Latest news with #NickMingione
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kentucky drops NCAA Tournament opener vs. West Virginia, faces elimination
For the third time in five games Kentucky baseball lost a game in walk-off fashion, this time in the ninth inning of its NCAA Tournament opener against West Virginia on Friday. The 4-3 loss forces Kentucky into an elimination game Saturday. Here is what you need to know. KEY MOMENT After blowing two ninth-inning leads in the final regular season series at Vanderbilt, Kentucky entered the ninth inning tied at 3. The Wildcats put two runners on in the top half of the inning but were unable to score. West Virginia shortstop Brodie Kresser led off the bottom of the ninth with a double then moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from third baseman Armani Guzman. AT THE PLATE Kentucky was unable to score in the first inning after loading the bases with one out, but broke through in the fourth inning when designated hitter Kyuss Gargett drove in the first run of the game with a squeeze bunt. Gargett and third baseman Patrick Herrera then scored on a throwing error by Kresser to stretch the lead to 3-0. Advertisement No Kentucky player tallied more than one hit in the game. Shortstop Tyler Bell did walk twice but appeared hampered by a foul ball off his knee in the first inning. Kentucky baseball coach Nick Mingione has led the Wildcats to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, but the Wildcats will need to win four games in three days to reach a third straight super regional after a lost to West Virginia. ON THE MOUND Mingione's decision to move normal Sunday starter Ben Cleaver, who has been UK's best pitcher throughout the season, to Game 1 of the regional paid off with six strong innings from the sophomore left-handed pitcher, but Cleaver's defense let him down over his final two innings. West Virginia scored two runs in the fifth inning with the help of throwing errors by Herrera and second baseman Luke Lawrence then tied the game at 3 in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout following a leadoff double and sacrifice bunt. Advertisement Cleaver was charged with three runs, only one of which was earned, in six innings while striking out five batters and walking one. Right-handed reliever Simon Gregerson pitched two scoreless innings before surrendering the leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth that eventually became the winning run. Left-handed reliever Jackson Nove came on with a man on second and no outs in the ninth inning. His wild pitch allowed the runner to move to third before the game-winning sacrifice fly. WHAT'S NEXT Kentucky returns to action in the double-elimination regional in a must-win game Saturday at noon. The Wildcats will play the loser of Friday's game between regional No. 1 seed Clemson and No. 4 seed South Carolina Upstate. To advance out of the regional, Kentucky will now need to win four games in three days without a loss and without Cleaver available to pitch again. Advertisement One of country's top freshmen will lead Kentucky baseball into NCAA Tournament Now that Kentucky baseball has made the NCAA Tournament, can the Cats surprise? Kentucky baseball NCAA Tournament games: Start times, TV, streaming and more
Dominion Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Kentucky's run to NCAA tournament came after rebuilding nearly entire roster
MORGANTOWN — Like West Virginia, Kentucky will be making its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. It's the first time Kentucky has accomplished that feat. The difference? While the 24th-ranked Mountaineers (41-14) will walk into the Clemson, S.C. Regional at noon Friday as Big 12 champs, the Wildcats went from 2024 SEC champions and College World Series participant to 13th place in the conference a season later. How does that happen? Let Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione explain: 'Just to recap, off of last year's team, our first baseman signed pro,' Mingione began his press conference on Tuesday. 'Our second baseman signed pro. Our shortstop signed pro.' The ninth-year Kentucky coach wasn't finished. 'Our third baseman signed pro. Our left fielder signed pro. The center fielder went in the portal. Our designated hitter graduated. Our Friday night starter signed pro. Our Saturday night starter signed pro,' he continued. Mingione still wasn't finished in his discussion about what the Wildcats (29-24) lost from last season, but you get the picture. Which sets the picture for Friday's opening-round matchup between the Mountaineers and Wildcats. WVU was expected to be in this position. Certainly, after beginning the season with an 18-1 record, the Mountaineers were expected to be in the NCAA tournament. Kentucky was not. 'There were a lot of people who never gave this team a chance to even make the postseason,' Mingione said. 'This team had a decision to make. Am I just going to do enough to win that open spot or are we going to be a team? 'I'm super proud of them, because look what's happened. They've become a team.' The Wildcats became a team while also playing one of the most difficult schedules in the country. Kentucky played the eighth-toughest schedule in the nation and played 27 Quad 1 opponents this season. For comparison, WVU has played 29 Quad 1 opponents combined over the past two seasons. 'Even to the last day or minute, there were still some people who did not know or believe if we were worthy or going to make the postseason,' Mingione said. 'Here we are now, we've completed history. We've done something that's never been done in Kentucky baseball history. We're playing in our third-straight NCAA regional.' Make no mistake, Mingione has gone through a rebuilding phase before over his nine seasons with the Wildcats. The previous ones never ended with an appearance in the NCAA tournament. 'When we've lost that many people before, we finished dead last in the SEC,' he said. 'Dead last.' Quick recruiting is how the Wildcats kept their head above water this time. Cole Hage (.317, 12 HR, 39 RBIs) was a transfer from Columbia, who was an all-Ivy League first-teamer for three seasons. Shortstop Tyler Bell was one of the top-ranked incoming freshmen, who passed up being the No. 66 overall pick of the 2024 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays in order to play college ball. He's hitting .306 with 10 home runs and leads the Wildcats with 46 RBIs. Luke Lawrence (.299, 35 RBIs) is a transfer from Illinois State. The Wildcats' anchor on defense — center fielder Carson Hansen —is a transfer from Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The group came together early in the nonconference season, winning 11 of their first 12 games. It wasn't until the start of SEC play that the Wildcats hit a snag. Kentucky dropped two of three to Georgia and did the same a week later against Auburn. It went 1-2 against Mississippi and Texas, was swept by Mississippi State, but took two of three against Tennessee. At the end of the regular season, Vanderbilt — the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament — came away with a sweep of the Wildcats, but those three wins came by a combined four runs. Kentucky lost just one SEC game by 10 or more runs this season. 'In our league, we proved we could play with anyone,' Mingione said. 'When you do that in the Southeastern Conference — when you beat the best teams and you play with the best teams — you're clearly one of the best teams.' Playing a team outside of the SEC just might be welcomed by Kentucky. First up is West Virginia. There is a connection between Mingione and WVU head coach Steve Sabins in that both are graduates of Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Fla. 'West Virginia is a really balanced team,' Mingione said. 'They do a little bit of everything. They have speed. They have power. They steal bases. They can pitch and defend at a really good level.'
