Press release from the University of Louisville athletic department:
February 6, 2018
ACC Baseball Coaches Pick Louisville Second in Atlantic Division
Cardinals enter 2018 having won three straight ACC Atlantic Division championships
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team was tabbed to finish second in the 2018 ACC Atlantic Division race in a vote of the conference’s 14 head coaches, while Florida State was chosen as the favorite to win the division and conference championships.
The Seminoles were picked by 10 coaches as the team to beat in the conference. The Tar Heels picked up three votes and Wake Forest received one vote for overall conference champion.
Florida State led the way in the Atlantic Division with 95 points, followed by Louisville (78), Clemson (70), NC State (53), Wake Forest (52), Boston College (25), and Notre Dame (19). The Seminoles were selected as division favorites by 13 coaches, while Wake Forest received one vote. Louisville has won each of the last three ACC Atlantic Divisions titles.
Twelve coaches picked North Carolina to win the Coastal Division, with Virginia receiving the other two first place votes. The Tar Heels tallied 96 points, ahead of Virginia (83), Duke (62), Miami (60), Georgia Tech (46), Virginia Tech (27), and Pitt (18).
The ACC has had at least seven teams earn bids to the NCAA Championship in each of the last nine years and has had at least one team in the College World Series for 12 consecutive seasons. Last year, the ACC led all conferences with 20 All-Americans and had 75 players selected in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Nine different ACC teams have been ranked in the five national polls that have been announced to date, led by Florida State and North Carolina, both of which have been in the top 10 in every poll. Louisville has been ranked in all five polls, including 13th in the USA Today Top 25 coaches poll.
The No. 13 Cardinals will open the 2018 season on Friday, Feb. 16 at noon ET against Richmond in the first of three games at the Charleston Crab House Challenge in Charleston, South Carolina. Louisville will also play The Citadel on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m., and George Mason on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. The 2018 home-opener at Jim Patterson Stadium for the Cardinals is set for Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m., ET against Eastern Kentucky.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
2018 ACC BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Overall Champion
Florida State (10)
North Carolina (3)
Wake Forest (1)
Atlantic Division
- Florida State (13) – 95
- Louisville – 78
- Clemson – 70
- NC State – 53
- Wake Forest (1) – 52
- Boston College – 25
- Notre Dame – 19
Coastal Division
- North Carolina (12) – 96
- Virginia (2) – 83
- Duke – 62
- Miami – 60
- Georgia Tech – 46
- Virginia Tech – 27
- Pitt – 18
() = first place votes
NEWS: ACC Coaches Pick Louisville Second in Atlantic Divisionhttps://t.co/Oh9gV0aHyu pic.twitter.com/n7ps7lFJ3E
— Louisville Baseball (@UofLBaseball) February 6, 2018
