Fans will get a preseason look at the nationally ranked University of Louisville baseball team as head coach Dan McDonnell will host a Red-Black intrasquad scrimmage on Friday at 2 p.m. ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Admission is free for the event and batting practice will begin at 1 p.m., for the Cards, who open the 2009 season on Friday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. ET, against SEC foe Florida. The Cards and Gators will meet in a three-game series in Gainesville on Feb. 20-22, while U of L's home-opener is set for Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. ET, at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Ranked in the top 25 in all of the major preseason polls, including a No. 8 ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll, Louisville is the unanimous favorite to win the 2009 BIG EAST Conference title according to the league's head coaches. The Cards return eight of nine position starters for 2009 led by All-American third baseman and preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Chris Dominguez. McDonnell's third Louisville squad also returns a deep stable of talented pitchers, led by All-American and BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year Justin Marks.
Last season, Louisville earned its second straight NCAA Championship bid after winning the program's first ever BIG EAST Tournament title. The Cards finished 41-21 overall in 2008 after being eliminated from the Athens Regional by eventual College World Series runner-up Georgia.
