LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville baseball team will officially open preseason practice for the 2017 season with a busy weekend of activities on and off the field, highlighted by a pair of open scrimmages at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals, ranked in the top 12 in four preseason polls and as highly as No. 6 by Perfect Game, will take the field on the first day of full-squad practice with a scrimmage Friday at 2 p.m., ET. The team will also scrimmage Saturday at noon, while batting practice will begin approximately 75 minutes prior to first pitch each day.

Following the Friday afternoon scrimmage, the Louisville baseball program will host the 21st annual Leadoff Dinner presented by Republic Bank at 7 p.m., ET at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. This year's event, headlined by UofL baseball alumni Cody Ege, Chad Green, Dean Kiekhefer and Matt Koch, will also include a 10-year reunion for Louisville's 2007 College World Series team and a special recognition for former Cardinals standout Adam Duvall, a 2016 MLB All-Star and Gold Glove finalist for the Cincinnati Reds.

After closing their on-field work with Saturday's scrimmage at Patterson Stadium, the Cardinals will be signing 2017 schedule posters in the lobbies throughout the KFC Yum! Center prior to the Louisville men's basketball game against NC State. The Louisville players will begin signing posters when doors open at 11:30 a.m., and will continue visiting with fans until tip-off at 1 p.m.

The No. 6 Cardinals will open the 2017 season on Feb. 17-19 in Clearwater, Florida with a trio of games at Spectrum Field, the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Louisville will face Alabama State on Feb. 17 at 3 p.m., ET, No. 22 Maryland on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., and Ball State on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. The 2017 home-opener for the Cardinals is set for Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium 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.

