Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Sunday through Wednesday (2:05 Sunday afternoon, then 7:05 each night)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Sunday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (5-4, 3.36) vs. RH Paul Demny (2-8, 5.61); Monday, RH Ross Seaton (7-8, 2.51) vs. RH Juan Jaime (first appearance; 2-1, 1.88 with Vermont Lake Monsters, New York-Penn League); Tuesday, LH David Duncan (1-1, 4.00) vs. TBA; Wednesday, RH Robert Bono (8-7, 2.92) vs. TBA.

Derek Norris

Sun to watch: C Derek Norris (6-foot, 210 pounds, from Goddard, Kan.), through Friday, leads the SAL in homers (22), RBI (71), total bases (195) and on-base percentage (.411). He also ranks second in runs (64) and walks (54), and third in hits (105), slugging percentage (.580) and OPS (.991). His .313 batting average (93 games) is sixth in the league, and he is tied for sixth in doubles (24). Selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, out of Goddard High School, he hit .203 with four homers and 15 RBI as an 18-year-old in the Gulf Coast League. Last year with Vermont, he led the New York-Penn League with 63 walks. He also led the league by throwing out 47 percent of runners trying to steal. He finished the season with a .278 average, 10 homers and 38 RBI. He came into this season ranked by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the Nationals system.

Jeff Hulett

Legend to watch: 3B Jeff Hulett (6-0, 185, from Shreveport, La.) joined the Legends on Thursday, having opened the season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. A son of former big-leaguer Tim Hulett, was a 2008 12th round draft pick out of Northwest Florida State College. He went 10-for-53 (.189) over 19 games with the ValleyCats, with a double, RBI, three walks and 23 strikeouts. Last season, also with Tri-City, Hulett hit .194 with a homer and 10 RBI over 33 games. His first hit as a Legend was an RBI double, Thursday against Lake County.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Lakewood BlueClaws

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 each night except Sunday, 5:05 p.m.)

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

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Ross Seaton (6-8, 2.57) vs. RH Jason Knapp (2-7, 4.01); Saturday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-8, 3.62) vs. RH Jesus Sanchez (5-5, 3.90); Sunday, RH Jordan Lyles (5-7, 2.92) vs. RH Heitor Correa (6-3, 3.56); Monday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (5-4, 3.47) vs. RH Trevor May (1-1, 3.34).

Travis d'Arnaud

BlueClaw to watch: C Travis d’Arnaud (6-foot-2, 195 pounds, from Lakewood, Calif.) leads Lakewood in RBI (49) and doubles (21), and shares the lead in homers (9). Hitting .236over 81 games, d’Arnaud ranks third on the club in runs scored (46) and walks (25). Rated by Baseball America as the seventh-best prospect in the Phillies organization when the season began, d’Arnaud was drafted out of Lakewood (Calif.) High School in 2007, a supplemental first-round pick and 37th overall. (His older brother Chase, a shortstop, was a 2008 fourth-round pick of the Pirates.) Travis made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2007, hitting .241 with four homers and 20 RBI over 41 games. Last year, he earned New York-Penn League all-star honors with the Williamsport Crosscutters, hitting .309 with four homers and 25 RBI over 48 games. He finished the season by playing 16 games with the BlueClaws, batting .297 with two homers and five RBI. What really attracted the Phillies, according to Baseball America, is d’Arnaud’s “premium catch-and-throw tools, such as soft hands, quick feet and plenty of arm strength.”

Brian Wabick

Legend to watch: RHP Brian Wabick (6-0, 180, from Des Plaines, Ill.) had one of his worst outings of the season (2.2 innings, 3 ER) Tuesday at Delmarva. As his record shows, though, most often he has been effective. He’s 5-0 with two holds and a 4.78 ERA over 24 games, including one spot start. Over 49 innings, he has 40 strikeouts to 14 walks. Over five July appearances, he is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. Selected by the Houston Astros in the 34th round of the 2007 draft, out of Oakton Community College in suburban Chicago, Wabick spent 2007 with Greeneville of the Appalachian League, then split 2008 between Greeneville and Tri-City of the New York-Penn League. His combined totals for those two seasons included a 3-4 record, eight saves, 4.11 ERA, 39 games, 81 innings, 67 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300