April 23, 1998
The Matchup
No. 23 Arkansas (29-13, 9-9)
at UK (19-24, 7-14)
Site: Lexington, Ky.
Stadium: Cliff Hagan Stadium
The Schedule
Game One: Friday, April 24 — 6 p.m.
Game Two: Saturday, April 25 — 5 p.m.
Game Three: Sunday, April 26 — 1 p.m.
The Coaches: Kentucky head coach Keith Madison is in his 20th season at UK and is 604-474-4. Norm DeBriyn is in his 29th year at Arkansas and is 1024-534-6.
The Series: Arkansas leads the series 6-5. Last Meeting: Arkansas won 11-4 last year in Fayetteville. Probable Starters:
Game One
LHP Rob Quarnstrom (3-1, 5.52) Arkansas
RHP Matt Borne (2-3, 6.75) Kentucky
Game Two
RHP Dan Wright (1-3, 7.38) Arkansas
RHP Brandon Webb (2-3, 6.70) Kentucky
Game Three
RHP David Walling (8-2, 4.40) Arkansas
LHP Jason Chaney (1-5, 8.32) Kentucky
A Glance at the Weekend Kentucky heads into the weekend riding a season-high four-game winning streak. UK won a pair of mid-week games over Murray State (20-3) and Eastern Kentucky (8-7). The Wildcats have won six of their last eight games. UK has climbed back into contention for a SEC Tournament spot after winning four of its last six conference games. After a 3-9 start, UK now stands at 7-14 and in fourth place in the SEC East. This weekend, UK will play host to 23rd-ranked Arkansas. The Razorbacks won its only game last weekend at Tennessee. UK has two remaining SEC series remaining, at Auburn and home against SEC East leader South Carolina. Arkansas and Kentucky have met 11 times in conference play since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992. Arkansas own 6-5 record in those games. UK won 7-5 in the opening round of the 1996 SEC Tournament in Birmingham.
NEXT UP: UK Hits the Road After a five-game homestand, Kentucky hits the road for five straight games. UK travels to Western Kentucky on April 28 at 7 p.m. The following day, the Wildcats travel to intrastate rival Louisville at 6 p.m. The Wildcats hit the road for a three-game series
Head Coach Keith Madison Since becoming the Wildcats coach in 1979, Keith Madison has guided his team to 604 victories – more than any other baseball coach in school history and the second-highest mark among active coaches in Southeastern Conference games. In his 19 seasons, 77 players whom Madison has coached have signed pro contracts, 15 of whom have seen time in the major leagues. Madison picked up his 600th career victory on April 11 at Mississippi State. With UK’s win over Tennessee on April 13, 1996, Madison moved into third place on the SEC all-time victories list. Against Ohio University on March 12, 1996, Madison achieved another milestone by coaching in his 1,000th career game. Over the last 19 seasons, UK has averaged 31 wins a season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1988 and 1993, with the team’s ’88 berth representing the school’s first NCAA appearance in 38 years. Madison took over a program in 1979 that had just finished last in the SEC Eastern Division. Madison guided his first team to a 29-18 mark, setting the school record for wins in a season. Madison improved that mark from 39 wins (1981) to 40 (1987) to 41 (1991). Through all the success, Madison has guided eight All-Americans, 19 first-team All-SEC players, and 33 players to SEC academic honors. Madison has coached a first or second-team All-SEC selection 18 of his 19 years at Kentucky. On the national scene, Madison was named the fourth vice-president of the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1995. In the ABCA officer rotation system. Madison has moved up to third vice-president of the organization. He will assume the presidency of the organization in 1999. Scouting Arkansas Arkansas heads into the weekend on a five-game winning streak, including a pair of mid-week wins over Missouri Southern (11-2) and Oral Roberts (8-5). Arkansas beat Tennessee 11-8 last Friday in the only game of the series. The rest of series was canceled because of rain. The Razorbacks opened SEC play by sweeping South Carolina in a two-game series and winning two of three against Vanderbilt. After being swept by LSU, they won two of three at Ole Miss. Alabama and Auburn took two of three from the Razorbacks at home leading up to the Tennessee game. Catcher Brent Caldwell leads the Razorbacks with a .381 batting average. Junior Rodney Nye is hitting .369 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs. Ryan Lundquist has a team-leading 13 home runs and 52 RBIs. Rob Quarnstrom, Friday’s starter, is 3-1 with a 5.52 earned run average. Quarnstrom has wins over Aubun and Ole Miss in the SEC.
