Baseball America Tabs UK No. 25 in Preseason

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky has been ranked No. 25 in the preseason, it was announced on Monday morning by Baseball America.

It marks just the second time in UK history that the Wildcats have appeared in the widely respected Baseball America preseason top-25, including a school-record No. 11 preseason spot in 2013. UK has been ranked in the preseason just five times in its history, including three times under Coach Gary Henderson. Preseason polls have been acquired back to 1999.

The Wildcats check in as seven Southeastern Conference teams in the Baseball America top-25, including Florida, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss

Kentucky has now been ranked in two preseason polls in 2016, checking in No. 29 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.

As part of its season preview, Baseball America has ranked the top 100 college prospects available for the 2016 MLB Draft, including UK junior righty Zack Brown (No. 30) and senior right-hander Kyle Cody (No. 33). D1baseball has also ranked the top 300 college prospects available for the 2016 MLB Draft, including Brown (No. 40), Cody (No. 45), UK junior third baseman JaVon Shelby (No. 75) and senior righty Dustin Beggs (No. 275).

In addition to the aforementioned preseason honorees, the Wildcats return standout Evan White, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team first baseman in his collegiate debut. UK also returns junior outfielders Storm Wilson and Marcus Carson, in addition to senior catcher Zach Arnold. UK’s bullpen is boosted by the return of senior righties Bo Wilson and Zach Strecker and left-handed workhorse Logan Salow. UK sophomore lefty Zach Logue and sophomore infielder Riley Mahan are coming off all-star summers in their collegiate leagues, with Logue earning pitcher of the year honors in the circuit.

Kentucky will open its 2016 season on Feb. 19 at Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C.

UK Baseball Preseason Rankings History (since 1999)
2016: No. 25 (Baseball America), No. 29 (Collegiate Baseball)
2013: No. 8 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 11 (Baseball America), No. 12 (NCBWA), No. 13 (Perfect Game), No. 15 (ESPN/USA Today)
2009: No. 19 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 23 (NCBWA)
2008: No. 20 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 25 (NCBWA)
2007: No. 23 (Rivals.com), No. 27 (NCBWA), No. 30 (Baseball America)

BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON TOP 25
Rank      Team                                                  
1.            Florida                                               
2.            Louisville                                       
3.            Texas A&M                                  
4.            Virginia                                     
5.            Oregon State                             
6.            Miami                    
7.            Vanderbilt                      
8.            California                                   
9.            Oklahoma State                       
10.          UCLA                                               
11.          LSU                        
12.          Houston                                  
13.          Louisiana-Lafayette            
14.          Oregon                                      
15.          Michigan                                
16.          Southern California                
17.          Florida State                             
18.          Texas Christian                     
19.          North Carolina State                  
20.          Mississippi State                            
21.          Oklahoma                                       
22.          Cal State Fullerton                       
23.          Coastal Carolina                             
24.          Ole Miss                                      
25.          Kentucky