Wildcats Ranked for Record Ninth Straight Year, Seven Straight top-25 Classes
*Photo: Regina Rickert
LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the school-record ninth consecutive season since claiming the 2006 Southeastern Conference Championship, the Kentucky baseball team has had its recruiting class ranked, checking in No. 14 in the annual recruiting class rankings from Collegiate Baseball, it was announced on Monday afternoon.
Kentucky had its newcomer group for the 2015 season ranked No. 14 by Collegiate Baseball, checking in fourth in the SEC, behind only LSU (No. 1), Florida (No. 3) and Mississippi State (No. 6). UK ranks ahead of SEC foes Ole Miss (No. 15), Arkansas (No. 16), South Carolina (No. 24), Vanderbilt (No. 25), Tennessee (No. 34), Texas A&M (No. 40) and Auburn (No. 40).
This marks the school-record ninth consecutive season that Kentucky had had its recruiting class ranked. Overall, 10 of UK head coach Gary Henderson’s 11 recruiting classes have been ranked, with seven consecutive classes ranked in the top 25.
Kentucky has had a program-record 38 players drafted or sign a professional contract in the six years of the Henderson era, with at least four players drafted in every season. Since Henderson and recruiting coordinator Brad Bohannon arrived on campus in 2004, Kentucky has had 61 players drafted or sign a professional contract, an average of 5.54 players per season. Before 2006, 2.55 UK players were drafted or signed a professional contract, with 38-percent of the players drafted or to sign a free-agent contract in UK history have come under the watch of Henderson.
UK’s 2015 newcomer group includes 14 players, with four players picked in the 2014 MLB Draft and all four players electing to turn down professional baseball to join the Wildcats. Junior 6-foot-2 right-hander Dustin Beggs (Roswell, Ga.) was a 17th round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, freshman 6-foot-5 righty Justin Lewis (Suwannee, Ga.) was picked in the 19th round by the San Diego Padres, freshman 6-foot-4 right-hander Zach Pop (Brampton, Canada) was a 23rd round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays and freshman 6-foot-2 shortstop Riley Mahan was tabbed in the 40th round by the San Francisco Giants.
In addition to the drafted newcomers, the Wildcats welcome lefty Jake Hamilton (Racoon, Ky.), righty Gabe Moore (Alpharetta, Ga.), switch-hitting infielder Evan White (Gahanna, Ohio), lefty Jared Proctor (Bardstown, Ky.), southpaw Zach Logue (Mason, Ohio), lefty Brad Schaenzer (Oxford, Miss.), infielder Trey Miller (Lexington, Ky.), outfielder Coli Currie (Jackson, Tenn.), catcher Marshall Gei (Mount Juliet, Tenn.) and righty Erich Hartman (York, Pa.).
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UK Recruiting Class Rankings (Since 2006 SEC Championship)
2007: No. 21 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 23 (Baseball America)
2008: No. 31 (Collegiate Baseball)
2009: No. 4 [school record] (Baseball America)
2010: No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 15 (Baseball America)
2011: No. 16 (Collegiate Baseball)
2012: No. 25 (Collegiate Baseball)
2013: No. 11 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 18 (Baseball America)
2014: No. 25 (Baseball America)
2015: No. 14 (Collegiate Baseball)
2014 NCAA Recruiting Results
By Collegiate Baseball
1. LSU
2. Wichita St.
3. Florida
4. San Diego
5. Oklahoma St.
6. Mississippi St.
7. Texas
8. Stanford
9. Virginia
10. Cal. St. Fullerton
11. North Carolina
12. Oregon St.
13. Texas Tech.
14. Kentucky
15. Mississippi
16. Arkansas
17. UCLA
18. Long Beach St.
19. Oregon
20. Miami, Fla.
Florida St.
22. Texas Christian
23. Rice
24. South Carolina
25. Vanderbilt
26. Louisville
27. Arizona St.
28. Arizona
29. Florida International
30. Michigan
31. Missouri
32. San Diego St.
33. Houston
34. Tennessee
35. Clemson
36. Duke
37. Stetson
38. Florida Gulf Coast
39. California
40. Texas A&M
Auburn
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