Red Sox choose Kole Cottam in fourth

June 5, 2018

Cottam Selected by Boston in Fourth Round

First-Team All-SEC first baseman and All-American drafted as a catcher

By Mattt May
UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kole Cottam became the third Kentucky player selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft when the Boston Red Sox picked him in the fourth round on Tuesday. The Knoxville, Tennessee native was the 130th overall pick.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder junior was selected by the storied Red Sox franchise as a catcher, his primary position for much of his three-year collegiate career. He had the larger share at first base of a first base/catcher platoon with senior Troy Squires this season, earning First-Team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the coaches as a first baseman, as well as Second-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball.

The first-time draftee had a sensational 2018 season, flashing his plus power stroke on a consistent basis all year. He finished with 19 home runs, the ninth-most for a single-season in UK history, on his way to a 1.105 OPS. Cottam led the team with a .352 average, 54 runs and 77 hits. He added 12 doubles, 31 walks, four steals and 51 RBI.

Cottam’s raw numbers weren’t empty either. He homered in eight of the Cats’ 10 series against SEC opponents and 12 of 14 weekends overall. He led the conference with 10 home runs in league play and finished the season ranked in the top five in the SEC in home runs (1st), doubles (4th), RBI (1st), total bases (2nd), slugging (3rd).

He twice had game-winning hits in the eighth inning to win a series, including a bases loaded infield hit to make UK the only team to take a series from Georgia in Athens and a grand slam to erase a three-run deficit and knock off Missouri, a hit that earned him SEC Player of the Week. Cottam also was named a CoSida All-District Academic Team member.

For his career, Cottam hit .326 in 151 games (129 start) with 99 runs, 162 hits, 30 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs and 11 RBI. He ranks 26th on the school’s career hit list and owns a hefty .952 career OPS.

KOLE COTTAM BIO

• 2018 First-Team All-SEC (1B)

• 2018 Second-Team All-America (Collegiate Baseball)

• 2018 Second-Team All-America (College Sports Madness)

• 2018 CoSida Academic All-District Team

• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2017)

• SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2016)