With a school-best 78 wins over the past two years, Kentucky enters the 2008 season with unprecedented momentum and a veteran, talented roster that has its sights set on playing baseball deep into June, with all eyes fixed on the ultimate prize for all college players ? Omaha.
Success has a way of building upon itself, only to increase a desire for increased greatness. For the Kentucky baseball program, which is coming off the most triumphant two-year run in its 103-year history, the Wildcats? recent accomplishments have increased the team?s single-minded hunger for one thing that UK has never achieved.
When the 2008 edition of the UK baseball team takes the field in Mobile, Ala., in late February, the Wildcats will have their sights set on playing deep into June. The annual site of the College World Series, Omaha?s Rosenblatt Stadium, is the destination that all college players spend the offseason dreaming about.
Just two years removed from the school?s first-ever Southeastern Conference Championship, UK returns a talented, veteran squad in 2008, one that is capable of cementing the program?s place as a fixture on the national level.
Prior to the 2006 season, the Wildcats were picked to finish last in the rugged SEC by a vote of the league?s coaches. By the end of the season, UK had claimed a school-record 44 wins, secured the SEC Championship, and played host to an NCAA Regional for the first time in the history of the program. After losing the 2006 SEC Player of the Year ? Ryan Strieby – and a large portion of its offense to the 2006 MLB Draft, Kentucky head coach John Cohen filled in the missing pieces to a nationally competitive roster, as UK claimed 34 wins in 2007, including opening the season with a staggering 19-0 record.
With a nucleus of talented veterans, fresh-faced talent, and a well-stocked pitching staff, the UK team appears to have all the necessary components for a run at another SEC title and that much desired ticket to college baseball?s signature event.
“We are really excited about the team we are going to have this spring,” said Cohen, UK?s fifth-year head coach. “In the toughest conference in college baseball, you have to have some experienced, veteran guys. I think we have a good mix of older kids who have been through the battles of the SEC and bring a lot of toughness and maturity to the table. The excellent makeup of the club, combined with some talented newcomers – who are going to bring a lot of positives to the program – make up what we think will be as talented of a team as we have ever had here at Kentucky.”
Infield
UK returns nearly its entire infield from a year ago, anchored by three-year starter Ryan Wilkes. Wilkes had a career year in 2007, batting .324, including a team-best .330 in SEC play. The school season and career record holder in sacrifice bunts, Wilkes is an athletic, switch-hitting middle infielder capable of having a major impact on a game.
?I am very excited about our infield situation defensively,? Cohen detailed. ?I think it will be better then it was a year ago – we have improved in a lot of areas.?
Versatile infielder Brian Spear is back for his senior season as UK?s top returning hitter, as he sported a .358 average in 2007. Spear, the UK school-record holder for walks in a season with 53, is capable of playing any infield position. A 6-foot-1, 215-pound switch hitter who mainly started at third and second base in 2007, Spear will likely anchor first base for the Wildcats in 2008.
?Brian Spear is one of the best on-base percentage guys in the league, plus he has really bulked up and added some power muscle,? Cohen said. ?We are excited about moving Brian Spear to first base and moving Ryan Wilkes to second base.?
UK will welcome new infield starters in 2008, among those capable of having an immediate impact are true freshman shortstop Chris Bisson, redshirt freshman Chris Wade, and junior college transfer Chris McClendon. Bisson is a slick-fielding, left-handed hitting shortstop who can step in and immediately claim a starting role. McClendon comes to UK as one of the most highly sought after junior college players in the nation, earning NJCAA All-America honors in 2007. Likely to start at third base, McClendon will be a middle-of-the order, run-producing presence after leading all of Texas junior colleges in batting with a .483 average, in addition to posting monster numbers in doubles (35) and steals (33).
?We are really excited about having the potential of a Chris Wade and a Chris Bisson in the middle infield, which will give us two skilled young infielders,? Cohen said. ?We brought in an outstanding offensive and defensive player in Chris McClendon. Spencer Korus will be in the mix for us immediately, either at first or third base and even in the outfield. Neiko Johnson has gotten a lot better – he has really gotten stronger in the weight room. He should vie for some time in the middle infield.?
