UK Baseball: Week One In Review

 
OVERALL RECORD: 4-0
WEEK RECORD: 4-0
 
LAST WEEK
Feb. 16 – Win, at Wofford, 6-1
Feb. 17 – Win, at USC Upstate, 6-5 (10 inn.)
Feb. 17 – Win, at USC Upstate, 10-3
Feb. 18 – Win, vs. Evansville, 8-4

THIS WEEK (4 home games)
Feb. 21 – vs. Xavier (4 p.m., Cliff Hagan Stadium, Lexington, Ky., SECN+)
Feb. 23 – vs. Oakland (4 p.m., Cliff Hagan Stadium, Lexington, Ky., SECN+)
Feb. 24 – vs. Oakland (1 p.m., Cliff Hagan Stadium, Lexington, Ky., SECN+)
Feb. 25 – vs. Oakland (1 p.m., Cliff Hagan Stadium, Lexington, Ky., SECN+)
 
PLAYER OF WEEK NOMINEE

• Junior OF Tristan Pompey

  • Pompey extended his streak of reaching base safely to 41 games.
  • Hit a team-leading .471 as the Cats’ leadoff hitter.
  • With eight hits on opening weekend, he now has 141 career hits, good for 33rd on the UK all-time list. He passed former teammate Zach Reks (137) on Sunday.
  • Scored six runs and drove in three.
  • Posted a .550 on-base percentage and team-leading .824 slugging percentage.
  • Homered and doubled hitting right-handed; doubled twice left-handed.

 
PITCHER OF WEEK NOMINEE

• Junior RHP Justin Lewis

  • Lewis allowed just two hits and no runs in 6.0 innings to earn win vs. USC Upstate.
  • He struck out a career-high nine hitters and did not walk anyone.
  • Threw 60 of 83 pitches for strikes.
  • Only went to two three-ball counts among the 20 batters he faced.

 
TEAM NOTES

• This is Kentucky’s first 4-0 start since the 2012 season.
  • This is the first 4-0 start on the road since 2007.
• Starters Sean Hjelle and Justin Lewis were lights out in their season debuts
  • Each went 6.0 innings and allowed just two hits
  • The two combined for 2-0, 12.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 12 strikeouts
• The UK bullpen did sensational work:
  • Earned two wins
  • Pitched 24.1 innings, allowing just five runs on only 12 hits for a 1.85 ERA
  • Threw 7.1 shutout innings to help the Cats erase a 5-0 deficit and win 6-5 in 10 innings on Saturday.
  • Had 24 strikeouts and only nine walks.
• The Kentucky offense rapped out 21 extra-base hits for the weekend: 14 doubles and seven home runs.
  • The Cats also worked 18 walks and drew 10 hit by pitch.
  • OPS was .945 for the weekend.
• 15 players made their UK debut: OF Ben Aklinski, RHP Crosby Bringhurst, RHP Carson Coleman, 1B Brayden Combs, SS Trey Dawson, RHP Daniel Harper, LHP Mason Hazelwood, OF Cam Hill, OF Ryan Johnson, C/IF Coltyn Kessler, RHP Trip Lockhart, RHP Aaron McGeorge, RHP Jimmy Ramsey, IF Alex Rodriguez, OF Ryan Shinn

 
 
PLAYER NOTES

• Sophomore C/1B T.J. Collett

  • Collett had four hits and six RBI on the weekend.
  • Of his six career hits, five have gone for extra bases (three doubles, two home runs.

• Senior IF Luke Becker

  • Hit .333 for the week with five runs scored, two RBI, four walks and a stolen base.
  • Of his five hits, four went for extra bases (three doubles, one home run).
  • Slugged .733 in 15 at bats.

• Junior OF Ben Aklinski

  • He blasted his first career home run with a solo shot against USC Upstate
  • Hit .412 in his first week at the Division I level with a double, homer, two RBI and a stolen base.

• Senior C/1B Troy Squires

  • Squires was hit by five pitches in the first three games and now has 19 HBP in his career.
  • Recorded his 21^st career sacrifice to move into ninth place on UK’s career list.
  • Has a team-high .563 on-base percentage.

• Senior IF/OF Luke Heyer

  • Heyer hit two home runs on the weekend, the only Cat to do so.
  • Heyer is one of just eight SEC players to homer twice on opening weekend.
  • Heyer’s home run in his first at bat of season is the first for a UK player since Luke Maile in 2010.

• Freshman RHP Daniel Harper

  • Harper pitched 4.0 innings, giving up one earned run and striking out eight.
  • Struck out five in a row at one point.

• Junior RHP Aaron McGeorge

  • The Lexington native earned a win in his first Division I appearance.

• Freshman RHP Jimmy Ramsey

  • Ramsey pitched 2.2 hitless innings, walking one and striking out one.

• Junior RHP Sean Hjelle

  • Pitched 6.0 innings to earn the win in the season opener at Wofford.
  • Gave up just two hits, one run and struck out three.
  • He is the second Kentucky pitcher since 2002 to throw at least six innings, give up two hits or less, and give up one earned run or less in a season opener (Andrew Albers vs. Appalachian State, Feb. 18, 2005).
  • He is now 16-5 in his career. His .762 winning percentage ranks third on UK’s career win-loss percentage list.

• Redshirt freshman RHP Carson Coleman

  • In his first collegiate outing, Coleman faced seven hitters, striking out five and allowing a walk.
  • Recorded three hitless innings of work in two outings.