TaylorBlack

• SEC Player of the Week (Feb. 28, 2011)
• 28th round draft pick in 2010 (Cardinals)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2010)

2011
Senior shortstop finished his career on a club-high 95-game consecutive starting streak … Made all but one start of his two-year UK career at shortstop … Finished the 2011 season batting .319 with 16 doubles, two triples, four homers and 38 RBI, stealing 12 bases … In SEC play alone, hit .292 with six doubles, two homers and 15 RBI … Ranked second in the SEC in at bats (229) and total plate appearances (262) … Led the team with 20 two-out RBI, batting .364 (24-for-66) with two outs, .406 (28-for-69) with runners in scoring position and .379 (39-for-103) with runners on base … Totaled 22 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI outings … Hit at the top of the order throughout the year, batting .372 as the leadoff hitter (19 games), .300 as the No. 3 order (31 games) and .238 as the No. 3 hitter (five games) … Launched four homers as a senior, including homers off Georgia ace Michael Palazzone, Florida All-America Hudson Randall and Western Kentucky closer Rye Davis … Was named SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 28 after batting .529 with nine RBI during a five-game UK week … Totaled four game-winning RBI … Finished his UK career on a five-game hitting streak, including multiple hits in four games, batting .480 (12-for-25) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI during the stretch … Launched two grand slams … Had a career-best four hits in wins over Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Canisius and totaled three four-RBI outings … Went 4-for-4 with two walks, two double, two steals and four runs in a win over TTU … Owning a strong arm and great range and shortstop, totaled 153 defensive assists, including an eight-assist game vs. Houston in the 2011 Houston College Classic.

Summer
Spent the summer playing in both the prestigious Cape Cod League and the Coastal Plains League … Played in 11 games for Cotuit in the CCL, along with UK outfielder Chad Wright … Hit .125 (3-for-24) with an RBI, three walks and eight strikeouts for Cotuit … Played for Columbia in the Coastal Plains League, starting 22 of 23 games played … Hit .303 (20-for-66) with 16 runs scored, one double, one homer and nine RBI … Was disciplined at the plate in the CPL, drawing 21 walks and striking out 16 times … Stole an eye-popping 28-of-31 bases in 23 games.

2010
Emerged as UK’s starting shortstop in his first season after transferring, starting 55 of 56 games … Hit .270 (48-for-178) with 44 runs scored, six doubles, 11 homers and 37 RBI, drawing 15 walks and striking out 37 times … With 11 homers, became the first UK shortstop to hit 10 or more homers since Eddie Brooks belted 14 homers in 1993 … Stole 12-of-12 bases … Was hit by 20 pitches, which ranked third in the SEC and the second-most in UK single-season history … Finished the season ranked second in the SEC in defensive assists (175) and 11th in double plays (34) … Started the season in a bad slump going .182 (6-for-33) to start his UK career in the first 12 games of the season, with five runs, one double, five RBI, one walk, eight strikeouts and eight of his season-total of 22 errors … In a game against IUPUI, the UK staff elected to give Black a day off in the slump and he responded after that game as one of the top offensive and defensive shortstop in the SEC … After that day off, Black hit .290 (42-for-145) the remainder of the season, with five doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBI, starting the final 44 games of the year … Laid down a team-best eight sacrifice bunts on the year, ranking tied for 14th in UK single-season history … One of the top bats in SEC play this year, batting .300 (30-for-100) with 10 of his 11 homers coming in league play … Had 22 RBI and four steals in SEC play … 10 homers hit in SEC play alone ranked seventh-best in the league … Hit .231 (18-for-78) with four doubles, one homer and 15 RBI in non-conference play … As the leadoff hitter, batted .390 (16-for-41) with a double, three homers, two walks and four hit by pitches … Hit homers against some of the best pitchers in the SEC, belting round trippers off Arkansas’ Brett Eibner, Alabama’s Jimmy Nelson and Tucker Hawley, Florida’s Alex Panteliodis, Tennessee’s Bryan Morgado and Steven Crnkovich and Georgia’s Justin Grimm … Had 12 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games … Ran up a season best five-game hitting streak … Hit in the sixth (three), seventh (seven), eighth (11) and ninth (34) spots in the lineup during the season … Had a great month of April, batting .345 (20-for-58), with three doubles, six homers and 15 RBI in 16 games … In the last 15 SEC games of the season, Black belted six homers and had 12 RBI … Over the last 30 games, had 10 homers and 24 RBI … With 44 runs scored, 37 RBI and 11 homers, ranked second on the team … Had two hits in his UK debut against Virginia Tech … Went 1-for-1, with a walk, two runs scored, three RBI against Xavier, hitting his first career homer … In the series finale against Arkansas, Black hit a clutch two-run homer to help get UK back into the game of an eventual 17-16 thriller … Had a stretch of three consecutive games with a homer … Had a career-high two homers and career-best five RBI in the series-opening win at Tennessee … Drew two walks in a game twice, at Indiana and against South Carolina … Was hit by a career-best three pitches in a win at San Diego … During the summer played in the Northwoods League for the Mankato MoonDogs … Joined former UK teammate Lance Ray on the MoonDogs … Played in 48 games, totaling a .213 (27-for-127) average, with five doubles, one triple, one homer and 13 RBI … Stole 6-of-7 bases, laying down eight sacrifice bunts.

