Feb. 24, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky baseball team will open its 2014 home schedule with a pair of midweek games this week, starting with Wright State on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and Dayton on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The games will be broadcast live on the UK IMG Radio Network, with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action. Fans in Lexington can hear the game on Tuesday on WWTF 1580-AM and on Wednesday in Central Kentucky on WLAP 630-AM, in addition to online at UKathletics.com.
UK will send sophomore southpaw Dylan Dwyer to the mound for his second consecutive midweek start, the first two starts of his career. Dwyer worked three innings on Monday at USC Upstate, including striking out the side in the first two innings. Dwyer then ran into trouble with four runs in the third inning. In his career, Dwyer has a 1-0 record and a 5.12 ERA in 15 games with one start, striking out 13 in 19.1 innings. UK has yet to announce a starting pitcher for Wednesday, with Wright State and Dayton also yet to announce a projected starter.
Kentucky (5-2) continued its season-long, seven-game road swing last weekend with a three-game sweep at the Old Dominion Tournament in Norfolk, Va., getting a historic output from junior preseason All-America two-way standout A.J. Reed, who has been named Southeastern Conference and National Player of the Week on Monday.
UK posted a 16-2 win over St. Joseph’s on Friday, a comeback 7-5 win at ODU on Saturday and a 13-0 win over St. John’s on Sunday to conclude the weekend.
Kentucky – ranked No. 25 by Perfect Game and No. 30 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers – will host the pair of midweek games, before welcoming Eastern Michigan for the first three-game series of the 2014 home schedule.
Reed belted five home runs and has 11 RBI on the weekend, becoming the first player in school history with five homers in a three-game span. He hit two homers in an inning on Friday – while also working seven, one-run innings on the mound for the win – becoming the first UK player since Jason Kipnis in 2007 to hit two homers in an inning. Reed then gave UK the lead with a two-out, two-RBI single in the third inning at ODU Saturday, before later tying the game in the seventh inning with a solo homer and then pelting a double off the wall in the ninth inning. Sunday, Reed had his second two-homer game of the weekend with a pair of solo jacks in a win over St. John’s.
A member of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List, Reed has hit .433 (13-for-30) in seven 2014 games, with 10 runs, three doubles, six homers and 17 RBI, also owning a 2-0 record and a 1.50 ERA on the mound as UK’s Friday starter for the second consecutive season.
Fellow preseason All-American Austin Cousino has hit .400 (12-for-30) with three doubles, one homer, four RBI and three steals to open the year. Outfielder Ka’ai Tom has batted .389 (7-for-18), catcher Micheal Thomas has hit .350 (7-for-20), with a .500 on-base percentage, with outfielder Kyle Barrett sporting a .323 (10-for-31) average. Senior shortstop Matt Reida – who hit .600 over the weekend – has hit .296 (8-for-27) with seven RBI.
On the mound, junior Chandler Shepherd (1-0, 5.73 ERA) and sophomore Kyle Cody (1-0, 1.93 ERA) have joined Reed in the rotation. Sophomore southpaw Ryne Combs (1-0, 2.45 ERA) has worked in two games and 7.1 innings in relief, allowing just a pair of singles. Junior Spencer Jack has appeared in a team-high three games, working five shutout innings, scattering three singles and striking out five.
Records
Kentucky: 5-2
Wright State: 2-4
Dayton: 3-3
Schedule (times Eastern and subject to change) — Lexington, Ky.
Tuesday, Feb. 25 * vs. Wright State * 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 26 * vs. Dayton * 6:30 p.m.
Radio (UK IMG Network with Neil Price)
Tuesday: WWTF 1580-AM in Lexington
Wednesday: WLAP 630-AM in Lexington
Internet Coverage
Live video, audio and stats on UKathletics.com
Tentative Pitching Matchups
Tuesday vs. Wright State
So., LHP Dylan Dwyer (0-0, 12.00 ERA) vs. TBA
Wednesday vs. Dayton
TBD vs. TBD
Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium (3,000)
Parking
Parking at Cliff Hagan Stadium is FREE.
UK 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 fifth 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, seven days a week. Fans that park in these lots may be ticketed or towed. Plenty of parking is 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
