Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends
at Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 1:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, Md.)

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Washington Nationals (Suns)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, LH Daniel Stumpf (3-1, 1.49) vs. RH Ivan Pineyro (3-2, 3.96); Friday, RH Aroni Nina (1-2, 4.55) vs. RH Pedro Encarnacion (3-3, 2.48); Saturday, RH Bryan Brickhouse (2-3, 2.47) vs. RH Dixon Anderson (4-1, 2.12); Sunday, RH Miguel Almonte (2-4, 2.91) vs. RH Ronald Pena (2-2, 3.47).

Jin-Ho Shin

Legend to watch: C Jin-Ho Shin (6-foot-1, 212 pounds, age 21, bats and throws right, from Hwasun-gun, South Korea) shares the team lead in doubles (8) and is batting .226 through 29 games, with a homer, nine RBI and 12 runs. Signed as a non-drafted free agent Feb. 14, 2009, he is the first Korean-born player in Royals franchise history. Shin broke in with the Arizona League Royals in 2010, going .152-1-11 over 39 games. In 2011, with Burlington of the Appalachian League, his production improved to .219-3-15 over 46 games. Last year, over 60 games with Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League and 27 contests with Kane County of the Midwest League, Shin batted .247 with eight homers, 41 RBI and 46 runs.

Brandon Miller

Sun to watch: RF Brandon Miller (6-2, 215, 23, right/right, from Atlanta) leads Hagerstown in homers (9), RBI (27), doubles (12), total bases (76) and slugging percentage (.503), while batting .245. A fourth-round draft pick last year out of Samford, he led the NCAA with 23 homers and ranked 15th nationally with a school-record 65 RBI as a senior. He also set Samford’s career record for homers (39). He began his collegiate career as a catcher at Georgia Tech, transferred to Northwest Florida Community College and then to Samford. Last summer, he played 29 games for Auburn of the New York-Penn League, batting .292 with four homers, 21 RBI and 20 runs. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him the 22nd-best prospect in the Nationals system

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Ole Miss ended Kentucky’s season Tuesday, dealing the Wildcats a 4-1 loss in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament at Hoover, Ala.

Matt Reida and Zack Storm each had two of Kentucky’s eight hits.

Ole Miss had 11 hits, including two each by Austin Anderson and Stuart Turner

Here’s a scoring recap.

Ole Miss 1, Kentucky 0

Ole Miss struck for a run in the bottom of the first.

Anderson and Turner laced back-to-back one-out singles to right, with Anderson advancing to third on Turner’s hit. Andrew Mistone’s sacrifice fly to right scored Anderson.

Ole Miss 2, Kentucky 0

The Rebels added a run in the third.

Christian Helsel doubled to left and moved to third on Tanner Mathis’ sacrifice. Anderson doubled down the right-field line to drive in Helsel.

Ole Miss 2, Kentucky 1

The Wildcats broke through with an unearned run in the top of the fourth.

With one out, Zac Zellers doubled to right-center. He moved to third on A.J. Reed’s groundout to second.

Austin Cousino walked. Cousino then stole second, and Zellers came home on a throwing error by catcher Turner.

Ole Miss 4, Kentucky 1

The Rebels added a pair of runs in the sixth.

Mistone knocked a one-out double down the left-field line.

Austin Bousfield drove Mistone home with a single to right.

One out later, Austin Knight rapped a pinch-hit single, knocking out UK starter Jerad Grundy.

Chandler Shephard came in and yielded an RBI-single up the middle by Will Allen.

When Kentucky opens play Tuesday morning against Ole Miss in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, the mission is clear.

Win or go home. For the season.

The consensus opinion is that UK must at least make a deep run into the tournament, if not win the whole event, to advance to NCAA regional play.

How will Coach Gary Henderson deal with his players under such pressure?

“When you show up and you’re 11-and-19 (in SEC play), I think it’s pretty clear to everybody  that whether or not you’ve got to win it or you’ve got to win four or whatever it may be, (the assignment) is pretty clear,” Henderson said Monday during a coaches’ teleconference. “So I’m not sure I’ve got to manage a lot of that. I think it’s pretty clear to our guys.

“We’ll go about it the same way we always do. We need to win tomorrow morning and then we can worry about what we’re doing on Wednesday. If it goes down to sitting down and telling them that we’ve got to bite off four wins or five wins or whatever it is, I won’t do that.