Taylor Black

Junior College
Played at Spartanburg Methodist College for Tim Wallace … Led SMC to the conference and district championship in 2009, advancing to the Junior College World Series … Named all-region in 2009 … Hit .366 in 2009 with 12 doubles and six homers.

Charleston Southern (2008)
Was named a freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger at Charleston Southern for coach Jason Murray … As a freshman, hit .333 (58-for-174) with 17 doubles, five homers and 34 RBI … Ranked fourth in CSU single-season history with 17 doubles … Played in 53 games, scoring 31 runs, stealing 1-of-1 base, drawing seven walks and striking out just 23 times … Reached base at a .364 clip and slugged .517, with an OPS of .881 … Laid down five sacrifice bunts … Named to the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll, given to student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or better.

High School
A four-year letterwinner for coach Roger Finley at Easley High School … Was named all-region in 2007 as a senior … Played in the North-South All-Star game in 2007.

Personal
Full name is John Taylor Black … Born February 17, 1989 in Lexington, S.C. … Son of Tim and Lori Black … Has a younger brother, Daniel (17).

Taylor Black Notes
• Senior shortstop Taylor Black finished his career on a 95-game consecutive starting streak, a team best.
• Black improved from a .270 average with 22 errors in his first season at UK in 2010 to a .319 mark with 10 errors as a senior.
• Finished as the team-leader in at bats (229), ranking second in the SEC in at bats and total plate appearances (262).
• Totaled 22 multiple-hit games and eight multi-RBI games.
• A year after launching 10 homers and batting .300 in 30 SEC games, Black hit .292 with two homers and 15 RBI in SEC play as a senior.
• Finished his UK career on a five-game hitting streak, including multiple hits in four games, batting .480 )12-for-25) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI during the stretch.
• Ranked as the team leader with 20 two-out RBI, batting .364 (24-for-66) with two outs, .406 (28-for-69) with runners in scoring position and .379 (39-for-103) with runners on base.
• His four homers as a senior, with three coming off notable pitchers, including Georgia All-SEC starter Michael Palazzone, Florida All-America starter Hudson Randall and Western Kentucky closer Rye Davis. Two of his four homers came as grand slams.
• Hit at the top of the order throughout the year, batting .372 as the leadoff hitter (19 games), .300 as the No. 3 order (31 games) and .238 as the No. 3 hitter (five games).
• After a five-game week that saw Black hit .529 (9-for-17) with nine RBI, was named SEC Player of the Week by the league office on Feb. 28., his first career SEC weekly accolade.
• Collected a career-high four hits in wins over Eastern Kentucky and Canisius and had three four-RBI games.
• Finished his two-year UK career, owning a .297 average (121-for-407) with 22 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 75 RBI, stealing 24-of-27 bases.