April 11, 2002
The University of Kentucky baseball team will play host to No. 3 Alabama in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Friday night’s series-opening game between the Wildcats (14-17, 3-9 SEC) and Crimson Tide (29-5, 9-3 SEC) will feature two of the top right-handers in collegiate baseball when UK’s Joseph Blanton (3-4, 3.32 ERA) faces off against UA’s Lance Cormier at 6 p.m. ET.
Blanton was recently named the No. 7 prospect in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by Baseball America and currently leads the SEC in strikeouts having fanned 80 batters in 57.0 innings pitched. Cormier, named this week’s SEC Pitcher of the Week for a complete game 4-1 decision over No. 6 Florida last Friday, brings a perfect 8-0 record accompanied with a league-low 1.36 ERA into the Bluegrass.
No. 3 Alabama (29-5, 9-3 SEC) at Kentucky (14-17, 3-9 SEC)
Friday, April 12, 2002 * 6 p.m. ET
Cliff Hagan Stadium (3,000) * Lexington, Ky.
GAME #32: No. 3 Alabama at Kentucky, Friday, April 12, 6 p.m. ET
GAME #33: No. 3 Alabama at Kentucky, Saturday, April 13, 6 p.m. ET
GAME #34: No. 3 Alabama at Kentucky, Sunday, April 14, 1:30 p.m. ET
THE COACHES: Keith Madison (Western Kentucky, 1975), now in his 24th year at UK, owns an overall record of 710-583-5 (.549). Clinching his 250th SEC win at Auburn on March 15, Madison is 252-347-3 (.421) in league play. Jim Wells (Northwestern State, 1979) is 349-142 (.710) in his eighth season at Alabama. Overall, Wells is 541-231 (.701) in 13 years as a head coach and is 158-83 (.656) vs. the SEC.
THE SERIES: Meeting for the first time in 1925, UK and UA have battled 63 times with the Crimson Tide owning a 39-24 series lead. Keith Madison is 16-25 in 41 games vs. Alabama, going 5-12 in Lexington, 10-10 in Tuscaloosa and 1-3 on neutral fields. Wells is 12-3 vs. UK, posting a 4-2 record at Alabama, 5-1 at UK and is a perfect 3-0 when facing the Wildcats in the SEC Tournament.
STREAKS: Junior infielder Brad Pickrell enters the weekend with the SEC’s longest current hit streak of 13 games. Junior center fielder Seth Morris has hit safely in his past four games vs. the Crimson Tide. UA has won six games in a row and has homered in a season-high 11 straight contests. Alabama has won the past three games vs. Kentucky, sweeping the Cats last season at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION:Game Starting Pitchers StatisticsFriday, 4/12 Joseph Blanton (RHP), UK 3-4, 3.32 ERA, 80 K Lance Cormier (RHP), UA 8-0, 1.36 ERA, 55 K
Saturday, 4/13 Scott Wade (RHP), UK 3-6, 6.53 ERA, 42 K Jeffrey Norris (LHP), UA 2-0, 2.79 ERA, 18 K
Sunday, 4/14 Cory Hahn (RHP), UK 3-4, 3.51 ERA, 29 K Shane Sanders (RHP), UA 4-1, 3.98 ERA, 27 K
– UK –
