Louisville Ranked No. 7 in Baseball America 2021 Preseason Poll
(Photo of Dan McDonnell: Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball program has earned yet another top ten preseason ranking for the 2021 season.
In Baseball America's 2021 Preseason College Top 25, the Cardinals were tabbed as the No. 7 team in the country. It is their third top ten ranking this preseason, also earning the No. 2 spot from Perfect Game and the No. 5 ranking from D1Baseball. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper placed Louisville just outside the top ten at No. 11.
Louisville is one of seven ACC teams in the poll, and are the second-highest ranked team in the conference, trailing only Virginia at No. 5. Top-ranked Florida, UCLA, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Virginia and Vanderbilt round out the six teams ahead of Louisville.
Related: Louisville Baseball 2021 Season Preview
Five Cardinals have also been named 2021 Preseason All-Americans up to this point. Third baseman Alex Binelas, left-handed reliever Michael Kirian, catcher Henry Davis and outfielder Levi Usher have been honored by both Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game, with Jared Poland also being named a utility selection by the latter.
The Cardinal Nine finished the 2020 season with a 13-4 record, and were ranked as high as the No. 2 team in the country (D1Baseball, Perfect Game) at the time of the season's cancellation due to COVID-19. They had previously been tabbed as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation and were also voted by league coaches as the favorite to win the ACC.
McDonnell enters his 15th season with the program, compiling a 618-244 record during his tenure as the Louisville skipper - the most wins of any team in the country since his hiring in 2007.
Related: Louisville Baseball's 2021 Schedule Revealed
Louisville is set to begin the 2021 season with a three-game weekend series against Bellarmine at Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday, Feb. 19
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