2019 KENTUCKY BASEBALL WEEK 11 IN REVIEW

 
OVERALL RECORD: 22-22 (5-16 SEC)
WEEK RECORD: 2-2 (1-2 SEC)
 
LAST WEEK
April 23 – W, 15-4, at Western Kentucky
April 26 – L, 8-10, at Florida
April 27 – W, 5-1, at Florida
April 28 – L, 8-12, at Florida
 
THIS WEEK
May 3 – vs. Arkansas (6:30 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky.; SECN+)
May 4 – vs. Arkansas (2 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky.; SECN+)
May 5 – vs. Arkansas (1 p.m.; Lexington, Ky.; SECN+)
 
TEAM NOTES
Kentucky has scored in 108 consecutive games and 184 of the past 185 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak is the second-longest in school history.

• Coach Nick Mingione now has 99 career wins, including 37 in SEC play.

  • The 99 are the most of any UK head coach in his first three seasons.
  • The 37 SEC wins are the most by any UK head coach over that same span.

• Kentucky has played the most games (19) against Top 25 RPI opponents of anyone in the country.
• The back-to-back home runs by Zeke Lewis and Ryan Johnson against Western Kentucky marked the first time UK had done that since Kole Cottam and Luke Becker did so at Vanderbilt on May 19, 2018.

 
 
SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE
RYAN JOHNSON (Sr., OF)

• Ryan Johnson moved into the leadoff spot and had a week where he delivered an absurd OPS of 1.810 in four starts, including a slugging percentage of 1.143 and on-base percentage of .667.

  • In four games he hit .500 with seven runs scored, four RBI, three home runs, five walks, two HBP and a steal.
  • Against Western Kentucky, he clubbed three consecutive home runs in the game.
    • The home runs were the fourth, fifth and sixth of Johnson’s career.
    • He is the first UK player to homer in consecutive at bats since Kole Cottam did so last season in the final at bat against Missouri on April 29 and first against Tennessee on May 4.
    • He is the first UK player to homer three times in a game since Gunnar Glad against South Carolina on March 28, 2009.
    • It’s the first four-hit game for the Cats since Alex Rodriguez last season at Western Carolina (April 11, 2018).
    • He scored five runs in the game.              

• Johnson continued his hot streak into the Florida series and now has reached base safely in nine straight games.
  • He reached base nine times in the series out of the leadoff spot, including four times in Sunday’s finale.

• Johnson drew five walks and was hit by two pitches for the week, while also stealing a base.

 
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE
ZACK THOMPSON (Jr., LHP)

• Junior LHP Zack Thompson pitched 9.0 innings, allowing three hits, one unearned run, walking four and striking out 11.

  • He lowered his ERA in SEC play to 1.47 and now has 65 strikeouts in 49.0 innings.
  • This was Thompson’s second complete game of the season, both in SEC play.
    • He did not allow an earned run in either game.
    • This was the first complete game on the road for a UK player since Sean Hjelle at Texas A&M in 2017.
    • Thompson is the first UK pitcher to have at least two complete games in a season since Dustin Beggs in 2016.
  • The 11 strikeouts give him 240 for his career, moving him into seventh on UK’s career list. He stands two behind Steve Smith (1990-93) for sixth.
    • It’s the fourth time in his career he’s reached double-digit strikeouts in a game.
    • He now has 102 strikeouts on the season, making him just the 13^th pitcher in school history to reach the century mark in a single season.

• The three hits allowed were on a bunt single, infield hit and bouncer through the left side.
• Only two runners reached scoring position and Thompson held the Gators to 1-of-5 in subsequent at bats, including three straight outs – two on strikeouts looking – after the leadoff man reached third in the eighth inning.
  • Florida’s lone run came on a bunt single, SAC bunt, passed ball and infield single.

 
 
PLAYER NOTES

• Sophomore C/INF Coltyn Kessler

  • Hit .538 for the week in three games with four runs, six RBI, a double, a home run and HBP.
  • Twice against Florida he tied career-highs with three hits and three RBI in a game.
  • He now has 10 multi-hit games this season.
  • He has four multi-RBI games of the season.

• Freshman INF Austin Schultz has reached base safely in 32 of the past 34 games.

  • He has a five-game hit streak.

• Sophomore OF Cam Hill had three straight multi-hit games during the week.

  • He hit .462 with two runs, two doubles and three RBI.

• Senior C Marshall Gei hit the first triple of his career, driving in a run, against Western Kentucky.
• Freshman 1B/DH Trae Harmon recorded his first career hit, a two-run, pinch hit double against Western Kentucky.