Junior pitcher/infielder Lauren Cumbess throws a pitch against Virginia Tech on Sunday. UK advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals after beating Virginia Tech 1-0 on Sunday, May 19, 2013, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

tspanyer@kykernel.com

A victory over Virginia Tech at the second attempt on Sunday saw No. 12 seed UK softball win the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional.

UK (41-19, 13-11 SEC) defeated the Hokies, 1-0, after earlier falling to the same opponent, 2-0, to force a winner-takes-all regional final.

“I never like to have a plan B,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said, “But I’m glad I did today.”

The victory at John Cropp Stadium saw UK claim the second Super Regional berth in school history.

In game one, Virginia Tech (38-21, 9-11 ACC) pitcher Kelly Heinz kept the Cats scoreless in her complete game three-hit effort.

UK freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley allowed  four of Virginia Tech’s seven lead-off batters to reach base safely.

Hokies center fielder Lauren Gaskill went 3-for-4, including two singles and a double.

In the fifth inning Nunley allowed a lead-off single; a sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position before Gaskill ripped a double into the gap scoring the first run of the game.

Nunley then hit a batter, and threw a wild pitch before walking in the second run of the game.

UK left six runners on base in the game and could not get anything going against Heinz.

“I think I pitched alright,” Nunley said, before junior infielder/pitcher Lauren Cumbess chimed in.

“You pitched well enough to win we just didn’t get runs for you,” Cumbess said.

Cumbess started her first career NCAA Tournament game in the second game and took a no-hitter into the third inning before loading the bases with two outs.

Nunley took over pitching duties and, with two of the 368 pitches thrown by her during the regional, got out of the jam to keep the Hokies scoreless.

“I knew we needed an out,” Nunley said, “And that’s all I was thinking about when I came in.”

In the top of the fifth inning a Virginia Tech error allowed freshman center fielder  Sylver Samuel to reach first.

Senior infielder Kara Dill and sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner used sacrifice hits to advance Samuel to third.

Cumbess then came up and smacked a hard liner down the first base line that went in and out of the first basemen’s glove, allowing Samuel to score the go-ahead run.

“Samuel has really developed a lot this season,” Lawson said. “With her and Kara (Dill) in the lineup, we have that balance we need to compete.”

In the sixth inning the Cats used a 6-4-3 double play to turn the momentum in their favor heading into the final frame.

In that final frame Nunley struck-out out the first batter and got two pop-ups to end the game and book a date with No. 5 seed Arizona State in the Super Regionals.

The win was the Cats’ 42nd of the season – a new school record.

Lawson, with tears in her eyes, spoke of her appreciation to UK Athletics for the support the softball team has received, including the building of a new stadium.

“The Athletic Department has put so much money into this facility,” Lawson said with tears in her eyes. “Most programs put stadiums up because they have to, but UK puts stadiums up because they want to.”

The Cats will travel to Tempe, Ariz. to take on the Sun Devils in a best-of-three series in a Super Regional clash.

Arizona State won their regional tournament with an unblemished record.

Game one of the series will be played at the Sun Devils’ Farrington Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with ESPN televising game two at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

In the event of a deciding game being needed, it will begin no earlier than 5 p.m. on Sunday with the game being broadcast on ESPN2.

sports@kykernel.com

Needing wins to improve on its postseason standing, UK baseball lost the first two games at Missouri in its final series of the regular season before taking the series finale on Saturday at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo.

Junior left-handed pitcher Corey Littrell threw seven innings in the final game of the series, allowing a run on six hits while striking out seven.

Littrell was given the lead by a UK offense that collected 13 hits. An RBI-single by senior catcher Micheal Thomas in the sixth inning gave the Cats a 2-1 lead. Freshman designated hitter Zack Storm provided the final cushion with a three-run home run in the ninth inning as the Cats went on to claim the 5-1 victory.

Junior second baseman J.T. Riddle had three hits, and senior outfielder Zac Zellers, sophomore infielder Paul McConkey and Thomas all had two hits.

Missouri (18-31, 10-20 SEC) took the first game of the series on Thursday, 4-2, due in part to chasing sophomore left-handed pitcher A.J. Reed with one out in the fifth inning.

Reed allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks while not recording a strikeout.

Four runs provided the cushion the Tigers needed, as three Missouri pitches limited the UK lineup to five hits and two runs.

Friday, Missouri earned a 4-3 comeback victory with runs in the sixth and eighth innings.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Kyle Cody went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks.

Missouri junior first baseman Keaton Steele broke a 3-3 tie with a lead-off home run in the eighth inning. Steele picked up his second save, throwing a scoreless ninth inning.

The Cats led 3-1 in the sixth before Cody was chased and the bases were loaded for the Tigers. Missouri junior infielder Shane Segovia lined a two-RBI single into centerfield to tie the game at 3.

UK’s lineup produced five hits in the second game in a performance similar to Thursday’s game.

Freshman outfielder Kyle Barrett snapped a 17-game hitting streak with a 0-for-3 game on Friday while senior shortstop Matt Reida pushed his hitting streak to 10 games with hits in all three games.

The Cats (30-24, 11-19 SEC) clinched a spot in the 12-team SEC Tournament with a Tennessee loss to Texas A&M on Thursday and will be the No. 11 seed.

UK will face No. 6 seed Ole Miss in a single-elimination first round matchup at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Hoover, Ala.

The Cats’ first-round, SEC Tournament game against Ole Miss will be televised live on Fox Sports South.

The Los Angeles Clippers' Caron Butler collides with the Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol (33) on a pick set for Memphis' Tayshaun Prince (21) in Game 1 of the first round NBA Playoffs matchup at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, April 20, 2013. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

By Brett Bibbins | @BBibbins_Kernel

sports@kykernel.com

The second round of the 2013 NBA playoffs have come to a close and the remaining four NBA teams are poised to start the conference finals.

A total of four former UK players retained hopes of winning a ring as round two began, but now, only one former Cat remains.

Tayshaun Prince and the Memphis Grizzlies knocked off DeAndre Liggins and the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, winning the series, 4-1.

Memphis moves on to take on the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Prince has started all 11 games for the Grizzlies this postseason and has averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists through the first two rounds.

Liggins played in eight of the 11 games in the playoffs for the Thunder, playing just 8.5 minutes per game.

In his time, Liggins averaged one point, 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game this postseason.

In the Eastern Conference, Nazr Mohammed and Marquis Teague of the Chicago Bulls took on the Miami Heat.

The Heat beat the Bulls in five games, winning the series 4-1, bumping two more former Cats out of the playoffs in the process.

Mohammed played 9.5 minutes per game, which would be higher if he had not been ejected in the first quarter of Game 3 after playing less than three minutes.

He was ejected after shoving LeBron James of the Miami Heat to the floor after a foul call.

