Baseball America Tabs UK No. 25 in Preseason

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky has been ranked No. 25 in the preseason, it was announced on Monday morning by Baseball America.

It marks just the second time in UK history that the Wildcats have appeared in the widely respected Baseball America preseason top-25, including a school-record No. 11 preseason spot in 2013. UK has been ranked in the preseason just five times in its history, including three times under Coach Gary Henderson. Preseason polls have been acquired back to 1999.

The Wildcats check in as seven Southeastern Conference teams in the Baseball America top-25, including Florida, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss

Kentucky has now been ranked in two preseason polls in 2016, checking in No. 29 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.

As part of its season preview, Baseball America has ranked the top 100 college prospects available for the 2016 MLB Draft, including UK junior righty Zack Brown (No. 30) and senior right-hander Kyle Cody (No. 33). D1baseball has also ranked the top 300 college prospects available for the 2016 MLB Draft, including Brown (No. 40), Cody (No. 45), UK junior third baseman JaVon Shelby (No. 75) and senior righty Dustin Beggs (No. 275).

In addition to the aforementioned preseason honorees, the Wildcats return standout Evan White, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team first baseman in his collegiate debut. UK also returns junior outfielders Storm Wilson and Marcus Carson, in addition to senior catcher Zach Arnold. UK’s bullpen is boosted by the return of senior righties Bo Wilson and Zach Strecker and left-handed workhorse Logan Salow. UK sophomore lefty Zach Logue and sophomore infielder Riley Mahan are coming off all-star summers in their collegiate leagues, with Logue earning pitcher of the year honors in the circuit.

Kentucky will open its 2016 season on Feb. 19 at Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C.

UK Baseball Preseason Rankings History (since 1999) 2016: No. 25 (Baseball America), No. 29 (Collegiate Baseball) 2013: No. 8 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 11 (Baseball America), No. 12 (NCBWA), No. 13 (Perfect Game), No. 15 (ESPN/USA Today) 2009: No. 19 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 23 (NCBWA) 2008: No. 20 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 25 (NCBWA) 2007: No. 23 (Rivals.com), No. 27 (NCBWA), No. 30 (Baseball America)

BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON TOP 25 Rank      Team                                                   1.            Florida                                                2.            Louisville                                        3.            Texas A&M                                   4.            Virginia                                      5.            Oregon State                              6.            Miami                     7.            Vanderbilt                       8.            California                                    9.            Oklahoma State                        10.          UCLA                                                11.          LSU                         12.          Houston                                   13.          Louisiana-Lafayette             14.          Oregon                                       15.          Michigan                                 16.          Southern California                 17.          Florida State                              18.          Texas Christian                      19.          North Carolina State                   20.          Mississippi State                             21.          Oklahoma                                        22.          Cal State Fullerton                        23.          Coastal Carolina                              24.          Ole Miss                                       25.          Kentucky