MichaelWilliams

• SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll (2009)
• 2010 New England Collegiate Baseball League Summer All-Star
• 2010 fourth-best prospect in the NECBL (Baseball America)
• 37th round draft pick in 2011 (Giants)
• 2011 40th-best prospect in the Northwoods (Perfect Game)

Outlook
One of the top seniors in college baseball, elected to turn down the San Francisco Giants to return to UK for his senior season … Regarded as a lock-down defender behind the plate, with great receiving skills and tremendous arm strength … Has developed into a dynamic hitter at the plate, with great power and an ability to be a middle-of-the-order presence in the lineup … Served as first-round pick Alex Meyer’s personal catcher in 2011, helping Meyer to a breakout season … Ranked among the SEC leaders in runners caught stealing and pickoffs as a junior, also playing a good defensive first base … A vocal leader on the club … Has shown a great work ethic in the weight room … Hit .280 during the fall with one homer, despite missing the majority of the practice season after getting plunked by a pitch in the face.

Summer
While dealing with his selection in the MLB Draft following his junior season at UK, was limited to just 12 games in the Northwoods League, playing for the St. Cloud River Bats … Hit .244 (11-for-45) with five runs, one double and three RBI on the summer … Went 3-for-3 vs. Rochester on June 17 … Played on June 26, before returning on July 14 … Was tabbed the 40th-best prospect in the league by Perfect Game USA, despite only 12 games.

Michael Williams

2011
Rotated with UK sophomore Luke Maile as the catcher for the Wildcats … Played in 48 games and made 47 starts for UK, including 31 starts behind the plate, nine start at first base, one start at third base and six starts at the DH … Hit .264 with 11 doubles, seven homers and 23 RBI, with his bat getting blistering hot down the stretch … Threw out a startling 16 runners attempting to steal in 38 attempts, nabbing two runners on pickoffs … Emerged as UK first-round pick Alex Meyer’s personal catcher throughout the year and in Meyer’s starts alone, Williams threw out eight of 16 runners attempting to steal … In SEC play alone, hit .282 with five doubles, three homers and 11 RBI … In non-league games, Williams batted .247 with six doubles, four homers and 12 RBI … Led UK in hitting in 16 games in April, batting .358 with five doubles and two homers … Totaled 14 two-out hits and nine two-out RBI … Collected three-hit games vs. Illinois-Chicago, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Arkansas and LSU … Had his first career two-homer game vs. UIC on Feb. 25 … Went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double in the series opener at LSU as part of the ESPN Thursday Night SEC Game of the Week on April 28. … During the summer was named an all-star in the New England Collegiate Baseball League while playing for the Danbury Westerners … Batted .265 (43-for-162) in 48 games during the summer, including regular and postseason games, in addition to a 1-for-2 outing in the NECBL All-Star game … Had six doubles, four homers and 17 RBI, drawing 12 walks and striking out 50 … Also pitched in two games, tossing 1.1 innings and striking out all four hitters he faced, walking four and allowing two hits for a 6.77 ERA.

2010
Played in 16 games with nine starts as a reserve catcher behind fifth-year senior Marcus Nidiffer … Split time with Luke Maile as the back-up catcher … Batted .241 (7-for-29) with four doubles and six RBI … Drew four walks, got hit by four pitches and struck out 11 times … Appeared in nine SEC games and started four, batting .231 (3-for-13) with a run scored, two doubles and two RBI in conference action … In his first start of the season vs. Bowling Green, batted 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, also getting hit by one pitch … Went 2-for-3 against Evansville on March 9, with two RBI and a double … Got the start at designated hitter against Florida, Louisville and South Carolina … Also started behind the plate against Arkansas and Vanderbilt … Played in 11 games with eight starts in the Valley League, joining UK teammate Mike Kaczmarek on the Covington Lumberjacks.

2009
Served as the back-up catcher in his true freshman campaign, playing in 15 games with seven starting assignments … Batted .167 (4-for-24) in limited opportunities, with one double, one homer and four RBI … Got first career start against Indiana State, recording six putouts behind the plate … Got first career road start at New Orleans … Charted first career hit and RBI in a pinch-hit at bat against Cincinnati … Went 1-for-2 with a double off the bench against South Carolina in the series opener … In his first career SEC start against Georgia, batted 1-for-4 with an RBI … Had the best game of his career in a start against Lipscomb, going 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, one homer and one walk … Started at Alabama in the series finale, committing first career throwing error on throw to first base off a fielded bunt attempt.

High School
Louisville Slugger High School All-American … Received a four-star rating by Baseball America … Named first-team All-State as a senior … Four-year letterwinner for coach Tommy Pharr at Farragut High School … Hit .415 with 16 doubles, 10 homers and 62 RBI as a senior … As a junior, hit .420 with 12 doubles, four homers and 35 RBI … Led team to the state championship twice and the district championship three time … Member of the Academic Honor Roll.

Personal
Full name is Michael Joseph Williams … Born April 30, 1990 in Indianapolis, Ind. … Son of Mike and Elaine … Has a brother, Nick (18) and a sister, Taylor (16).