Three newcomers homer in their debuts as Kentucky baseball rallies in season opener

After losing more than half of last season’s roster to graduation and the MLB Draft, the University of Kentucky baseball team is relying on 22 first-year players to make a run at a return to the NCAA Tournament. Thanks in large part to three of those newcomers, the Wildcats got started on the right foot.

Junior college transfers Breydon Daniel, Dalton Reed and Jaren Shelby all homered in their UK debuts as the Wildcats rallied for an 8-4 win at Austin Peay in Friday’s season opener.

Reed, a junior who hit 44 home runs at Seminole State College, blasted the first pitch he saw in a UK uniform to straightaway center field to put the Cats up 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Shelby, a graduate of Tates Creek who returned to Lexington after two years at the State College of Florida, pushed the lead to 2-0 with a solo homer in the top of the sixth.

Austin Peay tied the game on a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth and took a 4-2 lead with another two-run triple in the seventh.

Kentucky reclaimed the lead for good with a four-run eighth inning. Daniel got the rally started with a double to left field then scored on sophomore Cam Hill’s double. Shelby drew a walk, then veteran designated hitter T.J. Collett hammered a three-run homer to left field for 6-4 UK lead.

The Cats tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth on Daniel’s solo homer and an RBI-single from Shelby that scored Hill from second.

In his first career start, Hill went 2-for-5 with two runs. The Scott County graduate also stole two bases. Reed was 3-for-5 and became the first player to homer in his first career at-bat with the Wildcats since Luke Maile in 2010.

Junior left-hander Zack Thompson drew the start Friday and appeared to be back in top form after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign. Thompson struck out nine, one shy of his career high, and allowed just one hit over four innings.

Next game

Kentucky at Austin Peay

2 p.m. Saturday (WBUL-98.5)

This story was originally published February 15, 2019 at 6:59 PM.