2018 Baseball Cats Will Rely on Strong Pitching, New Faces
The 2018 Kentucky baseball team will try to build on the accomplishments of last season’s squad. That success included a 43-23 record, UK’s first NCAA Regional championship and a subsequent appearance in the Super Regional.
If the Cats are to repeat or surpass last year’s outstanding season, a number of new faces will have to be big contributors in 2018. Gone from last season’s team are first baseman Evan White, second baseman Riley Mahan, shortstop Connor Heady, third baseman Tyler Marshall, left fielder Zack Reks and center fielder Marcus Carson. Also gone are starting pitcher Zach Logue and closer Logan Salow.
However, the Wildcats do return a number of key components from last year’s team, including a weekend pitching rotation that should be among the nation’s best. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the 2018 Cats.
Catcher
Head coach Nick Mingione likes his combination of Kole Cottam and Troy Squires behind the plate. Both players saw plenty of action last season and Mingione is counting on the backstops to be leaders this season.
“We have two good a catchers as anybody in the country,” Mingione said. “I feel confident about that.”
Cottam, a junior from Knoxville, hit .319 last season with seven home runs and 44 runs batted in. He had the go-ahead double in the regional title game over N.C. State in June. Squires hit .305 with one homer and 26 runs knocked in last season.
First Base
Mingione admits that this position is yet to be determined, but a platoon is certainly possible.
“It’s going to be a couple different guys,” Mingione said. “Kole Cottam is going to spend some time there, Troy Squires, T.J. Collett, Brayden Combs are all guys that have played there.”
Collett saw limited action last season due to a knee injury. His biggest contribution was a pinch-hit grand slam against Ole Miss. Combs was a redshirt last season, but is an imposing figure with a bright future.
Second Base
Luke Becker will move from third base to second base this season, a position he played as a sophomore in 2016. Last season, Becker hit .287 with seven homers and 46 runs batted in. Eight of those RBIs came in one game against Miami (Ohio) in March.
“He was just voted by the coaches all-SEC Second Team,” Mingione said. “We’re excited he’s a senior. He is better in all areas of his game.”
Shortstop
Junior college transfer Trey Dawson will likely be the starter at shortstop in 2018. Dawson comes to UK from Chipola Junior College, where he led his team to a national championship. Dawson is a slick fielder with pop in his bat. He hit .276 last season with nine homers and 38 runs batted in.
“If the season started today, (Dawson) would be our shortstop,” Mingione said. “He has earned it. He’s as good a defender as I’ve coached. He came to us from Chipola Junior College, where they won a National Championship. He won the Gold Glove there.”
Third Base
Senior Luke Heyer is slated to be the starter at the hot corner for the Wildcats. After transferring from the College of Central Florida, Heyer hit .262 last season with three homers and 12 RBI in 37 games.
“Heyer is a guy that saw some playing time (at third base) last year,” Mingione said. “He is much improved.”
Alex Rodriguez, Troy Black, Coltyn Kessler, Combs, and Zeke Lewis could also see time at third base.
Outfield
Despite losing two seniors, the outfield could still be a strong unit for the 2018 Wildcats. Junior Tristan Pompey, a preseason All-American, will anchor the group this season, moving to left field. Pompey was second on last season’s squad with 10 homers and 45 RBIs.
“Tristan Pompey obviously is the catalyst there, returning All-American,” Mingione said. “He’s going to play some time in left field. He’ll play some in center. Tristan is an elite defender.”
Joining Pompey in the outfield will be a combination of junior college transfers Ben Aklinski, Ryan Johnson and Ryan Shinn, in addition to freshman Cam Hill.
Aklinski, playing for Phoenix College last season, had 14 homers and 61 runs batted in while hitting .364. Johnson had seven homers and 37 RBIs in 55 games for San Jacinto College last season. Shinn had a big year at Harford College last season, hitting .374 with 20 home runs and 71 RBIs in 57 games. And Hill begins his UK career after being an All-State performer at Scott County (Ky.) High School.
Starting Pitching
Last season, starting pitching was a huge question mark for the Wildcats in the preseason. This year, the starting rotation should be the cornerstone of the team.
Defending SEC Pitcher of the Year Sean Hjelle returns for his junior season. Serving as Kentucky’s Friday night starter last year, the 6-11 right-hander was 11-4 with a 3.89 ERA. He struck out 102 batters in 108.2 innings.
“He’s the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year,” Mingione said of Hjelle. “He stayed here this summer with (strength coach) DeVriendt. He has gained 20 pounds. He is bigger, he is stronger. He’s attacking hitters as well as he ever has, and his changeup is better.
Joining Hjelle as a returnee in the rotation is junior righty Justin Lewis. The 6-7 Lewis was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but shunned the Rays’ offers to return to Kentucky for his third season. Last year, Lewis was 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA.
“To have him back, he is stronger,” Mingione said of Lewis. “You guys know how good his changeup is, but his slider is the best thing that has happened to him.”
The third weekend starter will be Zach Thompson, who was Kentucky’s midweek starter last year as a freshman. Thompson was 8-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 2017, striking out 96 batters in 75.2 innings.
“He’s better. His changeup, his breaking ball, slider are all better,” Mingione said. “When you talk about our weekend rotation between Hjelle, Zack Thompson and Justin Lewis, we feel really good about those three.”
Bullpen
Salow served as the primary stopper out of the bullpen last year, but Chris Machamer also pitched some key innings for the 2017 Cats, posting a 2-0 record and one save with a 3.18 ERA. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out 39 batters in 34 innings as a freshman last season.
“He is a guy that has done really well,” Mingione said of Machamer. “He was undefeated as a freshman. He’s throwing the ball well.”
Speaking of hard-throwing right-handers, the UK bullpen has another one in Zach Haake, who is also expected to be a stopper out of the bullpen. Haake throws in the mid-90’s and is projected as an early draft choice in the 2018 MLB Draft. Last season at John A. Logan College, Haake was 8-1 with a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 91 hitters in just 78.2 innings last season.
“Haake is a junior college transfer that we have, one of the highest rated prospects in the entire country,” Mingione said. “He’s been 92-96 (miles per hour). He throws an 85- to 88-mile-an-hour slider. We’re excited about him.”
Brad Schaenzer, Daniel Harper, Mason Hazelwood, Jimmy Ramsey and Alec Maley are also expected to see significant time on the mound this season.
While there are many new faces this season, the expectations and the goals are the same for the UK Baseball program.