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 4 of conference play
SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 4 of conference play Weather wreaked havoc across the Southeastern Conference in Week 4 of SEC play. But the storms didn't stop the best teams in the league proving as much. Even with the best teams showing out, there was plenty of shake up in the top half of the power rankings. Tennessee, the No. 1 team in the country, lost its series. Texas swept a top-five team. Arkansas scored more than 50 runs against the last-place team. LSU pulled a road sweep. Elite was elite. The middle-of-the-pack teams did some solid NCAA Tournament resume-stacking, too. Plus, Texas A&M, the preseason No. 1 team in the whole country, found its way to their first series win. Six weeks remain in what it sure to be another wild season in the best conference in college baseball. 16. Missouri Tigers Last week: 16 How rough are things in Columbia? Missouri is winless in the Southeastern Conference after four weekends, 0-12, and lost its three-game series to Arkansas by a combined score of 51-9. All three games were seven-inning affairs, including a 21-3 beatdown in the opener. When is football season? 15. South Carolina Gamecocks Last week: 15 The other team located in a city called Columbia, holds tight at the No. 15-spot. South Carolina picked up a win in the opener of the weekend against Mississippi State but lost by seven runs in Game 2 and was shut out by six runs in the finale. The two worst teams in the SEC are clear this 14. Florida Gators Last week: 10 OK, the time has come to stop pretending Florida is going to turn things around. The Gators may be fighting with South Carolina and Missouri at the bottom after a sweep at the hands of Vanderbilt, a sweep in which the Gators scored a total of five runs. Florida now sits 1-11 through 12 league games. The last time UF failed to make the NCAA Tournament was in 2007, but it feels like that streak will be snapped this season. Last week: 13 Mississippi State took care of business in Week 4 of league play, knocking off South Carolina in two of three. The Bulldogs also beat Memphis in mid-week play. Next week's series against Alabama suddenly feels like one that will establish whether MSU is closer to A&M or closer to the No. 14 spot. Last week: 14 Texas A&M badly needed a series victory over Tennessee to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes kindling. The Aggies will still get the benefit of the doubt as they entered the season the No. 1 team in the country. But six games under .500 in SEC play is going to be tough to overcome. 11. Kentucky Wildcats Last week: 11 The Wildcats played a series of tight ball games against the Rebels this weekend. Kentucky beat Ole Miss in 10 innings, lost to Ole Miss in 12 innings, and lost 3-1 to the Rebels. Offense was at a premium, but the Wildcats look like an NCAA Tournament team again under coach Nick Mingione, even if they don't look like the College World Series team of last year. 10. Oklahoma Sooners Last week: 8 The hot start Oklahoma had to its inaugural SEC season has run into reality. The Sooners dropped all three games to powerhouse LSU over the weekend and are now below .500 in league play. The good news is that two of the three losses came by two runs or less. OU isn't a bad club. 9. Auburn Tigers Last week: 12 Auburn took two of three from Alabama over the weekend with the Tigers tossing a 10-0 shutout in the opener, then losing by one and clinching the series in a two-run win. Those results seem about right for a team still ranked highly, but middle of the pack - literally 6-6 - in the SEC. 8. Alabama Crimson Tide Last week: 6 It's hard to knock Alabama too much for losing a series to Auburn. Rivalries are like that. In fact, Alabama and Auburn feel awfully similar, and when you look up at the standings, seeing them within a game of each other (7-5 for the Crimson Tide, 6-6 for Auburn) makes total sense. 7. Vanderbilt Commodores Last week: 9 Things looked rough a week ago as Vanderbilt came off a sweep at the hands of Arkansas. But considering Arkansas didn't slow down in Week 4 and Vandy bounced back with a sweep of the Gators, the heart was shown, anyway. Vandy baseball remains a high-quality program. 6. Ole Miss Rebels Last week: 7 Ole Miss won its third straight SEC series, beating Kentucky two games to three. Throw in the fact that the Rebels are the only team to hand Arkansas a loss in league play, and they can start to smell a regional in Oxford. 5. Georgia Bulldogs Last week: 3 Georgia's bats simply couldn't get going against Texas as the Bulldogs plated just eight runs in the three-game sweep. That isn't to say Georgia is a bad team - not even close - but the weekend was a rough one for UGA down in Austin. 4. LSU Tigers Last week: 4 LSU showed its mettle in two hard-won games against Oklahoma over the weekend. Add in the blowout, and it was an impressive weekend all around for the Tigers, who are clearly establishing themselves as a College World Series favorite. 