Mohammed averaged 3.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.6 blocks this postseason.

Teague played in eight of the Bulls’ 12 playoffs games, averaging nine minutes, 1.3 points, 1.5 assists and 0.4 rebounds per game in his first professional postseason.

Miami moves on to play the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Conference Finals begin on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. when Prince and the Grizzlies takes on San Antonio.

Western Conference Finals

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (Tayshaun Prince)

Game 1: Sunday, May 19, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Game 2: Tuesday, May 21, 9 p.m., ESPN

Game 3: Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m., ESPN

Game 4: Monday, May 27, 9 p.m., ESPN

Game 5: Wednesday, May 29, 9 p.m., ESPN (if needed)

Game 6: Friday, May 31, 9 p.m., ESPN (if needed)

Game 7: Sunday, June 2, 9 p.m., ESPN (if needed)

Eastern Conference Finals

No. 1 Miami Heat vs. No. 3 Indiana Pacers

Game 1: Wednesday, May 22, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Game 2: Friday, May 24, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Game 3: Sunday, May 26, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Game 4: Tuesday, May 28, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Game 5: Thursday, May 30, 8:30 p.m., TNT (if needed)

Game 6: Saturday, June 1, 8:30 p.m., TNT (if needed)

Game 7: Monday, June 3, 8:30 p.m., TNT (if needed)

Junior second baseman Krystal Smith fields the ball during the UK vs. Virginia Tech softball game in the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

tspanyer@kykernel.com

After winning in extra innings on Friday, No. 12 seed UK used a two-RBI performance from junior second baseman Krystal Smith and a two-run homerun from junior Lauren Cumbess to beat Virginia Tech on Saturday.

The win sees the Cats advance into Sunday’s final of the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional.

“I was just very patient today,” Smith said. “If that ball isn’t flying out, (UK head coach Rachel Lawson) isn’t happy,” she said.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley yielded one hit Virginia Tech’s batters in the 6-2 win at John Cropp Stadium.

“I was really confident today, and I got a lot of help from my defense today,” Nunley said.

UK (40-18, 13-11 SEC) opened the scoring early with a two-run shot from the bat of Cumbess that flew over the left field fence.

Virginia Tech evened the score in the bottom of the second after a bobbled ball by freshman shortstop Christian Stokes resulted in a two-run single.

The hit was originally scored an error, but was changed by the official scorekeeper after further review.

In the third inning freshman center fielder Sylver Samuel scored after a throwing error allowed her to reclaim the lead for the Cats.

Smith hit a solo-blast onto the top of the batting cages in left field to extend UK’s lead in the fourth.

In the fifth, UK got another boost from Smith as her two-out single led to two more runs on another error by Virginia Tech.

After the Hokies scored the two runs in the second inning, Nunley retired the next 16 batters making the controversial hit call in the second inning even more important as it took away a no-hitter from first-year pitcher.

“I think it was clearly an error, but I get in trouble all the time for saying stuff like that,” Lawson said. “I am not worried though because we got the win and that’s all that matters.”

UK will meet the Hokies again on Sunday in the regional final.

Virginia Tech defeated Marshall in 13 innings in Saturday’s elimination game to earn the right to play UK for the second successive day.

The game gets under way at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 3.

Follow @KernelSpanyer on Twitter for live updates from John Cropp Stadium.

UK freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley throws a pitch against Marshall in the softball NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, May 17, 2013. UK won the game in extra innings. Photo by Tom Hurley | Staff

By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

tspanyer@kykernel.com

Behind the arm of freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley and the bat of freshman third baseman Nikki Saegermann, the No. 12 seeded UK softball team beat Marshall, 2-1, in eight innings on Friday in the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional.

The extra-inning affair was the Cats’ seventh of the season and the first in UK postseason history.

“It was a lot of fun, Saegermann said. “A rollercoaster of emotions for sure.”

UK (39-18, 13-11 SEC) had to come from behind after Marshall (35-21, 13-10 C-USA) got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to a slap-hit single.

After going down 1-0, the Cats got even in the fifth thanks to a RBI single by senior infielder Kara Dill.

“The consistency the Kara Dill brings to the team is great,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said, “She is an exceptional player and also a captain. To get her back is cool.”

The game would head to extras as both teams struggled to come by runs.

Nunley got in a jam in the top of the eighth after allowing a one-out single and hitting the next batter.

The freshman then got a close call at first to go her way before getting help from Saegermann made what was described by Lawson as a “great catch.”

In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner led off with a deep double to center field that would have left the park if was hit to any other area of John Cropp Stadium.

After Marshall senior pitcher Andi Williamson intentionally walked two batters, Saegermann came up to the plate only needing solid contact to win the game.

Saegermann came through, hitting a ground ball single to right field to advance UK to the winner’s bracket.

“Coach just told me to get the barrel on the ball,” Saegermann said.

UK will next face Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Hokies defeated Notre Dame in the regional’s first game.

The Fighting Irish will meet Marshall in the elimination game at 3:30 p.m.

The loser of the UK vs. VT game will then play the winner of Notre Dame vs. Marshall at 6 p.m.

All games will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Full schedule:

Saturday, May 18, 2013
Game 3 – Notre Dame vs. UK – 1 p.m.
Game 4 – Virginia Tech vs. Marshall – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Loser of game 3 vs. Winner of game 4 – 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 19, 2013
Game 6 – Winner of game 3 vs. Winner of game 5 – 1 p.m.
Game 7 – (If necessary) – 3:30 p.m.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley pitches in the first inning of the UK softball game vs. the Tennessee Volunteers at the UK Softball Complex on Friday, March 29, 2013. UK lost, 6-0, in the game that did not count toward conference standings because it made up for games canceled because of inclement weather. Photo by Becca Clemons | STAFF

By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

tspanyer@kykernel.com

After a first-round loss in the SEC Tournament,  the No. 17 Cats received news Sunday night that they would be hosting the first softball NCAA Tournament regional in school history.

UK will welcome Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Conference USA champions Marshall to John Cropp Stadium for the double-elimination Lexington Regional.

“It’s a big step for our program,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said, “Because in order to host a regional you have to be considered one of the top 16 teams in the country, and that’s a big step for us.”

UK (38-18, 13-11 SEC) received the No. 12 overall seed for the tournament and will play its first game against Marshall on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Cats one of 23 teams in the country that can claim their fifth consecutive tournament berth.

The Cats are led in the circle by true freshman Kelsey Nunley and her school-record 24 wins regular season wins.

At the plate the Cats are led by junior pitcher/first baseman Lauren Cumbess and her .335 average and team-leading 11 home runs.

“We are going to have to go out there and play our game if we want to win,” Cumbess said. “Their pitcher is really good, and it’s because she works fast and we have to be prepared for that.”

