ATLANTA, Ga. — Kentucky baseball standouts Chris Bisson and Marcus Nidiffer have been named second-team All-Southeastern Conference by SEbaseball.com, it was announced Friday morning.
A 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior second baseman, Bisson (pronounced: BEE-sown) was named first-team All-SEC by SEbaseball.com in 2009 and is a preseason All-America selection by Baseball America and Ping! Baseball. Nidiffer, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound catcher, is a fifth-year senior and three-year starter behind the plate for the Wildcats.
A native of Orleans, Ontario, Bisson led UK in nearly every statistical category in 2009, including average (.360), at bats (222), runs (49), hits (80), triples (three), walks (20) and RBI (52). Bisson reached base safely in 49 of 52 starts and with a .360 average in 2009, ranking seventh in the SEC. In conference play alone, Bisson hit .365 with 27 RBI. A speedy left-handed hitter, Bisson spent the summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League, leading the Cotuit Kettlers to the CCL Championship series. Bisson led the CCL in stolen bases, swiping 36-of-45 bases in 42 games during the summer, setting a new Cotuit record. With 30 or more stolen bases, Bisson became just the fourth player in the last 10 years to steal 30 or more bases in the Cape. During the 2009 season, Bisson had several highlights including launching his first career homer in walk-off fashion against EKU and adding six RBI, three-hit game in the rubber match at Mississippi State.
Nidiffer was named All-SEC in the preseason for the first time in his five-year UK career, after becoming just the seventh catcher in program history to lead the Wildcats in home runs. Nidiffer blasted 10 homers and hit .312 in 2009, starting 44 games and playing in 50. He added six doubles, one triple and 32 RBI. In his 105-game UK career, Nidiffer has hit .265 (74-for-279) with 11 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 49 RBI, stealing 5-of-6 bases. Nidiffer also spend the 2009 summer in the Cape, joining teammate Keenan Wiley on the Harwich Mariners. The right-handed hitter showed tremendous toughness throughout the year as he entered SEC play leading the league in hitting with a .444 average before breaking the thumb in his catching hand in the SEC opening weekend at LSU. With UK lacking depth behind the plate, Nidiffer elected to play through the pain, batting .242 with a broken thumb on his left hand. The vocal, physical and emotional leader of the Wildcats, Nidiffer hit .395 in games UK won and .211 in games UK lost a year ago.
Kentucky opens its 107th season in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at the Caravelle Resort Invitational, hosted by No. 12 Coastal Carolina. UK will open Feb. 19 with Virginia Tech at noon ET, before facing West Virginia at 11 a.m. ET on Feb. 20. UK will face the host Chanticleers Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. ET. All games will be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio), with Dick Gabriel calling the action.
KENTUCKY ANNOUNCES SEVEN TOTAL TV GAMES IN 2010
The Kentucky baseball team will have a total of seven games televised during the 2010 season, including one game broadcast live on ESPNU, it was announced.
The Wildcats will play seven total televised games in 2010, including six at Cliff Hagan Stadium. UK will have its April 30 game at Tennessee picked up by ESPNU, with start time slated for 5 p.m. ET. It will mark the first game in UK baseball history to be picked up on the ESPN family of networks.
With seven games televised in 2010, UK has had at least five games on television for five consecutive seasons, dating back to the 2006 Southeastern Conference Championship campaign.
The Wildcats will have five games broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Network in 2010, including its rivalry tilt with Big East front runner Louisville April 6 at 7 p.m. ET. UK’s three-game series with conference power Florida will include two games picked up on BBSN, as the Friday and Saturday games will be set for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch. In addition, BBSN will pick up two games from UK’s series with South Carolina, with the Friday and Saturday games slated for a 7 p.m. ET start.
In addition, UK will have its Saturday, May 15 game with defending NCAA Champion LSU picked up by SportsSouth, with start time scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. The game will also be available on ESPN360.com.
