LEXINGTON, Ky. — After pummeling its opening nine opponents by a combined 121-21 score, the No. 9 Kentucky baseball team looks to improve upon its hot start during a stretch of seven crucial non-conference games, beginning with the Evansville Purple Aces, on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (9-0) enters the game after posting dominating wins in its opening nine games. UK has averaged nearly 12 runs a game, scoring double digits in runs in each contest. The Wildcats lead the Southeastern Conference in 11-of-14 offensive categories and in 7-of-15 pitching categories.
Sophomore James Paxton will get the start for the Wildcats, going against the Purple Aces lefty Sean McCarthy. Paxton has earned a 1-0 record in two games, notching one start and working seven innings ? third most on the team. Paxton has allowed six hits and struck out 10.
UK ranks was the league leader in batting average (.376), slugging (.650), on-base percentage (.502), runs scored (121), RBI (112), doubles (31), triples (5), home runs (15), total bases (204), total plate appearances (416), walks (61) and hit by pitches (24).
On the mound, UK leads the SEC in ERA (1.82), opponent batting average (.197), innings pitched (79), wins (9), fewest runs allowed (21), fewest earned runs (16) and fewest walks allowed (11). UK also ranks second in the league in strikeouts (90), second only to the Ole Miss pitching staff, headlined by Team USA veterans Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite. UK?s Scott Green ranks third in the SEC in strikeouts (19).
A year ago, Kentucky traveled to Evansville as the beginning of a week-long road trip through Evansville, Oxford, Miss., and Paducah. In a game pitting two teams in quest of NCAA Tournament births, UK jumped out to an early lead, but a late-inning rally and a walk-off single gave Evansville a crucial non-conference win, 5-4.
Evansville plated five unanswered runs in the last three innings, erasing a 4-1 UK lead in front of a packed 1,028 fans at Braun Stadium. Evansville entered the eighth inning trailing UK by one run. The Purple Aces tacked on its run in the eighth to tie game at four, only to win the contest with a walk-off single from freshman pinch hitter Andy Pascoe in the bottom of the ninth. Pascoe, who entered the at bat with six career hits and one career RBI, strolled to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and Kentucky?s top reliever, Aaron Lovett, on the mound. Pascoe connected on a gap single, scoring the game-winning run from third. Kentucky stranded a total of 15 runners on base, one shy of its season-high total of 16.
UK trails the all-time series with Evansville, 5-8, with a 3-3 all-time mark in Lexington. The Wildcats have won the last 3-of-4 meetings in the series.
Records
Kentucky ? 9-0, 0-0 SEC
Evansville ? 0-7, 0-0 MVC
Rankings
Kentucky ? No. 9 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 20 (NCBWA), No. 24 (Baseball America), No. 18 (USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll)
Evansville ? not ranked
Schedule (times Eastern and subject to change) ? Lexington, Ky.
Wednesday, March 5 * 4 p.m.
Radio (BBSN with Neil Price)
Wednesday, March 5 * WXRA 1580-AM
Video
UKathletics.com Extreme Access
$69.95: a one-time fee for a year of Extreme Access
$9.95: three-day pass
Tentative Pitching Matchups
Wednesday vs. Evansville
LHP James Paxton (So., 1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Sean McCarthy (So. 0-1, 3.38 ERA)
Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium (3,000)
Parking
Parking at Cliff Hagan Stadium is free.
We will utilize two lots: the C8 lot behind Shively Sports Center, and brand-new Parking Structure 7 on the corner of Complex Drive and Jerry Claiborne Way. Both parking lots are only steps away from Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Fans who park in the PS7 lot will be given a parking value card to exit the structure free of charge. Value cards should be picked up at the baseball ticket booth prior to the 5th inning.
Fans should not use the university ?R? lots adjacent to the dorms or on the south side of Nutter Training Facility. These lots are patrolled by the university 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fans that park in these lots may be ticketed or towed. Plenty of parking will be available in the C8 and PS7 lots.
Tickets
SINGLE GAME TICKET PRICES
$5 – General Admission Seating – Adults
$2 – General Admission Seating – Kids/Seniors
SEASON TICKET PRICES
$35 General Admission
