May 7, 1998
Game One: Friday, May 8 -- 6 p.m.Game Two: Saturday, May 9 -- 2 p.m.Game Three: Sunday, May 10 -- 1 p.m.
Site: Lexington, Ky.
Stadium: Cliff Hagan Stadium
The Coaches: Kentucky head coach Keith Madison is in his 20th season at UK and is 610-478-4.
Ray Tanner is 74-36 in his second season at South Carolina.
The Series: UK leads the series 13-12.
Last Meeting:UK won 5-0 last year in Columbia
Probable Starters:Game One: RHP Kip Bouknight (10-2, 2.97) South Carolina - RHP Matt Borne (3-5, 8.28) KentuckyGame Two: RHP Brett Jodie (6-5, 5.90) South Carolina - RHP Brandon Webb (4-4, 7.86) KentuckyGame Three: LHP Brett Kondro (5-0, 5.29) South Carolina - LHP Jason Chaney (3-6, 7.61) Kentucky
A Glance at the Weekend
Kentucky heads into the weekend with thoughts of advancing to the SEC Tournament next week in Birmingham, Ala. The Wildcats are one game ahead of Tennessee and 1.5 games ahead of Georgia for third place in the Eastern Division. Tennessee owns the tie-breaker with Kentucky, so the Wildcats must finish the season one game ahead of the Vols. For more on the SEC Tournament, see page 2. Tennessee plays host to Vanderbilt this weekend while Georgia travels to Florida.
UK has dominated the past four years against South Carolina, winning 11 of the last 14 games. The Wildcats took two of three from the Gamecocks last year in Columbia and swept three games in 1996. UK won two of three in 1994 and 1995, including wins each year in the SEC Tournament. Junior Josh Loggins continues to lead the Wildcats with a .369 average, including 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Senior Jason Colemire is hitting .320 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs.
Head Coach Keith Madison
Since becoming the Wildcats coach in 1979, Keith Madison has guided his team to 610 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, where he started as a graduate assistant in 1979. 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 1000th 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 South Carolina
4th-ranked South Carolina, 41-12 overall and 18-8 in the SEC, travels to Lexington this weekend tied with Florida for first place in the SEC Eastern Division. The Gamecocks, who have been ranked in the Top 10 for the past six weeks, have already clinched a SEC Tournament berth. Mississippi State took two of three from South Carolina last weekend in Columbia.
The Gamecocks beat Presbyterian (5-4) and Charleston Southern (4-0) on Wednesday in a day-night doubleheader.
Last Time Out
Kentucky had a season-high 23 hits, including five by junior Josh Loggins, and scored at least one run in each inning as they routed Cincinnati 22-6 Wednesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
UK had a home run in each of the first five innings and six in the first seven innings. John Wilson had a career-high two home runs in his first three at-bats. It was the most runs the Wildcats have scored this season. Mark Murphy went 3-for-4 with a career-high two doubles. Bendix also had three hits and Loggins had two doubles. Left-hander Tim Rowland picked up the victory after allowing nine hits and four runs in seven innings of work. Freshman Bradd Heyerly pitched the final two innings.
Four Wildcats Named to SEC Baseball Honor Roll
UK’s Andy Green, Jeff Meade, Josh Paxton and Justin Sanders were named to the SEC Baseball Academic Honor Roll by SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer Thursday. A total of 66 student-athletes were named to the Honor Roll. To be eligible for the award, a student athlete must 1) have a 3.0 grade point average for either the past year (two semesters or three quarters) or for his career; 2) be a sophomore or higher in academic classification; and 3) have 24 semester or 26 quarter hours countable toward a degree.
SEC Tournament Picture
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the SEC Tournament field is close with teams jockeying for positions 1-8. UK remained in sole possession of third place after losing two of three to Auburn last weekend. UK, 10-17, received help from LSU, who swept fourth-place Tennessee last weekend.
If the tournament started today, UK would be a participant along with LSU, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas. UK would be a No. 8 seed. The top three teams in each division along with two wildcards advance to the tournament. The Wildcats are one game ahead of Tennessee and 1.5 games ahead of Georgia for third place in the East. Tennessee owns the tie-breaker with Kentucky, so the Wildcats must finish the season one game ahead of the Vols. (For example: If UT wins three games, UK has to win two games.) Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt this weekend.
