April 29, 2002
The University of Kentucky baseball team will take a break from Southeastern Conference action to play host to Cincinnati in a 6 p.m. ET game on Wednesday, May 1 at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Wildcats (14-28) own a 49-24-2 series lead since first meeting the Bearcats (20-22-1) in 1903.
“We feel like the Cincinnati game could give us the positive momentum we so desperately need going into the Arkansas series this weekend,” Coach Keith Madison said. “We’ve had our chances in close games and have competed, but we must get on a positive spin – we can’t wait any longer.”
The Wildcats were swept at home over the weekend by No. 5 South Carolina. UK took the Gamecocks to 10 innings on Friday, April 26 only to fall, 6-4, and dropped both games of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon, 6-4 and 12-6, to complete the USC sweep. Junior outfielder Gordon Tyler recorded his first career four-hit performance Friday when he went 4-for-5 with a run scored in UK’s extra-inning setback to the Gamecocks. For the weekend, the Dixon, Ky. native, hit .417 (5-for-12), scored a run and drove in two. Junior infielder Russ Rutherford cracked his first career grand slam in the fourth inning of Sunday’s 12-6 loss to USC. Rutherford went 3-for-8 (.375) with a run scored and five RBIs in the three-game series.
The Bearcats have won six of their past 10 games including a 11-10 upset at No. 10 Houston on Saturday, April 20. This past weekend, UC won the series with Tulane with Friday and Sunday wins over the Green Wave. Junior infielder Brad Schutz has started all 43 games for the Bearcats and leads the squad in batting average (.358), at-bats (187), runs (50), hits (67) and doubles (12).
Pitching coach Greg Goff announced Monday that senior right-hander Jarrod Reynolds (0-0, 9.00) will take the mound for the Cats in the 76th meeting between UK and UC. Reynolds has recorded one start this season – a no-decision outing at Texas A&M on Feb. 25 that UK won, 3-1, to earn Coach Keith Madison his 700th career victory. Freshman right-hander Kyle Markle (5-1, 4.24 ERA) will get his third starting assignment for UC.
Live in-game scoring of Wednesday’s game can be accessed at UKAthletics.com.
– UK –
