Baseball
J.T. Riddle - Baseball - University of Kentucky Athletics 10

J.T.Riddle

  • height 6-3
  • Weight 185
  • class Junior

• 2012 No. 75 prospect in the Cape Cod League
(Perfect Game)
• SEC Freshman of the Week (3/21/11)
• 2011 Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star
• 2011 No. 3 prospect in Great Lakes Summer League
• 35th round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft (Red Sox)

Outlook
Talented middle infielder is in his third year as an everyday starter, playing 63 games at second base in 2012 and seeing time at second base and rightfield as a freshman … Is a jaw-dropping defender, with shortstop skills at second base … Has the best position player arm strength on the club, helping him turn double plays … Has staggering range at second base, led the Cape Cod League in defensive assists … Has an ability to hit to all fields with a line-drive approach … Has a projectable frame and has been working to add strength … Has the ability to be a run-producing presence in the lineup … Former Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball came to UK as a two-way player, before focusing on solely on his position-player duties in 2012.

Summer
Had a great summer in the Cape Cod League for the Orleans Firebirds … Played in 38 games, batting .232 (35-for-151) with seven doubles, two triples, two homers and 15 RBI, stealing one base and owning a 7-28 walk-strikeout ratio … Showed the jaw-dropping defensive skills at second base that has shined during his first two years in Lexington, leading the CCBL in defensive assists … Got off to a slow start, before getting red hot in the middle of the summer and cooling off down the stretch … Had eight multi-hit games … Had a 4-for-5 game on June 23.

2012
Was a force for UK offensively and in 63 starts at second base … Started each game of the year, batting .279 (63-for-226) with 12 doubles, one triple, five homers and 38 RBI, stealing three bases … Added 16 walks, was hit by 11 pitches and had a .347 on-base percentage … Ranked fourth in the SEC with six sacrifice flies, the fourth-most in UK single-season history … Hit .260 (27-for-104) in SEC play, with six doubles, one triple, two homers and 17 RBI … In 33 games vs. SEC opponents, hit .261 (30-for-115) with six doubles, one triple, three homers and 19 RBI … Collected 16 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games … Reached base safely for 15 consecutive games … Hit No. 2 in the order six times, No. 5 nine times, No. 6 14 times, No. 7 31 times and No. 8 three times … Reached base safely in 52 of 63 games … Hit .324 (12-for-37) as the leadoff hitter … Batted .260 (32-for-123) with runners on base … Was a force offensive in the first six innings of games, batting a combined .335 (52-for-155) with 10 doubles, five homers and 33 RBI … Batted .295 (36-for-122) in non-conference play, with six doubles, three homers and 21 RBI … Batted .286 with two homers at home and .288 with two homers on the road … In the 45 games UK won, batted .316 (50-for-158) with 12 doubles, one triple, four homers and 33 RBI … Hit .191 in games that UK lost … Was .306 with 11 doubles and three homers in day games … Had three-hit games at USC Upstate, vs. Canisius, at Tennessee, at No. 18 Georgia, at Indiana, vs. Alabama and vs. Mississippi State … Scored four runs in a 3-for-3 game at UGA … Hit homers vs. UT, Georgia, Dayton, Cincinnati and vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament … Earned the starting shortstop spot in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star game, played at the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ballpark … Was a two-way star for the Lexington Hustlers, operated by former UK standout Adam Revelette, who serves as general manager and pitching coach … Batted .328 (38-for-116) in 34 games, scoring 21 runs with 10 doubles, two triples, three homers and 17 RBI … Had a 20-15 walk-strikeout ratio … Stole 2-of-2 bases … Went 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA in eight appearances on the mound, making three starts, with one save … Tossed 19.1 innings, striking out 14 and walking seven with 15 hits allowed … Turned in a quality start in his final pitching outing of the summer, going six inning, allowing two earned runs with three hits allowed and three strikeouts … In his second pitching outing since high school in 2010, went four shutout innings, allowing one hit with five strikeouts … Had a 4-for-5 game at the plate on July 28, with a double, triple and four RBI … Went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI on July 27 … Had a summer-long 10-game hitting streak from July 15 to July 22 … Ended the summer reaching base in 15 consecutive games … Had a three-hit, three-RBI game vs. the Joes on June 23 … In 12 of his 34 games at the plate, recorded multiple hits … Reached base safely in 32 of his 34 games … Hit a homer in his final game.

