After suffering a 5-1 loss against the Clemson Tigers on Sunday, May 18, Kentucky softball left the field, marking an end to the season.

The Wildcats went 31-28 this year, only winning seven out of their 24 conference matchups. However, the team still made history, reaching their 16th consecutive NCAA tournament under head coach Rachel Lawson.

Lawson’s group is one of 12 programs in the country to be selected to the tournament every single season since 2009, many of which are their SEC peers.

Kentucky did everything it could to make its first Super Regional appearance since 2021. After dropping a game to Northwestern on Friday, May 16 the Wildcats bounced back with two dominant wins the next day, defeating USC Upstate 11-0 and exerting revenge on Northwestern after an 8-3 win.

Seniors McKenzie Bump, Hallie Mitchell and Alexia Lacatena played their final game in the blue and white, but leave knowing they left their mark. As a collective, they leave the program with countless victories to their name, over 100 to be precise.

After the loss, the team sent out one final message: “See you in February, #BBN!”

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.

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+.

Kentucky softball was selected to compete in the NCAA Championship for the 16th consecutive season under head coach Rachel Lawson, earning an at-large bid.

Lawson and her squad will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, alongside Northwestern and USC Upstate to face off in the NCAA Clemson Regional from May 16-18.

The Wildcats hold the No. 2 seed in the regional and will battle No. 3 Northwestern to open the tournament at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 16, on ESPN+.

With a tournament selection every year since 2009, Kentucky is one of 12 programs in the country to achieve that feat over the past 16 seasons. The Cats join Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, UCLA and Washington as the 12 to do so.

All 14 of the Southeastern Conference’s eligible teams were selected to the Women’s College World Series, setting the NCAA record for most teams picked from one league to compete for a national title.