Don’t look now but the University of Louisville baseball team opens the 2009 season this Friday with the first game of a three-game series against the University of Florida in Gainesville.
They will be led by senior third baseman Chris Dominguez, who today was selected Preseason First Team All America by Baseball America and Rivals.com. The good-natured native of Miami paced the Cards to 41-21 won-lost record last season, batting .365 with a team-leading 21 home runs, 13 doubles and 75 runs batted in.
Dominguez turned down a offer to play professional baseball last summer after being drafted by the Colorado Rockies. It marked the first time since 2003 that a college player drafted in the fifth round had not signed. He told Baseball America:
“I have no regrets. I don’t live in the past about the decisions I make. Maybe I didn’t get drafted as high as I would’ve liked to. But things happen for a reason …Â To have a chance to go back to the College World Series, I think it’s worked out for the better.”
The team returns for its first home game on the 2009 schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 25th against Eastern Kentucky University at Jim Patterson Stadium at 2 p.m.