The senior first baseman also named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – March 9, 2020
Kentucky first baseman T.J. Collett has been named the Southeastern Conference co-Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. He also was named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball.
Collett had a sensational week, batting .455 with six extra-base hits (three doubles, three home runs) among his 10 total hits, seven runs and 13 RBI. He led all SEC players in RBI and total bases (22) and ranked second in hits and home runs. He slugged 1.000 as part of an absurd 1.478 OPS in five games.
The senior from Terre Haute, Indiana got off to a great start when he belted home runs in back-to-back at-bats against Cincinnati, the first time in his career he hit multiple home runs in a game. Twice during the week he went back-to-back with a teammate, doing so with Oraj Anu vs. Cincinnati and Austin Schultz vs. Oakland on Sunday.
For the week, he recorded four multi-hit and four multi-RBI games. He was especially ruthless in Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of Oakland, driving in seven runs and scoring four on two doubles and a home run. He also became the 53rd player in UK history to reach 100 career hits when he doubled against Norfolk State on Saturday.
Collett, who is playing first base this season after spending three seasons exclusively at designated hitter, also was named SEC Player of the Week last season when he hit game-winning home runs in both games of a doubleheader sweep at No. 10 Ole Miss on April 14.
On the season, Collett is batting .313 with 13 runs, five doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI. He also has made just one error in 126 chances in the field.
CATS HOST WESTERN KENTUCKY TO END HOMESTAND
Kentucky will close its 14-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon when in-state foe Western Kentucky arrives in Lexington. The Cats swept a home-and-home series with the Hilltoppers last season and have won five straight overall in the series.
The Hilltoppers (10-5) come into the game riding high after taking two of three from the Big Ten’s Purdue Boilermakers over the weekend. WKU also has won a series from Wright State, which just took two of three from previously undefeated Tennessee. The Hilltoppers are putting up 7.5 runs per game, led by five players batting over .315.
The Cats (10-6) look to end its season-long homestand on a winning note, having gone 10-3 thus far. Tuesday afternoon’s game will be the final non-conference affair before conference play begins this weekend at No. 6 Vanderbilt. Sophomore left-hander Dillon Marsh will get the start on the mound for the Cats.
First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game will air on the SECN+ and UK Sports Network radio.
Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky
When: 4 p.m. ET; Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2020
Where: Kentucky Proud Park (Lexington, Ky.)
TV: SECN+; Radio: UK Sports Network (98.5 FM Lexington)
Pitchers: WKU – RHP Aristotle Peter (0-1, 9.00); UK – LHP Dillon Marsh (1-1, 8.03)
Tickets: www.UKBaseballTix.com
