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As the northernmost school in the Southeastern Conference, Kentucky is supposed to be at some sort of a competitive disadvantage in outdoor spring sports. Don't tell that to UK's baseball and softball teams.
As they prepare for their final non-conference weekend series vs. Michigan State, the baseball Wildcats sit at 11-1 and are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak. UK is hitting .325 as a team and is outscoring opponents by more than 6.5 runs per game.
Softball, meanwhile, is off to a school-record 16-3 start and is in the midst of an eight-game winning streak of its own. The Cats have already won four games against ranked opponents and two against teams that reached last year's Women's College World Series.
Pollsters have taken notice of the strong starts by both teams. Baseball is ranked No. 7 according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, No. 10 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 11 by Baseball America and No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Softball checks in at No. 17 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll and No. 15 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll - UK's highest ranking in the history of the poll.
Those rankings put the Wildcats in a select group. UK is one of just five schools nationally to rank in the top 17 of every major baseball and softball poll. The other universities on that list are Oklahoma, LSU, UCLA and Oregon.
Baseball and softball aren't alone in their success either.
Men's and women's basketball are heading for postseason play. Third-ranked rifle bids for a second national championship in three seasons on Saturday. Men's tennis is 14-2 and is ranked higher that at any point since 2004. Women's tennis is on the rise and ranked No. 44. Edrick Floreal is ushering in a new era of UK track and field and has the women's team ranked No. 20 in indoors. The football team is on the cusp of spring practice and tickets to the Blue/White Spring Game are being snapped up at an unprecedented rate.
To put it another way, UK Athletics could be primed for a memorable spring.
As they prepare for their final non-conference weekend series vs. Michigan State, the baseball Wildcats sit at 11-1 and are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak. UK is hitting .325 as a team and is outscoring opponents by more than 6.5 runs per game.
Softball, meanwhile, is off to a school-record 16-3 start and is in the midst of an eight-game winning streak of its own. The Cats have already won four games against ranked opponents and two against teams that reached last year's Women's College World Series.
Pollsters have taken notice of the strong starts by both teams. Baseball is ranked No. 7 according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, No. 10 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 11 by Baseball America and No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Softball checks in at No. 17 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll and No. 15 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll - UK's highest ranking in the history of the poll.
Those rankings put the Wildcats in a select group. UK is one of just five schools nationally to rank in the top 17 of every major baseball and softball poll. The other universities on that list are Oklahoma, LSU, UCLA and Oregon.
Baseball and softball aren't alone in their success either.
Men's and women's basketball are heading for postseason play. Third-ranked rifle bids for a second national championship in three seasons on Saturday. Men's tennis is 14-2 and is ranked higher that at any point since 2004. Women's tennis is on the rise and ranked No. 44. Edrick Floreal is ushering in a new era of UK track and field and has the women's team ranked No. 20 in indoors. The football team is on the cusp of spring practice and tickets to the Blue/White Spring Game are being snapped up at an unprecedented rate.
To put it another way, UK Athletics could be primed for a memorable spring.
The Kentucky baseball team won its eighth in a row on Wednesday night and moved to 11-1 on the season with a 6-3 win over Xavier on Wednesday. Freshman Kyle Cody was solid in a five-inning start, allowing two runs en route to his first career victory. A.J. Reed continues to smolder at the plate after picking up two hits - including his Southeastern Conference-leading fifth home run - and reaching twice more on intentional walks.
Video highlights from the win are below and you see player interviews and a full story at this link.
UK hosts Michigan State for three games beginning on Friday in its final weekend series before opening conference play. The forecast is calling for warmer temperatures (63 degrees on Sunday), so head on out to Cliff Hagan Stadium to see the seventh-ranked Cats in action. First pitch on Friday is at 4 p.m. ET, first pitch on Saturday is at 2 p.m. and the final will begin at 1 p.m.
Video highlights from the win are below and you see player interviews and a full story at this link.
UK hosts Michigan State for three games beginning on Friday in its final weekend series before opening conference play. The forecast is calling for warmer temperatures (63 degrees on Sunday), so head on out to Cliff Hagan Stadium to see the seventh-ranked Cats in action. First pitch on Friday is at 4 p.m. ET, first pitch on Saturday is at 2 p.m. and the final will begin at 1 p.m.
Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, March 3:
Softball: Lauren Cumbess
Junior pitcher/infielder Lauren Cumbess had an outstanding week in the circle, going 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA. Cumbess pitched against USF, which is receiving votes and went to the 2012 Women's College World Series, and Central Michigan. The native of Normal, Ill., came on in the fifth inning against USF and threw five hitless innings, striking out four and retiring 15 of the 16 batters she faced. She was also impressive against CMU, allowing an earned run in the first inning on two hits, but only one hit the remainder of the game. After giving up the run against CMU, Cumbess retired 18 of the next 20 batters she faced, including six by strikeout. For the season, Cumbess is 4-1 with a 2.39 ERA, throwing 38 innings with 36 strikeouts and only 13 earned runs allowed. The two-way player has also hit well this season, leading the team with a .373 average on top of 22 hits, four doubles, two homers and a team-high 18 RBI.
