FB Recruiting UK Baseball Week 4 in Review

[Jeff Drummond]

2018 KENTUCKY BASEBALL WEEK 4 IN REVIEW


OVERALL RECORD: 14-3

WEEK RECORD: 3-2


LAST WEEK

Mar. 6 – Win, vs. Eastern Kentucky, 16-5

Mar. 7 – Loss, vs. Northern Kentucky, 6-8

Mar. 9 – Win, vs. #3 Texas Tech, 10-7

Mar. 10 – Win, vs. #3 Texas Tech, 11-6

Mar. 11 – Loss, vs. #3 Texas Tech, 3-5


THIS WEEK

Mar. 16 – at Arkansas (7:30 p.m., Fayetteville, Ark., SEC Network)

Mar. 17 – at Arkansas (3 p.m., Fayetteville, Ark., SECN+)

Mar. 18 – at Arkansas (2p.m., Fayetteville, Ark., SECN+)



PLAYER OF WEEK NOMINEE

TROY SQUIRES (Senior, C/1B)

·Batted .571 (12-of-21) in five games with six runs, 11 RBI, five doubles and two home runs.

·Had 23 total bases with a 1.095 slugging percentage.

·On-base percentage of .609 with two walks.

·In UK’s series win over No. 3 Texas Tech he hit .500 with two runs, six RBI, two doubles and a home run.

·Hit two of his three career home runs this week, including a three-run shot on Saturday that turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead over the Red Raiders. His other home run came in the ninth inning vs. Northern Kentucky and pulled the Cats within two runs.

·Set and tied his career high in hits and RBI twice this week. Had four hits and four RBI vs. Eastern Kentucky and matched those totals on Saturdayvs. Texas Tech.

·Had three doubles vs. Eastern Kentucky.

·On Friday night he threw out a Texas Tech runner attempting to steal third in a tie game with two on and only out to short-circuit a Tech rally.

·Is now hitting .373 with 22 RBI and 10 extra-base hits on the season with more walks (10) than strikeouts (nine) and eight HBPs.

·Has reached base safely in all 17 games this season

·He now has five multi-hit games this season and 18 for his career.

·He also now has seven multi-RBI games this season and 14 for his career.



TEAM NOTES

·Kentucky is now 4-1 against ranked opponents this season.

oThe Cats have 21 wins vs. ranked teams the past two seasons.

oThe Cats have six wins vs. Top 10 teams during that span.

·The series win over No. 3 Texas Tech was the first series win over a top five team since taking two of three vs. No. 2 South Carolina May 6-8, 2016.

·The Cats have won seven series vs. ranked teams since Nick Mingione became coach.

·UK is now 12-4 vs. ranked teams at Cliff Hagan Stadium under Mingione.

·The offense has …

oScored 123 runs in the past 12 games.

oRecorded 84 extra base hits this season.

oScored 77 runs on 85 hits in the past eight games.

·Texas Tech’s pitching staff entered its series against the Cats with a team ERA of 1.93 and exited with a 3.04 ERA.

·UK has a streak of 56 home games without being shutout.

·UK stole 12 bases in 13 attempts last week.



PLAYER NOTES

BEN AKLINSKI (Junior, OF)

·Has reached base in 12 consecutive games.


LUKE BECKER (Senior, INF)

·Has reached base in all 17 games this season.



T.J. COLLETT (Sophomore, C/1B)

·Has reached base in 16 straight games.


KOLE COTTAM (Junior, C/1B)

·Four RBI in Friday’s win over Texas Tech tied his career high.

oIt was Cottam’s sixth multi-RBI game of the season and 21st career.

·Cottam now has six multi-hit games this season and 32 in his career.



SEAN HJELLE (Junior, RHP)

·On Friday vs. Texas Tech went 7.0 innings, giving up five hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and striking out six.

·Hjelle is now 4-0 on the season.

·His 19 career wins tie him with Golden Spikes Award winner AJ Reed for 10th on UK’s career list.

·Hjelle is 19-5 in his career for a .792 winning percentage. He ranks this on UK’s career winning percentage list.



TRISTAN POMPEY (Junior, OF)

·Has reached base in 47 of the past 49 games.

 

[Old_Red]

"He ranks this on UK’s career winning percentage list" Should still be 3rd I think.

 

[Old_Red]

if you had asked me where I thought we'd be at this point of the year before the season started, I'd expect that the offense might be where the pitching is and vice versa. Seems like the pitching underperforming and the offense is overperforming by quite a bit. Fielding is about where I expected it would be given the turnover. Mingione can challenge all he want on the defense but it takes a while to fit all the pieces together.