The Cats show remarkable improvement by going from worst tofirst since last season.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2000) — The University of Kentuckysoftball team clinched the Southeastern ConferenceEastern Division Championship and the second seedin the upcoming SEC Tournament next week inBirmingham, Ala., on the heels of Florida’s 5-0 loss toGeorgia on Saturday evening. The championship forUK caps a worst-to-first season after the Cats finishedlast in the SEC East each of the program’s first threeseasons.

“This has been a very rewarding season, knowing howfar we have come,” UK coach Beth Kirchner said.”Winning the SEC East is awesome. It is a greatbarometer for us to measure our progress by.”

UK will face the seventh-seeded South Carolina LadyGamecocks at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, in thefirst round of the SEC Tournament in Columbus, Ga.The Cats and Lady Gamecocks split a four-gameseries earlier this season in Lexington, Ky.

“Being seeded second should be an easier road,however any team on any given day can beat thebest, so we’ll need to be focused and ready to playhard,” Kirchner said.

SEC Western Division Champs LSU garnered the top seed in the eight-teamfield.