Marshall (35-20, 13-10 C-USA) comes in to the regional as winners in six of its last seven games, including the C-USA championship.

The Herd are led by senior pitcher Andi Williamson in the circle. Williamson holds a 2.01 ERA with an overall record of 32-16.

Williamson has pitched 296 innings this season second only to Olivia Galati of Hofstra, who has thrown 307 innings. At the plate Marshall is led by senior outfielder Ashley Gue who is batting .344 with 33 stolen bases.

“We’ve been working a lot on our hitting this week,” UK sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner said. “We haven’t had a lot of time for long practices lately so we have been working on hitting and defending the slap-ball hitting of Marshall.”

Virginia Tech (35-19, 9-11 ACC) lost out in the semifinals of the ACC tournament last week.

The Hookies began the year on a hot streak winning 15 of their first 16 games, and has wins over three top-25 teams.

VT is led at the plate by senior catcher Courtney Liddle, who is batting .380 with 37 RBIs this season. In the circle the Hokies are anchored by senior Jasmine Harrell who has a 3.12 ERA and an overall record of 17-8.

Notre Dame (43-13, 19-3 Big East) won the regular season Big East crown and lost to South Florida in the championship game of the Big East Tournament last weekend.

The Irish have won 17 of their last 20 games and are led at the plate by sophomore outfielder Emilee Koerner who nis hitting .451 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs this year.

In the circle the Irish are led by junior Lauren Winter who holds a 29-10 overall record with a 1.70 ERA and 294 strikeouts.

Virginia Tech and Notre Dame will face off in game one of the regional Friday at 5 p.m., with UK and Marshall following at 7:30 p.m.

All games will be played at John Cropp Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Full schedule:

Friday, May 17, 2013
Game 1 – Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech – 5 p.m.
Game 2 – UK vs. Marshall – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 18, 2013
Game 3 – Winner of game 1 vs. Winner of game 2 – 1 p.m.
Game 4 – Loser of game 1 vs. Loser of game 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Loser of game 3 vs. Winner of game 4 – 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 19, 2013
Game 6 – Winner of game 3 vs. Winner of game 5 – 1 p.m.
Game 7 – (If necessary) – 3:30 p.m.

Staff file photo

By Chelsea Barger | @KyKernel

news@kykernel.com

UK president Eli Capilouto has created a new task force group to study the alcohol policies that are in place on campus.

The task force is called, “Work Group on Student Health and Safety,” and will have 15 members comprising of school officials and community representitives.

Capilouto said in a UK press release that the task force is in place to, “review and evaluate new evidence and best practices available to the University and community to prevent alcohol abuse and reduce it associate harm on and off campus.”

Being a large part of Lexington culture, UK is highly involved in the community.  However some Lexingtonians in outlying and close-by communities to campus have expressed concern.  Students who want to drink but cannot because of the alcohol policy go elsewhere around the city to do so.

Robert Mock is UK’s Vice President for Student Affairs and co-chair for the task force.

Mock told the Kernel via email that the task force would like to look into other institutions’ ideals and alcohol policies to create a policy at UK that is conducive to a healthier policy for everyone on campus.

“Through evidence-based research consistently revealing new information about effective means for facilitating responsible alcohol use and reducing alcohol consumption it is likely the workgroup will make some similar recommendations that other institutions have utilized,” Mock said.

Community members as well as many of Mock’s colleagues at UK will collaborate to create a comprehensive problem solving manifesto.

The task force’s 15 members will look closely at better ways to avoid alcohol abuse and create a healthier and safer campus.

“The plans are to explore and translate new knowledge into the creation and implementation of effective best practice policies to facilitate responsible alcohol use and reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse,” Mock said.

Mock says the task force will be addressing four key points.

- “Assess individual and environmental factors that contribute to the misuse of alcohol by University of Kentucky students on-and off-campus.

- Assess current campus practices and policies designed to promote responsible use of alcohol and prevention of alcohol abuse with reduction of associated harms.

- Review and evaluate new evidence and best practices available to the University and community to prevent alcohol abuse and reduce its associated harm on-and off-campus.

- Provide summary evaluations about alternative strategies at the individual, campus, and community level designed to prevent alcohol abuse and its associated harm on-and off-campus and mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of such strategies for the purpose of continuous quality improvement.”

President Capilouto has expressed no bias towards either eliminating or keeping the current policy.

In an interview with CN2, he did express concern about the overall health and well-being, as well as the legalities of drinking on campus.

“It’s about responsible consumption of alcohol,” Capilouto said.

Andrew Wiggins (22) during the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at Withrow High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, on, January 25, 2013. Photo by Jared Glover | Staff.

By David Schuh | @DSchuhKernel

dschuh@kykernel.com

Andrew Wiggins is not coming to UK. Those sobering, fearful words became a reality for Cats fans Tuesday when the Canadian superstar chose to play his college basketball at Kansas.

It was one of the quietist high profile recruiting announcements in recent memory, for maybe the best high school player since LeBron James in 2003.

And under normal circumstances, losing Wiggins would have been a major blow to a program coming off a season defined by its disappointment.

However, there was nothing normal about this offseason.

Think about the roster that John Calipari has assembled. You’ve got two 6-foot-5 guards, a 6-foot-6 swingman, a 6-foot-9 forward with a freakish wingspan, a 7-foot, 250-pound center and a strong and agile 6-foot-8 power forward.

Are you lost yet? Those aren’t even all the freshmen.

Calipari wanted Wiggins. Anyone would be foolish not to. But he put himself in such a luxurious position that he doesn’t think he needs him. That’s exactly how he wanted it to be.

“I’m as confident before and after his decision and I wish him well,” Calipari said. “I mean, he’s a great kid and is going to be a terrific basketball player. It didn’t change me any.”

He must feel much like he did before the 2011-12 season. He has maybe the best recruiting class ever, and returning players who have talent and experience. The premature comparisons are there.

But we’re smarter than that. Aren’t we?

It takes much more than that. If this past season taught UK fans anything, it’s that so many things have to be right for even the best team to succeed.

A lot of people have a lot of expectations about Calipari’s fifth team. That’s fine — sports would lose something without that. But until guys put in the work, until they come together, and until they understand how to set aside their high school stardom for collegiate success, that’s all they’ll be — expectations.

College basketball as a whole was mediocre last season. Louisville developed into a great team, and it showed. But the quality of basketball played by other teams, even into March, was frustrating to watch at times.

Next season appears to be drastically different. There will be great, entertaining teams all over the country, with experienced talent returning and future stars arriving.

Sit back and enjoy, basketball fans. It’s going to be a fun ride. And UK fans, don’t sulk for too long. Even without Wiggins, your Cats will be right there with the best.