Softball: Kara Dill
Senior Kara Dill ended the tournament on a three-game hitting streak after her impressive 3-for-3 performance in UK's win over Western Michigan. Dill had two singles and a triple against the Broncos, while scoring three runs and stealing base. The native of LaGrange, Ohio, played solid defense on the weekend as well, making several nice plays in the field. Dill has hit leadoff in every game but one this season, leading UK in hits and runs scored with a strong on-base percentage of .403. Dill is hitting .358 for the season with four stolen bases and six multi-hit games.
Baseball: Greg Fettes
Freshman catcher Greg Fettes made a pair of starts during the week behind the plate, batting 4-for-6 with a double and three RBI ... In his first career home start in the 2013 home opener, Fettes collected a single and a sacrifice fly ... Earned his third career start vs. Akron on Saturday, catching a dynamic pitching outing from Jerad Grundy, with the senior southpaw tossing eight shutout, two-hit innings with Fettes behind the dish ... Went a career-high 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double in the win over Akron ... On the year, Fettes - a 43rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers out of high school - has hit .750 (6-for-8) with two doubles and three RBI.
Baseball: Jerad Grundy
Senior southpaw Jerad Grundy had the best start of his career in a win over Akron on Saturday ... Worked eight shutout, two-hit innings, not allowing a walk and striking out a career-best 12 ... Became the first UK pitcher to strike out 12 hitters since Alex Meyer fanned 13 in a start vs. Niagara in 2011 ... He allowed only a pair of singles with no base runners advancing past first base ... He retired the first eight hitters he faced before an infield single, including seven by strikeout ... Rated as the seventh-best senior in college baseball by Baseball America in the preseason, he retired 13 consecutive after allowing a third-inning single ... Tossed only 86 pitches, including a staggering 68 for strikes ... Through his first three starts of 2013, has a 3-0 record and a 0.43 ERA, allowing only one earned run in 21 innings, striking out 24 and holding opponents to a .125 average ... In his two-year UK career, has a 9-3 record and a 3.12 ERA in 19 starts, tossing 106.2 innings and striking out 87.
Women's basketball: A'dia Mathies
- Senior guard A'dia Mathies led 10th-ranked Kentucky to wins over Ole Miss (90-65) and No. 8/8 Tennessee (78-65) last week.
- Averaged a team-high 18.0 points per contest, along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game.
- Scored 20 points at Ole Miss, marking her seventh 20-point game of the season, including second straight.
- Scored 13 of her team-high 16 points in the decisive second half against Tennessee, including back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Cats' lead to 17 with 12:06 remaining in the game.
- Hit 5-of-9 from behind the arc in the two games for .556 percent. The five 3-pointers moved her up to No. 7 on UK's single season 3-point field goals list with 60.
- Displayed her defensive abilities against the Lady Vols, tying season highs with four steals and two blocks in the contest.
- Has now reached double figures in 27-of-29 games this season, including 20 in a row and every SEC game.
- Ranks in the top 10 on 13 UK career lists, including No. 2 in scoring (1,899), No. 3 in steals (303), and fourth in field goals made (706) and 3-pointers made (164).
- With four steals vs. Tennessee, she became just the third player in school history to have 300 or more in her career.
- First player in UK history (men or women) to accumulate over 1,800 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals in her career.
- The SEC's active career scoring and steals leader.
- Leads the team in scoring (16.0 ppg), 3-pointers made (60) and is second in assists (2.4) and steals (2.4) per game this season.
- Averaging a team-high 18.2 points per game in SEC play and is tied for the team-high with 1.8 steals per contest.
Softball: Kelsey Nunley
Kelsey Nunley did not have the best week statistically in the circle, but provided clutch innings for Kentucky and got key outs that should propel UK into SEC play. The freshman went 3-0 overall with a 1.94 ERA in 21.2 innings with 18 strikeouts. Nunley started the first game of the tournament against Illinois, allowing two earned runs, while striking out five and only walking one over eight innings of play. After giving up three runs on three hits and three walks in the first inning vs. LMU, Nunley settled down to throw six scoreless innings the rest of the way, retiring 14 straight to end the game. The native of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., came on in relief against Western Michigan, getting the final two outs of the first inning with the bases loaded, keeping the game tied before going the final 6.2 innings against WMU, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out eight - just one off her career high, Overall this season, Nunley is 10-0 - believed to be the only player in school history to start a season 10-0 in the circle - with a team-low 2.16 ERA, throwing 68.0 innings, allowing 21 earned runs with a team-best 55 strikeouts.
Baseball: A.J. Reed
Sophomore two-way star A.J. Reed had a historic week for the Wildcats, leading UK to five wins to extend its winning streak to seven games ... Drove in 15 RBI during the week, belting three homers and adding a double ... Hit .526 (10-for-19) during the week, with a 1.053 slugging and a .609 on-base percentage ... In UK's home opening win over Murray State, belted a three-run, first-inning homer to give UK an early lead, finishing with four RBI and a pair of hit by pitches ... On Wednesday, scored a run and collected a hit, before exploding in the series opener vs. Akron ... Went 4-for-5 in the opener vs. the Zips, with five RBI and his second homer of the week ... Also started the opener vs. Akron on the mound, tossing six innings and allowing only two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four ... In the series-clincher on Saturday, belted a homer - his second consecutive game with a bomb - going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk ... In the sweep clincher on Sunday, Reed ripped a double off the centerfield wall to clear the bases, giving him three more RBI in a 1-for-3 game ... On the year, Reed leads UK with 22 RBI on four homers, a double and a triple, batting .409 (18-for-44) with 11 runs scored ... On the mound, as UK's Friday-night starter, Reed has a 2-1 record ... A preseason All-America honoree, Reed has hit .320 (78-for-244) in his two-year UK career with eight homers and 65 RBI, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.00 ERA on the mound.
