Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Saturday through Tuesday (7:05 Saturday, Monday and Tuesday nights, 1:35 p.m. Sunday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Juri Perez (0-0, 0.76 with Tri-City ValleyCats) vs. RH Alex Meyer (6-4, 3.32); Sunday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (10-2, 2.59) RH Chris McKenzie (2-2, 7.54); Monday, LH Luis Cruz (6-5, 3.58) vs. LH Kylin Turnbull (4-4, 4.82); Tuesday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (2-3, 5.45) vs. RH Taylor Hill (9-4, 4.58).

Note: Yours truly will be on vacation until mid-August. Keep up with what I’m doing at the Summer Olympic Games by checking my tweets — @MarkMaloneyHL — and my personal website: www.monkeyalarm.com.

Brian Goodwin

Sun to watch: CF Brian Goodwin (6-foot-1, 195 pounds, age 21, bats left, throws right, from Rocky Mount, N.C.) is batting .313 with six homers 32 RBI and 42 runs scored over 54 games. He has more walks (40) than strikeouts (39), with 14 stolen bases and a .927 OPS. Rated by Baseball America as the fifth-best prospect in the Nationals system, he was selected in the supplemental first round of the 2011 draft (34th overall) and signed for $3 million, out of Miami Dade Junior College. He had a good 2010 freshman season for North Carolina, but then was suspended for 2011. He signed just ahead of the Aug. 15 deadline and did not play pro ball last year. He’s batting .352 versus right-handed pitchers and .253 against lefties. Batting .308 at the all-star break, he’s up to .321 in 21 games since.

Nolan Fontana

Legend to watch: SS Nolan Fontana (5-11, 192, age 21, bats left, throws right, from Winter Garden, Fla.) signed less than three weeks ago after being selected by the Astros in the second round (61st overall) of last month’s draft, out of the University of Florida. Over seven games, he’s 7-for-23 (.304) with three RBI, two doubles and five runs. He has drawn 13 walks, struck out five times and is 4-for-4 in stolen-base attempts. “Nolan is a player that we are very excited about,” General Manager Juff Luhnow said when the Astros signed him. “He was a proven performer from the college ranks and, for us, he represents everything that we’re going to be looking for in the future. He’s a player that excels defensively at a premium position and has proven his capabilities offensively as well. With Florida, Fontana hit .284 with 10 doubles, nine homers, 40 RBI, 59 runs and a .406 on-base percentage for 66 games. He helped the Gators reach the College World Series and was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Defensive Team three years in a row.

Radio: WLXG-!M 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
at Hagerstown Suns

What: Five-game series

When: Wednesday through Sunday (5:05 p.m. Wednesday, 7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 1:05 p.m. Sunday)

Where: Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, Md.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Carlos Quevedo (4-3, 4.24) vs. RH Alex Meyer (6-4, 3.40); Thursday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (9-2, 2.51) vs. RH Christopher McKenzie (2-2, 7.58); Friday, LH Luis Cruz (5-5, 3.71) vs. LH Kylin Turnbull (4-4, 4.88); Saturday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (2-3, 5.01) vs. RH Taylor Hill (8-4, 4.46); Sunday, RH Jonas Dufek (5-1, 5.33) vs. LH Bobby Hansen Jr. (2-0, 3.75).

Jose Fernandez

Legend to watch: SS Jose Fernandez (6-foot-1, 170 pounds, age 19, bats/throws R/R; from Loma de Cabrera, Dajabon, Dominican Republic) is 6-for-19 over his first seven games with the Legends. Included are three doubles and a homer. With five RBI and five runs scored, he has 12 total bases and a stolen base through Monday. Signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent on July 17, 2009, Fernandez spent each of the last two seasons with the Gulf Coast League Astros. In 2010, he batted .232, with seven doubles, six triples, a homer, 22 RBI, 16 runs and four steals for 48 games. Last year, over 43 games, he went .245 wit six doubles, three triples, 15 RBI and 21 runs, adding 11 stolen bases. He was the GCL Astros Offensive Player of the Month last August.