Junior Tom Jomby at the men's tennis match vs. Marshall at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, January 20, 2013. Photo by Genevieve Adams | Staff.

By Tyler Spanyer | @KernelSpanyer

tspanyer@kykernel.com

After cruising through Western Michigan and Virginia Tech, No. 8 UK (22-11, 6-6 SEC) will head to Urbana, Ill., for the fourth straight year to face No. 9 Duke (25-5, 9-1 ACC) in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

UK beat Western Michigan 4-0 and Virginia Tech 4-1 last weekend to advance to their fourth straight Sweet 16. Junior Grant Roberts clinched both matches for the Cats with two straight set singles wins.

“Getting to another Sweet 16 is great, but I want more,” Senior Anthony Rossi said after the Cats’ win over Virginia Tech. “I am really hungry for this one.”

Duke finished the year on a seven match winning streak, before falling to Wake Forest in the ACC Championship semifinals. The Blue Devils are led by senior Henrique Cunha, who is ranked No. 9 nationally in the latest ITA Polls.

Cunha will match-up with Rossi in singles play in a battle of top-10 opponents, while all of Duke’s top four players are ranked in the top-75.

Rossi is 14-5 against ranked singles opponents this season. The five losses are his only five losses on the year as his record has climbed to 23-5 overall this season.

UK is also 14-2 on the year when winning the doubles point, which they have done in both matches of the tournament thus far.

“We stress the importance of these championships to the boys,” UK head coach Cedric Kauffmann said, “So like Rossi said, we just have to take it one point at a time.”

The Cats and Blue Devils will begin play at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Should the Cats advance, they advance could face the No. 1 overall seed UCLA in the Elite 8.

Freshman pitcher Kyle Cody throws a pitch during the second UK vs. Vanderbilt baseball game of the day at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, May 11, 2013. The Cats were defeated in both games of the doubleheader. Photo by Tom Hurley | Staff

By Nick Gray | @KyKernelGray

ngray@kykernel,com

Nobody expected UK baseball to be fighting desperately for its postseason hopes in its final series of the year.

Coming into the season, the concern was how the Cats would respond to the pre-season expectations of a top-15-caliber ball club.

UK responded to the concern by winning every series in February and March, including the first three SEC series, two against teams who are solidly in the NCAA Tournament field in Florida and Mississippi State.

Now, the Cats have work left to do in order to even make the NCAA Tournament. That work begins with their final weekend series at Missouri.

Missouri, though at the bottom of the SEC East standings, is a challenge to the Cats because of the unknown. The Tigers have not faced UK on the diamond since 1984, and the UK victory was the only matchup in the two programs’ histories.

The unknown, plus the Cats’ prolonged slump and that they are on the road, stacks the wall up against UK.

Kendall Rogers, writer and managing editor of Perfect Game USA, has covered college baseball for over 13 years. Rogers, who releases his version of “Bracketology” each week, believes UK is out of the NCAA Tournament as of today.

Rogers has teams such as Florida Atlantic, San Francisco and William and Mary, teams who have had strong showings in mid-major conferences, in front of UK.

“As of right now, I have Kentucky at the first or second team out of the field,” Rogers said. “I think the RPI is a good metric right now, but it’s hard to fathom a team with that type of league record getting into the postseason right now. The good news for UK is that it has plenty of opportunities to punch its ticket in the next week.”

UK ranks 27^th in RPI and has the nation’s 10th-best strength of schedule. The Cats also have lost 16 of their last 23 games and have a 10-17 record in the difficult SEC.

Rogers believes (and I agree with him) that a series win at Missouri (16-30, 8-19 SEC) is required for the Cats in their quest for the postseason.

Only twice since 1999 has a SEC team with 12 regular season conference victories made the NCAA Tournament, which infers that a sweep in a series starting Thursday night in Columbia, Mo. is a necessity for the Cats.

Regardless of the result this weekend, UK will need a victory or two to feel comfortable come selection time (May 27, noon, ESPNU). Currently, the Cats are the No. 11 seed and would face No. 6 seed Mississippi State in an early-morning elimination game in the first round in Hoover, Ala.

With a weekend sweep, UK could move up as high as No. 8 in the seeding, but would face a first round game regardless.

Rogers sees opportunity in Hoover.

“I just think when you look at Kentucky’s situation and see that it has had to shake up its rotation late in the year, that’s not a good sign,” Rogers said. “With that said, look at the performance Grundy had against Indiana, and perhaps that’s a sign he’s getting all the pieces back together. UK has a four-man rotation that sets up well for Hoover. We’ll see if (UK) seizes the opportunity.”

In some way, shape, or form, the Cats need four wins to patch up a sagging resume that has seven wins against ranked teams, but only three in the last six weeks.

Recreating some of the hope of February and March, which seems like an entire season ago, would go a long way in ensuring the Cats’ place in the 64-team NCAA Tournament and distancing the team from the lingering “D” word that is hanging around Cliff Hagan Stadium.

That word? Disappointment.

Head coach John Calipari claps after a play in the second half against Arkansas - Little Rock at Freedom Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. Photo by Scott Hannigan | Staff

By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel

thurley@kykernel.com

UK head coach John Calipari held a summer press conference on Wednesday and individually discussed both the incoming freshman class and players returning from last season’s team.

Calipari says he and his staff will embark on a two-day retreat on Monday where discussions will be held on plans for what “each kid needs” from the staff when the players arrive on campus June 1.

“They’re a talented crew. We’ll have a talented team,” Calipari said. “Each individual player needs (to be) coached. They need direction. They need to be taught the level of commitment. The intensity – the will to win – has to come out.”

Last season Calipari acknowledged that the team lacked leadership. He doesn’t see that being a problem this time around.

“The alpha males that we didn’t have a year ago, I think we have, those guys have to do that,” Calipari said. “They can lead, but they have to lead us in the way they need to be led.”

While Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin are touted on NBA mock draft boards to be selected in the first round, sophomore center Willie Cauley-Stein and sophomore forward Alex Poythress will be back for a second season in UK uniforms.

Cauley-Stein was a multi-sport athlete until arriving in Lexington last summer. Calipari says the 7-foot, 244-pound big-man understands how far he has come in his first season focusing solely on basketball, yet also know how far he needs to go.

“Willie Cauley has a chance to be one of the better players that I’ve ever coached,” Calipari said.

Calipari added that Cauley-Stein knew that by declaring for the NBA Draft would have meant he could have been a first-round pick, but that he decided to return for a second season because “he wasn’t delusional.”

Calipari said Poythress “learned a lot about himself” in his freshman campaign and knows the direction he needs to take in order to “be the player that he wants to be.”

“He would have been in the first round had he put his name in the draft. He knew he wasn’t ready,” Calipari said. “He was being pushed by some corners to put his name in the draft, but he knew. Again, (he) wasn’t delusional. He knew, ‘I have to change. I have to take this to another level.’ If he does, and the competition brings out the best in him, it is scary how good he can be.”

