June 27, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Several Kentucky standouts are excelling in summer collegiate leagues, including pitchers Kyle Cody and Chandler Shepherd in the Cape Cod League. Learn all about UK’s student-athletes playing in summer collegiate leagues in the latest edition of the UK baseball notebook.
SHEPHERD PERFECT IN CAPE
Kentucky sophomore right-hander Chandler Shepherd is one of two pitchers in the Cape Cod League to make two starts without allowing a run, starring for the Harwich Mariners.
A native of Louisa, Ky., Shepherd has made two starts, owning a 1-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in 12 innings, allowing just four hits and two walks, striking out seven. In his CCBL debut, Shepherd worked six, one-hit innings on June 16, allowing just one hit and striking out six. In his second start, Shepherd worked another six shutout frames, allowing just three hits and one walk.
Shepherd, the Perfect Game Collegiate League Pitcher of the Year in 2012, is one of two pitchers in the CCBL not to allow a run in two starts on the mound, joining fellow Harwich teammate, Nebraska lefty Aaron Bummer.
In his two-year UK career, Shepherd has appeared in 44 games with 10 starts, owning a 8-1 record and a 3.30 ERA with a save and 72 strikeouts in 111.2 innings.
CODY WITH STRONG DEBUT IN CAPE COD LEAGUE
Freshman right-hander Kyle Cody had a strong debut in the Cape Cod League, firing six strong innings on June 16, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks, striking out four.
A 6-foot-7, 230-pounder, Cody has made two starts in the CCBL for the Wareham Gateman, owning a 1-1 record and a 5.00 ERA in nine innings, striking out nine and walking four. In his second start of the summer, Cody allowed five runs on five hits in three innings vs. Falmouth.
As a freshman in 2013 for UK, Cody appeared in 15 games with 10 starts – including three SEC starts – owning a 3-3 record and a 4.84 ERA. Cody worked 57.2 innings, allowing 57 hits and 20 walks, striking out 47.
KUHN OFF TO HOT START IN NORTHWOODS LEAGUE
Sophomore infielder Max Kuhn ranks 16th in the Northwoods League with a .313 average through his first 25 games in the summer.
A native of Zionsville, Ind., Kuhn has gotten off to a blistering start for the Willmar Stingers in the Northwoods League. The infielder has played in 25 games and hit .313 with five doubles, one homer and 19 RBI, sporting a .394 on-base percentage. He has a six-game and seven-game hitting streak so far in the summer, including two three-hit games. On June 7 vs. Duluth, Kuhn belted a walk-off, three-run homer in a 9-6 win.
In 2013 for the Wildcats, Kuhn hit .242 with nine doubles, a triple, five homers and 29 RBI, stealing seven bases.
ARNOLD CATCHING ON IN COASTAL PLAINS LEAGUE
Freshman catcher Zach Arnold, a native of Frankfort, Ky., is playing in the Coastal Plains League with Morehead City, serving as the primary backstop through 20 games and 17 starts.
Arnold has hit .250 in his first foray with wooden bats, owning two doubles and four RBI, sporting a .365 on-base percentage and stealing three bases. Arnold played in eight games with a start in his freshman season, collecting a RBI single in his first career start vs. Marshall.
FOUR WILDCATS JOIN AMSTERDAM IN PGCBL
Four members of the Kentucky baseball family have joined the Amsterdam Mohawks in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, including freshmen Kyle Barrett and Dylan Dwyer and members of the coaching staff, Mike Brown and Ben Jackson.
Barrett, a member of the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team outfield, has hit .333 in 13 games with two doubles, one homer and three RBI, stealing three bases. In 2013 for the Wildcats, Barrett led the team with a .349 average, with four doubles, one triple, 14 RBI and four steals.
Dwyer has started three games for Amsterdam, owning a 1-1 record and a 3.65 ERA. Dwyer has tossed 12.1 innings, allowing 13 hits and 10 walks, striking out six. In his last start, Dwyer worked five shutout innings, allowing five hits and three walks, striking out four. Dwyer appeared in 14 games in relief for the Wildcats in 2013, owning a 1-0 record and a 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings.
RUSSELL BELTS TWO HOMERS ON WEDNESDAY
Kentucky outfielder Jacob Russell – a former quarterback for the UK football team – is off to a strong start in the Perfect Game Collegiate League.
