John Clay's Sidelines

Post-game videos from Kentucky baseball’s 8-1 win over LSU today at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

The Cats bounced back from a 5-4 loss to the Tigers on Friday night to even the series. Austin Cousino bounced back from a five-strikeout night on Friday to go two-for-five, with a homer and knocked in three runs. Luke Maile hit his 11th homer of the year. Jerad Grundy gave up just one run in six innings. The two teams meet Sunday at 1 p.m. in the rubber match.

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Continue reading ‘Videos: Interviews after UK baseball’s 8-1 win over LSU’

From UK:

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A pair of recent Kentucky student-athlete legends will throw out first pitches at Cliff Hagan Stadium for the clash between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 UK this weekend, with former football standout Matt Roark to throw out the first pitch on Friday night and 2011-12 NCAA Champion and national player of the year Anthony Davis to throw out the first pitch on Sunday.

Roark, the senior wide receiver who filled in as the heroic playmaker at quarterback in UK’s streak-snapping win over Tennessee last year, will be on hand Friday for the 6:30 p.m. ET start at Cliff Hagan Stadium to throw out the first pitch.

Continue reading ‘Matt Roark, Anthony Davis to throw out first pitches’

LSU coach Paul Maneri. (AP photo)

As No. 1 LSU visits No. 2 Kentucky for an important three-game SEC baseball series, which starts tonight (6:30 p.m.) at Cliff Hagan Stadium, some notes on the two teams:

• Collegiate Baseball poll has LSU ranked No. 1, UK ranked No. 2.
• LSU (31-7) leads the SEC West with an 11-4 record.
• Kentucky (33-5) leads the SEC East with an 11-4 record.
• Tonight’s two starting pitchers tonight are friends. LSU’s Kevin Gausman grew up in Colorado with UK’s Taylor Rogers. Their hometowns were 10 miles apart.
• “I never would have expected Kentucky to be the team to beat,” Gausman told Les East of The Advocate,  “but that just shows how good the SEC is. It’s going to be an exciting weekend.”
• Gausman is second in the SEC in strikeouts with 77.
• LSU outfielder Raph Rhymes leads the SEC with a .484 batting average.
• Rhymes has a team-high 40 RBI.

In Charlotte at the Jordan Brand Classic, UK signees Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin were giving glimpses into the future of Kentucky basketball. But in two other places, the school’s present was progressing nicely.

The UK baseball team took a doubleheader from Arkansas to win the series in Fayetteville. A forecast of rain for today caused the two teams to play two games on Saturday, and Gary Henderson’s Cats improved their East-leading record to 11-4.

Meanwhile, the UK men’s tennis team beat Vanderbilt 6-1 to clinch the school’s first outright regular season conference title since 1992.

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Continue reading ‘BBL: Signees shine, baseball wins, tennis takes title’

John Calipari’s Trophy Tour continues today in Frankfort, Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Paducah. Approximately 3,000 showed up in Hazard on Thursday to see the NCAA Championship Trophy and have their pictures taken with the hardware and the UK staff. Calipari even stopped off at a McDonald’s in Martin.

Meanwhile, the UK baseball team travels to Arkansas for an important road series. Anthony Bennett is now the top uncommitted basketball recruit. UK tennis keeps winning. And the football team readies for a Saturday scrimmage.

Click the continue line for today’s Big Blue Links.

Continue reading ‘BBL: John Calipari takes trophy to a McDonald’s’

Big Blue Links for Tuesday:

• Muhammad, Noel and Bennett all preparing to make their picks, writes Eric Bossi of Rivals.
• UCLA the favorite for Muhammad, reports Zagsblog.
• Three Kentucky football defensive players departing, reports Jen Smith of Herald-Leader. Defensive end Justin Henderson, defensive tackle Nermin Delic and linebacker Tim Patterson are no longer with the team, UK spokesman Tony Neely confirmed Monday.
• Joker Phillips’ defense is thinning, reports Cody Porter of the Kentucky Kernel.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

In Sunday’s New York Times, columnist Bill Rhoden took up for Kentucky and its national title team, saying that, ”In an ideal world, everyone would stay four years and graduate. But Kentucky’s basketball program is in fact a tribute to a real-world system that works, preparing young people for a viable profession — in this case, professional athletics.”

Rhoden also brings up the question of race. He argues, with support from Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, that UK would be viewed differently if it was made up of white players.

Kentucky’s win last Monday has ignited a discussion about the NBA age limit.