In addition to Cauley-Stein and Poythress, the eight incoming freshman will also be able to learn from the experience of junior forward Kyle Wiltjer, senior forward Jon Hood and senior guard Jarrod Polson.

“Only Kyle, in a small way, has tasted the success that we want and expect,” Calipari said.

This is what the fifth-year coach had to say on each of the incoming freshmen on his 2013-14 roster.

6-foot-5, 205-pound freshman guard Andrew Harrison

“Big guard, can score the ball, should be and will be and is expected to be and will be demanded to be a lock-down defender. With his size, with his athleticism; one, we can play a big zone, two, we should be able to press because we’re going to be so big with our guard play and whoever we put up there. But it will start with Aaron. We know what he can do scoring the ball, but we want him to other to do other things and … help define his game.”

6-foot-5, 205-pound freshman guard Aaron Harrison

“My hope is by the end of the year, he’s just like some of the other point guards we’ve had. You look at him and say, ‘hey he can do things that other point guards can’t do at his size’, his scoring ability. And both of them (Aaron and twin brother Andrew) are terrific drivers, which kind of tells you that we’re going to go back to a lot more dribble-drive. I’ve talked to a couple of my friends. We’re talking about dribble-drive into pick-and-roll, pick-and-roll, into dribble-drive, because of the team.”

6-foot, 170-pound freshman guard Dominique Hawkins

‘A young man from in-state that just kind of blew me away with his will to win, his temperament on the court, his demeanor in helping his team win a championship. You always want to coach guys who understand. By winning a state championship and being down 16 (in) two games, it shows what a tough mentality. And with what I just went through, I wanted a tough point guard. I wanted one more tough, physical – how about this – not just fighting, physical tough, how bout mentally tough? How about not break down? How about, ‘I’m bringing it and I’m not afraid to be 16 down and it has no effect on me?’ That’s what I saw in Dominique and why we recruited him.”

6-foot-10, 240-pound freshman center Dakari Johnson

“I watched him two summers ago, folks, and I’m going to tell you, he had a knee issue and I looked at him and said, ‘I’m not so sure.’ Then I watched him a little bit later, and I said ‘wait a minute.’ Then I watched him later in the season – could not believe it. The line of improvement for Dakari is like that. He’s a kid that will get up at six in the morning and work out. He’s a great student. He does all the things and he wants to be better. He was on a team that there were times he wasn’t getting the ball. Never said one thing, ran that court, posted up. When he did get it, he did good things. He’s got great skills and his seven-foot tall.”

6-foot-9, 220-pound freshman forward Marcus Lee

“Averaged a triple-double for the season. Like, 11 blocks, like 15 rebounds and 18 points. Pogo stick, active, high energy, 6-10, 6-11, long armed. Another player who, again, wanted to be here. These kids all wanted to be here. This is where, they wanted the challenge of this, and they wanted to do it together. So when you look at Marcus Lee, you say he could have gone somewhere, he didn’t want to go. He wanted to come here and take on this challenge.”

6-foot-8, 225-pound freshman forward Julius Randle

“Truly a hard worker who can play multiple positions, who can play inside and out. He’s a beast. He’s an alpha beast who will drive the team. (He) has a little bit of Micheal (Kidd-Gilchrist) in him, in a different way. In my mind, there are good players out there, he’s as good as any of them.”

6-foot-9, 200-pound freshman forward Derek Willis

“Long, skilled big man from the state. Again, where his game goes, he wanted the challenge of this. ‘I want to go every day against players this good to see how I can be.’ Isn’t that the greatest part of this? I mean it’s not, ‘well, I want to go here so I can be the guy and the only man. I want to go here and be challenged. How good can I be? And the only way I’m going to find it out is to go against the best. I’m going to go against the best every day.’ Well, he’s got a chance of really being good and being special.”

6-foot-6, 190-pound freshman forward James Young

“Gives you that 6-7 wing who flat can shoot the ball. Some of the issues – again, we shot a high percentage. When you looked at our numbers from last year, our defensive numbers, our shot-blocking numbers, our offensive percentages, you would say we should have won more games. But, we weren’t as skilled as we needed to be, especially at crunch time. We weren’t as skilled. We weren’t as physically dominating as my teams in the past. This team should be.”

UK senior pitcher Jerad Grundy tags out Indiana sophomore catcher Chad Clark at home plate at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. UK came from behind to win the game 5-3. Photo by Tom Hurley | Staff

By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel

thurley@kykernel.com

A home run in the seventh inning spurred UK baseball to a 5-3 come-from-behind win over No. 15 Indiana at Cliff Hagan Stadium on Tuesday.

The Cats took a one-run advantage into the top of the seventh inning, where the Hoosiers plated two runs to take the lead and force the Cats to stare into the eyes of a 14th loss in 18 games.

Junior catcher Micheal Thomas promptly stepped up and drilled a 0-1 pitch into the Lexington night to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior shortstop Matt Reida then singled before moving to second base thanks to freshman designated hitter Zack Storm’s sacrifice bunt.

Two batters later, sophomore first baseman A.J. Reed singled to score Reida and put the Cats back in front.

UK head coach said he didn’t feel any wind escape from the Cats’ sails after the Hoosiers took the lead thanks to Thomas’ timely response.

“Micheal came up and ran that ball out of the yard and got everybody excited,” Henderson said. “Now you’re tied and … you’ve got the right part of the lineup coming up and you get on base, and then A.J. came through.

It was Reed’s second RBI of the game after he had earlier homered in the third inning.

Freshman right-fielder Kyle Barrett extended his hitting streak to 15 games in the top of the first with a single through the right side.

Two wild pitches and a throwing error later, Barrett crossed home plate to put the Cats up, 1-0.

Senior pitcher Jerad Grundy kept the Hoosiers (38-12, 15-6 Big Ten) scoreless through three innings, despite three fielding errors from the home team.

Indiana sophomore catcher Chad Clark tried to steal home in the top of the third but was tagged out at home plate by the Cats’ hurler.

UK moved two runs clear the bottom of the third inning when Reed sent a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left center.

The shot was his 13th home run of the year, the most by any UK player in one season since 2008.

“I knew the wind was kind of pushing that way so I was working that way in BP,” Reed said. “I barreled it pretty well so I had a pretty good idea it was gonna go.”

Barrett climbed the wall in right center with two outs in the top of the sixth in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Indiana junior third baseman Dustin DeMuth hitting his sixth home run of 2013 and making it a 2-1 game.

Grundy earned a ground-ball out to end the inning before exiting the game after limiting the Hoosiers to one run on four hits in six innings of work.

The Cats’ fourth error of the game helped Indiana station runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the seventh.

