Feb. 12, 2003
Lexington, Ky. –
The University of Kentucky baseball team will open its 2003 season with a trip to DeLand, Fla., to compete in the Amtrak Invitational Tournament, Feb. 13-16. The Bat Cats are one of four teams playing in the tournament, hosted by Stetson University.
Kentucky will kick off the 2003 season, Coach Keith Madison’s 25th at the controls, when they face the host Hatters on Thurs., Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. Stetson is currently ranked 18th nationally in the latest Baseball America top 25 Poll. The Hatters have advanced to the NCAA Regionals in each of the past three seasons.
UK will be led by its 2003 tri-captains, catcher Caleb Brock, pitcher Scott Wade and outfielder Gordon Tyler. All three are preseason All-Southeastern Conference candidates. Several new faces join the Wildcat program this season, including junior college transfers Mike Breyman and Joe Naill in the infield, as well as Heath Castle and Seth Stanley on the mound.
“I think we’re going to be a solid defense club. And based on the performances of intrasquad games in the fall, our pitchers threw strikes and that’s always a plus. To be successful in baseball, you need to be strong up the middle and I think we will be just that this spring with Caleb Brock at catcher, Joe Naill at short, Spencer Graeter or Brad Pickrell at second and Casey Gilvin in center,” Madison said.
On Friday, Feb. 14, the Wildcats will meet the Maryland Terrapins for only the third time since 1924. Maryland finished the 2002 campaign with a school-record 34 wins. The last meeting on the diamond between these two schools took place in 1983 when Kentucky swept a double header.
The Bat Cats will close their weekend in DeLand with a Saturday matchup against the George Washington Colonials. The Colonials are the defending Atlantic-10 conference tournament champions.
“There’s no question that it’s a challenging schedule. Stetson has been a top-25 club the past three years and the following weekend we play in The Citadel’s tournament. The Citadel is one of the top teams in the Southeast and Richmond has a very good baseball tradition. Purdue is a very good Big Ten team and Indiana State was one of the top teams in their conference. Hopefully our challenging early schedule will prepare us for conference play.”
–UK–