Caleb Ramsey

Sun to watch: SAL all-star OF Caleb Ramsey (6-2, 215, age 23, bats/throws L/R; from Houston) is batting .298 through Monday, with five homers, seven doubles, seven triples, 44 RBI, 48 runs and 11 stolen bases. Over his last 10 games, Ramsey is 13-for-38 (.342), with a pair of three-hit games. Selected by the Nationals in the 11th round of the 2011 draft, out of the University of Houston, Ramsey broke into pro ball last summer with the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League. For 64 games, he batted .280 with a homer, 26 RBI 38 runs and 15 stolen bases. As a senior at Houston, he batted .318 and drove in 46 runs.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 1:35 p.m. Sunday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Jonas Dufek (0-0, 5.14) vs. RH Nathan Karns (0-0, 1.35); Friday, RH Nick Tropeano (2-2, 1.87) vs. RH Alex Meyer (2-3, 4.28); Saturday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (0-1, 14.73) vs. RH Taylor Hill (3-2, 2.88); Sunday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-1, 1.60) vs. RH Wirkin Estevez (4-1, 6.69).

Alex Meyer

Sun to watch: Saturday starting pitcher Alex Meyer (6-foot-9, 220 pounds, from Greensburg, Ind.) returns to the city where he was a standout for the University of Kentucky. The second of Washington’s two first-round draft picks (23rd overall) last June, the hard-throwing right-hander led UK in starts (14), complete games (4), wins (7), ERA (2.94), innings (101) and strikeouts (SEC-best 110) last year, as well as batting average-against (.222). He twice earned Southeastern Conference pitcher of the week honors last season, and was named to the all-SEC second team. Over three seasons as a Wildcat, Meyer went 13-12 with a 4.72 ERA, one save and 253 strikeouts in 211 2/3 innings. He ranked fifth in strikeouts on UK’s career list, and eighth in hits-per-nine-innings (8.10). He opted for UK after being selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2008 draft. Thus far with the Suns, Meyer is 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA over six starts and 27 1/3 innings. He has struck out 33 and walked 12, holding opponents to a .220 average. At Hagerstown, he is 2-0, 0.75; on the road, he’s 0-3, 7.04.

John Hinson

Legend to watch: IF John Hinson (6-1, 180, from Asheville, N.C.) is 12-for-31 (.387) in eight games since being promoted from extended spring training. He has two homers, five RBI and eight runs scored, with two doubles and three stolen bases. Hinson, who bats left-handed and throws righty, was selected by the Astros in the 13th round of last year’s draft, out of Clemson University. As a redshirt junior last year, he batted .331 for Clemson, with nine homers, 12 doubles, three triples, 41 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last summer, he batted .284, with two homers, nine doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and 18 runs over 43 games. In 162 bats, he struck out 26 times and drew 17 walks. He also stole seven bases in 12 attempts. He also was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 13th round of the 2010 draft.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Notes: Thursday is Thirsty Thursday (Pepsi and beer products for $1) and Bark in the Park Night. Fans are invited to bring their dogs. The admission price of $2 per dog will benefit the Paris Animal Welfare Society. Dogs are allowed only in the general admission areas (lawn and bleachers), so fans with dogs should not purchase tickets in the (reserved) seating bowl. … Friday is Faith and Family Night. The Afters, who had two No. 1 singles on the Billboard Christian radio charts last year, will perform a post-game concert.  … Reserved seats for Saturday’s Nurses Night game are sold out. Some bleacher and lawn tickets remain. Birdzerk, billed as America’s Ballpark Prankster, will entertain between innings. A fireworks show will follow the game. … Sunday, Mother’s Day, “pampering sessions” around the park, lunch and Mary Kay goodie bags are available as part of a $39 package for moms. More than $500 in door prizes will be awarded. A portion of Sunday’s ticket proceeds will benefit the Mary Kay Foundation for battered women and children. Sunday also is Kids Club Day, meaning kids can run the bases after the game.