Kentucky works out four arms during Friday morning session

Kentucky baseball beat the heat Friday morning, working out four pitchers during a pitcher-catcher-hitter session prior to team practice at Kentucky Proud Park. The format gave hitters a chance to face live pitching, with most of the pitchers attacking primarily with fastballs and changeups. Each new batter began with a 1-1 count. There were no live baserunners or defensive alignments, so I took some liberties with the results below, essentially assuming defenders were positioned “straight up” given the circumstances. Here's a breakdown of the pitchers along with a few hitters that stood out:

Kale Hammer, a Seattle University transfer, works from a three-quarter arm slot and mixed a fastball that touched 90 mph with a changeup around 80. The southpaw was at his best when pitching to contact, though he did have to work around a pair of walks. He induced a sharp ground ball to third base from Caeden Cloud on the first pitch of the morning, along with a pair of pop-ups. Owen Lee also squared up a ball that carried to medium-deep center field. Lee, a transfer infielder from Tennessee Tech, worked a walk in his first at-bat and looked comfortable standing in against Hammer in the left-on-left matchup.

Freshman right-hander Logan Sorrel has a classic pitcher's frame, with long levers that make his 6-foot-4 frame look even bigger. He showcased an over-the-top delivery and a big fastball that touched 94 mph, along with a slider in the low 80s. Sorrel went right after hitters and put together an impressive stretch, inducing five consecutive “outs”: F7, F4, K, F8 and a 6-3 putout.

SPONSORED by bad ass coffee of hawaii

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is a proud supporter! Located in Beaumont Centre in Lexington, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii prides itself as a leader in sharing a wide variety of Hawaiian coffees. Whether you are in the mood for black coffee, a handcrafted latte, matcha, mana energy drink, or a variety of food items Bad Ass Coffee has just the thing for you! Once you get hooked on the coffee they have plenty of at home coffee available for purchase in store! So start your season off like a Bad Ass and visit them today! PLUS, they are offering our readers 20% off their orders! Just show this email, or if ordering online, apply coupon code "UKBaseball" at checkout and have a Bad Ass Day! 

Get your discount today!

Mason Snyder has a more compact build and an abbreviated delivery featuring a lower leg lift — think Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Luke Weaver. The Western Carolina transfer (who began his career at Berry College) doesn't figure to be a big strikeout guy but showed a quality mix of speeds. His fastball sat in the upper 80s and got on hitters due to his unique delivery and his array of off-speed offerings, which include an upper-70s changeup, a curveball in the mid-70s and a cutter in the low 80s.

PJ Craig showcased an athletic, aggressive delivery to finish the day. The fifth-year transfer from Rider University reached 94 mph with his fastball, mixed a firm changeup that touched 88, and spun a couple of sliders in the low 80s. Craig figures to be a workhorse starter for the Cats, but it's always good to get guys like him (44 of his 48 career appearances at Rider were starts) work out of the bullpen, because – to quote the famous Joaquin Andujar – "you can sum up baseball in one word: 'you never know.'"

Hitters Make Their Impressions

Alex Kelsey showed off solid bat-to-ball skills, producing a chopper up the middle that likely would have been a hit given his speed, along with a sharp ground ball to straightaway third base that registered at 93 mph off the bat. Didn't get the chance to see Kelsey run, but speed is obviously a significant part of his game; he stole 22 bases at St. Joseph's last season. Kelsey's skill set fits the mold of a prototypical leadoff hitter, but if head coach Nick Mingione opts to keep Jayce Tharnish in that role, Kelsey could also slide toward the bottom of the order and provide a “second leadoff” presence.

Houston transfer Riley Jackson provided the biggest swing of the day, launching a 106-mph home run off Snyder to straightaway left field. He also looked comfortable behind the plate in limited action. Jackson figures to fill a significant need at catcher for Kentucky in 2027, and in this brief look, he looked every bit the part.

JP Peltier also flashed during his at-bats, producing hard-hit line drives to center and left field. The latter registered at 106 mph off the bat. Like Jackson, Peltier brings a physical presence to the plate, and both hitters looked the part of potential middle-of-the-order bats during Friday's session.