Dodger Great Lasorda Speaks at Baseball Fundraiser

(Feb. 22, 2001) — The University of Kentucky baseball team will travel to Tucson, Arizona, this weekend to take part in the Illini Desert Classic, February 22-25, at the Kino Sports Complex, the spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox.

The four-day event is hosted by the University of Illinois, with Brigham Young University and the University of Washington also participating in the round-robin tournament.

UK (2-5) begins play against Washington on Friday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. MST, on Diamondback Field 5. UW (0-0) will be playing its 2001 season opener against the Cats.

BYU (7-6) will be UK’s opponent on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. MST, on Diamondback Field 3, before the Wildcats close out the tournament against tournament Illinois (0-2) on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. MST, on Diamondback Field 5. U of I opened up its season last weekend dropping both games at Troy State.

This weekend’s games will mark the Wildcats first ever meetings with Washington and BYU. UK and U of I have met five times, most recently in 1999, a 15-7 win for the Illini in Lexington. U of I holds a 3-2 advantage in head-to-head battles with the Wildcats.

This will mark the third consecutive weekend that the Cats will be on the road. The team finished with a disappointing 1-3 record last weekend at the Winthrop Tournament, defeating Appalachian St. on Friday before falling to Winthrop twice and Appalachian St. later in the tournament.