3. Tennessee Volunteers Last week: 1 The No. 1 team in the country fell in two of three games to the preseason No. 1 team in the country. The series result says more about Texas A&M than Tennessee, though. The Volunteers remain a top-five, perhaps higher, team in the nation. 2. Texas Longhorns Last week: 4 The SEC series of the weekend turned into a showcase for the Longhorns. No. 5 Texas swept Georgia, the No. 3-ranked team in the country. The two schools will likely swap places in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll when it's released Monday. For now, Texas is tied atop the league standings with the next team. 1. Arkansas Razorbacks Last week: 2 Arkansas fans are spoiled with top-five regular seasons. They want a national championship. But even they had to have been thrilled with what occurred against Missouri over the weekend. Such a showing puts the Hogs in the top spot here and perhaps even in the rankings come Monday.
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Preview of Kentucky baseball's three-game series with Ole Miss
Preview of Kentucky baseball's three-game series with Ole Miss The Wildcats are back in Lexington after a series win over Texas A&M for an SEC showdown against Coach Mike Bianco and the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels. The series kicks off Thursday at 7 PM ET at Kentucky Proud Park and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network. Leading OffHead Coach Nick Mingione and the Wildcats traveled to College Station last weekend to face the preseason top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Kentucky took the final two games in the series after Texas A&M won the opener. The Cats, who currently hold a record of 17-9 (4-5 in the SEC), scored 31 runs in the three-game series. Seven of those runs were off all three of Texas A&M's starting pitchers, who all had an ERA under 3.00. Kentucky Infielder Tyler Bell had an outstanding performance on the road and was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Bell brought home eight runs in the series, including three doubles, a home run, and seven RBIs. On The RebsAs they say down in the Sip, "Don't Let The Rebs Get Hot!" Ole Miss leads the all-time series against Kentucky 54-39. The last time the Rebels faced the Cats was in March 2025, where Kentucky, ranked No. 15 at the time, swept the series against Ole Miss at home in Oxford. Will the Rebels return the favor? One player to watch is former Kentucky catcher Austin Fawley, who has been a standout performer for the Rebels this season. Fawley is hitting an impressive .314 with a .405 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage, including four doubles and two home runs in SEC play. The Rebels currently rank eighth in the country with 55 home runs. As Keeneland's opening weekend has already been pushed back, the Wildcats are hoping for favorable weather to allow their series to take place. If the games go ahead, fans can catch the Cats in action this weekend. Stay tuned for an exciting weekend of baseball! Catch The Cats Thursday, April 3 vs. #9 Ole Miss 7 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park) Radio: UK Sports Network, (630 AM Lexington); TV: SEC Network UK – TBD; MISS – LHP Hunter Elliott Friday, April 4 vs. #9 Ole Miss 6:30 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park) Radio: UK Sports Network, (630 AM Lexington); TV: SECN+ UK – RHP Scott Rouse; MISS – RHP Riley Maddux Saturday, April 5 vs. #9 Ole Miss 2 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park) Radio: UK Sports Network, (630 AM Lexington); TV: SECN+ UK – LHP Ben Cleaver; MISS – RHP Mason Nichols
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas A&M and Kentucky managers in shouting match as Wildcats take advantage of SEC curfew rule
Texas A&M and Kentucky managers in shouting match as Wildcats take advantage of SEC curfew rule COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Kentucky's baseball team seemed to take advantage of a Southeastern Conference curfew rule in a 10-5 win over Texas A&M, flaring tempers in both dugouts. The Wildcats appeared to have a problem with their communicating device while they were pitching with two outs in the eighth, leading to a mound visit that ensured another inning would not be played on Sunday. Advertisement Aggies manager Michael Earley viewed the moves as gamesmanship and began shouting at Kentucky manager Nick Mingione, who responded by yelling and making gestures. The Wildcats went on to seal the victory, avoiding a ninth inning that potentially would have given Texas A&M another chance to come back. SEC rules do not allow a new inning to start after 4:30 p.m. when a series ends on a Sunday, giving road teams more time to travel so that students are in a better position to attend class the following day. Kentucky won two games of the three-game series, improving to 17-9 overall and 4-5 in the SEC. Texas A&M, ranked No. 1 in the preseason by dropped to 13-14 overall and 1-8 in conference. ___ AP college sports:
