Just wondering if Brent Ingram, Kentucky’s crafty knuckler of media relations, might have sacrificed a bucket of chicken in the name of Jobu.
Ingram’s Wildcats (some might say Coach Gary Henderson’s Wildcats) have picked up another top 25 mention in the pre-season baseball polls.
Already tabbed No. 19 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the Cats came in at No. 23 Wednesday in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. UK has been ranked three consecutive seasons in pre-season polls.
Intrastate rival Louisville is ranked No. 11. North Carolina is No. 1. At No. 2 is LSU, the first of five Southeastern Conference teams in the Top 25. (Six other SEC teams received votes.)
UK is coming off a school-record 44-win season that ended in the championship game of NCAA Regional play at Ann Arbor, Mich. The Cats have won a school-record 122 games over the last three seasons.
This will mark the first season with Henderson, the former pitching coach, in charge. Predecessor John Cohen left UK for his alma mater, Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are the only SEC team not receiving votes in the pre-season poll.
Henderson must fill voids left by all-American outfielders Sawyer Carroll and Collin Cowgill, second baseman Ryan Wilkes and pitchers Andrew Albers, Brock Baber, Greg Dombrowski, Scott Green and Aaron Lovett.
The Cats return two of their weekend starters in Chris Rusin and James Paxton. Shortstop Chris Wade, a freshman all-American, returns, as do third baseman Chris “Sparky” McClendon and center fielder Keenan Wiley.
Add to that UK’s highest-rated recruiting class ever, tabbed No. 4 in the nation. Included in that group are middle-infielder Andy Burns, high school all-Americans Braden Kapteyn (RHP/IF) and Cory Farris (OF/C), and 6-foot-8 right-hander Alex Meyer.
The Wildcats open the season Feb. 20-22, facing Troy, then James Madison and Coastal Carolina in the Carvelle Resort Tournament at Conway, S.C. UK’s home opener is scheduled Feb. 27, the first in a four-game series against Western Michigan.
NCBWA Top-35 Pre-season Poll
School (conference) 2008 record
1. North Carolina (Atlantic Coast) 54-14
2. LSU (Southeastern) 49-19-1
3. Rice (Conference USA) 47-15
4. Texas A&M (Big 12) 46-19
5. Georgia (Southeastern) 45-25-1
6. Florida State (Atlantic Coast ) 54-14
7. Arizona State (Pacific-10) 49-13
8. Texas (Big 12) 39-22
9. Stanford (Pacific-10) 41-24-2
10. Cal State Fullerton (Big West) 41-22
11. Louisville (Big East) 41-21
12. Miami (Atlantic Coast) 53-11
13. Georgia Tech (Atlantic Coast) 41-21
14. Mississippi (Southeastern) 39-26
15. UC Irvine (Big West) 42-18
16. Oklahoma State (Big 12) 44-18
17. Fresno State (Western Athletic) 47-31
18. San Diego (West Coast) 44-17
19. Baylor (Big 12) 32-26
20. Missouri (Big 12) 39-21
21. Pepperdine (West Coast) 38-21
22. Coastal Carolina (Big South) 50-14
23. Kentucky (Southeastern) 44-19
24. Florida (Southeastern) 34-24
25. UCLA (Pacific-10) 33-27
26. Clemson (Atlantic Coast) 31-27-1
27. East Carolina (Conference USA) 42-21
28. Oklahoma (Big 12) 36-26
29. Arizona (Pacific-10) 42-19
30. Michigan (Big Ten) 46-14
31. Oregon State (Pacific-10) 28-24
32. Texas Christian (Mountn. West) 44-19
33. Southern Cal (Pacific-10) 28-28
34. Tulane (Conference USA) 39-22-1
35. Wichita State (Missouri Valley) 48-17
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alabama (35-28), Arkansas (34-24), Auburn (28-28), Bethune-Cookman (36-22), California (33-21-2), Charlotte (43-16), College of Charleston (39-20), Dallas Baptist (37-19), Elon (44-18), Houston (42-24), Lamar (35-23), Long Beach State (38-21), Missouri State (40-17), N.C. State (42-22), Nebraska (41-16), New Orleans (43-21), Notre Dame (33-21-1), Ohio State (30-26), Oral Roberts (48-14), Oregon (0-0), Sam Houston State (37-25), San Diego State (31-28), Santa Clara (33-22), South Carolina (40-23), Southern Miss (42-22), St. John’s (42-16), Tennessee (27-29), UC Davis (35-24), UC Santa Barbara (35-21), UNC Wilmington (44-17), UTSA (39-19), Vanderbilt (41-22), Virginia (39-23).
* 2009 UK opponents in bold