Wildcats Overall This is the 102nd season of Kentucky baseball. The Wildcats have an all-time mark of 1274-1094-22 for winning percentage of .533.
Last Time Out UK sophomore Andy Green had three hits, including his first home run of the season, as the Wildcats held off a late power surge by Eastern Kentucky to win 8-7 Wednesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Wildcats ran their winning streak to a season-high four games. UK took a 7-4 lead into the eighth inning before EKU hit back-to-back homers off UK reliever Josh Paxton, who had only given up one run in his previous 20 innings pitched. Left-hander Tim Rowland (2-1) picked up the win after allowing six hits and four runs, two earned, in five innings of work. Senior David Cheatle picked up his team-leading third save of the season after pitching the ninth. Cheatle and Andy Bendix had two hits apiece for the Wildcats. Senior Justin Bunch, who has homered in four of the last six games, extended his hitting streak to seven games with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the sixth.
Wildcat Bats UK enters the Arkansas series hitting .312, its highest average since April 4. The Wildcats have an extra-base hit in 42 of its 43 games and double-digit hits in six of their last seven games. UK has homered in nine straight games.
Eastern Kentucky Game Washed Out The Eastern Kentucky game on Tuesday, April 15 was canceled because of rain in the area. The game will not be rescheduled.
Taking Care of Business Sophomore Josh Paxton has been called upon the past two weeks in SEC play to win and preserve games for the Wildcats out of the bullpen. He has not disapointed. Paxton has allowed only one run and struck out 11 in his last 13.2 innings pitched in conference. He has picked up two wins and a save in the last five games, dropping his earned run average by 3.27.
Colemire Moving Up the Charts Jason Colemire is quickly moving his way up the school’s record charts for doubles in a season. Colemire has 18 doubles this season, moving into 10th on the charts with his double against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. Colemire is first in the SEC with 12 doubles in conference play. Vince Castaldo holds the record for doubles in a season with 27 in 1988. Here’s a closer look at the top 10.
Rank Player Doubles 1. Vince Castaldo, 1988 272. Mike Botkin, 1982 24 Jeff Abbott, 1994 244. Chip Rhea, 1996 215. Bill Sandry, 1981 206. Terry Shumpert, 1986 19 Terry Shumpert, 1987 19 Brad Hindersman, 1992 19 Eddie Brooks, 1993 1910. Darin Rieman, 1988 18 Jeff Abbott, 1992 18 Jason Colemire, 1998 18
Dangerous Duo David Cheatle and Josh Loggins have provided the bulk of the Wildcat offense, hitting 55 points higher than any other player. The duo have hit a combined .377 (131-for-347) with 31 doubles, 12 home runs and 70 RBIs. Both have a slugging percentage of at least .512 and are the only Wildcats with at least 60 hits. The duo along with Jason Colemire are the only players to lead the Wildcats in hitting. Loggins leads the team with 23 multiple-hit games and 12 multiple-RBI games. Loggins has three hits nine different times this season. Cheatle has a team-leading .485 on base percentage. Loggins has three of the team’s five triples this season.
Jason Pasero: Swinging the Hot Stick Jason Pasero has raised his batting average by 58 points in the last three games from .264 to .322. Pasero is 6-for-10 (.600) in those three games with three runs scored, four RBIs, a double and a home run. His home run against Murray State on Tuesday was only his second of his career. Pasero has seen action in 27 games behind the dish, earning 15 starts. When Pasero is inserted into the starting lineup, junior Josh Loggins moves to right field. The Wildcats are 8-7 with that lineup.