Indiana sophomore pinch-hitter Ricky Alfonso took advantage of the situation by hitting a 2-RBI single to give the Hoosiers a 3-2 lead.

Thomas’ homer and Reed’s RBI put the Cats back in front in the home half of the inning, before sophomore pitcher Chandler Shepherd sent the visitors down in order in the eighth.

UK (29-22, 10-17 SEC) restored a 2-run advantage in the bottom of the eighth when Reida singled score sophomore center fielder Austin Cousino, who had moments before stolen second base.

Junior closer Trevor Gott entered the game to blank the Hoosiers in the top of the ninth for his school-record 23rd career save, securing victory in the Cats’ final home game of 2013.

The outside of the new Central Hall dorm is taking shape as construction crews add brick and stone to the exterior of the dorm on March 20, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Jonathan Krueger | Staff

By Will Wright | @KyKernel

news@kykernel.com

The UK Board of Trustees approved on Tuesday the further expansion of on-campus student housing.

Phase II of housing expansion will include eight new dorms, bringing the total number of modern student accommodations to 4,592.

The new, modern dormitories will have spaces for students to learn and collaborate with each other, UK Public Relations officer Jay Blanton said.

“We’re talking about spaces that have wireless connections, adaptable classroom space, adaptable learning space and collaborative space where students can live and learn,” Blanton said.

The average age of a bed on campus is about 45 years old.

The expansion and modernization of UK’s undergraduate housing began in February 2012 with the construction of Central Hall I and II, which will house 601 students this fall.

Phase II-A of the housing expansion includes constructing five new residence halls, adding 2,381 beds to campus by August 2014.

The Phase II-A dormitories are Champions Court I and II on North Campus, Woodland Glen I and II behind William T. Young Library, and Haggin Hall, which will contain a the new K Lair dining venue.

The estimated cost of Phase II-A is set at $138 million.

Phase II-B allows for the construction of three new residence halls, Woodland Glen III, IV and V.

Phase II-B will add 1,610 new beds and completes the transformation of the Cooperstown site by August 2015.

Phase I, Phase II-A and Phase II-B will have an economic impact of approximately $163.8 million and generate $7.5 million in tax revenues.

The housing developments will support 7,384 direct and indirect jobs.

About 75 percent of the employees will be Kentuckians.

The administration hopes to have about 9,000 beds on campus by the end of the five to seven year housing project, about 4,000 more beds than are currently available in UK’s residence halls.

Of the 5,000 beds on campus, only about 600 of them are modern, Blanton said.

The majority of the residence halls on campus will be demolished during the housing project, according to Blanton.

“There are roughly 20 residence halls on campus, and the majority of them will be deconstructed and rebuilt, and then expanded, and additional beds will be built as well,” Blanton said.

Roselle Hall, Baldwin Hall, Smith Hall, and Ingles Hall will not be torn down.

The fate of the Kirwan-Blanding complex has not been determined.

Blanton said students who live on campus generally do better than those who do not.

“There is a lot of academic research that suggests students graduate at higher rates, are retained at higher rates, when they live on campus. They are closer to campus, they get involved in student life more readily, they get involved in student organizations, they’re closer to their classrooms, so we know students do better generally academically and socially when they live on campus,” Blanton said.

The board also approved the purchase of the Lexington Theological Seminary campus.

The 63-year-old campus was purchased for $13.5 million.

UK will have the option to use the classroom space starting in January 2014.

The seminary has decided to relocate to anther Lexington location.

Junior Caitlin McGraw returns a serve during the women's tennis match vs. Belmont at Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, January 19, 2013. The women’s tennis team led all sports with a 3.69 GPA by scholarship student-athletes. Photo by Jonathan Krueger | Staff

Staff report | @KyKernel

news@kykernel.com

UK Athletics announced on Tuesday a record-high grade point average for student-athletes across all sports.

A combined GPA of 3.14 from student-athletes with scholarships during the spring semester is the highest mark during UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart’s time as AD.

“When I established the goal of a 3.0 overall GPA for our department, I knew I was setting the bar high,” Mitch Barnhart said in a UK Athletics press release. “To reach it for an entire athletic year for the first time is an accomplishment our student-athletes should be very proud of. I commend and thank them for their hard work.”

Women’s tennis led all sports with a 3.69 GPA by scholarship student-athletes.

Women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, women’s cross country and women’s golf all had GPAs above 3.5, with a 3.62, 3.60, 3.59 and 3.53 respectively.

Men’s basketball led the men’s teams with a 3.39 GPA from competing scholarship student-athletes.

Sixteen out of 20 teams had GPAs of 3.0 or higher. UK led the SEC with 57 student-athletes on the league’s Winter Sports Academic Honor Roll, according to the press release.

Individually, 47 scholarship student-athletes had a 4.0 GPA in the spring semester.

Chelsea Oswald of the women’s cross country and track team was named the SEC’s H. Boyd McWhorter Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in April.

Megan Moir of the women’s golf team was named the Brad Davis SEC Female Community Service Leader of the Year.

It is the first time since 1999 that UK student-athletes won both of the prestigious awards, according to the press release.

“I am continually impressed by the way our student-athletes, coaches and staff embrace academics as an important part of our mission,” Barnhart said. “We are identified first by what we do in competition, but we are out to prove an athletic department can excel in all facets.”

The athletic program is ranked 20^th in the Director’s Cup, the press release says this is one of the key metrics used by Barnhart to evaluate the program’s progress in competition.

Andrew Wiggins jumps to grab a rebound at Scott County High School in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, November 18, 2012. Photo by Tessa Lighty | Staff

By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel

thurley@kykernel.com

Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013, announced his commitment to Kansas on Tuesday in a low-profile ceremony at his high school in Huntington, W.Va.

Wiggins opted for the Jayhawks over scholarship offers from UK, North Carolina and Florida State.

“Obviously, everyone in Jayhawk-land is overwhelmed and excited today,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said in a KU Athletics press release. “This was a pleasant surprise because we never had an idea which way he was leading.”

The 6-foot-8, 197-pound small forward’s parents, both of whom are Florida State alumni, sat next to Wiggins as he made his decision public at the low-key ceremony while members of the media waited outside.

Grant Traylor of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch broke news of Wiggins commitment to Kansas on Twitter.

Traylor was one of two media members allowed to attend the ceremony with Wiggins opting to give the announcement ceremony a lower profile than the international media attention that has followed his recruitment.

Wiggins’ father told Keith Morehouse, the other journalist attending the signing ceremony, that the decision came down to a choice between Kansas and Florida State.

Much was made in the recruiting process of Wiggins’ family ties to FSU and the potential to join the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation at UK, but ultimately the Canadian decided on becoming a Jayhawk.

Wiggins joins a Kansas team that lost all five of its starters from the 2012-13 season to the NBA Draft or graduation.

