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Kentucky Baseball Looks To Carry Momentum In Final Series Of The Season

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After losing four games in a row, the Wildcats did a complete 180, winning four games in a row and reasserting themselves in every conversation they seemingly left.

Sweeping one of the top ranked teams in the nation surely did not come easy, but the Bat Cats defended Kentucky Proud Park against the Oklahoma Sooners from May 9-11 and later took down Northern Kentucky on May 13 by a score of 6-1.

Now, Kentucky looks ahead to a matchup with Vanderbilt, a top ten team in the nation, and has more than enough momentum to propel itself forward and gain a couple of conference wins to round out the season.

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However, one scenario would be extremely daunting for the Wildcats, and that’s leaving Nashville without a single win. Then, that sets up a world where Kentucky will have to go on a deep run in the SEC Tournament to escape being in the bubble trap once again.

In the world of college baseball however, the Wildcats can win just one game this weekend and be “fine” heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Bat Cats are currently projected as a No. 2 seed in Baseball America’s Field of 64 projections.

Whether it’s another solid start from Nate Harris followed by a gem mound performance from Ethan Walker, or a strikeout-filled performance from Ben Cleaver, Kentucky will lean on the pitching staff to take advantage of Vanderbilt’s poor team hitting average (.267), which ranks 217th in the NCAA.

The Wildcats will kick off the series on Thursday, May 15, looking to win 30 games for the fourth consecutive season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

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The Bat Cats Head Home After Heartbreaking Loss To West Virginia In Clemson Regional

After a season full of ups and downs, Kentucky Baseball has been eliminated from postseason play by way of a brutal loss to West Virginia.

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Kentucky Baseball is eliminated by West Virginia.
Ethan Rand | UK Athletics

In spite of a dominant win over the region-host Clemson Tigers earlier in the day, Kentucky baseball fell short in the face of elimination, losing to West Virginia for the second time this week in heartbreaking fashion.

Following their aforementioned 16-4 defeat of the Tigers to stay alive in postseason play, the Bat Cats came into their afternoon rematch with the Mountaineers riding high. Just two days earlier, the Cats came just short of a first round victory over two-seeded West Virginia, losing 3-4 the first time around.

An Unfortunate Classic

In game two, both teams came out with scorching bats, although it appeared for most of the match that Kentucky had the upper hand. As runs began to pile up and balls got lost in the light, the Wildcats appeared to be winning the race with a 12-7 lead entering the bottom of the eight inning. The rest is now history, in what will likely go down as an instant classic that the boys in blue ended up on the wrong side of.

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WV would put together an impressive string of late runs that Kentucky had no answer for. Stymied by the Mountaineers momentum, who had gained a 13-12 lead entering the top of the ninth, the Cats came up short in their attempt to response on the offensive side of the mound. Thus, their season came to a surprising, excruciating demise.

Though while their finally win/loss tally may not match that of last season’s success, at 31-26 (13-17) the Bat Cats still have plenty to be proud of. In addition to run-ruling the rival Louisville Cardinals at Kentucky Proud Park in 7 innings, the Wildcats bounced back after their first loss in this year’s regional with two straight hard-fought wins to stay alive.

Coming up short doesn’t mean outright failure, by any means. The program is better now than it has been in a long time, even considering this year’s pitfalls, and the baseball-oriented side of Big Blue Nation has more than enough to look forward to going forward.

Hats and helmets off to the Bat Cats for an exciting, gritty year through and through. We’ll see you back at Proud Park first thing this fall.

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Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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Kentucky Baseball Earns NCAA Tournament Bid for Historic Third Straight Season

Kentucky baseball have secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year under Nick Mingione.

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Kentucky Baseball secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Chet White | UK Athletics

For the first time in the history of Kentucky’s baseball program, the team has made the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.

After a bitter end to last season’s run against the NC State Wolfpack in Omaha, the “Bat Cats” have spent much of this season on the bubble, posting a 29-24 (13-17) record during the regular season. Despite a first round exit in the SEC Tournament at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, as well as a litany of worries that their resume ultimately wouldn’t suffice, the Cats came in at the last second and secured a spot in postseason play.

Their fate this year has them situated in the Clemson regional as a three seed, set to take on two seed West Virginia Mountaineers in the first round. Given a win, they’d move on to tackle the winner of (1) Clemson and (4) Upstate. While Clemson would be their most likely suitor, anything can happen in the tournament, and that includes a potential Cats run.

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Either way, Kentucky Baseball’s continued presence in postseason play indicates the team’s continued upward trajectory under Nick Mingione, who has set a new standard for the program with historic success on multiple levels. Much like last year, the Wildcats will enter the tournament as relative underdogs looking to make a splash.

Their first opportunity to do so will come at the end of May, with regional play beginning on May 30. Book your tickets to the Carolinas, BBN, and support your bat cats in tournament play for the third year in a row!

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