Men's basketball
- Kentucky went 1-1 on the week with a win over Mississippi State before falling at Arkansas on Saturday.
- Freshman Willie Cauley-Stein continued his dynamic play by averaging 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game this week.
- With the win over the Bulldogs, UK secured its 57th 20-win season in program history
- Kentucky was led in scoring by Arkansas native Archie Goodwin with 14 points in the loss to the Razorbacks.
Women's basketball
- After earning its school-record tying 13th SEC win with a commanding 78-65 victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Senior Day, Kentucky earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.
- The Wildcats have had another remarkable season under the direction of head coach Matthew Mitchell. Mitchell, who became UK's all-time winningest coach with the win over Tennessee, has led the Cats to a school-record fourth straight 25-win season with a 25-4 overall record, including a 13-3 mark in SEC play.
- A'dia Mathies had led the team in scoring (16.0), 3-point field goals made (60) and 3-point field goal percentage (.403), and has reached double figures in 27-of-29 games, including 20 in a row
Gymnastics
- The Kentucky gymnastics team shattered the school record with a 196.5 team score in a win at Ball State on Sunday.
- Kentucky has now posted team scores of more than 196 two weeks in a row for the first time in school history.
- Audrey Harrison won her fifth consecutive individual all-around title with a huge career-high score of 39.425.
- The Knoxville, Tenn., native now has a Southeastern Conference-leading seven AA titles this season.
Softball
- For the second consecutive weekend, the No. 17 Kentucky softball team went undefeated in a weekend tournament, posting a 5-0 record in the 2013 Under Armour Invitational with wins against Illinois, USF, Loyola Marymount, Central Michigan and Western Michigan.
- This is the first time in school history UK has gone undefeated in consecutive tournaments.
- Senior Kara Dill led UK offensively over the weekend with a .353 (6-for-17) average, including six runs scored and her first triple of the season.
- In the circle, Lauren Cumbess paced UK with a 2-0 record and 0.58 ERA in 12 innings pitched, including 11 strikeouts. True freshman Kelsey Nunley went 3-0 on the weekend with a 1.94 ERA, throwing 21.2 innings, allowing six earned runs with 18 strikeouts.
Baseball
- The eighth-ranked Kentucky baseball team completed its first home week with five wins, including a series sweep over Akron during the weekend. UK picked up midweek wins over Murray State and Eastern Kentucky.
- UK has been led individually by junior infielder J.T. Riddle, who has hit .447 (21-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 11 RBI, stealing three bases and reaching base at a .527 clip.
- On the mound, UK had a 2.57 ERA in 98 innings, walking only 27 and striking out 87, with opponents hitting .255, stealing only 3-of-7 bases and UKL picking off four runners.
- During the five-game week, UK got a jaw-dropping hitting performance from Reed, who drove in 15 RBI with three homers and a double during the week, batting .526 (10-for-19).
Men's tennis
- Kentucky opened the 2013 SEC season by collecting two wins over No. 49 Arkansas (5-2) on Friday and No. 39 LSU (4-0) on Sunday afternoon to move to 14-2 (2-0 SEC) on the season.
- Senior No. 21 Anthony Rossi upped his record to 14-1 on the season, picking up wins number 95 and 96 in his career. Rossi has now won nine consecutive straight-set matches and has also won 18 of the last 19 sets he has played.
- UK won the doubles point in both matches this weekend, as the Wildcats are now 11 for 13 this season in doubles competition.
Women's tennis
- The Kentucky women's tennis team went 1-1 in the opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play. - After falling 4-3 at Arkansas on Friday, Kentucky traveled to Baton Rouge, La., and defeated the No. 63 Tigers 4-3.
- Freshman Kirsten Lewis had a comeback win to clinch Kentucky's win over LSU, taking the No. 5 singles point 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
- Senior Jessica Stiles, sophomore Stephanie Fox and freshman Nadia Ravita all recorded singles wins in straight sets vs. LSU.
Track and field
- Five Kentucky track and field athletes, four women and a man, are in position to qualify for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships as they own top-16 times.
- The Women's Distance Medley Relay Team of Cally Macumber, Morganne Phillips, Allison Peare and Chelsea Oswald broke the school record with a time of 11:00.33 on Friday.
- That time ranks No. 6 in the nation.
- Keith Hayes broke the school 60-meter hurdles record with a time of 7.73 on Saturday.
- That time ranks No. 9 n the nation.
Swimming and diving
- The Kentucky swimming team sent several swimmers to the Bulldog Last Chance Meet this past weekend in Athens, Ga., attempting to earn qualifying times for the 2013 NCAA Championships.
