Kentucky Exuding Confidence, Expecting Success Against No. 1 LSU
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Playing an entire season of baseball is taxing on the mind and body. You see it in the pros, as MLB teams embark on a 162-game season that takes you from the end of March to the beginning of November.
The length of a college baseball season doesn't quite rival that, but 54 games from February through May, then potentially games in the postseason that run through June still do the trick for athletes in school.
Simply put, it's hard.
That's why Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione is so particularly proud about his team's 27-5 start to the 2023 regular season. The grind takes a toll, but his team has stayed the course, kept the eye on the prize and been rewarded for doing so through the midway point of what could be one of the more special years in program history. From winning 17 games in a row to the first three series in SEC play, there's been much to applaud.
With 21 games currently left on the schedule until the conference tournament, there's plenty of time for bumps in the road to arise. Even if they do, Mingione is confident in the No. 12 Bat Cats' ability to remain locked in.
"They've been amazing at just focusing on the next game and they haven't gotten too far down the road, and it's shown, I mean, that's how you peel off 17 games in a row. Not looking too far ahead and not spending time in the past," Mingione told reporters on Monday. "I think if you were to ask our players, they would tell you the same thing, that they all matter and there's 30 of them in the league and man, they're all worth the same, you know, so just having our guys continue to focus on the task at hand has been one of our strengths. We need to keep doing that."
It had been nothing but smooth sailing until last weekend. After managing a come-from-behind win in its series opener against Georgia, Kentucky lost two games in a row for the first time this season, falling in both ends of a doubleheader against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
UK managed just a pair of runs in 14 innings, succumbing to some tidy left-handed pitching that nullified momentum all afternoon. The chances to break through appeared, but uncharacteristic baserunning errors and the failure to find a big hit led to both losses.
Georgia entered the weekend with only one win in SEC play, while UK had lost only once in-conference. The series loss may not look great on paper, but it was still a series on the road in a cutthroat conference that features top talent on a weekly basis. It also happens to sting less for UK when it checks the record and still sees only five losses.
"Just like most weekends, we had our opportunities and — I just love our team, they just don't panic whether up big, down big, up a little, down a little. There's always a sense of urgency and yesterday was a good example of we didn't execute well enough," Mingione said. "We're fully capable of beating every team on our schedule, and it does come down to execution and we tell them all the time, it's not the best team that wins every time, it's the team that plays the best."
Kentucky has been the best team on the field nearly every time it's taken the diamond this season. That's going to be a hard statement to uphold this weekend, as it hits the road for its biggest series of the season.
Awaiting the Wildcats in Baton Rouge will be the No. 1 LSU Tigers, the consensus best team in college baseball. Behind ace right-hander Paul Skenes, potential No. 1 overall selection in the MLB draft Dylan Crews and a hoard of other top-notch players, head coach Jay Johnson has his team rolling to a 26-5 (7-4 SEC) record that features series wins over Arkansas and Tennessee.
Mingione had been preparing for Kentucky's scheduled midweek game at Louisville on Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to the tragic events that took place in Louisville on Monday morning. While he hasn't had much time to analyze what makes LSU so good, it really doesn't take that long to figure things out.
"Obviously the number one team in the country for a reason. And I think when you have the number one team in the country — I've been fortunate enough to be that team — you really don't have a ton of weaknesses," he said. "You usually can pitch it at a really high level, you can defend at a really high level, you have a really good offense. You don't get to be the number one team in the country without having all those pieces. So just a super talented team."
Along with a great product on the field comes a great atmosphere at Alex Box Stadium. Upwards of 10,000 fans can fill the one-of-a-kind venue, making for some of the best theatre in the sport. It may be intimidating to some, but Mingione and his players are ready to relish being in hostile territory.
"It should be a neat environment and you know, that's why our guys chose to play at Kentucky. Because they chose to play in the greatest league in America. So with that comes awesome atmospheres, you know, much like the one we've created here this year. I'm sure there'll be looking forward to it," Mingione said.
"These kinds of opportunities are always exciting," reliever Ryan Hagenow added. "One of my favorite things is being able to play on the road and in brand new environments and play against the best teams in the country, because why else would you come to the SEC?"
The opportunity isn't lost on UK, either. A chance to contend with the No. 1 team in the nation could solidify its status as a contender, rather than a pretender. Taking down the Tigers on the road is a tall order, but one that the Cats are ready for.
"I'm expecting to win. I mean, I go into every game expecting to win," shortstop Grant Smith said. I think everybody in that locker room is expecting the same thing. We understand that LSU is a good team. They're not ranked No. 1 for no reason, but if we do the things that we know we can do, I think we'll be successful."
"We're confident. Anybody can be beat. Baseball is a really weird game. I don't think it's as obvious as a different sport where you know, everybody knows who's gonna win. We believe in ourselves and we're excited for the challenge," Hagenow said.
The three-game series is set to run from Thursday, April 13 through Saturday, April 15, though inclement weather is currently in the forecast. First pitch in game one is set for 7 p.m. EST and will air on the SEC Network.
Updates on two Kentucky pitchers HERE.
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