And John Calipari is ready to re-load.

Thanks in part to a Cameron Flynn grand slam, the Kentucky baseball team beat Ole Miss 8-3 on Sunday to take the rubber game of the weekend series. The Cats are now 9-3 in the SEC, atop the Eastern Division. ”I think the fact that we won the Sunday game speaks to how tough we are,” Coach Gary Henderson said. “And you don’t take that for granted.”

The Rebels had runners on first and second in the ninth inning before UK closer Trevor Gott entered and nailed down the win.

Kentucky plays host to Louisville at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

After starring in the Derby Classic on Friday, UK target Amile Jefferson is still weighing his options.

The Oregonian lists its top 10 plays of Saturday night’s Nike Hoops Summit.

The Tennessean named UK signee Alex Poythress as its 2012 Tennessee High School Basketball Player of the Year.

UK's Luke Maile is congratulated after scoring go-ahead run. (H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

Kentucky baseball improved to 8-2 in the SEC with a 3-2 win over visiting Ole Miss on Friday night. The Cats threw three Rebels out at the plate to get the unconventional win. The two teams square off today at 2 p.m. in the second game of the three-game series.

At the Derby Classic in Louisville, Kentucky target Amile Jefferson scored 26 points. Jefferson still has UK on his consideration list. Meanwhile, Louisville signee Terry Rozier made a good impression at the event. He finished second in the dunk contest.

The Nike Hoop Summitt is tonight in Portland. Kentucky signee Archie Goodwin is playing, as well as UK targets Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel. The Oregonian has a video interview with Goodwin. Fox Sports is televising the game, starting at 10 p.m.

Not quite a week after the Final Four, still rumors about John Calipari and the New York Knicks. One Knicks fan says that Cal is not the answer at Madison Square Garden.

As for SEC basketball, Tony Mitchell and Charles Hankerson will not be returning to Alabama. Mitchell had been suspended from early February. He averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds over three seasons for the Tide.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

Anthony Davis was terrific on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night. Highlight: Picture of his mother wearing a mask with her son’s unibrow.  Click here to watch the full episode.

The afterglow of the NCAA Tournament continues as the Herald-Leader’s Mark Story writes on how well the state teams did in the annual Big Dance. Kentucky won the title. Louisville reached the Final Four. Murray State recorded a win over Colorado State. Western Kentucky made the tourney and beat Mississippi Valley State in the First Four.

The celebrations continue as there will be a downtown block party tonight to celebrate Kentucky’s win.

After meeting with John Calipari yesterday, ex-UConn forward Alex Oriakhi will meet with Xavier’s Chris Mack today.

As for Murray State, star guard Isaiah Canaan is reportedly returning next year.

There is always next year, of course. The Derby Classic Festival is this weekend in Louisville. It features Amile Jefferson, who is in the spotlight thanks to being a Kentucky target. Indiana signees and a Louisville recruit were showing their stuff last night at the Derby Classic competitions in Louisville.

Meanwhile, out in Los Angeles, they see Shabazz Muhammad as a must-recruit for UCLA. And Nerlens Noel laughs about a Kentucky fan offering his wife if the center will sign with the Cats.

The Kentucky Kernel has a basketball season retrospective in numbers.

The UK baseball team starts an important SEC series this weekend with visiting Ole Miss. David Schuh of the Kernel reports that freshman Austin Cusino has been an important spark. He’s hitting .363 with five homers and 26 RBI.

The Kentucky softball team returns home this weekend to face South Carolina. UK is 16-20 on the season.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

Yes, we know, it’s March Madness. But the real madness (good kind) continues for UK baseball, which beat Cincinnati 10-7 yesterday to improve its record to 22-0. Thomas McCarthy had four hits, including a double and two RBI for the winners. Meanwhile, Luke Maile reached basely safely in all six of his plate appearances.

The other big non-game story has to do with the new locker rooms UK is getting at Rupp Arena. John Calipari says he will reveal and honor the donors in the near future.

Revenge remains the buzz word for Kentucky’s Sweet 16 matchup with Indiana on Friday night. Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader talked to a Lexington-based psychiatrist, who complimented Calipari’s public play-it-down approach to the notion. ”Revenge doesn’t lead to anything healthy,” said Richard Elliott. “I see patients talk about revenge. It generally results in a worsening of the mood. The performance at work suffers.”

Continue reading ‘BBL: UK baseball, locker rooms and revenge’