- Sophomore Christina Bechtel improved her time in the 100-butterfly with a 52.62, second best in program history in that event. The time likely will earn her a ticket to the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., March 21-23.
- Junior Lucas Gerotto also improved his time in the 100-backstroke while breaking his own program record in the event, finishing with a 47.19 to increase the likelihood that he is asked back for his second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Upcoming schedule
Monday, March 4
Men's golf at USF Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Tuesday, March 5
Baseball hosts Cincinnati - 4:00 p.m.
Men's golf at USF Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Wednesday, March 6
Baseball hosts Xavier - 4:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Marshall - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 7
Men's basketball at Georgia - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 8
Men's tennis at Baylor - 3:30 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 4:00 p.m.
Women's tennis hosts Missouri - 4:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 5:00 p.m.
Women's basketball vs. Missouri/Vanderbilt - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
Gymnastics hosts Bowling Green - 7:00 p.m.
Rifle at NCAA Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Track and field at NCAA Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Saturday, March 9
Men's basketball hosts Florida - Noon
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 1:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 2:00 p.m.
Women's basketball at SEC Tournament Semifinals - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
Rifle at NCAA Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Track and field at NCAA Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Sunday, March 10
Women's tennis hosts Texas A&M - Noon
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 1:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 1:00 p.m.
Men's tennis at Texas A&M - 1:00 p.m.
Gymnastics at Ball State - 1:00 p.m.
Women's basketball at SEC Tournament Finals - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
- Kentucky went 1-1 on the week with a win over Mississippi State before falling at Arkansas on Saturday.
- Freshman Willie Cauley-Stein continued his dynamic play by averaging 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game this week.
- With the win over the Bulldogs, UK secured its 57th 20-win season in program history
- Kentucky was led in scoring by Arkansas native Archie Goodwin with 14 points in the loss to the Razorbacks.
Women's basketball
- After earning its school-record tying 13th SEC win with a commanding 78-65 victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Senior Day, Kentucky earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.
- The Wildcats have had another remarkable season under the direction of head coach Matthew Mitchell. Mitchell, who became UK's all-time winningest coach with the win over Tennessee, has led the Cats to a school-record fourth straight 25-win season with a 25-4 overall record, including a 13-3 mark in SEC play.
- A'dia Mathies had led the team in scoring (16.0), 3-point field goals made (60) and 3-point field goal percentage (.403), and has reached double figures in 27-of-29 games, including 20 in a row
Gymnastics
- The Kentucky gymnastics team shattered the school record with a 196.5 team score in a win at Ball State on Sunday.
- Kentucky has now posted team scores of more than 196 two weeks in a row for the first time in school history.
- Audrey Harrison won her fifth consecutive individual all-around title with a huge career-high score of 39.425.
- The Knoxville, Tenn., native now has a Southeastern Conference-leading seven AA titles this season.
Softball
- For the second consecutive weekend, the No. 17 Kentucky softball team went undefeated in a weekend tournament, posting a 5-0 record in the 2013 Under Armour Invitational with wins against Illinois, USF, Loyola Marymount, Central Michigan and Western Michigan.
- This is the first time in school history UK has gone undefeated in consecutive tournaments.
- Senior Kara Dill led UK offensively over the weekend with a .353 (6-for-17) average, including six runs scored and her first triple of the season.
- In the circle, Lauren Cumbess paced UK with a 2-0 record and 0.58 ERA in 12 innings pitched, including 11 strikeouts. True freshman Kelsey Nunley went 3-0 on the weekend with a 1.94 ERA, throwing 21.2 innings, allowing six earned runs with 18 strikeouts.
Baseball
- The eighth-ranked Kentucky baseball team completed its first home week with five wins, including a series sweep over Akron during the weekend. UK picked up midweek wins over Murray State and Eastern Kentucky.
- UK has been led individually by junior infielder J.T. Riddle, who has hit .447 (21-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 11 RBI, stealing three bases and reaching base at a .527 clip.
- On the mound, UK had a 2.57 ERA in 98 innings, walking only 27 and striking out 87, with opponents hitting .255, stealing only 3-of-7 bases and UKL picking off four runners.
- During the five-game week, UK got a jaw-dropping hitting performance from Reed, who drove in 15 RBI with three homers and a double during the week, batting .526 (10-for-19).
Men's tennis
- Kentucky opened the 2013 SEC season by collecting two wins over No. 49 Arkansas (5-2) on Friday and No. 39 LSU (4-0) on Sunday afternoon to move to 14-2 (2-0 SEC) on the season.
- Senior No. 21 Anthony Rossi upped his record to 14-1 on the season, picking up wins number 95 and 96 in his career. Rossi has now won nine consecutive straight-set matches and has also won 18 of the last 19 sets he has played.
- UK won the doubles point in both matches this weekend, as the Wildcats are now 11 for 13 this season in doubles competition.
Women's tennis
- The Kentucky women's tennis team went 1-1 in the opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play. - After falling 4-3 at Arkansas on Friday, Kentucky traveled to Baton Rouge, La., and defeated the No. 63 Tigers 4-3.
