The University of Kentucky softball team will host the Frostbite Classic this weekend, Mar. 3-5, at the UK Softball Complex. The Wildcats will play four games during the three-day event which will benefit the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation. Belmont, Morehead State, Ohio and Youngstown State make up the five-team field.
UK will face MSU on Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. in its first game of the weekend. The Wildcats will play back-to-back games on Saturday as they take on OU at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 2:00 p.m. matchup with YSU. Kentucky wraps up tourney play with a 4:30 p.m. showdown against Belmont on Sunday.
This marks the 18th meeting between UK and MSU, with UK holding a 16-1 advantage in the all-time series. The intrastate foes have not played since the 2004 season when the Wildcats swept a doubleheader in Morehead. The Eagles are currently 3-5 on the year and host Georgetown College on Thursday.
YSU and Belmont each played in this tournament last season. The Cats hold a 2-1 lead all-time against the Bobcats and are a perfect 3-0 when facing the Penguins. Ohio is currently 5-5 on the year, while YSU will open its 2006 season this weekend in Lexington. UK and Belmont (5-5-1) have played three times previous to this weekend with the Cats winning all three contests. The two faced off last season with UK winning by a final score of 10-3.
The Wildcats had a disappointing performance last weekend, going 1-4 at the San Diego State Aztec Invitational. The Cats? lone win came in a five-inning victory over Indiana State. Junior Brooke Marnitz re-wrote the UK record books, hitting for the cycle against ISU and setting a school record for walks in a game with four against Loyola Marymount. The shortstop leads the team with a .421 batting average and 10 bases on balls in 13 games this season. Fellow junior Katie Campbell also played well in San Diego. She is now second on the team with a .382 average and is tied with Marnitz for the team lead with nine RBIs this season.
?This weekend is important both on and off the field,? said Schmidt. ?Because of some injuries, a lot of people will be getting some playing time and people are going to have to step up. We need to refocus on what works for UK ? playing hard and with a strong effort physically but more important, mentally.?
The Frostbite Classic will also serve as a fundraiser for SMA, a cause that is near and dear to the UK softball family. SMA is a genetic disease affecting muscular development. Former Wildcat head coach Beth Pruitt and her husband Frank?s two-year-old daughter Dani was diagnosed with the disease shortly after her birth. Proceeds from t-shirt sales this weekend will benefit the SMA Foundation to help families like the Pruitts as researchers work to find a cure for this devastating disease.
?Off the field, as student-athletes, sometimes it is hard to find ways to help in the community when it comes to money and donations. The tournament this weekend is a way for our athletes to help out, not just a member of the community but a UK family member,? said Schmidt. ?Coach Pruitt is the reason why this program is here. She did the hard work – starting it from scratch. Now she and her family are fighting a whole other battle and it is time we find a way to help them and families all of the country who are fighting SMA.?
The shirts are available now for $12 at the field or can be purchased by contacting assistant coach Melissa Inouye by email at mtinou2@uky.edu or by calling 859-257-6314.
