Kentucky

Rays draftee Emilien Pitre’s journey: Canada to Kentucky to Tampa Bay

Published

2 years ago

July 15, 2024

Rays draftee Emilien Pitre’s journey: Canada to Kentucky to Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG ― When Emilien Pitre arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, for college, he had more of an adjustment period than a typical Wildcat freshman. The Canadian infielder not only was seeing a new level of baseball and meeting new teammates, but dealing with another language.

Pitre grew up speaking French in the hockey-loving suburb of Repentigny, Montreal.

“The Lexington community is far different from Quebec,” Pitre said with a laugh. “So that was definitely an adjustment, but the people there, they were so welcoming to me, they made the transition easier.”

Pitre did not have the traditional baseball path but Sunday night, the second baseman out of the University of Kentucky was the Rays’ surprise second-round draftee, No. 58 overall. Draft “experts” predicted he would go in the later rounds, but the Rays liked what Pitre showed just getting here.

“We’re thrilled to take Emilien Pitre,” Rays amateur scouting director Chuck Ricci said. “I think he’s another guy with really good contact skills and the power kind of emerged this year. (He’s) a very, very self-made player. I think he showed up at Kentucky, probably wasn’t ready to play that level, and just worked really hard at his English, at his body and his game, and where he’s come in that amount of time is just, it’s so impressive.

“Our guys did a Zoom with him the other day, and they came away just really, really impressed by just, just how far he’s come on his own. He’s at a good program in Kentucky, and he really made the most of an opportunity.”

Pitre had to take advantage of any opportunity.

Growing up in a suburb of Montreal, Pitre calls himself a Canadian “outlier” in that he never played the national sport of hockey. Instead, he gravitated to soccer and baseball. No one in his family played the latter; his family just supported his love of the game.

Pitre grew up playing baseball maybe two to three months a year because “it’s so cold” up there.

“I played travel ball with this organization from Quebec when I was 15 or 16, and luckily, I got calls from a couple of different schools, and Kentucky was the first one to reach out to me,” Pitre said. “They mentioned how much they believed in me from the beginning so that really stuck with me.

“The past three years have been the best three years of my life.”

Kentucky infielder Émilien Pitre (4) gets the out at second base against Texas A&M outfielder Caden Sorrell (13) during a College World Series game on June 17 in Omaha, Neb. [ MIKE BUSCHER | AP ]

Pitre saw action in just 11 games as a freshman. He came in undersized and needed experience.

“I got into Kentucky and I was little,” Pitre said. “I was not big, not strong, and so my first year was all about getting bigger, stronger and faster. I made my goal to be at a certain weight and be certain strength. So my first year, I ate and lifted every single day. I focused on my body as much as I have ever done in my life.”

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Pitre had missed two seasons due to the COVID pandemic and then his 12th-grade year, which is a gap year in Quebec, he had spent living with a family in Ontario to learn English.

“But after that, I played summer baseball for the first time in, like, a couple years,” Pitre said of competing in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League. “So I was just ready to, you know, obviously, get on the field and play. That summer, I went to Maryland and Bethesda and played summer ball, and absolutely had a blast there and played well. So it was nice to see all the work I put in and finally show up on the field and perform.”

In three years at Kentucky, Pitre was a .307 hitter with a .460 slugging percentage. He hit 11 home runs (10 in 2024) and stole 46 bases (26 this past season).

The Rays think that Pitre’s power will continue to come as he grows stronger — and not at the cost of his speed.

“We made a couple of adjustments to my swing. And I got stronger. That summer I gained about 10 pounds, while still keeping my ability to steal bases and stay fast,” Pitre said.

Pitre is excited to start the next leg of his unlikely journey to professional baseball with the Rays organization. He had several meetings with Tampa Bay and was not surprised — like some draft experts — that they picked him so early.

“It feels amazing,” Pitre said. “It’s been a dream since I started playing baseball. So being able to feel this moment with my family is awesome.”

Day 2 Rays picks

Round 3, 94th overall

Nathan Flewelling, Catcher, St. Joseph High School (Alberta, Canada)

Round 4, 124th

Nate Knowles, RHP, William & Mary

Round 5, 157th

Jacob Kmatz, RHP, Oregon State

Round 6, 186th

Janzen Keisel, RHP, Oklahoma State

Round 7, 216th

Ryan Andrade, RHP, Pittsburgh

Round 8, 246th

Jayden Voelker, RHP, Northern Essex CC (Massachusetts)

Round 9, 276th

Garrett Gainey, LHP, South Carolina

Round 10, 306th

Trey Pooser, RHP, Kentucky

• • •

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Kentucky

Kentucky Lottery Cash Ball, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for June 3, 2026

Published

19 minutes ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Lottery Cash Ball, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for June 3, 2026

The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Wednesday, June 3, 2026 winning numbers for each game.

Cash Ball

06-07-14-21, Cash Ball: 11

Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Evening: 7-0-9

Midday: 8-9-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Evening: 2-2-9-3

Midday: 7-8-6-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball

14-16-38-55-64, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball Double Play

26-28-31-56-64, Powerball: 13

Millionaire for Life

04-13-32-51-55, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.

