All Entries Tagged With: "Dan McDonnell"
Enjoy The Break Louisville Fans
Why the break between the conference tournaments and the NCAA basketball tournament is totally necessary for Louisville basketball fans:
- Recovering from a frustrating season with an unpredictable team.
- Adjusting to the reality that the season may soon be over.
- Recalling that Rick Pitino can be a master motivator.
- Watching other teams is boring, the games all looking the same after a while.
- Getting a reprieve from the grim possibility of a nasty rival going deep in the tournament.
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Adam Duvall two home runs and a double in win over Xavier
Dan McDonnell’s Baseball Cards are 15-1 after a 7-4 win over Xavier Tuesday. Derek Self the winner, boosting his record to 3-0, Gabriel Shaw with his second save.
Adam Duvall, the player you most want to see at the plate in the clutch, with two home runs, a double and three runs batted. He now has six four-baggers.
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Actually not a total break from basketball because the Louisville women’s team has at least one more game in Freedom Hall. Jeff Walz too competitive to turn it down, and it would be good to go out with a win.
Good Homecoming For Dan McDonnell
They take college baseball seriously in Oxford, Miss,, attracting between 6,000 and 7,000 fans per game. Southern hospitality goes out the window, like in the dumpster for visiting teams.
Dan McDonnell returned over the weekend to the University of Mississippi where he served for six seasons as assistant baseball coach before taking the head job at Louisville. Ole Miss was eager to knock U of L from the ranks of the undefeated and out of the nation’s elite.
Mississippi did end U of L’s winning streak at 13 games with an 8-3 win in the second game. However, Louisville took the series, the opener 6-1 and the third game 10-8. Louisville also moved up a notch — from eighth to ninth — in this week’s Baseball America poll.
Louisville will host Xavier at Jim Patterson Field Tuesday, with a Noon start time.
Louisville Baseball Cards Host Indiana
Don’t expect to go out at the last minute and find a decent seat.
Your one chance to see the University of Louisville baseball team in person this week comes Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium when the Cards meet Indiana University.
Dan McDonnell’s team is 11-0, and ranked 10th by the College Baseball Writers of America. U of L faces 20th-ranked Mississippi in a three-game series at Oxford this weekend.
Believe it or not, a total of 1,007 people were on hand Saturday for a game against Le Moyne that coincided with the final U of L basketball appearance at Freedom Hall.
Sky High Expectations For Louisville Baseball
Dan McDonnell is setting his sights high for Louisville baseball.
“When a young man commits to the University of Louisville, he knows we’re trying to win championships. The goal is to get to Omaha. More than than ever, I’m talking about winning it. When we get to Omaha, I want our kids to be prepared. I don’t want to get to Omaha, take a deep breath and say, okay, we accomplished our goal.”
In other words, the coach wants his team to win the College World Series.
The 2010 baseball season begins for U of L Friday at 2 p.m. against Bowling Green University, defending champs of the Mid Atlantic Conference. Thanks to Shannon over at Cardinal Dominance for the video snippet:
(You can view all 22 minutes of the video at Cardinal Dominance.)
Happy Thanksgiving U of L Fans
by Sonja Sykes
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, this time of year gives us an opportunity to reflect on the many things for which University of Louisville fans can be thankful. Here is a brief list of the things that give us reason:
- Jeff Walz and the Lady Cards. A trip to the final four, the excellent play of Angel McCoughtry and the encouraging start to the 2009-10 season. The electric atmosphere in Freedom Hall for games is something you need to experience.
- Rick Pitino and the men’s team. A trip to the regional finals and good times in Indy. A new team that has 10 guys that may not have the NBA draft status of T-Will and Earl, will give Cardinal fans plenty to get excited about in the upcoming season. An exciting mix of the new and old, and a coach that can get it done.
- Dan McDonnell and the baseball team. The fun involved with watching Chris Dominguez, the tight pitching staff and another run at Omaha is a blessing and another dynasty in Cardinal athletics is evident.
- Tom Jurich for the coaches he has hired, the wise decision making he has displayed and the patience to make a studied and informed decision on the future of a particular program that needs some changes.
- A football team that produced and developed some exciting playmakers. Trent Guy, Scott Long, Vic Anderson, Darius Ashley and my defensive heroes gave me a reason to go and cheer, despite the dismal season results.
- Leonard Yelin and the overachieving volleyball team. Learning and growing as the season progressed, they were the best in the Big East tournament and will play in the NCAA Championships.
- Ken Lolla and the men’s soccer team. Another Big East trophy to put in the showcase and the promise of more things to be grateful about next year.
- Pam Bustin and the field hockey team. Perennial top 10 rankings and a stellar performance from a young and rebuilding squad. Another sport you need to go out and watch life. You’ll be thankful that you did.
- Sandy Pearsall and women’s softball. The Lady Bat Cards are building a roster that is second to none in the Big East and play in the best facilities in the Big East, if not the nation.
- Track and field, women’s soccer, swimming, golf, all nationally competitive, too. Lacrosse coming on. That’s what happens when you start a list, wow.
Finally, a thank you to all those involved with this site. Whether a contributor, observer or occasional guest, you make the show here and we thank you for your wise council, excellent columns and comments and discussion that far outshine any other Cardinal sports site on the Internet.
May the joy of the Thanksgiving season, time with friends and family and reflection on all the things we can truly give thanks for fill your heart with happiness and cheer your hours during this holiday season.
