5/31/2018 baseball Edit

UK's Cottam, Heyer named All-Americans

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

Collegiate Baseball honors Wildcats' slugging tandem.

Kole Cottam (13) lead the Cats with 19 home runs this season and ranked among the national leaders. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)

One of the top slugging duos in Kentucky baseball history was honored as All-Americans on Thursday by Collegiate Baseball.

Junior catcher/first baseman Kole Cottam and senior infielder/outfielder Luke Heyer were each selected to the publication's All-American teams.

Cottam was named the second-team first baseman after batting a team-high .352 with a 1.105 OPS, 19 home runs and 51 RBI. The Knoxville, Tenn., native's home run total ranked ninth on UK's single-season record list and led the SEC.

He belted a home run in 12 of UK's 14 weekend series this season.

Heyer was named the third baseman on the third team. A native of Lithia, Fla., he batted .348 with an OPS of 1.131, 18 home runs and 57 RBI. He led the league in RBI and total bases (140).

Their combined home run total was the fifth highest in program history by a duo.

Both Cottam and Heyer are expected to be drafted in next week’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, which begins June 4.