Outfield
Once again, UK returns a deep, talented outfield, highlighted by preseason All-American Collin Cowgill. Cowgill, also a member of the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List, returns for his junior season after redshirting in 2007 due to an injury. The Lexington native and former Kentucky high school Mr. Baseball returned to form during the summer, teaming with UK right-hander Scott Green to lead the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to the Cape Cod League Crown.
One of the top college players in the nation, Cowgill will likely man either left or center field for UK and be a middle-of-of-the order hitter. Cowgill played an integral role during UK?s 2006 SEC Championship season, batting .298 with 16 homers and 61 RBI.
?Collin is a key cog in our success,? Cohen said. ?His leadership and maturity will be critical to our play and we are extremely excited to get him back to health. Collin is one of the top hitters in the country and he is a vital part of our program.?
Joining Cowgill as mainstays in the outfield will be UK?s everyday first baseman in 2007, Sawyer Carroll. Carroll, also a member of the 2008 Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List, returns for his senior year after batting .350 with 56 RBI, including leading the SEC in doubles at the end of the regular season with 23. Carroll will be joined by speedy, athletic outfielders, featuring Keenan Wiley, Brock Wright and Bryan Rose.
?We have moved Sawyer Carroll, one of the best hitters in the Southeastern Conference from first base to the outfield. That makes him much more comfortable and probably in a better position to be even more of a factor offensively, even though he had a great year in 2007,? Cohen said. ?We feel really good with Keenan Wiley in the outfield, a guy who has improved dramatically and is one of the better defensive outfielders in the SEC. Plus there a vast improvement in a redshirt freshman – Bryan Rose, who is going to compete for playing time, as well as a young, athletic Brock Wright, who is coming off of his first year in the SEC, who is going to be a factor.?
Outfielders Troy Frazier, Kevin Thulin, and Kevin Bishop will provide power to the outfield positions, with Thulin possessing the most raw power on the team, as a 6-foot-3, 235-pound right-handed slugger. Western Kentucky transfer Troy Frazier comes to UK after leading the Hilltoppers in batting in 2007 with a .327 average, to complement the emergence of Kevin Bishop and true freshman Navarro Hall will provide UK will an extremely deep outfield.
?The transfer of Troy Frazier into our program, who has a real feel to defend in the outfield and he can hit, is a major positive,? Cohen said. ?Throw Kevin Thulin into the mix, a junior college transfer with real power. Kevin Bishop has gotten a heck of a lot better and will be a factor as well. Navarro Hall is an excellent athlete who is trying to figure out the game and he is already a great defensive outfielder, already a very, very good runner. There is tremendous competition and some great opportunities for those guys.?
Starting Pitching
With the starting weekend rotation trio of Chris Rusin, Scott Green, and Greg Dombrowski, UK returns one of the most talented rotations in college baseball.
?On the mound, I think we have a nice mix of older guys, with an Aaron Lovett, a Tommy Warner, an Andrew Albers, a Chris Rusin, a Scott Green, and a Greg Dombrowski,? Cohen said. ?Greg has had the best fall he has had in his career and he has really gotten so much better.?
Rusin had a breakout year in his first season as a starter, toiling 86 1/3 innings, earning five wins, and striking out 76. Rusin, totaled two complete games in 2007, including not allowing an earned run in a complete game win at then-No. 18 Ole Miss and at Florida. A fierce competitor with a deadly curveball, Rusin tallied a 3.15 ERA on the road in 2007.
Six-foot-8, 245-pound right-hander Scott Green will provide UK a top-SEC starter, as the Louisville native earned the distinction in the preseason as the 12th-best prospect in all of college baseball by Baseball America. Green missed all of the 2006 SEC Championship season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned for a limited role in 2007. Fully healthy during the summer, Green broke out in the prestigious Cape Cod League, pitching in nine games, hurling 40 1/3 innings, striking out 35, earning a 3-1 record and a 1.56 ERA. Green, who was drafted in the 15th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2007, was tabbed as the fourth-best prospect in the Cape by Baseball America.
Greg Dombrowski, a 2007 preseason All-America selection, returns after serving as UK?s Sunday starter the past two seasons. A crafty sinkerballer, Dombrowski had a monster season as the Wildcat ace in 2006, winning 10 games and posting a 2.83 ERA. A year later, Dombrowski found himself battling back injuries, which limited his conditioning and effectiveness. Fully healthy in 2008, Dombrowski looks to return to the form that saw him as one of the top college pitchers in baseball in 2006.