2011
Had a tremendous freshman season, starting 47 of UK’s 55 games, playing in 50 total contests … Batted .288 (47-for-163) with nine doubles, three homers and 25 RBI, stealing 7-of-8 bases … Had a .399 slugging and a .360 on-base percentage, posting a 16-32 walk-strikeout ratio … Ranked seventh in hits among freshmen in the SEC, behind Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt), Dominic Ficociello (Arkansas), C.T. Bradford (Mississippi State), JaCoby Jones (LSU), Austen Smith (Alabama) and Andrew Toles (Tennessee) … Ranked second among SEC freshmen infielders in hits … Emerged as one of UK’s top hitters during March, batting .386 (22-for-57) with five doubles, two homers and 13 RBI in 17 March games … Was UK’s leading hitter through the first 30 games of the year, batting .338 (27-for-80) … Finished with 10 multiple-hit games and seven multi-RBI games … Ran up a season-high hitting streak of eight games and finished 2011 on a two-game streak … Had a stretch of reaching base safely in 11 consecutive games … Made 28 starts in rightfield and 15 starts at second base … Hit all over the order, including No. 5 (five times), No. 6 (14 times), No. 6 (eight times), No. 7 (seven times), No. 8 (six times) and No. 9 (three times) … Launched homers vs. Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn, with his homer at Alabama coming off Tide righty Tucker Hawley … Hit .322 (24-for-87) with runners on base and .391 (22-for-46) with runners in scoring position … Was 3-for-4 with the bases loaded … Was most effective at the plate in the first inning, batting 7-for-10 with 13 RBI … Was named SEC Freshman of the Week after leading UK to a series win over Tennessee to open SEC play, batting .538 (7-for-13) with eight RBI during a four-game week, including two jaw-dropping catches in rightfield during the UT series … Had five sacrifice bunts and three sacrifice flies … Hit .240 (24-for-100) in SEC play, with three doubles, three homers and 12 RBI … Batted .354 (23-for-63) in non-conference games, with six doubles, 13 RBI and five stolen bases … In 28 games at Cliff Hagan Stadium, batted .345 (30-for-87) with six doubles, two homers, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases … Batted .219 (14-for-64) in 18 road games, with three doubles, one homer and five RBI … In games UK won, batted .333 (23-for-69) with five doubles, one homer and 16 RBI, and .255 (25-for-98) in games that UK lost, with four doubles, two homers and nine RBI … UK’s leading hitter in day games, batting .325 (27-for-83) with six doubles, two homers and 16 RBI … Hit .250 (20-for-80) with three doubles, one homer and nine RBI … Recorded first collegiate hit in a 2-for-3 game vs. Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 26 … Had a career-high three hits in games vs. Tennessee (March 19) and vs. Cincinnati (March 22) … Charted a career-best three RBI in games vs. Murray State (March 15), Tennessee (March 20) and vs. Tennessee Tech (March 29) … Was one of the top defensive outfielders in college baseball during his time in rightfield, including making a staggering, fully extended catch during UK’s contest at LSU as part of the ESPNU Thursday Night SEC Game of the Week.

High School
2010 Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball, in a voting of the Kentucky High School Coaches Association … As a senior, batted .514 with seven homers, 62 RBI and 32 runs … Slugged .973 with 20 stolen bases, while striking out only five times all season … On the mound as a senior, posted an 8-0 record and a 1.26 ERA, striking out 90 in 60 innings, allowing only 12 walks … The second consecutive UK signee to earn Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball honors, as catcher Luke Maile was honored in 2009 … Earned four letters for Seth Knight at Western Hills High School … Led team to the district championship in baseball as a senior, its first district championship in 15 years … Set school records for hits in a season and career, RBI, homers, ERA and wins (career and season) … Played basketball for four years, helping lead team to district 41 championship … Named all-state academic honorable mention all four years.

Personal
Full name is Joshua Travis Shane Riddle … Son of Shane Riddle and Laketa Ritchie … Has a sister, Lakenzie Ritchie (15) … Born on Oct. 12, 1991 in Frankfort, Ky.

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