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Louisville HC Dan McDonnell Talks Start of Preseason (1/27/23)

Louisville Baseball Picked as Preseason Co-Favorite to Win ACC

The Cardinals are the slim favorite to win the Atlantic Division, and are co-favorites with Wake Forest to win the conference as a whole.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball program is once again heading into the season as the team to beat in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but this time they do have some company for the moniker of preseason favorite.

The ACC announced Thursday that the league's 14 head coaches had voted the Cardinals as the favorite to win the Atlantic Division, but had voted them as preseason co-favorites with Wake Forest to be the conference's overall 2023 winner.

Louisville and Wake Forest each garnered six first place votes to win the Atlantic Division, but the Cardinals finished with five more points than the Demon Deacons. NC State and Clemson received the other two first place votes for the division. For the conference as a whole, Louisville and Wake Forest again secured six votes, with Clemson and Virginia Tech each receiving one.

The Cardinals have won at least a share of the ACC regular season title in four of the seven full seasons since joining the conference in 2015. Head coach Dan McDonnell has also won nine conference regular season titles across three different leagues in his time at Louisville.

Related: Louisville Baseball 2023 Season Preview

Entering his 17th year at the helm and sporting an overall record of 684-282-1, McDonnell returns several experienced players for 2023. Four starting position players - including preseason All-Americans catcher Jack Payton and shortstop Christian Knapczyk - are back, as well as 11 pitchers who tossed at least 10+ innings.

The No. 5 Cardinals will open up the 2023 season with a three-game home series against Bucknell. The first pitch of the year is scheduled for Friday, February 17 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Jack Payton: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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