Bullpen
With one of the top starting rotations in college baseball, UK can rely on a highly experienced bullpen to complete a top-notch pitching staff.
Senior southpaw Andrew Albers, who started a team-high 15 games in 2007, will move to a mid-week/weekend stopper role in 2008. UK?s closer during the 2006 season, Albers has functioned in a myriad of roles, starting 30 games and appearing in 50 during his three-year career.
Senior closer Aaron Lovett returns after emerging as a skilled late-inning reliever in 2007. The 6-foot-5 right-hander with a dangerous curveball, totaled seven saves and a 2.20 ERA last year in 45 innings.
Joining Lovett as talented options out of a deep UK bullpen will be sophomores Duran Ferguson, Tyler Henry, Clint Tilford, and James Paxton. UK will also rely on veteran arms, including senior lefty Tommy Warner and senior sidearm stopper Brock Baber.
?With the leadership of those veteran guys have and then to turn around and see the improvement that James Paxton, Tyler Henry, and Clint Tilford have made, really gives you a lot of really talented options,? Cohen said. ?Plus, you look at some really talented freshman that we have – Logan Darnell has been just outstanding. You look at Mike Kaczmarek and Josh Weininger, both who have the opportunity to contribute immediately. Josh had a great fall for a freshman and Jesse Yano can contribute as a junior college transfer. It is a real nice mix of younger and older guys who have been around the league for a while. Jonathan Huff has made some improvements as well. Duran Ferguson has had to fight off some shoulder issues, but if we can get him healthy, he can be very good. Brock Baber had the best fall of his career and he is going to be a huge factor.?
Catcher
Returning behind the dish for UK are some talented options, led by senior Tyler Howe. Howe, a 6-foot, 215-pound left-handed hitter, split time last season with UK senior and first-team All-American Sean Coughlin. Howe possesses a cannon for an arm and after hitting .241 a year ago, will look to improve at the plate in 2008, as he gets more at bats.
Likely to compete for playing time with Howe will be sophomore Marcus Nidiffer and redshirt freshman Brian Suerdick. Nidiffer is regarded as the top receiving catcher on the club and has been adding an improved bat to his skill set. Suerdick is a strong-armed catcher who could also push for playing time.
?Our catching situation has a lot more depth then it did a year ago, it is a real dogfight for us to make a decision about our catching situation, because each of our three catchers ? Marcus Nidiffer, Tyler Howe, and Brian Suerdick – have really made strides defensively,? Cohen said. ?All three bring something different to the table and the competitive nature of those three guys is really going to help the makeup of our club.
One of UK?s catchers of the future is Owensboro, Ky., native T.J. Daughtery, a strong catcher who will be instrumental in the progress of the pitching staff.
?T.J. Daughtery is a great student of the game, he has really worked hard in the weight room,? Cohen said. ?T.J. is a very solid defensive guy and we will count on him in the development of our pitching staff.?
Schedule
As always, UK?s schedule will feature the typical rigorous SEC slate, complete with some of the top teams in college baseball. Non-conference wise, UK has scheduled some challenging opponents early in the year, including South Alabama, Purdue, Louisville, Western Kentucky, and Wright State.
The Wildcats open its 2008 season in Mobile, Ala., at the Coca-Cola Classic, facing off with Xavier, South Alabama, and Fairfield.
?We are really excited about this schedule,? Cohen said. ?The nature of our schedule is dramatically different then in years past, just because of the new NCAA rules. With the uniform start date on Feb. 22, that is the first time anybody can play a game now, which makes it much more interesting. In years past we might go down for our season opener in South Alabama and they might have played 10-15 games already.?
The 2008 slate features 12 teams which were ranked in 2007, five 2007 NCAA Tournament teams, two College World Series teams, 14 clubs which finished with a top-100 RPI, and a combined opponent 2007 record of 734-651-1 (.530).
?Obviously, our SEC schedule is an SEC schedule – it?s like playing the same team every week,? Cohen detailed. ?Everybody has strengths and weakness, but everybody in our league is just very, very good.?
Regardless of who, where, or when the Wildcats play in 2008, one thing is certain ? all roads lead to Omaha?s Rosenblatt Stadium, the destination circled on each team?s map at the start of the season in February.
