11.
LOUISVILLE
2008 RECORD. Overall:
41-21
(Advanced to NCAA regional). Conference: 16-11 / 4th in Big East.
Coach: Dan McDonnell (88-45 overall, 3rd
season).
First Game, 2009: Feb. 20 at No. 20 Florida.
OVERVIEW:
Louisville
unexpectedly made its first trip to the College World Series in 2007 and won the
Big East Conference tournament a year ago as a No. 4 seed. There will be no overachieving
for the Cardinals this year as they have a veteran, battle-tested roster and are
not only an overwhelming choice to win the Big East, but a solid bet to return to
Omaha for the second time in Dan McDonnell’s three years as coach. Fourth-year junior
Chris Dominguez has continued to tap into his immense tools each year he’s been
in the program and leads the charge offensively for the Cardinals, who return all
but one regular. Lefthander Justin Marks is the anchor on the pitching staff, but
it wouldn’t surprise scouts if 6-foot-4, 190-pound LHP Bob Revesz, a draft-eligible
sophomore, and even resurgent RHP Matt Lea, once a top
Tennessee
prep prospect, make a quantum leap forward in 2009 to provide
Louisville
with a formidable rotation.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
C: Jeff Arnold, Jr. (.333-2-32).
1B: Andrew Clark (3), Jr. (.323-5-44).
2B: Adam Duvall, Jr. (.318-9-37 at
Chipola, Fla.
, JC).
3B: Chris Dominguez (4), Jr. (.365-*21-*75,
*7 SB).
SS: John Dao (1), Sr. (.356-3-31, 16
SB).
LF: Stewart Ijames, So. (.351-8-39).
CF: Drew Haynes, So. (.282-0-22).
RF: Josh Richmond, So. (.284-6-36).
DH: Phil Wunderlich, So. (.265-1-20).
1/Starter: Justin Marks,
Jr. (9-2, 2.37, *91 IP/*89 SO).
2/Starter: Bob Revesz,
So. (1-0, 3.90, 65 IP/41 SO).
3/Starter: Matt Lea,
Jr. (5-0, 2.72, 36 IP/33 SO).
Closer: Thomas Royse, So. (4-0, 4.80, 1
SV, 51 IP/51 SO).
BEST TOOLS
Best Athlete: Josh Richmond.
Best Overall Hitter:
Chris
Dominguez.
Best Power Hitter:
Chris
Dominguez.
Best Strike-Zone Discipline:
Andrew
Clark.
Fastest Base Runner (60 time):
Josh Richmond (6.7 seconds).
Best Base Runner:
John Dao.
Best Defender: Adam Duvall.
Best Infield Arm:
Chris
Dominguez.
Best Outfield Arm:
Josh Richmond.
Best Fastball (velocity):
Tony
Zych (94 mph).
Best Breaking Ball:
Justin
Marks.
Best Changeup: Matt Lea.
Best Command: Gavin Logsdon.
TOP FRESHMAN PROSPECT:
Keith Landers, lhp.
Louisville
scored a recruiting coup when the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Landers, the top prep product
in
Massachusetts
, turned down a sizeable bonus offer from the Baltimore Orioles as an 18th-round
pick last June. Landers has a loose, easy arm action with a fastball in the 88-92
mph range and a solid slider, and should be
Louisville
’s primary mid-week starter for the Cardinals in 2009.
TOP SOPHOMORE PROSPECT: Bob Revesz,
lhp / Josh Richmond, of.
Richmond
is a 6-foot-2,
205-pound athletic outfielder whose best tools are his speed and arm strength. He
also has good pop and should see a big jump in his offensive production this year.
Revesz has an 88-91 mph fastball with a plus slider, and could challenge No. 1 starter
Justin Marks as the first
Louisville
pitcher drafted in June if he can come close to matching Marks’ production.
TOP JUNIOR PROSPECT: Chris Dominguez,
3b.
You may not find a college player in this year’s draft class who gets as many mixed
reviews as the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Dominguez, an unsigned fifth-round pick in 2008.
His raw tools are unmistakeable and include tremendous raw power and arm strength.
But Dominguez also led the nation in strikeouts in 2007, with 89, and scouts remain
unconvinced his long swing will play at the next level—even as he curbed his strikeouts
almost in half in 2008.
TOP SENIOR PROSPECT:
John Dao, ss. A fifth-year senior, Dao had a strong junior campaign at
Louisville
after transferring from Northeast Texas CC. He is an athletic shortstop who plays
the game extremely hard, and should be a solid senior sign in June.
--JEFF SIMPSON