McGlone Coming Alive in Conference Play Sophomore Aaron McGlone emerged from a slump to run off an eight-game hitting streak heading into the weekend, one game shy of his career-high. McGlone is 8-for-17 (.471) in the last five games with two home runs and nine RBIs. McGlone’s slugging percentage is 1.000 and he has an on-base percentage of .545. Here’s a look at McGlone’s last five games:
AB R H RBI 2B 3B HRat Georgia 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 at Georgia 3 3 3 3 0 0 1 at Georgia 4 1 1 1 1 0 0 Murray State 2 2 2 4 0 0 1 Eastern Kentucky 4 2 1 1 1 0 0
Borne Has Career Day on the Mound Senior Matt Borne put on a pitching exhibition in the series opener at Mississippi State on April 10, a game televised live by Fox Sports South. Borne, a seventh-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds last season, struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings of work against MSU. Borne allowed eight hits and two earned runs in a losing effort. Borne had been used primarily out of the bullpen for the first half of the season, picking up his only two saves in the first two games of the season. The Lexington native leads the team with 49 K’s, 23 more than he had all of last season.
Cheatle Enjoys Success Against Non-Conference Foes Senior David Cheatle has assaulted non-conference competition the entire season, hitting a team-leading .518 (42-for-81). Cheatle has three hits seven different times in those 22 games. In the 22 non-conference games, Cheatle has 26 runs scored, 10 doubles, one home run and 16 RBIs. His on-base percentage is a team-leading .612.
It’s Over After the Seventh UK has posted an impressive 33-6 (.846) mark when leading after seven innings the past two seasons. The Wildcats were 19-3 in 1996 and 14-3 in 1998.
Did You Know?Junior Josh Loggins is the only UK player to start every game this season…Loggins has started 28 games at catcher, 14 in right field and one at first base…Loggins has started 92 of 97 games in his two-year career as a Wildcat.
Wildcat ScratchesJunior Josh Loggins is riding a season-high 11-game hitting streak. Aaron McGlone (8 games) and Justin Bunch (7 games) also have hitting streaks. Loggins already has more hits and RBIs this season than he had all of last season.
Loggins has not went more than two games without a hit this season. Senior Matt Borne, who has a team-leading 49 K’s, has a strikeout in all 15 appearances this season.
Loggins is hitting a team-leading .342 in SEC play. Jason Colemire has 12 doubles and six home runs in conference play and a .674 slugging percentage. Loggins has a .763 slugging percentage in non-conference games. UK had season-highs for runs (20), runs in an inning (10), total bases (42), hit batters (3) and home runs against in its 20-3 win over Murray State on Tuesday at home.
1998 Hitting StreaksSenior outfielder Jason Colemire opened the year with a career-high 18-game hitting streak.
Here’s a listing of UK’s hitting streaks of 5 games or more: Jason Colemire (18 games: Feb. 6 – March 15) Josh Loggins (11 games: April 7 – present) Josh Loggins (10 games: March 3 – March 18) Jason Colemire (9 games: March 22 – April 3) Josh Loggins (9 games: March 25 – April 4) David Cheatle (9 games: March 14 -March 25) Aaron McGlone (8 games: April 11 – present) David Cheatle (8 games: April 4 – April 14) John Wilson (8 games: March 17 – March 27) Justin Bunch (7 games: April 8 – present) David Cheatle (7 games: Feb. 6 – Feb. 27) Aaron McGlone (7 games: Feb. 6 – Feb. 27) Aaron McGlone (7 games: March 14-March 22) Andy Bendix (7 games: March 20- March 28) Andy Green (7 games: March 31 – April 8) Justin Bunch (6 games: March 1 – March 13) John Wilson (6 games: March 31 – April 7) Andy Bendix (5 games: April 17 – present)
Former UK Players on 1998 Pro Rosters
MAJOR LEAGUE
Jim Leyritz, Boston Red Sox
Jeff Abbott, Chicago White Sox
Mark Thompson, Colorado Rockies
AAA
William Van Landingham, Vancouver (Anaheim Angels)
Rodney Bolton, Indianapolis (Cincinnati Reds)
Terry Shumpert, Colorado Springs (Colorado Rockies)
Rodney Henderson, Ottawa (Montreal Expos)
Larry Luebbers, Memphis (St. Louis Cardinals)
AA
None
A
Adam Milburn, Danville (Atlanta Braves)
Scott Downs, Daytona (Chicago Cubs)
Paul Morse, San Bernardino (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Chad Green, Stockton (Milwaukee Brewers)
Paul Blandford, Jupiter (Montreal Expos)
Kenny Miller (Capital City) New York Mets
Colemire Streak is Snapped at 18 Games Senior Jason Colemire had his career-high 18-game hitting streak snapped against Toledo on March 18 with an 0-for-5 day at the plate. Colemire is hitting .314 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Colemire had an eight-game hitting streak snapped in the Florida series.
