Freshman Rogers ready for U of L-UK rivalry
Dan McDonnell will send to the mound Tuesday night a freshman who is two starts removed from Tommy John surgery rehab and facing rival Kentucky.
The coach’s advice for Josh Rogers?
“Just compete,” McDonnell said. “Don’t try to do too much.”
Rogers, a left-handed New Albany High School product, will start for the Cardinals in a 6 p.m. meeting with the Wildcats at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Last week, in his appearance at Western Kentucky, he made it through four innings without surrendering a run.
That’s just what McDonnell wants from his midweek starters.
“No one’s going to throw seven or eight innings on a Tuesday or Wednesday night,” he said. “Try to win that first inning — win the first three innings — and then see where the game’s going from there.”
U of L (21-6) has won six of its last seven and used a trio of victories over the weekend — two against Xavier and one over Butler — to jump from 14th to 11th in Baseball America’s College Top 25.
To keep momentum going, Rogers will have to overcome a UK team that’s led the NCAA in runs for three straight weeks and has hit an SEC-leading .307. The 22nd-ranked Wildcats (19-2) are led offensively by junior center fielder Austin Cousino, who is hitting .370 with nine doubles, and junior A.J. Reed, who leads the SEC with nine home runs and 33 RBI.
“It is a big rivalry for us,” said Rogers, an all-state player and the No. 2-rated lefty in the Midwest before his surgery last spring. “They’re a great team and great school to play against, but we’re going to approach it like we do every single game and like we do every day — get on the bus and lay it all on the line.”
“We’re definitely a little bitter about the loss on the basketball side of things, so hopefully we can go out and get a win tomorrow.”
About the basketball aspect, junior infielder Zach Lucas, a Butler High School graduate, said it’s not something the Cardinals have mentioned much.
“But,” he said, “I’m sure deep down everyone’s thinking that to themselves.”
Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199; follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.
UP NEXT• Louisville at Kentucky baseball at Cliff Hagan Stadium (3,000)• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Fox Sports South• Tickets: $5