The Jayhawks can now boast Wiggins amongst a list of incoming freshmen that includes center Joel Embiid and guards Wayne Selden, Conner Frankamp and Brannen Greene.

Embiid is the second-ranked center in the Class of 2013 behind UK commit Dakari Johnson, while Selden is the No. 2 shooting guard behind future Cat Aaron Harrison.

Had Wiggins opted to join Johnson and Harrison at UK, the Cats would have had the top-ranked player from each position in the class signed up to play for Calipari next season.

Instead, Kasnas’ recruiting class now becomes No. 2 in the nation.

With no further undecided players in the Class of 2013 possessing a scholarship offer from UK, the Cats’ 2013-14 freshman line-up is now complete.

In addition to Johnson and Andrew Harrison, the Cats also have the No. 1 ranked point guard in Andrew Harrison, No. 1 power forward Julius Randle, and five five-star forwards Marcus Lee and James Young.

All six players were named to the 2013 McDonald’s All-American game.

Two in-state players round out Caliarpi’s recruiting class.

Madison Central guard Dominique Hawkins led his team to the state championship and was named as Mr. Kentucky Basketball, while three-star Bullit East forward Derek Willis was the first player in the Class of 2013 to commit to UK.

Wiggins’ first game in a Kansas uniform is likely to be on October 29 when the Jayhawks host Pittsburg State in a pre-season clash in Lawrence, Kan.

The Jayhawks and Cats do not meet in the 2013-14 regular season.

UK senior Jerad Grundy throws a pitch against Akron at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Grundy struck out a career high 12 batters through eight innings while giving up two singles and no walks during the 7-0 win in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, March, 2, 2013. Photo by James Holt | Staff

By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel

thurley@kykernel.com

UK baseball runs onto the diamond at Cliff Hagan Stadium for the final time in 2013 on Tuesday when the Cats host No. 15 Indiana.

Senior left-handed pitcher Jerad Grundy (6-5, 5.02 ERA) will get the start against Indiana freshman left-handed pitcher Will Coursen-Carr (2-0, 1.30 ERA).

Grundy gave up one run on five hits in his last start, a 4-1 victory over Wright State on May 7.

Indiana (38-11, 15-6 Big Ten) enters Tuesday’s game two days removed from a 2-1 series win over Northwestern in Bloomington, Ind.

UK and Indiana two sides go into the border battle with contrasting forms.

Twelve wins in the last 15 games has enabled the Hoosiers to get within touching distance of their first regular season championship since 1949.

A series sweep at Ohio State this coming weekend will give Indiana the 2013 Big Ten regular season title.

The Cats have lost 13 or their last 17 games, including losing three contests to No. 1 Vanderbilt in Lexington this past weekend.

Freshman outfielder Kyle Barrett has been a bight note for UK in recent play with the first-year player riding a UK season-high hit streak of 14 games.

Barrett leads the Cats in hitting with a .351 batting average in 41 appearances (34 starts) in his first season at the collegiate level.

Sophomore first baseman A.J. Reed will have the chance to reach a milestone if he picks up an RBI on Tuesday.

Reed is batting .286 on the year and his 49 RBIs and 12 home runs leads the team in both categories.

Indiana’s offense is led by a trio of left-handed hitters.

Junior infielder Dustin DeMuth boasts a team-high .417 average on the season, sophomore catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 13 home runs, while sophomore infielder Scott Donley leads the Hoosiers in RBIs with 49.

The last game at Cliff Hagan Stadium of 2013 will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in front of the Fox Sports South television cameras.

Follow @TomHurleyKernel on Twitter for live updates throughout Tuesday’s game.

Steve Meilinger. Photo courtesy of UK Athletics.

By Lindsay Travis | @KyKernelSports

sports@kykernel.com

Steve Meilinger, a two-time first-team All-American and three-time All-Southeastern Conference honoree, is the fourth UK player to be inducted into the college football Hall of Game.

Meilinger played under coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant at UK from 1951-53.

“Bear Bryant was one of the finest coaches you could ever talk about, and he did an awful lot for me,” Meilinger said. “He helped me by giving me the right to let him teach me all about the sport.”

Meilinger played several positions while at UK, earning him the nickname, ‘Mr. Anywhere.’

He played quarterback, halfback, tight end, wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker, defensive back, punter, punt returner and kickoff returner.

“Halfback was my favorite because I used to carry the ball a lot,” Meilinger said.

Former teammate, and first-team All-American, Howard Schnellenberger was a freshman when Meilinger was a junior.

“I had the good fortune to be with him for those two years, in which time he played quarterback, halfback, tight end and wide receiver because he was the biggest, strongest, fastest, best athlete on the team,” Schnellenberger said.

Vito ‘Babe’ Parilli, former teammate, two-time first-team All-American quarterback and a hall of famer, remembers UK football as a predominately running team.

“We probably did pass more than the average team but when we did Steve was instrumental at catching the ball. And the thing he could do was block and be a complete tight end, which is hard to find today,” Parilli said.

In 1952, the Cats went to the Cotton Bowl and won against Texas Christian University, 20-7.

“I remember very well playing in the Cotton Bowl,” Meilinger said. “And when I was in high school I always thought I’d play at the big schools and play in a bowl game.”

After his time at UK, Meilinger went on to play professional football for six seasons.

“I played for three of the greatest coaches who ever lived – of course Bear Bryant at the University of Kentucky, Vince Lombardi at Green Bay, and Tom Landry for the Dallas Cowboys. Each one of them was great,” Meilinger said. “Vince Lombardi stands out the most because he was more like Bryant in his coaching.”

While at Green Bay, Meilinger was reunited with his former quarterback, Parilli. The two played together for two seasons.

Parilli remembers Meilinger standing out from the other wide receivers.

“The thing that I remember was when he’d get open across the middle he would call me by my real name. Everyone else would say, ‘I’m open.’ It was kind of unusual. But it was amazing,” Parilli said. “When I went back to pass there’s big Steve calling ‘Vito’ out instead of ‘Babe.’ I knew it was Steve and he was open.”

From 1962-83, Meilinger was a US Marshal, and he was one of the original six marshals who founded the federal witness protection program, according to his hall of fame bio from the National Football Foundation.

Meilinger’s induction into the college football Hall of Fame will be his sixth such honor.

He is a member of the State of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the UK Athletic Hall of Fame, the Fork Union Military Academy Hall of Fame, the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Hall of Fame and the Liberty High School Hall of Fame.

“This is the big one of course,” Meilinger said. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s over 60 years since I’ve graduated from Kentucky.”

Parilli agrees with his former teammate.

“I think it was long overdue, especially the way football is played today where they have specialists and all that,” he said. “A guy like Steve, he could play all these positions and excelled at each one of them.  I think it’s long overdue.”