This Weekend in the SECArkansas at Mississippi State 6:30 p.m. -- 2 p.m. -- 1p.m. CT LSU at Mississippi 7 p.m. -- 2 p.m. -- 1 p.m. CT Auburn at Alabama 7 p.m. -- 2 p.m. -- 2 p.m. CT Georgia at Florida 7 p.m. -- 3 p.m. -- 1 p.m. Vanderbilt at Tennessee 7 p.m. -- 7 p.m. -- 2 p.m.
Wildcats Experience Home Run Explosion
UK has belted nine homers in the last two games and six doubles, setting the school record for doubles in a season in the process. UK tied its season-high with six home runs against Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Wildcats had previously hit six against Murray State on April 21. It’s the most they have hit in back-to-back games this season. John Wilson joined Jason Colemire as the only Wildcats to hit two home runs in a game this season with his two against Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Loggins Leads Wildcats
It would be fair to say UK coach Keith Madison is pleased that junior Josh Loggins decided to transfer to Kentucky after his freshman season at Purdue. Loggins, a West Lafayette native, has led the Wildcats offensively his first two seasons on campus. In 1997, Loggins led the team in six different categories and he’s on pace for the same results this season. With eight regular-season games remaining. Loggins leads the Wildcats in nine different categories, including batting average (.369), hits (82), RBIs (55) and slugging percentage (.649). He is tied with Andy Bendix and Jason Colemire for the team-lead in home runs with 12. Loggins, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 1995 amateur draft, has already surpassed all his totals for last season. He has not went more than two games this season without recording a hit and has posted hitting streaks of 13, 10 and 9 games.
Several Wildcats Moving Up Doubles Record Charts
Jason Colemire, Mark Murphy and Josh Loggins are quickly moving their way up the school’s record charts for doubles in a season. Colemire has 21 doubles this season, moving him into a tie for fourth place on the charts with his double against Auburn last weekend. 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 Doubles1. Vince Castaldo, 1988 272. Mike Botkin, 1982 24 Jeff Abbott, 1994 244. Chip Rhea, 1996 21 Jason Colemire, 1998 215. Bill Sandry, 1981 20 Mark Murphy, 1998 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 Josh Loggins, 1998 18
Senior 2B David Cheatle has 17 doubles this season.
Wildcats Overall
This is the 102nd season of Kentucky baseball. The Wildcats have an all-time mark of 1279-1098-22 for a winning percentage of .533.
Paxton: SEC Pitcher of the Week
UK sophomore Josh Paxton was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of April 20-26.
Paxton, a Germantown, Tenn. native, did not allow a run in 7.2 scoreless innings of relief as the Wildcats downed No. 23 Arkansas, 15-5, on Saturday. Paxton entered the game in the second inning with the bases loaded in relief of starter Brandon Webb and Arkansas clinging to a 4-3 lead.
Five-Hit Club
Josh Loggins and Justin Bunch are the only Wildcats to have five hits in a game this season. Bunch went 5-for-5 in UK’s 15-5 win over Arkansas on April 25 at home, becoming only the seventh player in school history to accomplish the feat and the first to do it in conference play. Loggins went a career-high 5-for-6 against Cincinnati on Wednesday with a home run and two doubles. Loggins and Bunch also had 10 total bases in their respective games, a season-high.
Colemire is Bright Spot in Gloomy Weekend
UK produced its lowest hit total for a SEC series last weekend at Auburn. The Wildcats managed only 23 hits in the three-game set. The bright spot of the weekend was the resurgence of senior outfielder Jason Colemire. Colemire started the season on a career-high 18-game hitting streak, but was battling a mid-season slump until the Auburn weekend. He went 7-for-13 (.538) with a home run and a double. In the first game of the series, Colemire went 4-for-5 with his 10th homer of the season.