- Freshman Kirsten Lewis had a comeback win to clinch Kentucky's win over LSU, taking the No. 5 singles point 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
- Senior Jessica Stiles, sophomore Stephanie Fox and freshman Nadia Ravita all recorded singles wins in straight sets vs. LSU.
Track and field
- Five Kentucky track and field athletes, four women and a man, are in position to qualify for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships as they own top-16 times.
- The Women's Distance Medley Relay Team of Cally Macumber, Morganne Phillips, Allison Peare and Chelsea Oswald broke the school record with a time of 11:00.33 on Friday.
- That time ranks No. 6 in the nation.
- Keith Hayes broke the school 60-meter hurdles record with a time of 7.73 on Saturday.
- That time ranks No. 9 n the nation.
Swimming and diving
- The Kentucky swimming team sent several swimmers to the Bulldog Last Chance Meet this past weekend in Athens, Ga., attempting to earn qualifying times for the 2013 NCAA Championships.
- Sophomore Christina Bechtel improved her time in the 100-butterfly with a 52.62, second best in program history in that event. The time likely will earn her a ticket to the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., March 21-23.
- Junior Lucas Gerotto also improved his time in the 100-backstroke while breaking his own program record in the event, finishing with a 47.19 to increase the likelihood that he is asked back for his second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Upcoming schedule
Monday, March 4
Men's golf at USF Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Tuesday, March 5
Baseball hosts Cincinnati - 4:00 p.m.
Men's golf at USF Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Wednesday, March 6
Baseball hosts Xavier - 4:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Marshall - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 7
Men's basketball at Georgia - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 8
Men's tennis at Baylor - 3:30 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 4:00 p.m.
Women's tennis hosts Missouri - 4:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 5:00 p.m.
Women's basketball vs. Missouri/Vanderbilt - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
Gymnastics hosts Bowling Green - 7:00 p.m.
Rifle at NCAA Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Track and field at NCAA Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Saturday, March 9
Men's basketball hosts Florida - Noon
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 1:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 2:00 p.m.
Women's basketball at SEC Tournament Semifinals - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
Rifle at NCAA Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Track and field at NCAA Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Sunday, March 10
Women's tennis hosts Texas A&M - Noon
Softball hosts Ole Miss - 1:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Michigan State - 1:00 p.m.
Men's tennis at Texas A&M - 1:00 p.m.
Gymnastics at Ball State - 1:00 p.m.
Women's basketball at SEC Tournament Finals - 6:00 p.m. (Duluth, Ga.)
Overall Record: 10-1
Record Last Week: 5-0
Recent Results
Tuesday, Feb. 26 - defeated Murray State, 11-5
Wednesday, Feb. 27 - defeated Eastern Kentucky, 6-2
Friday, March 1 - defeated Akron, 21-2
Saturday, March 2 - defeated Akron, 7-0
Sunday, March 3 - defeated Akron 9-2
Upcoming Schedule (times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 5 - vs. Cincinnati - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6 - vs. Xavier - 4 p.m.
Friday, March 8 - vs. Michigan State - 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 - vs. Michigan State - 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 - vs. Michigan State - 1 p.m.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
A.J. Reed
6-4 - So. - LHP/1B - Terre Haute, Ind. (Terre Haute South)
Week Stats: .526 (10-for-19), 6 R, 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 20 TB, 1.053 SLG%, .609 OB%, BB, 3 HBP, 1 SO
Notes: Sophomore two-way star A.J. Reed had a historic week for the Wildcats, leading UK to five wins to extend its winning streak to seven games ... Drove in 15 RBI during the week, belting three homers and adding a double ... Hit .526 (10-for-19) during the week, with a 1.053 slugging and a .609 on-base percentage ... In UK's home opening win over Murray State, belted a three-run, first-inning homer to give UK an early lead, finishing with four RBI and a pair of hit by pitches ... On Wednesday, scored a run and collected a hit, before exploding in the series opener vs. Akron ... Went 4-for-5 in the opener vs. the Zips, with five RBI and his second homer of the week ... Also started the opener vs. Akron on the mound, tossing six innings and allowing only two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four ... In the series-clincher on Saturday, belted a homer - his second consecutive game with a bomb - going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk ... In the sweep clincher on Sunday, Reed ripped a double off the centerfield wall to clear the bases, giving him three more RBI in a 1-for-3 game ... On the year, Reed leads UK with 22 RBI on four homers, a double and a triple, batting .409 (18-for-44) with 11 runs scored ... On the mound, as UK's Friday-night starter, Reed has a 2-1 record ... A preseason All-America honoree, Reed has hit .320 (78-for-244) in his two-year UK career with eight homers and 65 RBI, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.00 ERA on the mound.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Jerad Grundy
6-1 - Sr. - LHP - Johnsburg, Ill. (Heartland/Miami, Fla.)
Week Stats: 1-0, 1 GS, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 SO, .077 B/avg.
