cards pitching staff has been led by Justin Marks, who is 4-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 7 starts. Marks has been impressive as expected this season, holding batters to a .235 BA, striking out 57 batters in 42 IP and only allowing 1 home run. The Cards pitching staff is kinda shaky after Marks though. Sophomore Dean Kiekhefer has also started 7 times, going 2-2 with a 6.40 ERA. Freshman Mike Nastold has added 4 starts this year, recording a 2-0 record with a respectable 4.44 ERA. Louisville's pitching staff as a whole has a 4.40 ERA and holding opponents to a .258 BA.

The Cards will begin a five game home stretch at Jim Patterson Stadium (where it is free to go to), starting with Indiana on Tuesday (April 7th) at 6:00 PM followed by three game series against Big East foe Pittsburgh (4/9 & 4/10 at 6 PM and 4/11 at 1 PM) capped off with a showdown with Kentucky (4/14 at 6 PM).