A 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter, Russell has hit .273 in his first 16 games with a wooden bat, belting two doubles, two triples, four homers and 13 RBI, sporting a .600 slugging percentage. On Wednesday, Russell played centerfield for the Newark Pilots, belting two homers and finishing with five RBI.
In his first season playing baseball since high school in 2013 for UK, Russell went 1-for-6 with a RBI and two runs scored.
STRECKER DOMINATES FOR SLIPPERY ROCK
Freshman right-hander Zach Strecker has carried over his strong collegiate debut into the Prospect League for the Slippery Rock Sliders.
A 6-foot-5 native of Louisville, Ky., Strecker has a 3-0 record and a 0.78 ERA in his first four games, making three starts. Strecker has tossed 23 innings, allowing just one walk and 16 hits, striking out 11. In his last start, Strecker worked seven shutout innings, allowing three hits. He also worked eight innings without allowing an earned run on June 19.
Strecker has been joined on the Sliders by UK freshman outfielder Storm Wilson, who has hit .305 with two doubles, six RBI and six steals in 25 games.
As a freshman in 2013, Strecker appeared in 16 games in relief, with a 1-1 record and a 2.35 ERA, striking out 15 in 15.1 innings. His best outing came in five strong relief innings from the 13th to 18th innings at Western Kentucky.
COUSINO, REED JOIN USA COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM
Sophomores Austin Cousino and A.J. Reed are currently playing for the USA Collegiate National Team, with Cousino assured of a roster spot and Reed one of 24 players competing for the final 16 rosters spots on the team.
Cousino has played in three of the USA Collegiate National Team’s four games so far in the summer, collecting two hits and two walks with a .357 on-base percentage. Cousino has started 117 games for the Wildcats in two seasons, with a .288 average, 32 doubles, three triples, 15 homers, 68 RBI and 29 steals.
Reed leads the team with three RBI, batting 4-for-10 with a double and two walks. In Reed’s decorated two-year career for UK, the 6-foot-4, 245-pounder has hit .290 with 17 doubles, two triples, 17 homers and 95 RBI at the plate and a 7-11 record and a 3.44 ERA on the mound in 30 games and 19 starts.
HAIRSTON PLAYS FOR LEXINGTON HUSTLERS
Freshman outfielder Dorian Hairston has played in 10 games for the Lexington Hustlers in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League.
A native of Lexington, Ky., Hairston has hit .303 with two doubles, three RBI and three steals for the Hustlers. He has hits in eight of 10 games. Hairston played in six games with a start for the Wildcats in 2013, batting 2-for-7 with a RBI and a walk.
REIDA PREPPING FOR SENIOR YEAR IN NECBL
Junior shortstop Matt Reida has played in seven games in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Holyoke Blue Sox.
A native of Russiaville, Ind., Reida has hit .292 with a double, two RBI and two steals during the summer. A 5-foot-11, 178-pounder, Reida has hits in six of seven games on the summer and has reached base safely in each game.
In his three-year career for UK, Reida hit .237 with 17 doubles, two triples, two homers and 48 RBI, stealing 10 bases.
FETTES, STORM PLAY IN WEST COAST LEAGUE
Freshman catcher Greg Fettes and freshman infielder Zack Storm are playing together in the West Coast League for the Victoria HarbourCats.
Fettes, a member of the 2013 All-SEC Freshman Team, has played in 10 games, with five hits, three RBI and six walks. As a freshman, Fettes hit .250 in 23 games and 19 starts, belting five doubles, three homers and nine RBI.
Storm a native of London, Ky., has a hit in his first eight games with a wooden bat, drawing a walk and scoring a pair of runs. In 2013, Storm emerged late in the year as a weapon at the plate, batting .238 in 14 games with a homer and four RBI.
THOMAS PLAYING IN ALASKA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Junior catcher Micheal Thomas has traveled the farthest distance of UK players in the summer, venturing to the Alaska Baseball League to play for the Matsu Miners.
Thomas, a native of Elizabethtown, Ky., has hit .222 with a double and a walk in his first seven games. In his three-year UK career, Thomas has played in 77 games with 44 starts, batting .232 with six doubles, four homers and 25 RBI.
