• Perfect Game/Rawlings First-Team Freshman All-America (2017)
• Baseball America Second-Team Freshman All-America (2017)
• D1 Baseball Second-Team Freshman All-America (2017)
• SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2017)
• 11th Round Draft Pick in 2016 (Tampa Bay Rays)

Outlook
Lights out stuff…Electric fastball and filthy curve…Pitched as a starter and in relief down stretch of his freshman season…Did not allow a run and only hits in nine innings against SEC foes…Little bit of a mean streak…Competitive…Won’t back down from anyone…Top 10-type draft selection…Has changed his body over the past year and looks terrific…Could be weekend starter or dominant piece at the back end of the bullpen.

2017
Pitched in 20 games, starting 13…Went 8-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 75.2 innings… Gave up just 50 hits and struck out 96…Was named First-Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game/Rawlings…Made his collegiate debut on 2/22 at Liberty, striking out eight in 4.2 innings…First nine appearances were all starts before shifting into role as weekday starter and weekend reliever during SEC play…Earned his first career save on 5/6 vs. Georgia with 2.1 perfect innings and five strikeouts…Opponents hit just .187 against him on the season…Did not allow a run in 11.1 innings as a reliever…Ranks second on UK single-season list for hits allowed per nine innings with just 5.95, which also was good for 19th in Division I baseball last season…That mark also puts him second on the UK career list for pitchers with at least 75 innings pitched…Twice beat Indiana, including in an elimination game in the NCAA Lexington Regional where he logged a career-high 7.0 innings…In his first start against Indiana he struck out a career-high 10 batters in 6.0 innings…Averaged 11.42 strikeouts per nine innings, good for 26th nationally.
 

HIGH SCHOOL
Ranked the No. 23 left-handed pitcher and No. 134 overall player in the high school class of 2016 by PerfectGame.org… Boasted a 0.98 ERA over 185.2 innings for his entire varsity career … Owns a career record of 23-2, going undefeated on the mound over his sophomore (13-0) and junior (6-0) seasons … Won the 2A State Championship as a sophomore … Hit .500 with 39 hits, 36 RBI, 36 runs, 15 doubles, 8 home runs …  Held a 1.88 ERA during his senior year in 56 total innings where he racked up 114 strikeouts and, ultimately, nabbed four wins … Named First-Team All-State three consecutive years ranging from his sophomore to senior year … Held a 0.64 ERA over 87 innings his sophomore year while he struck out 152 of those that stepped up to the plate … His lowest single-season ERA of 0.49 came his junior year where he also accumulated 95 strikeouts … Set school record for strikeouts in a career with 405 … Set school records during his senior season for strikeouts in a game (20), triples in a season (6), doubles in a season (15), and season slugging percentage (1.154) … Has four baseball letters … Coached by Brian Dudley … Member of the National Honor Society.

PERSONAL
Full name is Zachary David Thompson…Major is Management…Son of Bill and Jan Thompson…Born in Anderson, Ind…. Has an older brother, Nick (25)…Member of the National Honor Society…Favorite MLB team is the Chicago Cubs…Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.