Notes: Senior southpaw Jerad Grundy had the best start of his career in a win over Akron on Saturday ... Worked eight shutout, two-hit innings, not allowing a walk and striking out a career-best 12 ... Became the first UK pitcher to strike out 12 hitters since Alex Meyer fanned 13 in a start vs. Niagara in 2011 ... He allowed only a pair of singles with no base runners advancing past first base ... He retired the first eight hitters he faced before an infield single, including seven by strikeout ... Rated as the seventh-best senior in college baseball by Baseball America in the preseason, he retired 13 consecutive after allowing a third-inning single ... Tossed only 86 pitches, including a staggering 68 for strikes ... Through his first three starts of 2013, has a 3-0 record and a 0.43 ERA, allowing only one earned run in 21 innings, striking out 24 and holding opponents to a .125 average ... In his two-year UK career, has a 9-3 record and a 3.12 ERA in 19 starts, tossing 106.2 innings and striking out 87.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Greg Fettes
6-2 * Fr. * C * Madison Heights, Mich. (Lamphere)
Week Stats: .667 (4-for-6), 2B, 3 RBI, .833 SLG%, SF
Notes: Freshman catcher Greg Fettes made a pair of starts during the week behind the plate, batting 4-for-6 with a double and three RBI ... In his first career home start in the 2013 home opener, Fettes collected a single and a sacrifice fly ... Earned his third career start vs. Akron on Saturday, catching a dynamic pitching outing from Jerad Grundy, with the senior southpaw tossing eight shutout, two-hit innings with Fettes behind the dish ... Went a career-high 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double in the win over Akron ... On the year, Fettes - a 43rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers out of high school - has hit .750 (6-for-8) with two doubles and three RBI.
TEAM NOTES
The eighth-ranked Kentucky baseball team completed its first home week with five wins, including a series sweep over Akron during the weekend. UK picked up midweek wins over Murray State and Eastern Kentucky and will host five more games at Cliff Hagan Stadium this week, welcoming Cincinnati and Xavier for midweek matchups and hosting Michigan State in a three-game weekend series.
Kentucky (10-1) extended its winning streak to seven with the five wins during the week, despite battling weather conditions throughout the week. The Wildcats opened the home schedule with an 11-5 win over Murray State on Tuesday and got a 6-2 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. UK then pounded Akron, 21-2 in the home opener, clinched the series with a 7-0 win on Saturday and swept the Zips with a 9-2 win on Sunday.
The Wildcats have batted .324 as a team through 11 games, with seven homers and 113 runs scored, stealing 23 bases. Defensively, UK - riding a three-game stretch without an error and a two-game stretch without a walk - has fielded .974 with seven double plays. On the mound, UK had a 2.57 ERA in 98 innings, walking only 27 and striking out 87, with opponents hitting .255, stealing only 3-of-7 bases and UKL picking off four runners.
UK has been led individually by junior infielder J.T. Riddle, who has hit .447 (21-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 11 RBI, stealing three bases and reaching base at a .527 clip. Two-way star A.J. Reed has hit .409 (18-for-44) with a double, triple and four homers, driving in 22 RBI and spotting a .750 slugging mark. Catcher Micheal Thomas has hit .400 (10-for-25) with nine runs and eight RBI, while Max Kuhn has a .33 average (13-for-39) with two doubles, one triple and 12 RBI, stealing five bags. All-America centerfielder Austin Cousino has batted .311 (14-for-45) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBI, stealing five bags. Shortstop Matt Reida has hit .289 (11-for-38) with a double and five RBI, while Paul McConkey has hit .280 (7-for-25) with two doubles and a triple. Zac Zellers has hit .263 (10-for-38) with a double and five RBI, while Lucas Witt has added a .250 average (9-for-36) with 10 runs and 10 RBI, stealing four bags.
On the mound, UK's weekend rotation of Reed (2-1, 4.70 ERA) on Friday, senior southpaw Jerad Grundy (3-0, 0.43 ERA) and junior lefty Corey Littrell (1-0, 4.32 ERA) have been solid, with Grundy coming off a 12-strikeout performance on Saturday. UK has used freshman Zach Strecker (0-0, 3.38 ERA) a team-high five times, with junior right-hander Trevor Gott (2-0, 0.00 ERA) saving a game in his four relief outings, striking out eight in 5.1 frames. Sophomore right-hander Chandler Shepherd (1-0, 2.45 ERA) has worked in four games in relief, tossing 11 innings with 10 strikeouts. Dylan Dwyer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Walter Wijas (1-0, 0.00 ERA) have each worked in four games in relief.
During the five-game week, UK got a jaw-dropping hitting performance from Reed, who drove in 15 RBI with three homers and a double during the week, batting .526 (10-for-19). UK hit .337 during the week and fielding .974, posting a 1.40 ERA on the mound.
Video: Highlights from Sunday's sweep-clinching win
Record Last Week: 5-0
Recent Results
Tuesday, Feb. 26 - defeated Murray State, 11-5
Wednesday, Feb. 27 - defeated Eastern Kentucky, 6-2
Friday, March 1 - defeated Akron, 21-2
Saturday, March 2 - defeated Akron, 7-0
Sunday, March 3 - defeated Akron 9-2
Upcoming Schedule (times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 5 - vs. Cincinnati - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6 - vs. Xavier - 4 p.m.
