Louisville Baseball was named preseason No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper yesterday. Today that same publication has named three Cardinals as preseason All-Americans. Really there is no surprise as to whom the honorees are: Reid Detmers, Michael Kirian, and Alex Binelas.
Detmers was the unquestioned ace of the starting staff last season. He went 13-4 with a 2.78 ERA. Detmers was a workhorse pitching 113.1 innings and in those innings he struck out 167 batters. With a .177 opponent batting average and only 33 walks issued, Detmers proved to be one of the best starters in all of college baseball. In fact, Detmers was named either a First or Second Team All-American by most major college baseball publications. College Baseball Newspaper named him a Second Team All-American. He improved immensely from his freshman to sophomore seasons. The expectation is he will make a similar improvement from his sophomore season to his junior one.
Kirian will likely take over closing duties from Michael McAvene who is now pitching in the Cubs organization. Kirian and McAvene seemed to be the primary closers last season with McAvene collecting 7 and Kirian 5. Kirian stepped up big when McAvene was suspended for 4 games during Louisville’s run to Omaha last season. Kirian led last year’s team in relief appearances with 26. He had a stellar 1.69 ERA with 42 strikeouts and a .218 opponent batting average. The southpaw is the ace of the bullpen and will be counted on to shut the door on opponents this year.
Binelas is coming off a freshman campaign that saw him emerge as Louisville’s premier power threat in the lineup. With 14 homers, Binelas led the Cards in that department. His slugging percentage of .612 also led the team. Binelas was second in RBIs with 59 just behind Tyler Fitzgerald. Binelas had 14 doubles and 5 triples as well. His unbelievable season at the plate earned him 2019 Freshman All-American honors from numerous publications including Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Now they’ve given him the honor of being named a preseason All-American.
Louisville Baseball appears to be on the cusp of a monster season and these three preseason All-Americans will be spearheading the effort.
If you would like to know more about these young men, the honor they were bestowed, or how to get season tickets to watch them play, check out the press release from UofL below.
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Louisville Baseball Trio Named Preseason All-Americans
Binelas, Detmers and Kirian were recognized by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2019
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One day after earning the No. 1 ranking, three University of Louisville baseball student-athletes were recognized as preseason All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Reid Detmers and Alex Binelas were first team selections, while Michael Kirian was named to the third team.
The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, Detmers enters the 2020 season coming off a standout sophomore campaign. The left-hander went 13-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 113.1 innings, setting the program’s single-season record for strikeouts and tying the mark for wins. Detmers earned All-American recognition by six different services and was a Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Award semifinalist.
Binelas put together a strong freshman campaign in 2019, leading the Cardinals in home runs and slugging percentage and garnering freshman All-America honors. The Oak Creek, Wis., native hit .291 with 14 doubles, 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in his first season at Louisville, becoming the first UofL freshman since Chris Dominguez in 2007 to hit 10 home runs in a season.
Kirian proved to be a key piece in the Louisville bullpen during the 2019 season. The southpaw made a team-high 26 relief appearances, going 3-1 overall with five saves and a team-best 1.69 ERA. Kirian recorded the final three outs against East Carolina to send the Cardinals to the College World Series and earned the save the Cardinals’ victory over Auburn in Omaha.
Louisville opens the 2020 season Feb. 14 with a three-game series on the road at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. The Cardinals’ home opener is set for Feb. 19 against Wright State at Jim Patterson Stadium.
2020 LOUISVILLE BASEBALL SEASON TICKETS
The 2020 reserved chairback ticket packages, which include one ticket to each of the 17 ticketed games, are priced at $110 for adults, $90 for senior adults/youths and $90 for families of four or more. Season tickets for the Left Field Berm are also available at $50 per ticket. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online here, by calling 502-GO-CARDS or by visiting the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office, located near Gate 2 at Cardinal Stadium (2800 South Floyd Street) on weekdays from 9 a.m., until 5 p.m., ET. Complete details on 2020 UofL baseball tickets can be found at gocards.com/bsbtickets.
The season ticket package covers weekend series against ACC foes Notre Dame, Virginia, Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech, in addition to non-conference games against Kentucky and Indiana.
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