Overall Record: 21-0, 3-0 SECRecord Last Week: 5-0, 3-0 SECRecent ResultsTuesday, March 13 – defeated Wright State, 9-1Wednesday, March 14 – defeated Murray State, 2-1Friday, March 16 – defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 4-3Saturday, March 17 – defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 4-3Sunday, March 18 – defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 6-3Upcoming Schedule (times Eastern)Wednesday, March 21 – at Cincinnati – 4 p.m.Friday, March 23 – at Tennessee – 6 p.m.Saturday, March 24 – at Tennessee – 4 p.m.Sunday, March 25 – at Tennessee – 2 p.m. PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEELuke Maile6-3 – Jr. – C/1B – Crestview Hills, Ky. Week Stats: .278 (5-for-18), 2 HR, 6 RBI, .611 SLG%, 3 BB, HBP, .409 OB%, 41 PO, 3 A, 1.000 FLD%Notes: Kentucky junior catcher Luke Maile continued to provide the vocal and physical leadership to a school-record 21-0 start to the season, launching a pair of homers during a 5-0 week, pacing UK to a series sweep over No. 2 South Carolina, the two-time defending NCAA Champions … Maile hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in the series opener, a blast to dead centerfield with UK trailing by a run, part of a three-RBI game … In the second game of the series, Maile delivered another clutch RBI single in UK’s 4-3 win over the Cocks … In the finale, Maile set the tone by launching his fifth homer of the year in the first inning off USC’s Colby Holmes, leading UK to the sweep-clinching win … Maile’s walk-off homer was his staggering seventh game-winning RBI of the season, leading the team and tying the team leader Thomas McCarthy’s seven game-winning RBI from the entire 2011 season … On the year, Maile has hit .360 (27-for-75) with five doubles, five homers, 27 RBI, a 13-4 walk-strikeout ratio and six stolen bases. FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK NOMINEEA.J. Reed6-4 – Fr. – LHP/1B – Terre Haute, Ind. (Terre Haute South)Week Stats: .526 (10-for-19), 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, .789 SLG%, .550 OB%; 2-0, 1.12 ERA, 2 GP, 1 GS, 8 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 SONotes: Freshman A.J. Reed turned in one of the more prolific weeks in the history of UK baseball, leading UK to five wins as the No. 4 hitter, midweek starter and weekend late-inning reliever … Picked up two wins on the mound, one coming in a midweek start on Tuesday and the second coming in relief of UK’s series-clinching win over No. 2 South Carolina on Saturday … In both of his wins on the mound, Reed – who owns a 12-game hitting streak – delivered the game-winning RBI at the plate … In his start, tossed six innings, allowing only one run and striking out six, with first-pitch strikes hurled to the first 21 hitters he faced … Reed became the first UK player in program history (modern era: 1979-present) to start on the mound and as the No. 4 hitter in the order in the midweek win … On Saturday, Reed was summoned out of the bullpen on short rest working two shutout innings to set up the game for UK closer Trevor Gott in the ninth inning, picking up his fourth win of the year … At the plate, Reed led UK in hitting all week batting .526 (10-for-19) with two doubles, one homer and five RBI … Totaled a 2-0 record with a 1.12 ERA on the mound, striking out eight in eight innings … In his midweek starting pitching assignment, collected a career-high three hits, batting 3-for-4 with three RBI … Delivered two hits in a 2-1 midweek win over Murray State on Wednesday … In his SEC debut on Friday, Reed went 2-for-4 with an RBI, adding the game-winning double in the seventh inning in the series-clinching win on Saturday … Finished with two hits in the series finale, helping UK to its first series sweep of USC since 2006 … On the year, has hit .386 (27-for-70) with seven doubles, two homers and 28 RBI, with a 4-0 record and a 1.83 ERA on the mound in 19.2 innings with 18 strikeouts.PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEETrevor Gott6-0 * So. – RHP – Lexington, Ky.Week Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 GP, 3 saves, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO, .100 opp. avg.Notes: UK sophomore right-hander Trevor Gott solidified his role as one of the top closers in college baseball during Kentucky’s 5-0 week, picking up three saves – including two against the two-time NCAA Champions, No. 2 South Carolina … Appeared in three