Andy Green Breaks Out of Slump
Sophomore Andy Green has emerged from a season-long slump and raised his batting average by 46 points to a season-high .278. Green, a shortstop from Lexington, had an eight-game hitting streak end at Auburn. Green hit his first home run of the season against Eastern Kentucky on April 22. Against Arkansas two weeks ago, Green tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run double in the fifth inning that propelled the Wildcats to a 4-3 win.
It’s Over After the Seventh
UK has posted an impressive 38-6 (.846) mark when leading after seven innings the past two seasons. The Wildcats were 19-3 in 1996 and 19-3 in 1998.
Wildcat Bats
UK enters the weekend hitting .311. The Wildcats have an extra-base hit in 48 of its 51 games. The Wildcats are hitting .350 in non-conference games compared to their opponents .307 average.
Cheatle Has Success Against Non-Conference Foes
Senior David Cheatle has assaulted non-conference competition the entire season, hitting a team-leading .489 (45-for-92). Cheatle has three hits seven different times in those 23 games. In the non-conference games, Cheatle has 30 runs scored, 10 doubles, one home run and 18 RBIs. His on-base percentage is a team-leading .590.
Borne Strikes Out Career-High 14 at Mississippi State
Senior Matt Borne had his best outing of the season 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 despite picking up the loss. Borne had been primarily used 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 55 K’s, 29 more than he had all of last season.
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. It’s the fourth Wildcat game this season that has been rained out. 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 .320 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.
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 fourth on the team with a .557 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., is tied with Josh Loggins and Jason Colemire with a team-leading 12 home runs, one more than the amount he hit in 1996.
Doubles, Doubles, and More Doubles
UK has connected on 138 doubles in its 51 games, setting the school-record for doubles in a season set in 1994. The Wildcats are tied for tops in the SEC with 68 doubles in conference play.
Opponents Find it Difficult to Hold UK Scoreless
UK has put at least one run on the scoreboard the past 63 games. The last time the Wildcats were held scoreless was April 25, 1997 against Georgia.
Who’s on First?
Six different Wildcat players have seen action at first base this season. John Wilson (24 starts), Aaron McGlone (19 starts), Micah Plotts (3 starts), Robert Newton (2 starts) and Josh Loggins (1 start), Mark Murphy (1 start) have all started at least one game at first base.
UK Scores Runs in Bunches
UK has scored four or more runs in 25 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 23 Hits Against Cincinnati
UK pounded a season-high 23 hits against Cincinnati on May 6, the most since April 9, 1996 when the Wildcats had 26 against Marshall. The Wildcats had 21 hits against Ohio on March 4.
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 .299 this season with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs.
Cats on the Tube
Kentucky made its first apperance on television this season on April 10 at Mississippi State, losing 3-2 on Fox Sports South. UK’s 14-3 loss to Auburn last Saturday was also 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 of the season. The Wildcats had 11 RBIs, six doubles and a triple.
PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Cats To Face Five New Opponents 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 on March 31. Western Carolina edged out the Wildcats 6-5 on April 8.
Eight of UK’s 1998 scheduled opponents finished in the final 1997 USA Today Top 25 poll.
Wildcats Hire Assistant Coach
Former 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 opponents finished in the final 1997 USA Today Top 25 poll.
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.
Kentucky Players in SEC Statistics As of May 4 Overall SECBatting Average Josh Loggins T-24th (.358) David Cheatle T-24th (.358) Home Runs Andy Bendix Doubles Jason Colemire T-4th (21) 2nd (14) Triples Josh Loggins T-3rd (4) T-5th (2) Base Hits Josh Loggins 9th (76) Base on Balls David Cheatle 5th (42) T-5th (21) Stolen Bases Andy Green 10th (6-7)On Base Percentage David Cheatle 10th (.472) Doubles Per Game Jason Colemire 4th (0.43) T-2nd (0.52) Mark Murphy 10th (0.37) Triples Per Game Josh Loggins T-5th (0.08) Hits Per Game Josh Loggins 10th (1.52)Saves David Cheatle T-8th (3) Josh Paxton T-7th (2)Appearances Ben Shaffar T-7th (22) T-6th (12) Josh Paxton T-9th (11)K's Per 9 innings Matt Borne 9th (9.90)
