Part 1 (Storm Wilson) – Part 2 (JaVon Shelby) – Part 3 (Kyle Barrett) – Part 4 (Andrew Nelson) – Part 5 (Thomas Bernal) – Part 6 (Zack Brown) – Part 7 (Spencer Jack)Just like all baseball-playing youth growing up in Hawaii, Kentucky junior outfielder Ka’ai Tom admired the exploits of MLB star outfielder Shane Victorino.And for good reason. Victorino has carved out a distinguished big league career, winning the 2013 World Series title with the Boston Red Sox. “It’s pretty big knowing how successful he has been, especially when he went to the World Series a few years in a row with the Phillies,” Tom said about Victorino. “Being from Hawaii just shows that I can do it as well. He is a big example to all players from Hawaii, not just me in general, that even though we may be far away from the mainland we can still have the same opportunities.”Tom, a native of Kaneohe, Hawaii, is a very similar player to Victorino. A 5-foot-9 hitter with surprising pop for his size and great wheels, Tom is an above-average defender in the outfield and has the ability to impact the game with a line-drive approach at the plate. A junior left-handed hitter, Tom earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in his debut season with the Wildcats in 2014. He narrowly missed the SEC batting crown for league games, batting .373 in conference play with 21 RBI. Overall, Tom hit .328 as a sophomore, with 13 doubles, three homers, 41 RBI and 14 steals. “Last year I was still transitioning in from junior college,” Tom said. “I was still learning how to play baseball. There was a lot of knowledge I needed about how I could be better by hitting to all fields. Being a part of that club we had last year, (Austin) Cousino, (Max) Kuhn, MT (Micheal Thomas) and AJ (Reed), we had a lot of pop. Just following that and having them as mentors really helped me throughout the season.”Tom showed a disciplined approach and a discerning eye at the plate, sporting a .414 on-base percentage and 22-18 walk-strikeout ratio. “I always like to be fastball aggressive,” Tom said. “If there is a pitch early in the count that is in the zone I like to swing. I like to clear my mind in between at-bats and know what the pitcher is doing before I get into the box. Having a good mindset helps me generate good at-bats.”A year after hitting before and behind Reed in the lineup as he swept every national player of the year award, Tom will face a different challenge in 2015. “This year, we have a lot of team speed,” Tom said. “We can utilize the hit-and-runs. We can execute on the bunts. We can put a lot more pressure on the pitching staff. Even though it is great to have the home run hitting team we had. But this year, we have some real speed. We have Kyle Barrett, Connor Heady and me, a few guys with great speed. Having a different team than last year can really put pressure on the pitching staff.”Now as a proven performer in the league’s best conference, Tom is seeking to improve upon a stellar season.