“We need to play well. We need to pitch well. All of our coaching cliches are absolutely true. We need to do those tomorrow morning and, when that’s over, we’ll worry about it. But I would say we have to have a significant run.”

UK, 30-24 overall, is seeded 11th in the 12-team tournament at Hoover, Ala. Tuesday’s 10:30 a.m. game against Ole Miss is an elimination game. The winner will go on to meet third-seeded Arkansas in the double-elimination portion of the tourney, Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

The Wildcats will start senior left-hander Jerad Grundy (6-5, 4.75 ERA) against Ole Miss. Grundy has made 13 starts. tossing 77.2 innings, walking just 20 and striking out 60. Over his last two starts, Grundy has a 1-0 record and a 1.64 ERA, allowing just nine hits and two walks in 11 innings. In two career starts against Ole Miss, Grundy is 0-2 with a 13.06 ERA.

Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15 SEC) is hitting .278, with a .369 slugging a .361 on-base percentage, belting 23 homers and stealing 43 bases. On the mound, Ole Miss has a strong 3.15 ERA, walking 202 and striking out 403 in 503 innings.

Kentucky has hit .256 as a team, slugging .363 and reaching base at a .361 clip. UK has belted 36 homers and stolen 56 bases. UK’s mound corps has a 3.56 ERA, allowing a .333 on-base percentage and a .363 slugging mark, striking out 370 and walking just 144 in 487.1 innings.

South Atlantic League baseball

Asheville Tourists
at Lexington Legends

What: Three-game series

When: Monday through Wednesday (7:05 Monday and Tuesday nights, 12:05 Wednesday afternoon)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Colorado Rockies (Tourists)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Miguel Almonte (2-4, 3.11) vs. RH Matt Carasiti (0-0, 9.00); Tuesday, RH Christian Binford (3-2, 3.18) vs. RH T.J. Oakes (4-3, 5.54); Wednesday, LH Colin Rodgers (3-1, 2.25) vs. RH Ben Hughes (3-4, 7.34).

Tom Murphy

Tourist to watch: C Tom Murphy (6-foot-1, 220 pounds, age 22, bats and throws right, from West Monroe, N.Y.) began this season as the No. 14 prospect in the Rockies system, according to Baseball America. Signed for $454,000 as a third-round pick in 2012, out of Buffalo, he broke into pro ball last season with the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League. There, he hit .288 with six homers, 38 RBI and 26 runs over 55 games. This season, he’s batting .348 with eight homers, 31 RBI and 24 runs over 26 games. After batting .408 in May, he has dropped to .275 thus far in May. He has 12 RBI in his last 10 games.

Nick Cuckovich

Legend to watch: Utility IF/OF Nick Cuckovich (6-1, 199, 21, bats and throws right, from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) has played first, second and third base this season. His last seven games, though, have found him in right field. Although struggling with a .180 average, his bat has come around the last five games (5-for-15, .333, 3 RBI, 3 R). Selected in the 17th round of the 2011 draft, he earned an associate degree from Riverside (Calif.) Community College and had signed a letter of intent with Hawaii before opting to turn pro. He batted .288 over two seasons and 103 pro games with the Arizona League Royals and Idaho Falls Chukars. He led the Arizona League in stolen bases in 2011 with 24, while finishing ninth in on-base percentage (.418) and tied for ninth in walks. Last year, he was fourth in the Pioneer League with eight triples. Cuckovich is a 2009 graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary School in Saanich, British Columbia.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends
at West Virginia Power

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.Va.)

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Pittsburgh Pirates (Power)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, LH Colin Rodgers (3-1, 2.30) vs. RH Clay Holmes (1-3, 6.10); Friday, LH Daniel Stumpf (3-0, 1.19) vs. RH Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 1.80); Saturday, RH Aroni Nina (0-2, 4.74) vs. RH Jake Burnette (0-0, 49.1); Sunday, RH Bryan Brickhouse (1-3, 2.33) vs. LH Joely Rodriguez (2-2, 3.14).

