Luke Maile fan club's Saturday News and Views

  Luke Maile and the Kentucky baseball team couldn't pull off the win tonight against #1 ranked (depending on what poll you prefer) LSU, but that didn't stop a mass of young Kentucky-clad baseball fans from squealing with delight when Luke Maile made a post-game appearance for the crowd. Luke Maile is clearly the fan favorite on this Kentucky baseball team and the reaction of the young children told the story. Tonight was my first time ever attending a UK baseball game and the event was wonderful. The stands were packed, including a lively party deck crowd mostly filled with tailgating students. The warm weather from the afternoon stuck around long enough for t-shirts and shorts to be the appropriate attire for a great match up between two of the top ranked teams in the country.   - The highly anticipated baseball match between two of the top teams in the country did not disappoint for the nearly packed house at Cliff Hagan Stadium tonight. Approximately 3,785 fans were treated to a tight match up that stayed close throughout. The UK baseball team opened the game with a pair of errors that led to an early 2-0 lead for the Tigers. Kentucky managed to claw their way back into the game behind the hitting of Michael Williams and the timely base running of Zac Zellers. Unfortunately the dominant pitching of LSU's Kevin Gausman, one of the top pitchers in the nation, proved too much for the Wildcats to overcome. Gausman fanned 11 Wildcats in seven innings of work. Kentucky was able to tie the game at 3-3, but fell victim to two runs in the top of the 5th that extended the LSU lead to 5-3. The Cats would get one run back on a Michael Williams single in the sixth but couldn't manage to get any closer than the 5-4 margin.   - Baseball coach Gary Henderson showed gratitude toward the crowd following the game, encouraging fans to come out again tomorrow for a 2 p.m. second game with the Tigers. As if the match up between the #1 and #2 ranked teams in college baseball this season wasn't enough, the UK men's basketball national championship trophy will be on display from 12-2 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Stadium. If you are planning on attending the UK football spring game, come out a few hours early and catch the baseball team in action as well.   - Speaking of the Blue/White spring game, the kick-off will be at 6 p.m. in Commonwealth Stadium. Admission is free and a few special appearances have already been leaked. The national championship trophy will be traveling from the baseball game to the Blue/White scrimmage for fans to see/photograph. Nerlens Noel tweeted that he and his new haircut will also be in attendance. Fans who make it out to the game will also receive a free poster off Matt Roark celebrating the end of the streak against Tennessee from the last game of the season.   - In a bit of unfortunate news for the football team, RB Brandon Gainer left the team today. The highly touted high school running back out of Miami, Fla never reached his anticipated potential as a Wildcat. Gainer had been sitting out the spring season due to the need to focus on academics. Gainer was 5th on the RB depth chart, so the impact of the loss likely won't hamper the Wildcats moving forward next season. With that said, much was expected of Gainer when he committed to the Cats. Gainer is the latest on a growing list of Wildcats to leave the football team since the end of the season.   - Terrence Jones rode a mechanical bull.   - In case you missed it earlier, 2012 Kentucky target Anthony Bennett cut his list of schools to four. It came as no surprise that Kentucky and Florida both made the cut. Both schools are rumored to be in the lead for Bennett's services next season. Oregon and UNLV complete the list for Bennett. Many Kentucky fans believe that Anthony Bennett is the final piece of the puzzle for the 2012 recruiting class.   - In another recruiting nugget, apparently Kenny Payne was spotted sitting next to Roy Williams, watching 2013 prospect Julius Randle's game. Randle is one of Kentucky's many top prospects for the class of 2013, which is rumored to potentially be John Calipari's best class yet.   - The UK men's tennis team defeated Vanderbilt 4-0 to advance to the SEC semifinals. The Wildcats have already claimed the regular season SEC title and are now looking to add the tournament title to their trophy case.   - Nerlens Noel has tweeted that it "Feels good to be in Lexington." Glad to have ya, big fella.   - Don't forget the first round of the KSTV casting call kicks off tomorrow in Northern Kentucky.The auditions will be held in Florence at Insight Communications Studio (7906 Dixie Highway, Florence, KY 41042). To try out, you MUST be present at registration, which runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. For more details, click here.-   - In another bit of exciting news, we’re looking to add new writers to KSRCollege.com for the summer and fall semester. To qualify, you must be a college student (preferably at Kentucky) and send a resume and a writing sample to [email protected]. Entries need to be in by Monday, April 22, and all applicants must be available for an interview in Lexington on Sunday, April 29.   Check in tomorrow for coverage from the Blue/White scrimmage at Commonwealth Stadium. Go ahead and make a day of it by swinging by the baseball game first, then heading over to the spring game.