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The Bat Cats: Power, Speed and Heart

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2025

Caleb Bowlin | UK Athletics

Although Head Coach Nick Mingione and his staff had to completely restructure their lineup after the MLB Draft and the transfer portal did its rounds, the Wildcats have formed one of the most well-rounded rosters in the nation.

The Cats’ have 16 home runs as a team in just 15 games. Five of the players, led by Cole Hage with eight stolen bases, have stolen five or more bags this season. Six players, led by Dylan Koontz with 18, have 10 or more RBIs thus far. As a team, they’re hitting .295 and have a combined .909 OPS. This team can truly do it all.

First of all, we have to assess Hage’s season so far. The outfielder is hitting .458 (1.419 OPS) and is leading the teams in total hits, runs and home runs. At this rate, with double-digit games played, it’s clear who the best offensive weapon is.

Next, you can jump to star freshman shortstop with Bell. He’s hitting .333 on the season with, barely behind Hage in just about every stat. He ranks second on the team with both 17 RBIs and 18 total hits.

These two’s amazing outings, along with the other team numbers mentioned above, indicate why they hold an impressive 13-2 record, averaging nearly nine runs a game.

Last weekend, the Wildcats defeated the Wofford Terriers in two out of three games in a weekend series at Kentucky Proud Park.

Mingione gave the team his flowers despite the Cats’ dominant 12-2 win in game one of the series.

“I reminded the guys yesterday how much I think of this Wofford team,” said Mingione. “That’s a really good team, they win a lot of baseball games, and this series ain’t over.”

Mingione was right, because the Terriers would fight with Kentucky through eight innings in game two. The Wildcats had a nightmare ninth inning on the mound, giving up eight runs as a team and ultimately losing 12-5.

However, with the biggest showing of heart, the Wildcats came out in game three and had a clinic on the mound, where LHP Ethan Walker threw the first five innings, striking out four batters and only giving up two hits and one unearned run against 17 batters.

Senior RHP Scott Rouse then took over, striking out four batters and keeping the Terriers from scoring another run in the final four innings. The Wildcats went on to win 2-1. Rouse has struck out 19 batters in only 15 innings this season, and is now 3-0 with a 0.60 ERA.

After its first series win over a competing opponent, Kentucky faced Northern Illinois on Tuesday, March 11 where it only gave up four hits as a team. Freshman Nate Harris threw five innings and only gave up two hits against 19 batters, earning his third win of the season.

Devin Burkes and Luke Lawrence, who both went 2-3 with two RBIs each led the way offensively, leading the Cats to a 9-2 win.

Now, Kentucky will go on the road and face the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, its first series of conference play.

However, when asked about how much rankings mattered to him, he shifted the focus to his player’s mentalities.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, with all due respect, we respect every opponent and they’re a great team, make no mistake about it,” said Mingione. “Our focus needs to be on us, and what we do, and I feel confident that as long as our focus is on things we can control, then there’s a chance we can get the results we want.”

Kentucky will be on the road in Athens, Georgia from Friday, March 14 from Sunday March 16, hoping to return home to Lexington with a series win.

Related Topics:Kentucky baseball Nick Mingione

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Freshman Braxton Van Cleave Marks His Moment in Series Opener Against Vanderbilt

Published

19 hours ago

April 18, 2026

AJ Nava

Two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, with bases loaded, a scenario every single baseball-loving child acts out in their backyard took place at Kentucky Proud Park.

Freshman Braxton Van Cleave hit a walk-off grand slam to win the series opener on Friday, April 17 for the Wildcats, taking down Vanderbilt by a score of 5–2.

The first game of the series didn’t feature much action offensively. However, the only play that truly mattered in a game like that one was the last. Entering the game, Van Cleave only had one hit in his college career, but now the second one will always be remembered.

Everyone in the stadium knew almost immediately that the game was won when the ball started flying to right field and Van Cleave, more pumped up than anyone, pounded his chest and pointed to the Wildcat dugout before even clearing first base.

He was then met by a herd of his teammates waiting to celebrate with him at home – it was a great sight to see for the Big Blue Nation and a game that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

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Series Recap: Kentucky Softball Swept by No. 6 Tennessee

Published

5 days ago

April 14, 2026

Kai McClelland

Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

On Monday, April 13, the Kentucky softball team lost a third straight game to the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers, completing a sweep at John Cropp Stadium.

Unfortunately for the Big Blue Nation, losing games isn’t a new trend, with this now being the fifth time this season that the Wildcats have been swept by a SEC opponent and marking their seventeenth conference loss.

To begin the series, Tennessee dominated on the mound in Saturday’s matchup, where pitcher Karlyn Pickens threw all seven innings, striking out 12 Kentucky batters and not allowing a single hit. The Volunteers would go on to win 5-0.

Sunday’s game would feature the Wildcats’ best chance to pick up a win, thanks to a solid outing from Abby Hammond on the mound. She only allowed three hits and one earned run, but unfortunately, the offense would fail to generate anything on the scoreboard. Pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi would give up four runs in the seventh inning, resulting in a 6-0 loss.

“I think it’s always just one pitch at a time,” Hammond told KY Insider after the game when asked what her message to the bullpen was. “Just one pitch at a time to do the best I can do, and they’re going to do the same thing behind me.”

The final game of the series on Monday would be Kentucky’s biggest showing of offense on the weekend, scoring three runs in the third, but Tennessee had already scored nine runs of its own up to that point. In the final four innings, we would only see one more run for the Vols, with Hammond stepping in once again for a solid outing.

Despite the horrid play against SEC foes, head coach Rachel Lawson is adamant that her team can shock some as tournament time creeps up.

“Once postseason comes, anything can happen,” Lawson told KY Insider. “You have to stay the course, and have a good attitude about it, but once postseason happens, it’s a clean slate.”

Up next, Lawson and her squad will face Northern Kentucky (16-20, 5-7 Horizon) on Wednesday, April 15 on the road. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET.

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Kentucky Baseball Falls to Missouri, Loses Third Straight Conference Series

Published

2 weeks ago

April 5, 2026

AJ Nava

On Easter Sunday, April 15, the Kentucky Wildcats (23-8, 6-6 SEC) fell to the Missouri Tigers (19-14, 3-9 SEC) by a score of 5-2, losing yet another conference series in the heat of the year.

A single to left-center put the Tigers on the board first, but INF Luke Lawrence homered in the third, putting the Wildcats back up by one.

It seemed to be anyone’s game up until the fifth inning, where starting pitcher Ben Cleaver threw the ball between the legs of the first baseman while fielding a bunt. Afterwards, the Bat Cats had two unsuccessful challenges and two pitching changes.

To pour salt on the wound that the mistake-riddled defense opened up, Missouri scored the eventual game-winning four runs in the fifth inning. Kentucky never seemed out of a comeback because of how well they swung at the ball, and Nick Mingione said so himself.

“I was absolutely pleased with the at bats we had today,” said Mingione.

Nearly every inning saw a player in the blue and white get on base, but in Sunday’s matchup, the Bat Cats only 2-19 with runners in scoring position.

After dropping their third SEC series in a row, the Wildcats will have to look forward to their next game for a momentum boost.

Up next, Kentucky plays in the Battle of the Bluegrass, hosting the rival Louisville Cardinals (19-13, 5-7 ACC) in Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday April 7 and will be streamed on SEC Network+.