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).

Delmarva’s rotation has changed, as noted below, since this preview was first posted.

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Delmarva Shorebirds

What: Four-game series

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 each night)

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

Probable pitcher (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-7, 3.30) vs. LH Nathan Moreau (2-2, 4.32); Tuesday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (5-3, 3.24) vs. LH Cole McMurray (3-7, 3.75); Wednesday, LH David Duncan (1-0, 9.00) vs. RH Ryan O’Shea (5-5, 3.75); Thursday, RH Robert Bono (8-5, 2.58) vs. RH Oliver Drake (4-6, 4.03).

Shorebird to watch: All-star RF Ronnie Welty (6-foot-2, 180 pounds, from Gilbert, Ariz.) leads Delmarva with a .301 batting average, 82 hits and 115 total bases, and shares the team lead of 40 RBI. He also has six homers, five stolen bases and 41 runs scored, with no errors, over 76 games. He is hitting .395 against left-handers, .265 versus righties. Originally drafted by the Angels in 2006 out of Mesquite High School (37th round), Welty instead played two seasons for Chandler-Gilbert Community College, then signed with Oral Roberts University. He wound up being selected by the Orioles in the 20th round of the 2008 draft. Playing for the rookie-league Bluefield Orioles last season, he hit .314 with three homers and 34 RBI over 55 games en route to earning Appalachian League post-season all-star honors.

Chris Jackson

Legend to watch: SS Chris Jackson (5-11, 185, from Midlothian, Va.) joined the Legends last week after starting the season with the High-A Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. Over 58 games, Jackson hit .183 with a homer and 15 RBI, so he traded roster spots with Legends IF Ronnie Ramirez. In his first three games of the season with the Legends, Jackson is 4-for-10 (including a triple) with a run and an RBI. Selected by the Astros in the 29th round of the 2008 draft, out of Virginia Commonwealth University, Jackson broke in last season by playing 22 games with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. There, he hit .257 with a homer and nine RBI. He was promoted to the Legends, where he hit .244 over 23 games, notching a homer, seven RBI and six stolen bases. He closed the season with eight hits in his last 16 at-bats.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300