Meilinger will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on December 10 in New York City. He will be 82 years old.

“So I know I’ll be the oldest one there,” Meilinger said. “It should’ve come a long time ago when I was in my prime.”

news@kykernel.com

UK lost a valued member of its community on Sunday.

Jonathan Brigham, a chemistry and biology junior, suffered a heart attack while jogging on May 7, and passed away Sunday afternoon.

Brigham, or as some of his friends knew him, “J Brigs,” was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

Those closest to him remember his determination and kind heart.

“John was one of the nicest people you’d ever meet,” mathematical economics and mathematics sophomore Roshan Palli said.

Palli was a fraternity brother of Brigham, and said Brigham spent a lot of his time studying in the library.

“He spent endless hours in the library,” Palli said. “He wanted to get the best education possible.”

Material science engineering freshman, and Brigham’s fraternity little, Edward Fraiser said Brigham was a hardworking student.

“He was probably the most hardworking person I know. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody more determined than him,” Fraiser said. “He never strayed away from what needed to be done.”

Marketing senior and Brigham’s close friend Alexander Bodenheimer said Brigham went out of his way to make sure his friends were happy.

“He was pretty much the kind of kid who would go above and beyond and out of his way to make sure you were happy. He’d do pretty much anything for anyone, all you had to do was ask,” Bodenheimer said.

Bodenheimer said Brigham was well liked and enjoyed meeting new people.

“Everyone was really drawn to him. He really had a way of appreciating life,” Bodenheimer said.

A candlelight vigil was held behind Memorial Hall on Monday night.

sports@kykernel.com

Three-star Good Counsel (Md.) High School safety Kobie Walker committed to UK on Monday, he announced on Twitter.

“Proud to announce my commitment to The University of Kentucky,” Walker said on his Twitter account, @BeyyondBelief.

Walker is rated as the 36th best safety in the Class of 2014 by Rivals.

Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State,  Miami (Fla.) and Hawaii were among the other offers Walker received.

Walker visited UK during the weekend of the spring game, according to 24/7 Sports.

With Walker’s commitment, UK now has seven commitments in the Class of 2014.

Walker is the first player in the class that is not from Ohio or Kentucky.

Freshman short stop Christian Stokes hits the ball during the UK softball game vs. Marshall on April 9, 2013 at the UK Softball Complex in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Jonathan Krueger | Staff

Staff report | @KyKernelSports

sports@kykernel.com

After a first-round loss in the SEC Tournament, No. 18 UK softball will have another chance to play in John Cropp Stadium this season as the Cats will host the Lexington Regional in the NCAA Tournament.

UK will be joined by Marshall, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. The games will be played May 17-19.

“We are very excited about hosting the NCAA Regional this weekend at John Cropp Stadium,” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said in a UK Athletics press release.

“After the crowds we had this week for the SEC Tournament, I know the Big Blue Nation is going to come out in droves to provide us with a home field advantage.”

Oklahoma received the overall No.1 seed with SEC champions Florida receiving the No. 2 seed. The Cats received the No. 12 seed.

The SEC leads all conferenes with 11 teams selected to the field of 64.

UK will take on Conference USA champions Marshall on Friday to start the double-elimination regional.

“Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Marshall are three very good teams that present a lot of challenges,” Lawson said in the press release. “We are going to work hard this week in practice to get ready to go Friday night.”

The Cats and Herd are due to begin play at John Cropp Stadium at 7:30 p.m on Friday.

Junior catcher Micheal Thomas gets hit by a pitch in UK's loss to Vanderbilt at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Photo by Tom Hurley | Staff

By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel

thurley@kykernel.com

Top-ranked Vanderbilt arrived in Lexington on Friday with 42 wins in 48 games.

Two days later, the Commodores boarded the bus back to Nashville with the SEC regular season title after earning a three-game series sweep against UK at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

Vandy’s offense stole nine bases and scored 26 runs on 38 hits to help the Commodores to their 43rd, 44th, and 45th wins of the season.

“They all stroke the ball,” UK junior infielder J.T. Riddle said. “They’re a great offensive club.”

The Cats held a 1-0 lead entering the fourth inning of the series opener, which was played as part of a doubleheader on Saturday after rain forced a postponement on Friday, courtesy of a home run from sophomore infielder Max Kuhn.

Ten runs over the next two innings saw the Cats trailing by nine runs when they loaded the bases with zero outs in the bottom of the sixth.

A sacrifice fly from freshman outfielder Kyle Barrett allowed Riddle to score from third for the Cats lone run of the inning.

Vanderbilt added an 11th run in the seventh inning before the Cats once again loaded the bases with zero outs in the ninth.

An RBI-single from freshman catch Greg Fettes saw the Cats get one run back, but they were unable to make any more advances into Vandy’s lead, going down 11-3.

UK struck first in game two as Reida hit his second RBI-single of the day in the second inning to score Riddle and hand the Cats a 1-0 lead.

Two runs in the top of the third inning saw Vandy take the lead themselves, adding to it in the sixth inning with another run to make it a 3-1 ball game.

Riddle crossed the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning to half the deficit following a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt from Kuhn.

Vandy senior outfield Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-RBI double in the top of the seventh to restore the visitors’ two run advantage.

UK loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, getting one run back when junior infielder Paul McConkey capitalized on a wild pitch to score from third.

However, the Cats could not plate any further runners and ultimately fell, 5-3.

The freshman pitching trio of Kyle Cody, Ryne Combs and Zach Stecker combined to ensure every pitch thrown by a Cat in the game came from the arm of a first-year player.

Vandy wrapped-up the sweep on Sunday with a 10-5 win to hand the Cats their 16th loss in 22 games.

Kuhn hit a tw0-run home run in the fourth inning before sophomore first baseman A.J. Reed tied the game at 5-5 with a solo home run in the fifth.

The Commodores then score five runs over the next three innings to secure the victory.

UK (28-22, 10-17 SEC) plays its last home game of the regular season on Tuesday when it hosts No. 14 Indiana.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Andrew Wiggins jumps to grab a rebound at Scott County High School in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, November 18, 2012. Photo by Tessa Lighty | Staff

Staff report | @KyKernelSports

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Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 ranked recruit in the Class of 2013, will reveal his college decision on Tuesday, his high school coach confirmed Sunday.

“Andrew Wiggins will sign Tuesday at around 12:15,” Huntington (W.Va.) Prep head coach Rob Fulford said on his Twitter account, @rfulford.

“He will not hold a press conference type ceremony,” Fulford said. “Just classmates, family and friends.”

Wiggins’ parents, who both attended Florida State, will travel from their Toronto home to Huntington for the announcement.

Florida State, North Carolina, Kansas and UK are the four schools left in the running for the 6-foot-7, 197-pound small forward.