WildcatRick
04-25-2006, 10:09 PM
By Michael Smith
mssmith@courier-journal.com (mailto:mssmith@courier-journal.com)
The Courier-Journal
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Several minutes after the University of Kentucky's baseball team pulled off an extra-inning win over South Carolina on Friday night, UK coach John Cohen was captured by what was happening in the Cliff Hagan Stadium stands.
Virtually everyone who had seen John Shelby end the game with a home run at about 11 p.m. was still there.
"Everyone had this look of shock," Cohen said. "It was like people were seeing something for the first time."
They didn't know it at the time, but the excitement was just beginning. The Wildcats pulled off two more stunning wins on Saturday and Sunday, both of which required six-run comebacks, to complete a sweep of the then-No. 7 Gamecocks.
The Cats' three dramatic wins vaulted them into a tie for the lead in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division and a No. 13 ranking in the Baseball America poll released yesterday, their highest ranking ever. UK was 14th in 1994.
"It's been such an emotional ride," said senior third baseman Michael Bertram, who was part of UK teams that went 23-65 the past three seasons.
"We were picked to finish dead last in the league, and every time we take the field we're out to prove that we can play with any team in the country.
"We're not a pushover anymore."
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/SPORTS03/604250425
mssmith@courier-journal.com (mailto:mssmith@courier-journal.com)
The Courier-Journal
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Several minutes after the University of Kentucky's baseball team pulled off an extra-inning win over South Carolina on Friday night, UK coach John Cohen was captured by what was happening in the Cliff Hagan Stadium stands.
Virtually everyone who had seen John Shelby end the game with a home run at about 11 p.m. was still there.
"Everyone had this look of shock," Cohen said. "It was like people were seeing something for the first time."
They didn't know it at the time, but the excitement was just beginning. The Wildcats pulled off two more stunning wins on Saturday and Sunday, both of which required six-run comebacks, to complete a sweep of the then-No. 7 Gamecocks.
The Cats' three dramatic wins vaulted them into a tie for the lead in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division and a No. 13 ranking in the Baseball America poll released yesterday, their highest ranking ever. UK was 14th in 1994.
"It's been such an emotional ride," said senior third baseman Michael Bertram, who was part of UK teams that went 23-65 the past three seasons.
"We were picked to finish dead last in the league, and every time we take the field we're out to prove that we can play with any team in the country.
"We're not a pushover anymore."
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/SPORTS03/604250425