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) – Part 8 (Ka’ai
Tom) – Part 9 (Kyle
Cody) – Part 10 (Greg Fettes) When catcher Zach Arnold arrived on Kentucky’s campus for his freshman season in 2012, there was an immediately priority placed on strengthening his 6-foot-2 frame. A star backstop at Franklin County High School, Arnold was a first-team all-state selection, hitting .445 as a senior. Arnold, a 27th-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, always had standout defensive tools. A great athlete with a quick exchange and good receiving skills, Arnold has what it takes to play baseball for a long time. Catcher is a position that requires a unique amount of leadership. It is a position that can be strengthened by experience and maturity.  For the last five years, Kentucky had Micheal Thomas in the program. A walk-on who arrived on campus as a former star quarterback at Elizabethtown High School, Thomas waited until his junior season before securing a primary starting position. During his senior season, UK coach Gary Henderson relied heavily on Thomas due to a unique trust and faith in his veteran catcher. That limited time for talented young catchers in Arnold and Greg Fettes. The two have made the most of their opportunities throughout their careers, with Fettes earning freshman All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2013 behind the plate as the primary back-up to Thomas. Arnold served as the third catcher during his true freshman campaign, making one start. In 2014, Arnold emerged as the primary back-up to Thomas, making three starts and playing in 18 games. At the plate, Arnold hit in nearly every opportunity, batting a robust .542 (13-for-24) with three doubles and eight RBI. He drew three walks and struck out just twice. He batted 8-for-13 with runners on base and 7-for-11 with runners in scoring position.Twice in key situations, Henderson and the Wildcats turned to the talented Arnold at the plate in pinch-hit late in games in 2014. In UK’s final game of the regular season, Arnold was called on as a pinch hitter at Georgia. After the Wildcats fell down 11-3 after six innings, UK mounted a furious rally with a six-run frame in the eighth inning and scored a run in the ninth to cut it to 11-10. Arnold came to the plate with pinch-runner Marcus Carson standing on second base and one out in the final inning. He saw six pitches and took a called third strike, but earned praise from Henderson for battling in a quality at-bat in a key situation. “I actually had a conversation with Coach Henderson after that at-bat,” Arnold said. “Earlier in the game I got a hit. Then later in the game, I came up and I had never been in a situation like that. That was my first real big at-bat and maybe the moment was a little bit too big for me in that situation and I tried to over-do what I really needed to do, which was just put the ball in play.”That earned him a second opportunity at a game-changing at-bat. In the bottom of the 12th inning in the longest game ever played in the SEC Tournament, Arnold came off the bench with the bases loaded and no outs with Matt Reida standing on third to represent the game-winning run. He smacked the first pitch he saw into the hole on the left side of the infield, with Reida scoring and Arnold notching his first career walk-off hit and helping UK to its best ever finish in the SEC Tournament.  Now as a junior in 2015, Arnold, as well as Fettes, will be relied on behind the plate for the Wildcats, with Thomas departed as a 23rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers. “We’ve got Zach Arnold and Greg Fettes now,” Henderson said. “They’ve both performed really well. They are team leaders, they are likeable, at the center of the club, good skilled kids, tough, smart. All those things that you need.” With Arnold now armed with key experience and a wealth of knowledge after working with Henderson and catching coordinator Keith Vorhoff, he is poised for a strong season. “I have been able to work with Vor and Micheal, and listening to Coach Henderson, obviously has been a huge asset,” Arnold said. “It really expands your knowledge as far as the aspect of catching and also being able to help the pitcher. You are the pitching coach on the field and I think that is what Coach wants. He’s one of the best pitching coaches in the  game and being able to listen to him, all the bullpens and our side conversations, are really helping to develop me into being that extra pitching coach.”Physically, Arnold has developed into a player that can swing a bat with more speed and confidence and can handle the rigors of the position. “I’ve been able to really stick to Coach D’s (strength coach Ryan DeVriendt) program while here at school and then at home away over the summer,” Arnold said. “I just kind of stuck to the program and did exactly what he told me. I met with the nutritionist and really figured out how to eat as far as putting on weight. I was up to 187 in the preseason, so I have put on quite a bit of weight since high school.” Henderson is excited about the possibility of his 2015 catching duo of Arnold and Fettes and the ability to keep them both fresh through the grind of the SEC season. “If you have watched us play over the years, I am a guy that likes to use two catchers if possible,” Henderson said. “You have to have the people to do it. I enjoy that. I like it. It makes me feel good that we are giving somebody little bit of rest at a position that can be really demanding.  I think we have a chance to do it with those two guys.”