May 16, 2002

The University of Kentucky baseball team will close out the 2002 season this weekend with a three-game Southeastern Conference series against No. 11 Florida at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Wildcats and Gators will open the series on Friday, May 17 with a 6 p.m. ET game that will be televised live by the Sunshine Network.

UK (17-33) enters the series with the Gators on a two-game losing streak after taking losses at Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. The Cats last win came in the second game of the series with the Commodores, a 19-7 win behind the pitching of junior Joseph Blanton on May 11. The Cats trail 108-47-1 all-time to UF, with the Gators posting a 44-26-1 advantage while playing at Kentucky.

Florida comes to UK currently in second place in the Eastern Division of the SEC, boasting a 37-15 overall record and a 17-10 mark in SEC play. The Gators posted two of their 10 league losses last weekend at LSU, losing their first SEC series since being swept by Alabama on April 5-7 at Tuscaloosa.

Kentucky will send sophomore Cory Hahn (3-7, 4.34 ERA) to the mound in the opener, while UF will counter with junior Alex Hart (12-1, 3.04 ERA). Saturday’s contest will feature UK President Lee Todd throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the 2 p.m. ET start, and Sunday’s action will take place after the Senior Day ceremonies. Pitchers Bryan Felkel and Jarrod Reynolds, first baseman Robert Newton, and catcher Spencer Preston will be honored before their last game as a Wildcat.

Friday and Sunday’s action can be caught live on the Sunshine Network or by tuning into WLXO 96.1 FM in the Lexington, Ky., area with Drew Deener on the call. Broadcasts and in-game scoring can be accessed via the Internet at UKAthletics.com.

– UK –