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Kentucky

Fayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members

Published

11 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

Fayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Fayette County Board of Education Chair Tyler Murphy and the Kentucky Education Association have filed a lawsuit challenging a newly enacted Kentucky law that would overhaul the governance structure of Fayette County Public Schools and force all current board members out of office at the end of 2026.

The lawsuit names the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Fayette County Board of Elections and Fayette County election officials as defendants.

At the center of the legal challenge is Senate Bill 4, which lawmakers passed over Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto earlier this year.

Under the law, the seven-member Fayette County Board of Education would be reduced to five district-based seats, the lawsuit reads. The terms of all current board members would end Dec. 31, 2026, and new elections would be held for the restructured board.

The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional and asks the court to block its implementation, including any election-related actions tied to the measure.

Court filings contend the legislation unlawfully targets a single school district and interferes with the terms of duly elected local officials. Plaintiffs also argue the law violates provisions of the Kentucky Constitution governing local elections and public officeholders.

Attorneys included exhibits detailing criticism of Murphy and Fayette County Public Schools leadership from state lawmakers, including a petition seeking Murphy’s removal and a letter from state Sen. Chris McDaniel calling for the resignations of Murphy and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the law is invalid and requests expedited review from the court due to upcoming election deadlines.

No hearing date had been announced as of Wednesday.

The lawsuit comes as Fayette County Public Schools continues to face scrutiny over budgeting decisions, district spending and governance issues that have drawn attention from state lawmakers over the past year.

In a statement, Representative Matt Lockett criticized Murphy as he highlighted what he stated are district failures under Murphy.

“This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the disaster that Fayette County Public Schools is under Tyler Murphy’s leadership as board chair. Under his watch, the district has spiraled into a financial crisis so severe that it is now seeking to borrow up to $110 million simply to keep the lights on and make it through the school year. Students have been failed. Families have been failed. Teachers and staff have been failed. Taxpayers have been failed. And the Lexington community has been left paying the price for years of mismanagement and poor oversight.
Rather than taking responsibility for the district’s financial failures and focusing on what is best for students, he has chosen to file a lawsuit challenging a law that was duly passed by the General Assembly and enacted through the constitutional process. He may be emboldened by recent rulings by activist judges, but there are no legitimate grounds for overturning a duly enacted statute simply because you can’t do the right thing by this community. The General Assembly has both the authority and the responsibility to establish standards for public offices and governance structures across the Commonwealth.
At a time when Fayette County schools are facing unprecedented financial turmoil, the focus should be on accountability, transparency, and fixing the problems that have brought the district to this point. The only filing Fayette County taxpayers should be expecting from Mr. Murphy is his resignation.”

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Kentucky

UK Healthcare prepares to become Kentucky’s only Level 2 special pathogen treatment center

Published

21 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

UK Healthcare prepares to become Kentucky’s only Level 2 special pathogen treatment center

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been causing fear around the world, and a Lexington doctor is preparing in the event a case is found in Kentucky.

According to the CDC, there have been 49 deaths and over 300 confirmed cases across the two countries, with more suspected cases still being investigated.

UK Healthcare is working to become a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center through the National Special Pathogen System, which would allow the facility to treat Ebola patients in-house.

Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, an infectious disease physician at UK Healthcare, said the current outbreak is serious, but Kentucky residents are not at significant risk.

“Ebola scares people just because of the mortality, the death rate, associated with it and some of the long term consequences when you do survive. Fortunately, the strain that we’re seeing in Eastern (Democratic Republic of Congo) is thought to be not as deadly, but either way it’s a very serious disease. It carries a lot of stigma and fear,” Van Sickels said.

Here in Kentucky, however, is a very safe environment, Dr. Van Sickels said.

Currently, Dr. Van Sickels says UK Healthcare operates as an assessment hospital, meaning it can evaluate patients with symptoms who have traveled to regions with active outbreaks, coordinate testing with the state, and transfer patients to higher-level care centers if needed.

Once the Level 2 designation is complete, UK Healthcare will be the only facility in Kentucky with that capability.

“We’re the only facility in Kentucky that is able to have a level 2 designation once we finish this grant award and get approved,” Dr. Van Sickels said.

In January 2026, UK Healthcare received a grant from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), the governing body of the National Special Pathogen System.

“It’s approximately half a million dollars to transform our institution,” Van Sickels said.

The funding has been used to run simulation drills in coordination with Lexington Fire, EMS, and the state health department. The grant also enabled UK Healthcare to upgrade its protective outerwear, with all seam points covered to provide additional protection. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids.

During a recent site visit and simulation, evaluators identified vulnerabilities in the facility’s previous protective suits.

“When we had our site visit and had our stimulation, for example, they said that the seams that we had on our old suits, you could pull and stretch, and that they were rather porous,” Van Sickels said.

Van Sickels had been working on the preparedness project since the beginning of the year.

Citing lessons learned from the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which spread to the U.S. and resulted in 4 cases and 1 death.

“Ebola 2014 taught a lot of hospitals in the US about high consequence infections, established what is now NETEC, the educating body for our country, uh, about high consequence pathogens,” Van Sickels said.

“We’re constantly wanting to push preparedness, uh, because that is the key to success in evading further outbreaks,” Van Sickels said.

UK Healthcare expects to complete its Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center designation by the end of summer.

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