By John McCarthy–
Danny Oriente of the U of L baseball team was awarded a position on the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District team on May 14. The former right fielder for the Cardinals completed his undergraduate degree this spring with a focus on sports administration. Oriente turned in a stellar 3.56-grade point average during his final semester at U of L.
Oriente’s effort towards academics mirrored his talents on the baseball diamond. The graduate was in the starting lineup for the Cardinals for three of his four years at U of L. Oriente always had an eye for the baseball, maintaining a .324 batting average throughout his 137-game collegiate career. His most notable moment with the bat was in the Cardinals’ 2019 playoff push when Oriente slugged for a .332 batting average to lead Louisville to the College World Series. Oriente was off to an excellent start in his final season at U of L. He connected for 16 runs batted in during the Cardinals 2020 campaign before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CoSIDA, or College Sports Information Directors of America, focuses on the development of sports organizations at all levels. Their awards range from scholarships and grants to recognitions such as the nomination Oriente is receiving. CoSIDA recognizes the country’s best collegiate student-athletes for their perseverance in academics and athletics. Honorees for first-team All-District will move onto the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. Honorees for the Academic All-American team will be announced on Jun. 8 through Jun. 11.
Oriente was the first Cardinals baseball player to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team since Colby Fitch back in 2017. Oriente is U of L baseball’s fifth nominee since the 2002 season.
File Photo// The Louisville Cardinal
