Posted on Tue, Apr. 22, 2008

UK BASEBALL

UK puts non-SEC streak on line vs. Dunbar grad

SPECIAL TO THE HERALD-LEADER

The Kentucky baseball team puts its 22-game non-conference win streak on the line when it travels to state rival Louisville on Tuesday for the first of five straight road games.

Kentucky (30-9, 9-9 Southeastern Conference) has not lost a non-conference game since a May 2007 setback at Evansville. The Wildcats are fresh off a 4-1 week, highlighted by a series win over Florida at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

UK defeated Louisville 7-6 earlier this year on Keenan Wiley's walk-off home run in the 12th inning. Kentucky has won six of the past seven meetings, and leads the series 62-30-1, including a 21-14-1 mark in Louisville.

Louisville (23-15, 8-7 Big East) will send Dunbar graduate Thomas Royse to the mound for his first career start. Royse has a 2-0 record and a 4.94 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen in 2008.

Cowgill earns SEC honors

After reaching base safely 16 of 21 times last week, UK center fielder Collin Cowgill was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.

In UK's series win over Florida and victories over Cincinnati and Morehead State, Cowgill had three home runs, six RBI and scored 11 runs. He had three sacrifice bunts, a sac fly, and in Sunday's win over Florida smacked into the wall in left-center for a run-saving catch.