Mike Folli to Start Opening Day with Springfield Cardinals

Former UB standout promoted to Double-A affiliate of St. Louis Cardinals

BUFFALO, NY - Former University at Buffalo standout Mike Folli will start the 2009 baseball season on the opening day roster of the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League, the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mike Folli

Folli opened the 2008 season with single-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Midwest League before being promoted to Palm Beach of the Florida State League.

In the 2008 season with Quad Cities and Palm Beach, Folli hit .222 in 77 games with nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, six stolen bases and 18 RBIs.

Following a successful career as a Bull from 2005 to 2007, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Folli in the 42nd round of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

In 2007, Folli became the first Bull to earn first-team All-MAC honors, as well as the first to earn MAC post-season honors on multiple occasions. Starting in 46 of 47 games in his senior year, he finished eighth in the conference in batting with a team-high .346 batting average. He also led the team with 65 hits and was tied for the team-high in doubles (13) and stolen bases (12).