[Stardust]

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Chandler Shepherd got his first oppurtunity to shine for the UK Wildcats Wednesday as he took the mound against the Xavier Musketeers. Along with the 1,317 fans in attendance were family & friends of Shepherd.

The Wildcats were sporting a 7-0 record coming into the game facing the Musketeers at Cliff Hagan Stadium, home of the Wildcats. Shepherd got the 9-2 win over Xavier improving the Wildcats to 8-0 on the season.

UK's Chandler Shepherd takes a line shot off the leg from an Xavier player for an infield hitShepherd (1-0) threw 64 pitches on the night, 41 of them were for strikes as he gave up only two hits in his 5 scoreless innings to go with 1 walk & 5 strikeouts. Shepherd gave up his first hit in the 2nd inning when a line shot came off the bat of an Xavier player and bounced off his right leg for an infield hit. The fourth inning gave way to the second hit on the night by Shepherd as a Musketeer batter turned on a pitch down the right field line for a double.

Shepherd's first appearance on the mound came out of the bullpen as he gave up 2 runs in a three game home opener for the Wildcats last week.

"I felt good and ready to go," said Shepherd. " I knew I had a good defense out there behind me so I threw strikes. Both the breaking ball and fast ball were working for me tonight and I feel confident in my catcher with the signs that he gives me."

Shepherd, the top high school baseball prospect in Kentucky came out of LCHS in 2011. The 6'3" right hander signed with UK his senior year turning down an offer by the Chicago White Sox after being drafted in the 41st round in the Major League draft last year.

UK's freshman Chandler Shepherd is 1-0 on the season to help lead the Wildcats to an 8-0 start Shepherd finished his high school career with a 40-12 record, 512 strikeouts in 353 innings. As a senior Shepherd posted a 12-1 record with 139 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings owning a 0.65 ERA. He ranks fifth all-time in career wins in the state and second all-time in career strikeouts.

Shepherd was also runner-up for Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball and the 2010-2011 Tony Curnutte Memorial Sportsman of the Year to go along with a state record with 46 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.

He led LC to the 15th Regional Championship and berth in the State Tournament in 2008, 2009, & 2011 and holds school records for batting average, strikeouts, hits, home runs, ERA, wins, shutouts, & RBI's.

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