By Brandon Davis

“Frantic.”
That’s how sophomore Mark Grieshaber described the two day walk-on tryouts for the University of Louisville baseball team.  
Having just learned about the tryouts less than 24 hours beforehand, the process of filling out the necessary paperwork and completing a physical made the actual tryout the least of Grieshaber’s worries.  
Not only did Grieshaber have to deal with the pressure of trying out for one of the top baseball teams in the nation, he was also the lone player that attempted to make the squad. But all the pressure went out the window once he began playing.  
“The only intimidation was when I first walked out. But other than that it was just baseball,” said Grieshaber. “I’m just happy to have a chance to still play.”
Grieshaber, a Kentucky native who played high school baseball at Oldham County High School, plays both second base and outfield.
Though Grieshaber admitted he was not in the best shape when it came to conditioning, head coach Dan McDonnell was pleased with what he saw.  
“He seems to be a good middle [in]fielder, which is what we’re needing in this tryout,” McDonnell said. “He seems to be a good kid from a good program. And he seems to be a guy we can use to help us in our scrimmages. But he has a long way to go.”  
Over the course of the last three seasons, under the guidance of McDonnell, the Cardinal program has reached new heights.
Three straight NCAA Championship appearances, including a trip to the College World Series in 2007, along with the sweep of Big East regular and postseason championships in 2009, grace the record books as his most recent accomplishments.
Entering the team’s fourth season under McDonnell, the Cards again look to bring back a solid number of veteran players. These include All-Big East performers such as first baseman Andrew Clark, second baseman Adam Duvall, pitcher Thomas Royse and utility player Phil Wunderlich.  
Although McDonnell faces a tough challenge in replacing two of the most productive players in program history, in third baseman Chris Dominguez and pitcher Justin Marks, he has a lot of confidence in the experience he’s returning.  
“You don’t individually replace guys like [Dominguez] or Marks,” McDonnell said. “But we have got a lot of guys back who have postseason experience—guys who’ve been a part of back-to-back Big East Championships and some guys that have even been to Omaha. So you’d hope that all that experience can help replace guys like them.”
Even though some might view the walk-on tryout as a sign of weakness, the Cards view it as an opportunity to get the most out of this season’s Fall Camp.  
“Depending on the year, you might not need to have walk-on tryouts,” McDonnell said. “This just happens to be a year where we have some injuries and some guys that won’t play in the fall. So we need a guy that can come help us in the scrimmage.”