| Louisville Cardinals | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1909 |
| University | University of Louisville |
| Head coach | Dan McDonnell (7th season) |
| Conference | Big East Conference |
| Home stadium | Jim Patterson Stadium (Capacity: 4,000) |
| Nickname | Cardinals |
| Colors | Red, Black, and White |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 2007 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| Big East: 2008, 2009 | |
| Regular season conference champions | |
| Metro: 1983, 1984 Big East: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 | |
The Louisville Cardinals baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of the University of Louisville, located in Louisville, Kentucky. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conference since the start of the 2006 season and will join the Atlantic Coast Conference at the start of the 2014 season. It has played at Jim Patterson Stadium since the venue opened during the 2005 season. Dan McDonnell has been the program's head coach since the start of the 2007 season. As of the the end of the 2012 season, the program has appeared in six NCAA Tournaments and one College World Series. In conference postseason play, it has won two Big East Conference Baseball Tournaments. In regular season play, it has won two Metro Conference titles and three Big East Conference titles. As of the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season, four former Cardinals have appeared in Major League Baseball.
History
editConference affiliations
edit- Independent (1909–1912, 1920–1922, 1924–1942, 1945–1962)
- Missouri Valley Conference (1963–1975)
- Metro Conference (1976–1995)
- Conference USA (1996–2005)
- Big East Conference (2006–2013)
- Atlantic Coast Conference (2014–)
Venues
editEarly venues
editEarly in its history, Louisville played many home games at Eclipse Park in Louisville, until the venue burned down in 1922. Other early venues included the Belknap Campus Diamond, Shawnee Park, Manual Stadium, and St. Xavier Field.[1]
Parkway Field
editParkway Field, located on the university's campus, was the program's home sporadically from 1923–1960 and full-time from 1961–1995. The grandstand that allowed professional baseball to be played at the venue in the first half of the 20th century was torn down in 1961.[1][2]
Derby City Field
editFor all of the 1996 and 1997 seasons and parts of the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the Cardinals played at Derby City Field.[1]
Old Cardinal Stadium
edit
From the start of the 1998 season through mid-April 2005, Louisville played at Old Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals played a full schedule at Cardinal Stadium from 2000 to 2004 and portions of their schedule there in 1998, 1999, and 2005. At points in its history, the stadium was also home to the Louisville football program, minor league baseball teams, and minor league football teams.[3][1]
Jim Patterson Stadium
editSince partway through the 2005 season, the program has played at Jim Patterson Stadium, located on Louisville's campus. The venue has a capacity of 4,000 spectators, cost $8.5 million, and is named for businessman and former Louisville baseball player Jim Patterson.[4] It underwent $4 million renovations prior to the 2013 season to increase its capacity and upgrade its facilities.[5] It has hosted three NCAA Regionals (2009, 2010, 2013) and one Super Regional (2007).[6]
Head coaches
editLelo Prado, the program's head coach from 1996–2006, is Louisville's wins leader, with 320. John Heldman, who served as head coach for 26 seasons, is the program's longest tenured head coach.[7]
Current coaching staffeditLouisville's coaching staff for the 2013 season is as follows:[8]
Year-by-year recordseditBelow is a table of the program's yearly records. Louisville's first season of varsity intercollegiate baseball was 1909. It did not sponsor a team from 1913–1919, in 1923 (not enough players), or from 1943–1944 (World War II).[7][9][10][11][12]
Notable former playerseditThe following is a list of notable former Cardinals and the seasons in which they played for the program.[13] 
2012 MLB DrafteditThree Cardinals were selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft: P Matt Koch by the New York Mets (3rd round), P Derek Self by the Washington Nationals (9th round), and P Justin Amlung by the Chicago Cubs (12th round).[14] All three signed professional contracts with their respective teams.[15][16][17] See alsoeditNoteseditReferencesedit
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