Kentucky Baseball: Weekend Update

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KENTUCKY BASEBALL
Weekend Update

Overall Record: 5-2
Record Last Week: 3-0

Recent Results
Friday, Feb. 21 * won vs. St. Joseph’s, 16-2 (Norfolk, Va.)
Saturday, Feb. 22 * won at Old Dominion, 7-5
Sunday, Feb. 23 * won vs. St. John’s, 13-0 (Norfolk, Va.)

Upcoming Schedule (times Eastern)
Tuesday, Feb. 25 * vs. Wright State * 4 p.m. (HOME OPENER)
Wednesday, Feb. 26 * vs. Dayton * 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28 * vs. Eastern Michigan * 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 * vs. Eastern Michigan * 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 2 * vs. Eastern Michigan * 1 p.m.

PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEE
A.J. Reed
6-4 * Jr. * LHP/1B * Terre Haute, Ind. (Terre Haute South)
Week Stats: .538 (7-for-13), 6 R, 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 1.769 SLG%, .600 OB%; 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO

Notes: Junior A.J. Reed has a historic three-game weekend at the Old Dominion Tournament, belting five home runs and driving in 11 RBI … Reed – who also won Friday’s game on the mound with seven, one-run innings – became the first player in UK history to hit five home runs in a three-game span … A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Reed hit two homers – including a grand slam – on Friday, becoming the first player to hit two homers in a single inning since Jason Kipnis in 2007 … Reed finished Friday with a career-high six RBI, while working seven innings on the bump, allowing six hits and no walks, striking out four … In a Saturday comeback win at Old Dominion, Reed erased a one-run deficit with a full-count, two-run, two-out single in the third inning, before belting a game-tying home run in the seventh inning, later smacking a double off the wall in the ninth … Sunday in a win vs. St. John’s, Reed hit a pair of solo homers to make UK history, becoming the first player with five homers in a three-game stretch … In seven games to open 2014, Reed has hit .433 (13-for-30) with 10 runs, three doubles, six homers and 17 RBI … On the mound, Reed has a win over No. 1 Virginia in a 2-0 record, with a 1.50 ERA and a .205 opponent average in 12 innings … A first-team preseason All-America selection by Baseball America, Reed has hit .300 (133-for-444) in his three-year career, with 20 doubles, two triples, 23 homers and 112 RBI, while owning a 9-11 record with a 3.28 ERA on the mound in 148 innings in his career.

TEAM NOTES
Kentucky continued its season-long, seven-game road swing with a three-game sweep at the Old Dominion Tournament in Norfolk, Va., getting a historic output from junior preseason All-America two-way standout A.J. Reed. UK posted a 16-2 win over St. Joseph’s on Friday, a comeback 7-5 win at ODU on Saturday and a 13-0 win over St. John’s on Sunday to conclude the weekend.

Kentucky (5-2) – ranked No. 25 by Perfect Game and No. 30 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers last week, will return to action with its home opener on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET vs. Wright State at Cliff Hagan Stadium. UK will then host Dayton at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, before welcoming Eastern Michigan for UK’s first home weekend series.

Reed belted five home runs and has 11 RBI on the weekend, becoming the first player in school history with five homers in a three-game span. He hit two homers in an inning on Friday – while also working seven, one-run innings on the mound for the win – becoming the first UK player since Jason Kipnis in 2007 to hit two homers in an inning. Reed then gave UK the lead with a two-out, two-RBI single in the third inning at ODU Saturday, before later tying the game in the seventh inning with a solo homer and then pelting a double off the wall in the ninth inning. Sunday, Reed had his second two-homer game of the weekend with a pair of solo jacks in a win over St. John’s.

A member of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List, Reed has hit .433 (13-for-30) in seven 2014 games, with 10 runs, three doubles, six homers and 17 RBI, also owning a 2-0 record and a 1.50 ERA on the mound as UK’s Friday starter for the second consecutive season.

Fellow preseason All-American Austin Cousino has hit .400 (12-for-30) with three doubles, one homer, four RBI and three steals to open the year. Outfielder Ka’ai Tom has batted .389 (7-for-18), catcher Micheal Thomas has hit .350 (7-for-20), with a .500 on-base percentage, with outfielder Kyle Barrett sporting a .323 (10-for-31) average. Senior shortstop Matt Reida – who hit .600 over the weekend – has hit .296 (8-for-27) with seven RBI.

On the mound, junior Chandler Shepherd (1-0, 5.73 ERA) and sophomore Kyle Cody (1-0, 1.93 ERA) have joined Reed in the rotation. Sophomore southpaw Ryne Combs (1-0, 2.45 ERA) has worked in two games and 7.1 innings in relief, allowing just a pair of singles. Junior Spencer Jack has appeared in a team-high three games, working five shutout innings, scattering three singles and striking out five.

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