April 2, 1998
#5 Florida (23-8, 8-3) vs. Kentucky (12-17, 3-9)
Site: Lexington, Ky.
Stadium: Cliff Hagan at Shively Field
Game One: Friday, April 3 — 6 p.m.
Game Two: Saturday, April 4 — 2 p.m.
Game Three: Sunday, April 5 — 1 p.m.
The Coaches: Kentucky head coach Keith Madison is in his 20th season at UK and is 598-467-4. Andy Lopez is in his fourth season at Florida and is 145-74. Lopez has an overall mark of 554-333- 5 in 15-plus seasons.
The Series: This is the 143rd meeting between the two teams. Florida leads the series 97-45.
Probable Starters:Friday: RHP Matt McClendon (4-2) Florida LHP Jason Chaney (0-4) Kentucky
Saturday: RHP Tommy Bond (2-0) Florida RHP Brandon Webb (2-2) Kentucky
Sunday: To Be Announced Florida RHP Matt Borne (2-2) Kentucky
A Glance at the Series
Kentucky heads into the weekend series against 5th-ranked Florida looking for momentum for the second half of its schedule. The Wildcats have dropped four of their last five games. UK split its mid-week games with a win over Belmont (10-9) on Tuesday before a loss against Xavier (11-5) on Wednesday. Florida travels to Lexington after dropping two of its last three games. UF was coming off an 11-game winning streak that included sweeps of Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Charleston Southern. The 11-game winning streak was the best for a Gator team since the 1985 squad posted a 12-game winning streak. The Gators have won their last three SEC series and won eight of their last nine games in conference play. UK and UF have met 142 times on the diamond with the Gators holding a 97-45 series advantage, including wins in nine of the last 10 games. The Gators swept the Wildcats last year in Gainesville. UK is four games behind the first-place Gators in the Eastern Division.
NEXT UP: UK Concludes Homestand
Kentucky concludes its 12-game homestand next week with non-conference games against Morehead State and Western Carolina. The Wildcats take on Morehead State on Tuesday, April 7 at 6 p.m., and Western Carolina on Wednesday, April 8 at 3 p.m.
Head Coach Keith Madison Since becoming the Wildcats coach in 1979, Keith Madison has guided his team to 598 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. With UK’s win over Tennessee on April 13, 1996, Madison moved into third place on the SEC all-time victories list. Madison is just 2 wins shy of 600. 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.
Head Coach Keith Madison Since becoming the Wildcats coach in 1979, Keith Madison has guided his team to 598 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. With UK’s win over Tennessee on April 13, 1996, Madison moved into third place on the SEC all-time victories list. Madison is just 2 wins shy of 600. 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 Florida
5th-ranked Florida heads into the series on a roll, winning 12 of its last 14 games. Florida has swept Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in the SEC and won two of three from Tennessee last weekend. The Gators were swept by Alabama in the SEC’s opening weekend. Casey Smith leads UF with a .387 average. Smith has seven home runs and 32 RBIs. Kentucky native Brad Wilkerson is hitting .358 with a team-leading 15 homers and 44 RBIs. Wilkerson is 6-1 on the mound for the Gators with a 5.09 earned run average. Matt McClendon, Friday’s starter, is 4-2 and tied with Wilkerson with 59 strikeouts.
Wildcats Overall This is the 102nd season of Kentucky baseball. The Wildcats have an all-time mark of 1267-1087-22 for a winning percentage of .534.
Kentucky Players in SEC Statistics
As of April 2 Overall SEC
Batting Average
David Cheatle 14th (.398)
Josh Loggins 22nd (.383) 21st (380)
Jason Colemire 17th (.392)
Home Runs
Andy Bendix T-8th (5)
Runs Scored Josh Loggins T-9th (11)
Doubles
Jason Colemire T-2nd (16) 1st (11)
David Cheatle T-7th (12)
Aaron McGlone T-7th (12) T-6th (5)
Josh Loggins T-6th (5)
Base Hits
Jason Colemire T-6th (20)
Base on Balls
David Cheatle 11th (24) T-7th (7)
Stolen Bases
Andy Green 8th (10-11) T-7th (3-3)
On Base Percentage
David Cheatle 8th (.504)
Doubles Per Game
Jason Colemire T-1st (0.55) 1st (0.92)
Mark Murphy 5th (0.46)
David Cheatle 10th (0.45)
Saves Matt Borne T-7th (2)
Appearances Ben Shaffar T-1st (7)
Jon Hooker T-2nd (6)
Tim Rowland T-8th (5)
Matt Borne T-8th (5)
Opponents BA Jason Chaney 10th (.244)
DID YOU KNOW?Jason Colemire and Josh Loggins are the only Wildcats to start every game this season. Colemire (CF) is the only player to start every game at the same position while Loggins has started at three different positions.
