Much at stake as Cats enter final three weeks of regular season
Neither Kentucky nor Tennessee are in contention for the SEC's regular-season championship, but there is still much at stake for both clubs as they meet this weekend for a three-game series in Knoxville.
Although the No. 11 Wildcats (29-15, 10-11 SEC) have not challenged for the the league title as some had expected them to do entering the season, they are still among the nation's top teams in the national rankings and RPI.
Entering this week, UK is projected by many outlets as an NCAA regional host despite the fact that they must continue to fight for a bid in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
The league's top 12 teams advance to Hoover, Ala. Currently, there are nine teams sitting within three games of each other in the standings, including both the Wildcats and Volunteers.
Tennessee (25-22, 8-13 SEC) likely views UK as a good opportunity to improve its position. Entering the weekend, UT and Alabama would be the odd teams out with nine league games remaining.
Nick Mingione's squad enters the weekend with some momentum. The Cats have won three of their last four SEC series after a slow start out of the gates.
Junior catcher/first baseman Kole Cottam is the reigning SEC Player of the Week after hitting .571 with a game-winning grand slam on Sunday to give UK a series win over Missouri. He and senior outfielder Luke Heyer are the only teammates in Division I with 15 or more home runs this season. Heyer leads the SEC with 16 home runs and 49 RBI to go along with a .335 batting average.
The much-improved Vols will contend with UK's formidable weekend rotation of Sean Hjelle, Zack Thompson and Justin Lewis.
A junior right-hander, Hjelle (6-3, 2.95 ERA) has followed his SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2017 with another strong campaign. He's coming off a dominant start against Mizzou in a 2-1 win by the Cats.
Thompson (2-0, 5.79 ERA), a sophomore left-hander and one of the nation's top prospects for the 2019 MLB Draft, returned from a long injury layoff to pitch in relief last weekend. That could be key as the Cats are seeking their first win of the season in the middle game of an SEC series.
Lewis (7-2, 4.39 ERA), a junior right-hander, is coming off a 10-strikeout effort against Mizzou.
Tennessee enters the matchup 12th in the league in runs scored (71 fewer than UK) and 13th in team ERA at 4.63. Due in large part to bullpen issues, the Cats are last in team ERA (5.27) in the SEC.
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#11 KENTUCKY at TENNESSEE
Friday at Tennessee
6:30 p.m. ET; Lindsey Nelson Stadium; Knoxville, Tenn.
TV/Online: SEC Network+
Radio: 630 AM WLAP Lexington; ukathletics.com
Probables: UK – RHP Sean Hjelle (6-3, 2.95) at UT – TBD
Saturday at Tennessee
6 p.m. ET; Lindsey Nelson Stadium; Knoxville, Tenn.
TV/Online: SEC Network+
Radio: 630 AM WLAP; ukathletics.com
Probables: UK – LHP Zack Thompson (2-0, 5.79) at UT - TBD
Sunday at Tennessee
1 p.m. ET; Lindsey Nelson Stadium; Knoxville, Tenn.
TV/Online: SEC Network+
Radio: 630 AM WLAP; ukathletics.com
Probables: UK – RHP Justin Lewis (7-2, 4.39) at UT – Will Neely (4-1, 3.69)