LOUISVILLE — Jordan Cooper entered the 2011 season projected to be key component of Kentucky’s weekend starting trio, a group that was to be the anchor for a young Wildcat squad. However, Cooper struggled out of the gate with an earned run average that ballooned over six, one of a number of problems for a struggling UK baseball team. After a demotion from the weekend rotation, it was Cooper that coach Gary Henderson called upon to make a midweek start against No. 28 Louisville at a time when UK was maybe at its season low. Cooper has responded to his demotion and turned in another strong start Tuesday night to lead the Cats to a 3-2 victory, his second straight quality effort in his new midweek role. Although the Wildcats’ ship is far from righted by the win, Cooper’s response in the face of an adversity can serve as a lesson for a UK team that has quite a hole to dig itself out of in the Southeastern Conference. “Anytime that somebody has had a couple rough starts and you change their role, that’s a pretty good challenge,” Henderson said. “For him to move out of the weekends and get into the midweek and respond the way he has is really positive and sets an example for everybody else.” Cooper (2-1, 5.23 ERA) received a no-decision, but he pitched 6.1 quality innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and three walks against a strong opponent, setting the tone for his team. “It was really important to come out and put up a good pitching performance for my teammates,” Cooper said. “I’ve been struggling lately, but it was really important for me to come out and do my best for my team and (give) them the best opportunity to win.” The demotion from a weekend role was a humbling experience for Cooper, but he refused to change his approach. “It doesn’t change the game,” Cooper said. “It’s all about your mental (readiness) and how you prepare for a game. It doesn’t matter when I pitch, I just want do well.”The Jordan Cooper that took the mound Tuesday night was the one that Henderson expected when he named him a weekend starter. “Those are the starts that in the beginning of the year I thought we were going to get from Jordan,” Henderson said. “I’m really happy to get it, but I’m not surprised.” Baseball is the kind of game that will test even the best with difficult stretches, but players define themselves by the way they bounce back. Clearly, Cooper is in the process of bouncing back after a rough first half to the 2011 season. “A lot of players, on occasion, have a rough go and he did a little bit,” Henderson said. “We took him out of the weekend and put him in the midweek and now he’s doing a good job for us. I kind of suspect that this is what we’re going to get from moving forward, that’s what we should get from him.” Cooper plans turning the two consecutive positive starts into continued good results.”It’s real important that my teammates and my coaches have faith in me,” Cooper said. “To get a quality start two weeks in a row is something I can build on and hopefully down the road it will help me out.” Cooper recognized he was in a pitcher’s ballpark Tuesday night at Jim Patterson Stadium, particularly with a stiff breeze at his back, and he aggressively attacked the U of L lineup. Cooper allowed only one hit and zero runs in the opening five frames before the Cardinals finally scratched their first run across on an infield single by Stewart Ijames in the sixth inning to cut UK’s lead to 2-1. After another run by the Cardinals in the seventh inning, Cooper exited a tie ball game. UK’s offense dealt with the same adverse hitting conditions, but the Cats certainly made solid enough contact to score more than the two runs they managed while Cooper was on the Hill.”Clearly it was one of those games where we were stinging the ball and they caught them,” Henderson said. “They did a good job on defense, but there were two or three really hard hit balls that they caught and the two balls Brian Adams hit on a regular day are home runs.”Although the Cats didn’t get all the hits they likely deserved, they scored enough to get the win. UK’s No. 1 and No. 2 hitters led the charge, as Chad Wright and Taylor Black were both 3-for-4, combining to score all three of Kentucky’s runs.It should come as no surprise that it was Wright and Black that were responsible for the Cats ninth-inning run that would prove to be the game winner. Wright laced a one-out double to right field against U of L’s highly touted closer Tony Zych. After a wild pitch moved Wright to third, Black delivered a single that plated Wright.”To be honest with you, those are the hits we haven’t been getting,” Henderson said. “We got it tonight and then to have Taylor come up and drive him in was huge.”A win for UK in the midst of recent struggles is vital for this team, but Henderson made it clear that a win over Louisville is big no matter what.”The game is big,” Henderson said. “Whether you’re going well or you’re struggling or you’re .500, when you play Louisville it’s important. It doesn’t make any difference what sport, UK-Louisville is important. It’s a big game to us and I’m glad we played well.”Unfortunately for Kentucky, the nine-game SEC losing streak remains intact and UK is still tied for last in the conference. The Wildcats next head to Oxford, Miss. to play the Ole Miss Rebels. They will look to carry the momentum of the win and Cooper’s start into their trip.”I think anytime you beat an archrival it helps, and they’re a good team, clearly,” Henderson said. “We need to enjoy the bus ride home and then we need to go to Oxford. We need to play well and we need to win a series in Oxford.”Gary Henderson

Jordan Cooper