games with three saves, tossing three shutout frames, with one hit and no walks allowed, striking out six … Made first appearance in the ninth inning of UK’s 2-1 midweek win on Wednesday, locking down the save … Came on in the ninth inning with UK nursing a 4-3 lead and a runner at second base and no outs in the series-clinching win over USC on Saturday … After getting a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third base, Gott struck out the next two hitters to end the game and leave the game-tying and inherited runner stranded at third base … In the series finale, after UK allowed a leadoff runner to reach base on an error in the ninth inning with UK looking for the sweep, came out of the pen to get three consecutive outs to finish off the game and sweep the Gamecocks … On the year, Gott – the 2011 Cape Cod League Reliever of the Year – has a 1-0 record and a 2.08 ERA, saving five games in 10 relief outings, striking out 16 and walking two in 8.2 innings.TEAM NOTESThe No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats completed a stellar five-game week with five wins, including a weekend series sweep over No. 2 South Carolina, the two-time defending NCAA Champions. Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday, starting a four-game road swing at Cincinnati, before resuming conference play at Tennessee. Kentucky (21-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) opened up conference play in historic fashion, sweeping the high-octane Gamecocks for the first time since 2006. UK extended its school-record winning streak to 21 games to open the season with the sweep, eclipsing the previous record of 19-0 set to open the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Wildcats now own the third-longest winning streak in the storied history of the SEC, behind only the 23-game streak from the 2010 NCAA Champion LSU Tigers and the 22-game streak from the 2000 South Carolina Gamecocks. UK passed the 20-game winning streak from the 2007 Vanderbilt Commodores – led by David Price – with the win on Sunday. UK is the only undefeated team in college baseball, owning the longest winning streak and the most wins in the NCAA. Kentucky posted a pair of midweek wins on Tuesday and Wednesday, riding a 9-1 win on Tuesday over Wright State and a 2-1 win over Murray State on Wednesday into the SEC opener on Friday night. Facing the two-time defending NCAA Champion, the league leader in ERA and the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, Kentucky exploded out of the SEC gate with a walk-off win on Friday, 4-3 with Luke Maile launching a home run to centerfield with the Wildcats trailing 3-2. On Saturday, UK again rallied for a 4-3 win, using a heroic pitching performance from freshman A.J. Reed and sophomore Trevor Gott. Sunday, UK completed the sweep with a first-inning homer from Maile and clutch hitting from senior catcher Michael Williams, with Gott locking down his fifth save of the year. Throughout the weekend, UK’s bullpen was perfect, winning all three games without allowing a run. The Wildcats pen worked 10.2 innings, allowing seven hits and two walks, with 12 strikeouts and two saves. The Wildcats have been paced by one of the top offensive units in college baseball, entering the weekend leading the SEC in nearly every offensive category. UK has hit .333 as a team with 21 homers in 21 games, stealing 24 bases and fielding .978. On the mound, UK head coach Gary Henderson’s pitching staff owns a 2.95 ERA, entering the weekend leading the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Offensively, UK has been led by outfielder Zac Zellers, who has hit .393 with six doubles, one triple, three homers and 11 RBI, with three steals. Reed has hit .386 with seven doubles, two homers and a team-best 28 RBI, while freshman centerfielder Austin Cousino has a .382 mark with nine doubles, one triple, one homer and 14 RBI. Cameron Flynn leads the club with six homers, adding a .380 average with 17 RBI, while Maile has hit .360 with five doubles, five homers and 27 RBI, swiping six bases. On the mound, Reed and Taylor Rogers (4-0, 4.03 ERA) lead the club in wins. Gott (1-0, 2.08 ERA) owns five saves with 16 strikeouts in 8.2 innings. Tim Peterson (2-0, 0.87 ERA), Walter Wijas (2-0, 4.97 ERA), freshman Sam Mahar (0-0, 1.93 ERA) and Alex Philllips (2-0, 2.40 ERA) have each appeared in at least eight games in relief for the UK bullpen.

Related Stories

View all