Friday, March 8 - vs. Michigan State - 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 - vs. Michigan State - 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 - vs. Michigan State - 1 p.m.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
A.J. Reed
6-4 - So. - LHP/1B - Terre Haute, Ind. (Terre Haute South)
Week Stats: .526 (10-for-19), 6 R, 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 20 TB, 1.053 SLG%, .609 OB%, BB, 3 HBP, 1 SO
Notes: Sophomore two-way star A.J. Reed had a historic week for the Wildcats, leading UK to five wins to extend its winning streak to seven games ... Drove in 15 RBI during the week, belting three homers and adding a double ... Hit .526 (10-for-19) during the week, with a 1.053 slugging and a .609 on-base percentage ... In UK's home opening win over Murray State, belted a three-run, first-inning homer to give UK an early lead, finishing with four RBI and a pair of hit by pitches ... On Wednesday, scored a run and collected a hit, before exploding in the series opener vs. Akron ... Went 4-for-5 in the opener vs. the Zips, with five RBI and his second homer of the week ... Also started the opener vs. Akron on the mound, tossing six innings and allowing only two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four ... In the series-clincher on Saturday, belted a homer - his second consecutive game with a bomb - going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk ... In the sweep clincher on Sunday, Reed ripped a double off the centerfield wall to clear the bases, giving him three more RBI in a 1-for-3 game ... On the year, Reed leads UK with 22 RBI on four homers, a double and a triple, batting .409 (18-for-44) with 11 runs scored ... On the mound, as UK's Friday-night starter, Reed has a 2-1 record ... A preseason All-America honoree, Reed has hit .320 (78-for-244) in his two-year UK career with eight homers and 65 RBI, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.00 ERA on the mound.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Jerad Grundy
6-1 - Sr. - LHP - Johnsburg, Ill. (Heartland/Miami, Fla.)
Week Stats: 1-0, 1 GS, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 SO, .077 B/avg.
Notes: Senior southpaw Jerad Grundy had the best start of his career in a win over Akron on Saturday ... Worked eight shutout, two-hit innings, not allowing a walk and striking out a career-best 12 ... Became the first UK pitcher to strike out 12 hitters since Alex Meyer fanned 13 in a start vs. Niagara in 2011 ... He allowed only a pair of singles with no base runners advancing past first base ... He retired the first eight hitters he faced before an infield single, including seven by strikeout ... Rated as the seventh-best senior in college baseball by Baseball America in the preseason, he retired 13 consecutive after allowing a third-inning single ... Tossed only 86 pitches, including a staggering 68 for strikes ... Through his first three starts of 2013, has a 3-0 record and a 0.43 ERA, allowing only one earned run in 21 innings, striking out 24 and holding opponents to a .125 average ... In his two-year UK career, has a 9-3 record and a 3.12 ERA in 19 starts, tossing 106.2 innings and striking out 87.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Greg Fettes
6-2 * Fr. * C * Madison Heights, Mich. (Lamphere)
Week Stats: .667 (4-for-6), 2B, 3 RBI, .833 SLG%, SF
Notes: Freshman catcher Greg Fettes made a pair of starts during the week behind the plate, batting 4-for-6 with a double and three RBI ... In his first career home start in the 2013 home opener, Fettes collected a single and a sacrifice fly ... Earned his third career start vs. Akron on Saturday, catching a dynamic pitching outing from Jerad Grundy, with the senior southpaw tossing eight shutout, two-hit innings with Fettes behind the dish ... Went a career-high 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double in the win over Akron ... On the year, Fettes - a 43rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers out of high school - has hit .750 (6-for-8) with two doubles and three RBI.
TEAM NOTES
The eighth-ranked Kentucky baseball team completed its first home week with five wins, including a series sweep over Akron during the weekend. UK picked up midweek wins over Murray State and Eastern Kentucky and will host five more games at Cliff Hagan Stadium this week, welcoming Cincinnati and Xavier for midweek matchups and hosting Michigan State in a three-game weekend series.
Kentucky (10-1) extended its winning streak to seven with the five wins during the week, despite battling weather conditions throughout the week. The Wildcats opened the home schedule with an 11-5 win over Murray State on Tuesday and got a 6-2 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. UK then pounded Akron, 21-2 in the home opener, clinched the series with a 7-0 win on Saturday and swept the Zips with a 9-2 win on Sunday.
The Wildcats have batted .324 as a team through 11 games, with seven homers and 113 runs scored, stealing 23 bases. Defensively, UK - riding a three-game stretch without an error and a two-game stretch without a walk - has fielded .974 with seven double plays. On the mound, UK had a 2.57 ERA in 98 innings, walking only 27 and striking out 87, with opponents hitting .255, stealing only 3-of-7 bases and UKL picking off four runners.
UK has been led individually by junior infielder J.T. Riddle, who has hit .447 (21-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 11 RBI, stealing three bases and reaching base at a .527 clip. Two-way star A.J. Reed has hit .409 (18-for-44) with a double, triple and four homers, driving in 22 RBI and spotting a .750 slugging mark. Catcher Micheal Thomas has hit .400 (10-for-25) with nine runs and eight RBI, while Max Kuhn has a .33 average (13-for-39) with two doubles, one triple and 12 RBI, stealing five bags. All-America centerfielder Austin Cousino has batted .311 (14-for-45) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBI, stealing five bags. Shortstop Matt Reida has hit .289 (11-for-38) with a double and five RBI, while Paul McConkey has hit .280 (7-for-25) with two doubles and a triple. Zac Zellers has hit .263 (10-for-38) with a double and five RBI, while Lucas Witt has added a .250 average (9-for-36) with 10 runs and 10 RBI, stealing four bags.
