The University of Kentucky baseball team will host Southeastern Conference opponent Alabama in athree-game series this weekend at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Fridays game starts at 3:05 p.m. and willmark the 2001 conference home opener for the Wildcats, who began league play last weekend bytaking two of three games at Ole Miss.
UK (10-8) has won eight of its last nine games after starting the season 2-7. The Cats are undefeatedin five games at home this season and have an eight-game home winning streak dating back to last yearat Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Alabama is 13-7 overall, 1-2 in the SEC. UAs combination of good hitting, a .304 team battingaverage, with solid pitching, an overall ERA of 3.62, has been the key to its 13-7 start. Lance Cormier,two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week this season, leads the Crimson Tide pitching staff with a 1.91 ERA.
The offense has been the key to UKs turnaround. The Cats bats have come alive, recording 10 ormore hits in six of their last seven contests, raising their team batting average from .236 to .277 over thecourse of two-and-a-half weeks. Vince Harrison and Spencer Preston lead the Cats with averages of.373. Preston also leads the squad with four home runs and 18 RBI.
The pitching staff has been the backbone for the Wildcats early in the season. As a team, UK boats anERA of 3.31, led by senior closer Jon Hookers paper-thin .71 ERA. Hooker is tied for second placein the SEC with three saves. Scott Wade, scheduled to start for the Wildcats on Friday, has throwntwo consecutive complete games, the last coming in a three-hit shutout of Ole Miss last weekend.Wades ERA currently stands at 2.06.
Wade (2-2) will be opposed on Friday by Crimson Tide left-hander Mark Carter (3-1, 4.24 ERA),with the first pitch scheduled for 3:05 p.m. EST. Saturdays game is slated for 2:05 p.m. EST, withUKs Joseph Blanton (0-2, 3.38 ERA) squaring off against UAs Cormier (3-3, 1.91 ERA). Sundaysfinale will begin at 1:05 p.m. EST, with Wildcat hurler Mark Michael (2-2, 4.03 ERA) going againstthe Tides B. J. Green (2-0, 4.63 ERA).
Friday will mark the first time that the Crimson Tide has visited Lexington since 1996. UA holds a37-24 advantage over UK in the all-time series. The Tide and the Cats played three one-run gameslast season, with Alabama winning two of the three in Tuscaloosa.
