MichealThomas

• SEC Player of the Week (3/24/14)
• 2013 Alaska Collegiate Baseball Summer League All-Star
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2013)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2011)

Outlook
Veteran backstop is coming off a year where his hard work and lockdown defense earned the primary starting job … Has transformed his body since working his way onto the UK roster, with his 210-pound frame suited for duties behind the plate in the SEC … Has shown an ability to lock down the running game, catching 12 runners stealing in 2013 and picking off two runners … Has power at the plate, great bunting ability and an ability to work his way on base with quality at bats … Played in 49 of UK’s 55 games, with 42 starts as a fourth-year junior in 2013 … Made 41 starts behind the plate, where he committed just one error – a catcher’s interference … Worked 361.1 innings behind the plate (of 495.1 innings total), with his pitching staff owning a 3.24 ERA … Is coming off an all-star summer in the Alaska Collegiate League … Had a great fall practice season, impressive the coaching staff with his leadership and veteran poise.

Summer
Earned all-star honors in the Alaska Collegiate League while playing with the Matsu Miners … Played in 25 games, batting .261 (23-for-88) with three doubles and 13 RBI … Had a 6-22 walk-strikeout ratio … Got off to a slow start before getting hot in the middle of the summer and finishing on a 0-for-13 streak that hurt his final average, which got as high as .295.

2013
Veteran presence and defensive abilities led to winning the everyday catching position … Played in 49 games with 43 starts … Made 41 starts behind the plate, one start at first base and one start as the DH … Hit .239 (33-for-138) with 23 runs, three doubles, three homers and 21 RBI … Ranked second on the team with 18 hit by pitches, sporting a .353 on-base percentage … Stole 4-of-4 bases … Played in 27 games with 24 starts in SEC games, batting .203 (16-for-79) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBI … Played in 28 games with 25 starts against SEC foes (including SEC Tournament), batting .193 (16-for-83) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBI … Was a defensive force, throwing out 12 of 34 would-be basestealers … Fielded a staggering .997, with his only error coming on a catchers interference on opening weekend … Caught 361.1 of UK’s 495.1 total innings pitched, sporting a team-high 3.24 ERA behind the plate (3.58 overall team ERA) … Hit .288 in non-conference games (17-for-59) with a homer and 11 RBI … Batted .257 in games played at Cliff Hagan Stadium, with two homers and 13 RBI … Third on the team in average on the road (.236) … Hit .303 in games that UK won and .161 in games that UK lost … Got off to a great start, hitting .394 through the first 14 games of the year … Collected five multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI games … Hit throughout the bottom half of the order, including No. 5 (two), No. 6 (two), No. 7 (nine), No. 8 (12) and No. 9 (18) … Belted homers vs. Florida (vs. Hanhold), vs. Georgia (vs. Benzor) and vs. Indiana (vs. Harrison) … As the leadoff hitter, batted .406 (13-for-32) with two doubles and a homer … Earned the opening-day start vs. UNC Asheville … Started the first six games of the year behind the plate before getting a day off … Had a two-hit game at USC Upstate … Went 3-for-3 with an RBI vs. Akron … Given first day off on Saturday vs. Akron on the third weekend of the year … Had a huge swing on a three-run home in the first inning at Florida on SEC opening weekend, with his homer sailing out of the stadium over the leftfield grandstand … Belted second homer of the year vs. Georgia in the series-rubber match … Caught all 18 innings in the marathon at Western Kentucky, going 1-for-8 … Made first career start at first base as UK struggled with injury in the series opener vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt … Had a two-hit game with a double vs. Tennessee … Belted third homer of the year vs. No. 15 Indiana … Went 2-for-4 with a double in the regular-season finale at Missouri … Played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Danbury Westerners … Batted .171 (13-for-76) in 30 games, with two homers, six RBI.

2012
Played in 21 games with one start … Batted .250 (5-for-20) with six runs, three doubles, one homer and four RBI … Had a 2-7 walk-strikeout ratio … Played in seven games off the bench, going 0-for-7 in SEC play … Got first career hit as a home run vs. UIC on March 4 … Made first career start vs. Marshall, scoring three runs and going 1-for-2 with a double and two walks … Collected a double and a run vs. Canisius … Had three at bats off the bench vs. Dayton, going 2-for-3 with a double … Went hitless in his final 10 at bats, functioning as a pinch hitter in his final 10 appearances.

2011
Served as UK’s fourth catcher in 2011, behind starters Luke Maile and Michael Williams and senior T.J. Daugherty … Played in seven games off the bench … Had six at bats, walking once and striking out four times … During the summer played for the Lexington Hustlers in the Great Lakes League, the inaugural season for the Hustlers organization, which was run by former UK reliever Adam Revelette … Played in 25 games with 21 starts, batting .184 (14-for-76) with one double, one homer and 12 RBI … Drew eight walks, got hit by four pitches and struck out 33 times … Stole one base in one attempt.

2010
Redshirted season.

High School
Four-year letterwinner for coach Dan Pitts at Elizabethtown High School … Four-year member of football and basketball … Led baseball team to the district championship in 2007 and 2009 … Named all-district in 2009 and all-region in 2008-09.

Personal
Full name is Micheal Rayven Thomas … Born January 27, 1991 in Virginia Beach, Va. … Son of Frank and Judie Thomas … Has two siblings, Jada (13) and Lyndon (2).