Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes.
These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 28:
Baseball: Chris Bisson
Week Stats: .364 (4-for-11), 5 R, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.091 SLG%, BB, 0 SO, .500
OB%, 7 PO, 11 A, 0 E, 1.000 FLD%
Preseason All-American second baseman and leadoff hitter Chris Bisson continues
to pace the Wildcats in nearly every statistical category, helping lead UK
to a series sweep over two-time defending Mid-American champion Bowling Green
during the weekend … Hit .340 (4-for-11) during the three games, with two homers,
a triple, six RBI and a .500 on-base percentage, reaching base safely in 7-of-14
plate appearances … Collected two game-winning RBI on the three-win weekend
and now owns four of UK’s five game-winning RBI this season … Hit first homer
of the season Friday against BGSU, an opposite-field jack in the fourth inning
that put UK ahead for good … Collected four RBI in a two-hit game Sunday to
secure the sweep for the Wildcats, including a three-run homer to give UK the
go-ahead runs in the sixth inning, lifting UK to a comeback win … On the season,
Bisson – a 2009 second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection – has hit
.350 (10-for-26), with seven runs, two doubles, a triple, two homers, 10 RBI,
four walks and a sterling 1.000 fielding percentage … In 2009, led UK in games
played (53), at bats (222), average (.360), runs scored (49), hits (80), triples
(three), RBI (52), walks (20) and defensive assists (133).
Softball: Molly Johnson
Senior Molly Johnson was sensational in UK’s 3-1 week at the Frost Classic.
She batted .500 from the plate with three home runs, a double and a triple
while driving in five RBI. Johnson is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak
as she hit safely in every game this weekend. Against Chattanooga she was 2-for-2
with a pair of home runs – the only offense UK generated in a 3-1 victory.
She becomes the second player this season to hit two home runs in a single
outing after UK had not achieved the feat since 2006. Additionally, she matched
a career-high with two stolen bases against Kansas in a single game. Furthermore,
her five RBI this weekend moved her into sole possession of second place on
UK’s all-time career list with 119 career RBI. With a double against Lipscomb
she is now just one double shy of setting the career school record and she
is just four home runs shy of breaking the school mark as well with her three
round trippers this weekend.
Baseball: Matt Little
Week Stats: 0-0, 1.93 ERA, 2 App., 2 saves, 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 SO,
.154 opp avg.
Right-handed junior Matt Little picked up his first two career saves in a
pair of appearances during UK’s three-game sweep over the defending Mid-American
Conference Champion Bowling Green State Falcons … Little tossed 4.2 innings
in relief in two games during the week, allowing two hits and one run, striking
out three … Held BGSU to a .154 team average, holding an offensive attack that
ranked eighth in the NCAA with a .345 team average last season … In the Friday-night
win over BGSU, came on in relief of Alex Meyer with a runner on and two out
in the sixth inning and finished out the contest, allowing only two hits and
one run, striking out two for his first career save … In Sunday’s win over
BGSU, Little Came on with the bases loaded in a 7-4 game in the top of the
eighth inning, getting out of the frame and sitting down the side in the top
of the ninth for his second career save … On the year, Little has a 1.50 ERA
in three games, tossing six innings and allowing only two hits, one run, with
three walks and three strikeouts.
Women’s Basketball: A’dia Mathies
- Freshman guard A’dia Mathies averaged a team-high 14.0 points and pulled
down 4.5 rebounds to go along with 2.0 steals and 1.0 assists in UK’s two
road games last week. - Despite battling sickness all week prior to the Tennessee game, she still
managed 24 minutes (a season low) and scored eight points and grabbed four
rebounds against the Lady Vols. - With two steals vs. Tennessee, she broke UK’s freshman steals record of
69 set by Stacey Reed in 1991-92. - Has the second-highest steals total on the team (72) and needs just one
more steal to break into UK’s top 10 list for steals in a single season.
Has at least one steal in 15 consecutive games. - Scored a team-high 20 points at Auburn, her fourth 20-point outing in
SEC play this season. - Shot an SEC-high 64.3 percent from the field against the Tigers, netting
9-of-14 attempts, including her only three-point attempt. - Has pulled down at least four rebounds in 23 of 29 games.
Softball: Amber Matousek
Senior Amber Matousek tossed her first career no-hitter and just the second
in school history in an 8-0 (5) victory over Evansville. Matousek did not allow
a single hit and struck out eight batters in the contest. Even more impressively,
she achieved the feat in 25-degree temperatures with bitter winds. Matousek
moves into fourth all-time in career wins for Kentucky with the win over the
Purple Aces.
Baseball: Taylor Rogers
Week Stats: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO
Freshman southpaw Taylor Rogers turned in a splendid performance in just his
second career start, tossing six innings, of one-run ball, to pick up his second
win of the season over the two-time defending Mid-American Conference champion
Bowling Green … Facing his second straight team that ranked in the top eight
in the NCAA in batting average a year ago, Rogers handcuffed the hot-hitting
Falcons, allowing only six hits and just one run, striking out three … Performance
comes a week after a sparkling collegiate debut, where Rogers twirled 7.2 shutout
innings against West Virginia (ranked third in the NCAA in 2009 with a .360
team average), carrying a perfect game into the fourth inning and retiring
the first 13 hitters in order … In the win over BGSU Saturday, Rogers tossed
first-pitch strikes to 16-of-25 hitters and has now thrown first-pitch strikes
to 41-of-54 hitters faced this season … Forced 10 ground-ball outs in the win
over Bowling Green … With two wins in his first two career starts, Rogers has
pitched 13.2 innings, allowing just one run and totaling a 0.66 ERA … In the
win over West Virginia at the Caravelle Resort Invitational, Rogers forced
14 ground-ball outs, not allowing a runner to reach scoring position until
the seventh inning … Earned first career Southeastern Conference Freshman of
the Week honors after the shutout win over WVU during season-opening weekend … Tabbed
as the seventh-best freshmen in the SEC and the 22nd-best freshmen in the NCAA
in the preseason by Baseball America.