Bryan Brickhouse

Legend to watch: Sunday starter Bryan Brickhouse (6-foot, 212 pounds, age 20,  from Charlotte, N.C.) is reigning SAL Pitcher of the Week (1 GS, 6.2i, 0r, 2h, 9k, 2w), having pitched Lexington to a 2-0 road victory over Lakewood. In one start this week, against Kannapolis, Brickhouse threw five innings of one-run, seven-hit ball. Overall, his 1-3, 2.33 mark comes over seven starts and 38 2/3 innings. He has 34 strikeouts to nine walks, holding opponents to a .231 average. His ERA is 3.18 at home, 1.66 on the road. A third-round draft choice in 2011, he went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 72 innings as a high school senior in The Woodlands, Texas. His teammates included Jameson Taillon, the second overall pick in the 2010 draft. Brickhouse passed on a chance to play collegiate ball for North Carolina and signed with the Royals for $1.5 million. His grandfather, Norman Brickhouse, was a catcher for North Carolina State. The Legends’ Brickhouse (no relation to Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Brickhouse) played one game for the Idaho Falls Chukars last season and 10 for the Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League, going a combined 3-3, 6.62, with 41 strikeouts and 26 walks. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him the 17th best prospect in the Royals system.

Allie Stetson

Power to watch: 1B Allie Stetson (6-2, 238, 22, bats and throws right, from Olmstead Falls, Ohio) leads or shares the team lead in games (36), average (.316), hits (43), homers (8), total bases (76), slugging (.559) and OPS (.961) through Tuesday. Out of St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, he also pitched and went 9-1 with a 1.29 ERA as a senior. He also struck out 134 in 60 innings. The Pirates selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft. He played last season with the Gulf Coast League Pirates, batting .213 with three homers, 19 RBI and 23 runs. He earned SAL Player of the Week honors in mid-April.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Kannapolis Intimidators
at Lexington Legends

What: Three-game series

When: Monday through Wednesday (7:05 Monday and Tuesday nights, 10:05 Wednesday morning)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Chicago White Sox (Intimidators)

UPDATED Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Bryan Brickhouse (1-3, 2.41) vs. RH Jake Cose (2-3, 2.14);  Tuesday, RH Miguel Almonte (1-4, 3.52) vs. LH Jefferson Olacio (1-4, 7.13); Wednesday, RH Christian Binford (2-2, 3.21) vs. RH Myles Jaye (4-1, 2.20).

Zach Isler

Intimidator to watch: RHP Zach Isler (6-foot-5, 230 pounds, age 22, from Union) is 2-1 with three saves and a 2.21 ERA over 10 relief appearances spanning 20 1/3 innings. He has recorded 21 strikeouts to five walks, while holding left-handed batters to a .179 average and has not given up an earned run in his four home appearances. Out of Covington Catholic High School and the University of Cincinnati, Isler was an eighth-round draft pick last June. Assigned to Great Falls of the Pioneer League last season, he went 1-0 with a 4.50 over 18 games, including one start. He struck out 33 and walked 12 over 44 innings.

Christian Binford

Legend to watch: Wednesday starter Christian Binford (6-6, 217, 20, from Boynton Beach, Fla.) was selected in the 30th round of the 2011 draft out of Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy. He fired a no-hitter in his first high school start as a freshman in 2008, then underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2009. As a senior, he compiled a 0.64 ERA in 55 innings, then bypassed a chance to play collegiate ball for Virginia by signing for $575,000. Assigned to Burlington of the Appalachian League last season, Binford went 2-3 with a 2.03 over eight starts and 40 innings, striking out 31 while walking four. With the Legends, his 2-2, 3.21 marks come over six starts and 33 2/3 innings, with 34 strikeouts and nine walks. Coming into the season, Baseball America rated him the No. 26 prospect in the Royals system.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

West Virginia Power
at Lexington Legends

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 1:35 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Pittsburgh Pirates (Power)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday,RH Christian Binford (1-2, 3.71) vs. LH Orlando Castro (3-2, 1.36); Friday, LH Colin Rodgers (2-1, 2.84) vs. RH John Kuchno (1-1, 4.33); Saturday, LH Daniel Stumpf (3-0, 1.03) vs. TBA; Sunday, RH Aroni Nina (0-1, 5.03) vs. TBA.

