2018 KENTUCKY BASEBALL WEEK 11 IN REVIEW

 
OVERALL RECORD: 29-15 (10-11 SEC)
WEEK RECORD: 3-1
 
LAST WEEK
Apr. 25 – Win, 7-1, vs. Morehead State
Apr. 27 – Win, 2-1, vs. Missouri
Apr. 28 – Loss, 11-14, vs. Missouri
Apr. 29 – Win, 11-10, vs. Missouri
 
THIS WEEK
May 4 – at Tennessee (6:30 p.m.; Knoxville, Tenn.; SECN+)
May 5 – at Tennessee (6 p.m.; Knoxville, Tenn.; SECN+)
May 6 – at Tennessee (1 p.m.; Knoxville, Tenn.; SECN+)
 
TEAM NOTES

• Kentucky has scored in 52 consecutive games and 128 of the past 129 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game.
• The Wildcats now has won six consecutive series finales in SEC play.
• The Cats had players with five-RBI in back-to-back games: Troy Squires on Saturday and Kole Cottam on Sunday.
• UK now has won five games this season when trailing after the seventh inning.
• UK is 7-2 this season in one-run games, including two wins in the Missouri series.

• Several Cats extended impressive reached base safely streaks …
  • Senior INF Luke Becker has reached in 43 of 44 games (and 87 of 88 including 2017 summer ball).
  • Junior C/1B Kole Cottam has reached safely in 14 straight games and has hits in 18 of the past 20 games.
  • Junior INF Trey Dawson has now reached base safely in 14 of his last 15 games.
  • Junior OF Ben Aklinski has reached in 37 of the last 39 games.

 
 
PLAYER NOTES
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Junior C/IB Kole Cottam …
Hit .571 (8-of-14) with five runs, a double, a grand slam, six RBI, and four walks for the week.
 

• Hit the game-winning grand slam in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 11-10 win over Missouri. The Cats were trailing 10-7 at the time after having lost a 6-1 lead.
  • It was his 15^th home run of the season.
  • His five RBI in that win set a new career-high.
  • Also doubled in the game.

• Cottam has 23 extra-base hits this season.
• In SEC games, Cottam is hitting a team-high .360 with eight home runs and 18 RBI, while slugging .686. His OPS in those games is 1.095.
• Cottam has homered at least once in six of the seven SEC weekend series and 10 of 11 weekend series overall.
• In the final games of SEC series the past three weeks, Cottam has two game-winning hits.
• Cottam now has a team-high 18 multi-hit games this season and 44 for his career.
• He has 12 multi-RBI games this season and 27 for his career.

 
 
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
Junior RHP Sean Hjelle …
8.0 IP, 6 hits, 1 unearned run, 2 walks and eight strikeouts vs. Missouri
 

•  Allowed an unearned run in the first inning and nothing else the rest of the way as Kentucky rallied for a 2-1 win.
• With the Cats leading 2-1 in the eighth inning, the leadoff hitter reached on an infield single. Hjelle struck out the next three batters, all swinging, to keep the lead in a crucial series-opening win.
• The win was Hjelle’s 21^st career victory, moving him into a tie for sixth on UK’s all-time list with Corey Littrell (2011-13).
• Hjelle’s eight strikeouts give him 197 for his career, 11^th on UK’s all-time list.

• Junior OF Ryan Shinn homered in back-to-back games on the weekend, his first career home runs. His Sunday home run ignited the Cats’ eighth-inning rally.

• Redshirt sophomore INF Zeke Lewis and freshman C/INF Coltyn Kessler each earned their first career starts vs. Missouri.

• Senior INF/OF Luke Heyer hit three home runs and knocked in six runs for the week.

  • He leads the SEC in RBI (49).
  • He is tied for the SEC lead in home runs (16).
  • The 16 home runs are the most in a season for a UK player since National Player of the Year AJ Reed hit 23 in 2014.
  • He has 12 multi-RBI games this season and 15 for his career.
  • Had the game-winning HR in the Cats’ 2-1 win vs. Missouri on Friday.

• Freshman C/INF Coltyn Kessler went 0-for-1 with a run, two walks and a HBP.

  • It was Kessler’s first career start. He was the DH and hit eighth.

• Junior INF Trey Dawson hit .500 for the week with a .667 on-base percentage.

  • Dawson reached base eight consecutive times from Friday to Sunday.

• Redshirt Freshman RHP Brett Marshall earned his first career victory on Sunday with a scoreless eighth inning.

• Freshman RHP Daniel Harper earned his first career save with a scoreless ninth in his first career relief appearance on Sunday vs. Missouri.

• Sophomore LHP Zack Thompson returned to the mound after missing six weeks with an injury. He pitched one scoreless inning.