Marcus Nidiffer Class: RS Senior Hometown: Bristol, Tenn. High School: Tennessee Height / Weight: 6-2 / 200 Position: C B/T: R/R

• 14th-Best Prospect in the Valley League by Baseball America (2008)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2007)
• SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll (2006)

Outlook
Slugging catcher is considered one of the top defensive catchers in the SEC ... Has good athleticism for a catcher ... Led the Valley League in home runs during the summer ... After splitting time with senior catcher Tyler Howe in 2008, will compete for the everyday starting job in 2009 ...Throw out a 0-for-21 slump toward the end of the season and Nidiffer hit .263 with five homers ... Hit a walk-off home run against Purdue ace closer Josh Lindblom, a high-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft ... Had a two-homer day at South Carolina in a Friday night win in front of over 7,000 fans at Sarge Frye Field.

Summer
Earned All-Star honors in the Valley League, with Baseball America tabbing him the 14th-best prospect in the league ... Batted .305 (40-for-131) with a league-high 13 home runs in 42 games ... Ranked third in the league with 35 runs scored and was one of only four players in the league with 10 or more homers ... Led the team with 31 RBI and 25 walks ... Added four doubles and a triple, ranking third in the league in slugging (.649) and on-base percentage (.440) ... Garnered Most Valuable Player honors during the Valley League All-Star game in July, after going 2-for-5 with a home run and a game-high three RBI.

2008
Split time with senior Tyler Howe, serving as a two-time starter in weekend SEC series and as the right-handed hitting catcher ... Batted .216 (25-for-116) with 20 runs, five doubles, one triple, five homers and 17 RBI ... Stole 2-of-3 bases and slugged .405 ... Laid down eight sac bunts on the season ... Fielded .993, throwing out 15-of-29 attempted stealers, good for fourth in the SEC ... Saw action in 47 of UK's 63 games, starting 34 ... Started out strong, hitting for an average above or near .300 until a late-April 0-for-21 slump ... Minus the slump, Nidiffer hit for a .263 average with five homers and 16 RBI ... Had the game of his career in a Friday-night win at then-No. 7 South Carolina, launching two homers and batting 2-for-5 with three RBI in a 15-3 win ... Among the other highlights for the catcher in 2008, included a walk-off homer vs. Purdue and a 3-for-4 game vs. Mississippi State that saw Nidiffer hit a triple and a home run.

2007
Reserve catcher appeared in eight games, registering six at bats ... Scored twice and struck out four times ... Registered nine put-outs on the season ... Played in four consecutive games (March 10-13).

2006
Redshirted season.

High School
Earned three letters at Tennessee High School for coach David Halstead ... Had breakout season as a junior, batting .356 with seven home runs and 30 RBI en route to first-team All-Northeast Tennessee honors ... Was named to the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Underclassman team that year ... Returned to bat .301 in senior season while walking 21 times for a .450 on-base percentage ... Also played football for four years, leading his team to three straight conference titles.

Personal
Full name is Marcus Irvin Nidiffer ... Son of Mike and Denise Nidiffer ... Both parents played basketball at Division III Emory and Henry College in Virginia ... Has an older brother, Jason (25) ... Brother played baseball at Wofford ... Born on Jan. 13, 1987 in Bristol, Tenn.