On the mound, UK's weekend rotation of Reed (2-1, 4.70 ERA) on Friday, senior southpaw Jerad Grundy (3-0, 0.43 ERA) and junior lefty Corey Littrell (1-0, 4.32 ERA) have been solid, with Grundy coming off a 12-strikeout performance on Saturday. UK has used freshman Zach Strecker (0-0, 3.38 ERA) a team-high five times, with junior right-hander Trevor Gott (2-0, 0.00 ERA) saving a game in his four relief outings, striking out eight in 5.1 frames. Sophomore right-hander Chandler Shepherd (1-0, 2.45 ERA) has worked in four games in relief, tossing 11 innings with 10 strikeouts. Dylan Dwyer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Walter Wijas (1-0, 0.00 ERA) have each worked in four games in relief.
During the five-game week, UK got a jaw-dropping hitting performance from Reed, who drove in 15 RBI with three homers and a double during the week, batting .526 (10-for-19). UK hit .337 during the week and fielding .974, posting a 1.40 ERA on the mound.
Video: Highlights from Sunday's sweep-clinching win
Corey Littrell pitched a gem to pick up his first win of the season against Akron on Sunday (Aaron Borton, UK Athletics)
Going into play Sunday, Littrell - a Louisville Slugger preseason All-American - hardly looked to be in All-American form. In his first two starts in 2013, the Louisville, Ky., native had seen his earned-run average creep up to 6.52 in only 9.2 innings, allowing seven walks and striking out just as many.
Sunday, he didn't look like the Littrell of 2013, but rather resembled the All-SEC performer and reliable staff anchor of 2012.
"I thought Corey was a lot better today," said head coach Gary Henderson. "Just a much, much more efficient, much more poised outing and he'll keep getting better."
In fact, his outing against Akron was not only his best start of the season, but he was nearly twice as good as his previous two combined efforts as he picked up his first win of the season as the Wildcats defeated Akron 9-2 to pick up the sweep.
Littrell displayed great command, much better than he had so far this season. In just seven innings of work, the junior made quick work of Akron batters in striking out eight, which was one more than he had registered all season.
"The fastball away and the changeup were the biggest things today," said Littrell. "I was able to throw some cutters and curve ball to kind of keep them off balance and not just expect fastball and changeup."
Not only was he fooling Akron batters at the plate, he was adamant in not handing out any free passes.
Much of Littrell's early struggles have come due to a lack of command. Uncharacteristically, he walked five batters last weekend. Sunday? He walked none.
Despite the five walks against Coastal Carolina, he still managed to earn a quality start lasting 6.1 innings and allowing only two runs.
His seven innings of one-run baseball against the Zips lowered his ERA by a full three runs to 3.42. It also showed how much he's been working to make the proper adjustments in between starts.
"His big thing was he was just trying to work off of his last outing," said his catcher Micheal Thomas. "He had a pretty good week last week and it was all about settling down, not over-thinking it, making small adjustments, making the right adjustments and just filling up the strike zone."
Thomas has had the unenviable task of filling the void left by Luke Maile and Michael Williams who were each drafted last June in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Maile and Williams were not only offensive threats, but also worked wonders with the pitching staff as pitch callers and defensive presences behind the dish.
The redshirt junior catcher didn't have to start from square one with Littrell and the rest of the staff, however.
"I caught Corey a lot last year," said Thomas. "My main role was catching the bullpens, so I did catch him a lot. Weekdays and weekends, so I got to see a lot of stuff during his success. This year it's been a lot easier to help him with that from last year."
Conversely, Littrell has all the confidence in his new battery mate, especially with the way he's helped him already this season.
"Me and Micheal are really good friends on and off the field," said Littrell. "I'm comfortable with him behind the plate. He knows what he's doing and exactly what I do wrong. If I throw a bad pitch, he knows the right triggers to help me get back in the zone."
Littrell was working the zone well on Sunday. Pumping strikes in at better than a 2:1 ratio, he kept Akron batters off balance with a good mix of fastballs away and changeups to retire the majority of their hitters. Occasionally he would mix in his other pitches to keep them honest, but it was important for him to recapture his command.
Up until Sunday, it had been a struggle to find it, especially early in the early innings. He had it going from the initial frame against the Zips, and from there Littrell went into cruise control.
"Sometimes you don't have every pitch, but you've got to find it," said Littrell. "I had it in the first inning and it's been awhile since I've been able to do that, so that was good for me and confidence-wise it was huge."
Despite the slow start, Littrell has continued to grind to get back to his standards. Coming off an All-SEC season, immediate success was expected, but as often happens in baseball, he was humbled. Just as he did after last week's performance, he plans to get back to work and build off Sunday's gem in preparation for Michigan State as he looks to make 2013 feel more like 2012.
"You always go into the season expecting to do great," said Littrell. "But it's baseball and that doesn't always happen.
"I had a few rough starts. The second one was a little bit better than the first one, and this one was better than the last one, so now for next week (the goal is) to be better than this one."