UK Enters NCAA Record Book With Six Double Plays The Wildcats turned six double plays against Toledo on March 18, becoming only the 12th NCAA Division I team to accomplish the feat. Three different teams have recorded a record seven double plays. The last team to turn six double plays was Indiana against Kent in a 13-inning game in 1995. Along with the Wildcats six double plays, Toledo recorded three which ranks second with a combined nine double plays. Georgetown and George Mason combined for 10 double plays in 1989.
Feel the Power Senior Andy Bendix experienced a power surge at Tennessee (March 20-22) and it continued the following week. Bendix had three homers in the three-game series at Tennessee, one in each game, and had a game-winning grand slam against IUPU-Fort Wayne on March 24. Bendix, who is third on the team with a .591 slugging percentage, connected on two doubles against Austin Peay the following day. His homer against IUPU-Fort Wayne traveled over 400 feet. It was his first career grand slam. The senior from Eugene, Ore., has a team-leading 11 home runs, tying the amount he hit in 1996.
Doubles, Doubles, and More Doubles UK has connected on 115 doubles in its 43 games. The school-record for doubles in a season is 132, set in 1994. The Wildcats have slapped 54 doubles in SEC play.
Opponents Find it Difficult to Hold UK Scoreless UK has put at least one run on the scoreboard the past 54 games. The last time the Wildcats were held scoreless was April 25, 1997 against Georgia.
Who’s on First? Five different Wildcat players have seen action at first base this season. John Wilson (19 starts), Aaron McGlone (18 starts), Micah Plotts (3 starts), Robert Newton (2 starts) and Josh Loggins (1 start) have all started at least one game at first base.
UK Scores Runs in Bunches UK has scored four-plus runs in 21 different innings this season. The Wildcats scored six runs in the ninth inning to pick up its first SEC win of the season March 8 at Vanderbilt. The Wildcats scored a season-high 10 runs in an inning against Murray State on April 21. It was the most runs in an inning since the Wildcats put up 16 in the fifth inning against Marshall on April 9, 1996,
UK Gets 21 Hits Against Ohio UK pounded a season-high 21 hits against Ohio on March 4, the most since April 9, 1996 when the Wildcats had 26 against Marshall. The Wildcats had 20 hits against Murray State on April 21.
Two-Year Veteran Senior Andy Bendix can be considered “the veteran” of this year’s squad. Bendix is the only player who has played in more than one season at Kentucky. Bendix played in six games last year before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair torn labrum in his right shoulder. In 1996, Bendix hit .296 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. Bendix, who was granted a medical hardship, is hitting .307 this season with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs.
Cats on the Tube Kentucky made its first appearance on the tube April 10 at Mississippi State, losing 3-2 on Fox Sports South. UK ‘s game at Auburn on Saturday, May 2 will also be televised on Fox Sports South.
Madison Has Ties to Hall of Famer 1998 Major Leauge Baseball Hall of Fame selection Larry Doby was the hitting instructor for the Montreal Expos in the Gulf Goast League in 1970 while current UK coach Keith Madison was a player in the Expos organization.
Wildcats’ Bats On Fire While the temperature was falling in Lexington during the opening week, it was soaring in Phoenix at the season-opening College Sports Classic thanks in part to the Wildcats bats. UK outhit New Mexico State (12-6) and Oklahoma State (11-4) in its first two games. The Wildcats recorded 11 RBIs, six doubles and a triple.
UK in Season-Openers UK has fared well in its season-openers under the direction of head coach Keith Madison. UK posted a 13-7 record in the past 20 years, including a 8-6 win over New Mexico State this season in the College Sports Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. The Wildcats are 6-2 in season-openers in tournaments.
PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Cats To Face Five NewOpponents in 1998 UK will face five new opponents this season The Wildcats beat New Mexico State 8-6 in the team’s first-ever meeting at the College Sports Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. and split a series with Southern Mississippi (10-15, 10-6). UK was swept by Long Beach State (4-6, 2-19, 1-13) in Long Beach, Calif. UK held off a stubborn Belmont team 10-9 earlier this week. Western Carolina (April 8) will also be a new addition to the Wildcats’ schedule. Eight of UK’s opponents finished in the final 1997 USA Today Top 25 poll.
