LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky baseball starting pitcher Alex Meyer and outfielder Chad Wright have been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District, it was announced Thursday night by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).
Meyer and Wright were each honored by CoSIDA and ESPN The Magazine, with both earning second-team All-District accolades for District IV. A sophomore right-hander, Meyer carries a 3.41 cumulative GPA as a community communications and leadership major. Wright, a sophomore outfielder, owns a 3.56 GPA as a business-management major in the UK Gatton School of Business.
A 6-foot-9, 220-pounder, Meyer has been a fixture in the UK weekend rotation in his first two seasons, after arriving as a cornerstone in UK’s school-record fourth-ranked recruiting class in 2009. A native of Greensburg, Ind., Meyer has made 19 starts and appeared in 22 total games in his two seasons, owning a 5-6 record with one save. In 100.1 career innings, Meyer has totaled 132 strikeouts. An active member of the community, Meyer has volunteered at the Lexington Catholic Center soup kitchen, been a guest speaker at elementary schools in the central Kentucky area and joined his UK teammates in participating in the Bluegrass Miracle League opening ceremonies, a league that gives handicapped children the opportunity to play baseball. Last season, Meyer was honored on the 2009 Southeastern Conference Freshman Academic Honor Roll. On Sunday, Meyer will return to the weekend rotation after missing the last three weeks due to illness. Even without his last three weeks of action, Meyer currently ranks 12th in the SEC in strikeouts, fanning 52 in 40.1 innings.
A native of Paducah, Ky., Wright joined Meyer on the 2009 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll last season. A 5-foot-10, 185-pounder, Wright has started nearly every game of his two-year UK career, quickly establishing himself as one of the top outfielders and one of the top-of-the-order hitters in the conference. A graduate of Heath High School in Paducah, Wright has played in 93 games and started 90 contests in his two-year career, batting .343 (123-for-359) with 19 doubles, three triples, six homers and 56 RBI, stealing 19-of-24 bases. In 2010, Wright has been arguably UK’s top hitter, leading the team in at bats (178), hits (61), doubles (11), triples (two), adding two homers, 33 RBI and nine steals, batting .343. As a true freshman in 2009, Wright batted .343 (62-for-181) in 50 games, charting eight doubles, one triple, four homers and 23 RBI, swiping 10 bases.
Kentucky (24-20, 7-14 Southeastern Conference) returns to action Friday, hosting No. 4 South Carolina in a three-game series at Cliff Hagan Stadium. First pitch on Friday and Saturday is slated for 7 p.m. ET and Sunday for 1 p.m. ET. Fans can see the Friday and Saturday contests on the Big Blue Sports Network, with the telecast available on Fox Sports South and CWKYT-TV. All three games will also be broadcast live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio), with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action.
