Three University of Kentucky baseball players have been rated among the top-50 college prospects for the class of 2002 by Baseball America.

Sophomore pitchers Rob Corrado, Joseph Blanton and Mark Michael all caught the eye of the publication following their stellar freshman campaigns in which they combined for a 15-5 record while pitching in arguably college baseball’s toughest conference.

Leading the list was Corrado (Dayton, Ohio) who was ranked as the 23rd-best prospect. An imposing figure on the mound, the 6-6, hard-throwing right-hander made an immediate impact on the UK staff, starting 14 of 15 games in which he appeared and recording a 5-3 record. His 69.1 innings were the third most on the Cats’ staff. Better fastball command and an improved slider could help Corrado become one of the best pitchers in the Southeastern Conference, according to UK coach Keith Madison.

Blanton (Brownsville, Ky.) was listed at No. 43 on the list. Topping his list of accolades following his rookie season was being named honorable mention selection 2000 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team. Blanton registered an unblemished 5-0 record in addition to recording two saves. In 50.1 innings of work, he posted a 5.54 ERA. Four of his five wins came out of the bullpen as he finished the year with a team-high 44.1 innings in relief.

Michael, who was also an honorable mention selection to the 2000 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team, was selected as the 45th best prospect after posting a 5-2 record in 22 appearances last season. The Lexington native registered a 4.10 ERA, third on the UK staff in 2000. In 63.2 innings, Michael allowed only 29 earned runs and held opponents to a .261 batting average.

Only Southern California, the pre-season No. 2 in the college baseball polls, had more top-50 prospects than Kentucky. The Trojans placed four players on the top-50 list. Kentucky, Clemson, Georgia Teach and Stanford had three each.