Josh Bell

Power to watch: RF Josh Bell (6-foot-3, 213 pounds, age 20, bats both, throws right, from Irving, Texas) leads West Virginia in runs (25), doubles (12) and RBI (league-leading 32). Bell is batting .295 with five homers, a .343 on-base percentage and slugging .516. He’s batting .409 against left-handers, .270 versus righties. Over his last four games, Bell is 6-for-16 with eight runs. A 2011 second-round draft pick out of Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, Bell hit .556 with 14 homers, 55 RBI and 57 runs as a senior. He received a $5 million signing bonus. He broke into pro ball with the Power last season, batting .274 with a homer, 11 RBI and six runs over 15 games.

Humberto Arteaga

Legend to watch: 2B/SS Humberto Arteaga (6-3, 183, 19, bats and throws right, from Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela) is 11-for-38 (.289) over his last nine games, raising his batting average 49 points to .177, with nine RBI and five runs. Signed as a non-drafted free agent in July 2010, Arteaga has been rated by Baseball America as the Royals’ best defensive infielder entering each of the last three seasons. He broke in with the Arizona League Royals in 2011, batting .254 with 28 RBI and 30 runs over 47 games. Last year, with Burlington of the Appalachian League, Arteaga hit .274 with two homers, 29 RBI and 40 runs over 58 games.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends
at Lakewood BlueClaws

What: Four-game series

When: Saturday through Tuesday (4:05 Saturday and 1:05 Sunday afternoon, 6:35 Monday and Tuesday nights)

Where: FirstEnergy Park (Lakewood, N.J.)

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Philadelphia Phillies (BlueClaws)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, LH Daniel Stumpf (2-0, 1.33) vs. RH Shane Watson (1-2, 5.40); Sunday, RH Aroni Nina (0-1, 3.71) vs. RH Kevin Brady (1-2, 5.24); Monday, RH Bryan Brickhouse (0-3, 3.00) vs. LH Yoel Mecias (0-1, 6.16); Tuesday, RH Miguel Almonte (1-3, 4.13) vs. RH Nicholas Hanson (1-0, 4.35).

Ethan Chapman

Legend to watch: OF Ethan Chapman (5-foot-9, 166 pounds, age 23, from Pomona, Calif., bats left, throws right) leads the Legends with a .275 batting average through Thursday. Over 27 games, Chapman is 22-for-80, with three doubles, 10 walks, five RBI, 10 runs and 14-for-17 in stolen-base attempts. Selected in the 30th round of last June’s draft, he attended Cal State San Bernadino, where he was a teammate of fellow Royals prospect Aaron Brooks. Chapman scored a school-record 60 runs as a freshman in 2010. He also tied the school record for home runs in a season (14), earned second-team All-West Region and, in 2012, won an ABCA West Region Gold Glove. Assigned to Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League last summer, he was the Chukars’ Player of the Year. He finished second in the league in stolen bases (25), third in triples (9), tied for fourth in runs (58), sixth in hits (88) and tied for ninth in doubles (9).

Mitch Walding

BlueClaw to watch: 3B Mitch Walding (6-3, 190, 20, from Lodi, Calif., bats left, throws right) is hitting .267 through 25 games, with five doubles, two triples, 16 RBI and 12 runs. Selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, out of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif., where he also starred in football, he turned down a scholarship to Oregon and signed for $800,000. Rated by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in the Phillies system, and No. 20 by MLB.com, he made his pro debut last year with Williamsport of the New York-Penn League. He batted .233 for the Crosscutters, after starting his first month at .383. Notes Baseball America: “… He ran into some struggles that snowballed as he got down on himself. Walding is learning how to translate his tools into baseball ability, but his upside is significant. He has a sweet left-handed swing that generates natural backspin, and he projects to have above-average raw power as he grows into his broad-shouldered frame.”

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends
at Delmarva Shorebirds

What: Three-game series

When: Wednesday through Friday (7:05 each night)

Where: Arthur W. Perdue Stadium (Salisbury, Md.)

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), Baltimore Orioles (Shorebirds)

Legends probable pitchers: Wednesday, RH Miguel Almonte (0-3, 5.50); Thursday, RH Christian Binford (1-2, 3.74); Friday, LH Colin Rodgers (1-1, 3.66).

