Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Asheville Tourists

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thurday (7:05 each night)

Where: McCormick Field (Asheville, N.C.)

Robert Bono

Legends RHP Ross Seaton is set to start Wednesday. (Staff photo/Mark Cornelison)

David Duncan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. RH Alan DeRatt (2-3, 4.91); Wednesday, RH Ross Seaton (8-10, 3.31) vs. RH Carlos Luna (0-0, 7.56); Thursday, LH David Duncan (4-3, 4.24) vs. RH Juan Nicasio (8-3, 2.41).

Tourist to watch: Switch-hitting CF Delta Cleary Jr. (6-foot-3, 180 pounds, from Jonesboro, Ark.) entered the season as the 11th-best prospect in the Rockies system, according to Baseball America. Through Sunday, he is hitting .258 with seven homers and 43 RBI over 100 games. He has stolen 31 bases in 42 attempts and scored 50 runs. He had three hits in each game, Saturday and Sunday, at Bowling Green. Rated by Baseball America as “best athlete” in the Rockies system, Cleary is a cousin of NBA pro Shawn Marion. Cleary, a guard, averaged 13 points a game to help his high school to the Arkansas Class 6A state title. He also quarterbacked the football team. Cleary then led his junior-college baseball team to the Division II national championship. Selected by Colorado in the 37th round of the 2008 draft, out of Louisiana State-Eunice JC, Cleary broke in to pro ball last year with Casper of the Pioneer League. There, he hit .276 with three homers, nine RBI and four stolen bases in 27 games.

Michael Hacker

Legend to watch: LHP Michael Hacker (5-9, 175, from Folsom, Calif.) struck out two Saturday in a scoreless inning of relief against the Hickory Crawdads. That was his first appearance since July 16 and bodes well after a horrendous season up to that point. His numbers: 0-1, 2.69 ERA, 20 strikeouts, 15 walks. Selected by the Houston Astros in the 25th round of the 2008 draft, out of Cosumnes River (Calif.) Junior College, Hacker played for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last year. Over 23 appearances, all in relief, Hacker went 1-3 with five saves and a 2.73 ERA. He worked 26 1/3 innings, striking out 27 and walking 17. He held opposing batters to a .187 average and did not allow an earned run in his first 17 games. He was especially tough on the road, with an ERA of 1.08.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

MVP Jordan Pacheco

Derek Norris, top prospect

Also of note: Former Lafayette High School and University of Kentucky standout Michael Bertram is the Eastern League Player of the Week. Bertram, a third baseman for the Double-A Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves, went 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles, two triples and two homers. He drove in 11 runs, scored eight times, walked three times and finished with an .808 slugging percentage for six games. … No Legends were on the annual list of SAL all-stars revealed Monday. The Charleston RiverDogs led the way with three selections: RHP David Phelps, 3B Corban Joseph and Melky Mesa (utility OF). West Virginia’s Rudy Owens was named Most Outstanding Pitcher, going 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA over 19 games before being promoted to Lynchburg of the Carolina League. Hagerstown Suns catcher Derek Norris, batting .288 with 122 hits and 23 homers in 121 games, was tabbed Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. Asheville catcher Jordan Pacheco, batting .325 with 139 hits and 13 homers through 111 games, was named MVP. Selections came from a vote of SAL field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters. Lakewood’s Dusty Wathan was selected as manager, Greenville’s Bob Kipper as coach. Other players picked: Asheville’s Scott Robinson (OF); Hagerstown’s Stephen Lombardozzi (2B); Augusta’s Josh Mazzola (1B); Bowling Green’s Tim Beckham (SS); Delmarva’s Ronnie Welty (OF); Hickory’s Erik Morrison (utility IF), and Lakewood’s Anthony Gose (OF).

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Asheville Tourists

What: Three-game series

When: Saturday through Monday (7:05 Saturday and Monday nights; 2:05 Sunday)

Where: McCormick Field, Asheville, N.C.

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (3-1, 2.05) vs. RH Stephen Dodson (1-0, 2.53); Sunday, RH Robert Bono (5-3, 2.31) vs. RH Juan Nicasio (1-0, 0.55); Monday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (3-6, 3.08) vs. RH Dan Houston (2-4, 4.39).

Jordan Pacheco

Tourist to watch: C Jordan Pacheco (6-foot-1, 195 pounds, from Albuquerque, N.M.) is all over Asheville’s offensive board. He shares the team lead in walks (16), is second in batting average (.328), home runs (5), RBI (28) and OPS (.864), third in hits (65), triples (2), total bases (95), slugging percentage (.480) and on-base percentage (.385), fourth in runs (27) and doubles (11), and fifth in stolen bases (7) over 52 games. Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the ninth round of the 2007 draft, out of the University of New Mexico, split his first season between Casper of the Pioneer League and Tri-City of the Northern League, hitting .286 over 63 games. Last season, at Tri-City, he hit .280 with a homer and 35 RBI over 54 games. Pacheco started this season with a bang, hitting. 403 over 19 games in April. He fell off to .297 over 26 games in May and is hitting .240 in his first seven games of June.

Jay Austin

Legend to watch: CF Jay Austin (5-11, 170, from Atlanta) returned to action in Friday’s doubleheader at Bowling Green. He went on the disabled list (concussion) after colliding with shortstop Jorge De Leon while pursuing a first-inning fly on May 30. Now 18, Austin was selected by the Houston Astros in the second round (56th overall) of last year’s draft, out of North Atlanta High School. According to Baseball America’s pre-season ratings, Austin was the 10th-best prospect, the best athlete and fastest baserunner in the Astros system. After batting .191 in April, he improved to .247 in May. In the eight games prior to being injured, Austin hit safely in seven games, at a .324 clip (11-for-34). Friday, he started the second game of a doubleheader, going 2-for-4 and scoring once in a 6-1 victory. Overall, Austin is hitting .231 with 10 RBI and 22 runs. He leads the Legends with eight stolen bases.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300