The Florida SeriesKentucky and Florida are meeting for the 143rd time with the Gators holding a 97-45 lead in the series. The teams first met in 1953 with UF sweeping UK (10-0, 9-3). UK is 26-53 in the regular season against the Gators under coach Keith Madison. UK is 2-2 against UF in the SEC Tournament with the Wildcats winning 7-1 in its last meeting in 1993. UF has won nine of the last 10 games. UF has swept UK twice (1995, 1997) while the Wildcats have managed one sweep (1993).
Last Time Out Xavier pounded 17 hits, including a grand slam by Jim Dallio in the sixth inning, en route to an 11-5 victory over UK Wednesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium. UK lost despite 13 hits, including three doubles and two home runs. The Wildcats stranded a season-high 14 runners on base. UK tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homer by Josh Loggins in the third inning, but Xavier answered with eight runs in the next four innings. Freshman Bradd Heyerly picked up his first loss of the season, allowing six hits and four runs in four innings of work. Senior David Cheatle went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Jason Colemire and Mark Murphy had two hits apiece.
Wildcat Bats UK enters the Florida series hitting .312. The Wildcats have an extra-base hit in 28 of their 29 games. UK has at least two doubles in 25 of its 29 games, including 27 in its past nine games. UK’s 82 doubles ranks first in the SEC.
Trio Leads Wildcats David Cheatle, Josh Loggins and Jason Colemire have continued to provide the bulk of the Wildcat offense. The trio have hit a combined .375 (131-for-349) with 38 doubles, 13 home runs and 72 RBIs. All three have a slugging percentage of at least .565 and are the only Wildcats with 40 or more hits. They are also in the top three in multi-hit games with 41 between them and have 17 multiple-RBI games. Colemire and Loggins have hit UK’s only two triples this season.
Cheatle Perfect Against Non-Conference Foes Senior David Cheatle has assaulted non-conference competition the entire season, hitting a team-leading .525 in 17 games. Cheatle, a California native, is a perfect 11-for-11 with nine runs scored, four doubles and three RBIs in the last five non-conference outings. Cheatle has three hits six different times in those 17 games, including three in the last five.
UK Players Against Florida Pitching Eight players on the current Wildcat roster saw action against Florida last season. UK hit .257 against Gator pitching in its three games last season in Gainesville. Josh Loggins went 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles and two RBIs in the series, including a 3-for-5 day against Brad Wilkerson. Wilkerson might start on Sunday, but is listed day-to-day because of a sprained ankle suffered during the week. UK faced Friday’s scheduled starter Matt McClendon in the final game of the series last season. McClendon allowed four hits and four runs in two innings of work. UF won the game 18-6 behind 20 hits, including four homers.
Colemire Moving Up the Charts It’s hard not to mention Jason Colemire’s name when talking about doubles. Colemire is quickly moving his way up the school’s charts for doubles in a season. Colemire has 16 doubles which is second in the SEC. Vince Castaldo holds the school 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 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
It’s Over After the Seventh UK has posted an impressive 27-4 (.870) mark when leading after seven innings the past two seasons. The Wildcats were 19-3 in 1996 and 8-1 in 1998.
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 .347 with five home runs and 26 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 leads the team with a .659 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 eight home runs which is three shy of the 11 he hit in 1996.
Doubles, Doubles, and More Doubles UK has connected on 82 doubles in its 29 games, just a game past the midpoint of the season. The school-record for doubles in a season is 132, set in 1994. Jason Colemire (16), David Cheatle (12) and Aaron McGlone (12) have combined for 40 of the 82. The Wildcats have slapped 35 doubles in SEC play compared to their opponents 27.
Opponents Find it Difficult to Hold UK Scoreless UK has put at least one run on the scoreboard the past 40 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 (11 starts), Aaron McGlone (12 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 15 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 had a season-high seven runs in an inning against Ohio on March 4.
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. Earlier this season, UK had 18 hits against Southern Mississippi.
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 .347 this season with seven home runs and 21 RBIs.
Cats on the Tube Kentucky fans will have a chance to catch its favorite team on television twice this season. Fox Sports South will broadcast the Mississippi State game on Friday, April 10 and the Auburn game on Saturday, May 2. Both games are on the road.
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.
n 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.
