Nick Bennett, Tyler Fitzgerald, Zeke Pinkham, Shay Smiddy, and Logan Wyatt have officially been named captains for the 2019 Louisville baseball team.
In a release this afternoon on GoCards.com, head coach Dan McDonnell named the five upperclassmen as team captains.
Bennett is coming off a stellar 2018 season, finishing as an All-ACC Second Team honoree with an 8-2 record, 2.84 ERA, and 72 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. Bennett was also an All-ACC Third Team selection in 2017, as well as a freshman All-American on their College World Series team.
Fitzgerald enters his junior season as one of Louisville’s top veterans, having started full-time last season while making frequent appearances as a freshman in 2017. Starting in 63 of Louisville’s 64 games last season, Fitzgerald had a .264 batting average, as well as 17 doubles and 23 stolen bases.
Pinkham has made 58 appearances in his three seasons with Louisville, including 26 starts. He spent most of last season rehabbing from an unlisted injury, but figures to be Louisville’s primary catcher this season.
Smiddy finished with a 5-1 record and 2.96 ERA last season, emerging as a reliable right-hander in McDonnell’s rotation. With guys like Sam Bordner and Adam Wolf turning pro during the offseason, he has an opportunity to earn a spot as either a starter in the weekend rotation, or inherit the closer spot.
Wyatt returns as Louisville’s go-to player, and has already earned preseason Second Team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Louisville native finished 2018 as an All-ACC First Team selection, hitting .339 at the plate with 69 RBIs, 63 walks, as well as a .490 on-base percentage and .559 slugging.
Louisville begins their season next month, opening with a weekend series against UConn on February 15-17. They host their home opener against Eastern Kentucky on February 20th (3 p.m. ET) at Jim Patterson Stadium.