Wildcats Hire Assistant CoachFormer Birmingham-Southern College assistant Daron Schoenrock was named assistant coach in May. He will serve as pitching coach and also head the recruiting process. Schoenrock, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, served as the assistant head coach at Birmingham-Southern for eight years under head coach Brian Shoop. While he was at BSC, the Panthers were ranked nationally seven of his eight years. He also coached two All-Americans, seven All-Conference selections and seven Major League draft picks. In 1995, Schoenrock was hired by the Chicago White Sox organization and assigned to Bristol, Tenn., (A-Appalachian League), where he was responsible for tutoring pitchers from the 1995 draft.
Nine Signees for Kentucky Head coach Keith Madison signed nine players in the fall to national letters of intent to play baseball at Kentucky next season. The list of eight high school players and one junior college player includes four pitchers, four position players and one pitcher/outfielder. Jeff Goldbach, a senior at Princeton Community High School in Princeton, Ind., will join the UK baseball program as a catcher/outfielder. Goldbach was named the 1997 Southwestern Indiana Player of the Year and a TPX/Louisville Slugger All-American. The four position players to sign with Kentucky are first baseman Chris DeLeenheer from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan., outfielder/pitcher Jason Graham from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., third baseman Jonathan Peacock from Lake Park High School in Roselle, Ill., and outfielder Pete Rasmusen from McHenry High School in McHenry, Ill. Graham led the Cardinal Newman Crusaders last season in runs (19) and triples (3), while stealing 10 bases in 12 attempts. Peacock was named most valuable player of his high school team last season and was selected All-Conference and All-Area. Rasmusen, a four-year starter on the varsity squad, was named All-Conference and All-Area his sophomore and junior seasons. One of the four pitchers to join the Wildcats is local talent Jarrod Reynolds, a right-hander from Lafayette High School in Lexington. In 1997, Reynolds was named first team All-City, and selected to the 11th region All-Tournament team and State Sectional All-Tournament team. Brandon Girdler, a right-hander, will join the Wildcats from Somerset High School, where he has tossed two no-hitters in his career, 252 strikeouts and holds a 0.90 ERA in 196 innings pitched. He has been named All-District, All-City and Honorable Mention All-State. Right-handed pitcher Clint Kelley holds a 1.88 ERA with a 17-9 record for Morton High School in Morton, Ill. Heearned All-Conference honors his sophomore and junior seasons and led last years team in hitting, RBIs and ERA.Right-handed pitcher Ethan Crum will be the only junior college transfer joining Kentucky next season. The Murray, Ky., native transferred from Murray State to Neosho Community College in Neosho, Kan., this season. While at Murray State, Crum stole 12 bases on 16 attempts. Coming out of high school, Crum earned all-state selections his junior and senior seasons.
1998 SEC Baseball Tournament The SEC has adopted a new format for its 1998 baseball tournament, May 13-17, at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. The new format is an eight-team double elimination tournament that is modeled after the College World Series. The tournament field includes the top three teams from the SEC’s Eastern and Western Divisions plus two at-large bids based on conference winning percentage. The eight teams are seeded 1-8 with the two divisional champions guaranteed of the top two seeds.
1997 RecapWith the loss of nine seniors, in addition to All-America center fielder Chad Green moving into the professional ranks, UK Coach Keith Madison labeled the 1997 campaign a rebuilding year at the beginning of the season. And though the final record may indicate a disappointing season at 20-34-1, the Wildcats grabbed victories in four of their final five games to end the season on a positive note.
In what has become a Madison mainstay during his 19 years as UK coach, Kentucky put all the pieces together at the end of the year. In the final week of the season, the Wildcats ran off four victories in their final five games, topping Vanderbilt and Louisville before taking two-of-three from South Carolina. Freshman right-hander Aaron McGlone tossed a complete game two-hitter against the Gamecocks in his debut as an SEC starting pitcher. Kentucky hit for a .285 batting average for the season, led by Josh Loggins’ .338 average. Loggins led the team in seven offensive categories. Outfielder Justin Bunch had the hot bat late in the season, earning SEC Player of the Week honors for the final week of the season.
