Kentucky Opens SEC Play at Defending Champion Vanderbilt
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Riding a six-game winning streak during which it averaged 11 runs per game the Kentucky baseball team faces a stiff challenge this weekend as Southeastern Conference play opens against No. 6 Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The three-game weekend series starts Friday evening at Hawkins Field, as the Wildcats (11-6) will send Mason Hazelwood to the mound against the defending national champions. The Commodores (13-5) have won seven straight games in the series, including a regular season-ending sweep in Lexington last year.
The Cats have turned up the offensive heat over the past 10 days, scoring at least 10 runs in five of six games and batting .398 as a team with 26 extra-base hits. Senior first baseman T.J. Collett is the reigning Perfect Game National Player of the Week and SEC co-Player of the Week after driving in 13 runs last week. Freshman outfielder John Rhodes currently leads Division I-A in doubles with 10 and sophomore infielder/outfielder Austin Schultz has 11 extra-base hits and a team-high 20 RBI.
UK is coming off a season-long 14-game homestand at Kentucky Proud Park where it went 11-3 after a season-opening sweep at TCU. The Cats knocked off Western Kentucky 10-4 on Tuesday night behind senior infielder/outfielder Breydon Daniel’s six RBI, the most for a UK player since Luke Becker drove in eight against Miami (Ohio) on March 12, 2017.
Due to the increasing cases of the coronavirus around the United States and out of an abundance of caution, the SEC has announced all games will be closed to general fans through the end of the month. For up-to-date information, please visit www.VUcommodores.com.
All three games will air live on the SEC Network Plus, as well as radio on the UK Sports Network with the Voice of the Wildcats Darren Headrick on the call. Friday’s series opener is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday’s finale at 2 p.m..
SERIES DETAILS
Friday, March 13 at #6 Vanderbilt
7:30 p.m. ET; Hawkins Field (Nashville)
TV: SEC Network Plus; Radio: UK Sports Network
UK – LHP Mason Hazelwood (2-1, 1.64); Vanderbilt – RHP Kumar Rocker (2-1, 1.80)
Saturday, March 14 at #6 Vanderbilt
3 p.m. ET; Hawkins Field (Nashville)
TV: SEC Network Plus; Radio: UK Sports Network
UK – RHP Alex Degen (0-0, 2.51); Vanderbilt – LHP Jake Eder (1-1, 3.60)
Sunday, March 15 at #6 Vanderbilt
2 p.m. ET; Hawkins Field (Nashville)
TV: SEC Network Plus; Radio: UK Sports Network
UK – RHP Jimmy Ramsey (2-2, 3.26); Vanderbilt – RHP Jack Leiter (2-0, 1.72)