Alec Mills

Legend to watch: RHP Alec Mills (6-foot-4, 187 pounds, age 21, from Clarksville, Tenn.) is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA and two saves over seven relief appearances spanning 13 2/3 innings. Mills has struck out 19 and walked two while holding opponents to a .149 batting average. Selected in the 22nd round of the 2012 draft out of Tennessee-Martin, he set a UTM record with 30 appearances as a sophomore in 2011. As a junior, he struck out 74 over 89 innings, compiling a 3.94 ERA. As a high school athlete in Cunningham, Tenn., he was Male Athlete of the Year all four years at Montgomery Central. He made his pro debut last year with Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League, getting seven starts in 17 appearances. He finished 1-4 with three saves and a 4.62 ERA over 50 2/3 innings, with 50 strikeouts to 17 walks.

Christian Walker

Shorebird to watch: 1B Christian Walker (6-0, 220, age 22, from Limerick, Pa., bats and throws right) shares the lead or has it outright for Delmarva in average (.360), games (24), runs (17), hits (31), total bases (44), walks (10), on-base percentage (.440) and OPS (.952). He is second on the team with 16 RBI and three home runs. A 2012 fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, Walker is rated by Baseball America as the 12th-best prospect in the Orioles system. He turned down the Dodgers when he was drafted in the 49th round out of high school, going on to win two NCAA titles with the Gamecocks. He tied the College World Series record for career hits (28), then signed with the Orioles for $349,000. He spent last season with Aberdeen of the New York-Penn League, batting .284 with two homers and nine RBI over 22 games.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Augusta GreenJackets
at Lexington Legends

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights, 1:35 Sunday afternoon, 10:05 Monday morning)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Kansas City Royals (Legends), San Francisco Giants (GreenJackets)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, LH Colin Rodgers (1-0, 1.72) vs. RH Kendry Flores (1-0, 2.04); Saturday, LH Daniel Stumpf (2-0, 0.00) vs. RH Joe Biagini (1-0, 3.45); Sunday, RH Aroni Nina (0-1, 3.75) vs. RH Jose Reyes (1-2, 7.71); Monday, RH Bryan Brickhouse (0-3, 3.15) vs. RH Martin Agosta (3-1, 1.71).

Matthew Duffy

GreenJacket to watch: SS Matthew Duffy (6-foot-2, 170 pounds, age 22, from Long Beach, Calif., bats and throws right) is hitting a solid .319, with 13 RBI, nine runs and five stolen bases. He has hit safely in his last four games and 11 of his last 12 contests. Duffy is batting .455 against left-handers, .295 versus righties and .467 with runners on base. In seven games against the Legends, Duffy is 8-for-25 (.320), with a double, triple, three RBI and four runs. A 2012 18th-round draft pick out of Long Beach State University, Duffy batted .247 with a homer, 16 RBI, 31 runs and 10 stolen bases over 47 games with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Northwest League last summer.

Daniel Stumpf

Legend to watch: Saturday starter Daniel Stumpf (6-1, 209, 22, from Humble, Texas, bats and throws left) has given up only three unearned runs over three starts, winning his two decisions. Over 15 1/3 innings, Stumpf has struck out 14 and walked six while holding opponents to a .154 batting average. A ninth-round draft pick last June out of San Jacinto (Texas) Community College, he went 8-2 with a 2.27 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 111 innings. He helped the Gators to a runner-up finish in the JUCO World Series, where he was named Most Outstanding Pitcher. Assigned to Burlington last summer, he tied for sixth in the Appalachian League with five saves. Over 19 relief outings and 29 innings, he went 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA, with 34 strikeouts and eight walks.

Cam Gallagher

Notes: The Legends placed C Cam Gallagher on placed on the disabled list Thursday and activated C Alex Marquez. Gallagher suffered a broken left hand when hit by a pitch in the first inning of Wednesday night’s game.  He was batting .268 with five RBI in 16 games.  He had thrown out 11 of 23 would-be base stealers, the third-best percentage in the SAL. … Gallagher is the second Legends regular to be lost for an extended period after being hit by a pitch.  1B Mark Threlkeld suffered a broken left forearm April 5 when he was hit by a pitch during his first at-bat of the season. … In addition, RHP Daniel Hernandez was transferred to Lexington from Wilmington (Carolina League).   Hernandez left the Legends in Asheville on Wednesday morning and pitched two innings for Wilmington in their game at Salem (Va.) before returning to the Legends at Asheville.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300