Lexington Regional Welcoming Multiple Players Back to the Bluegrass
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The crop of teams that will be playing postseason baseball at Kentucky Proud Park this weekend will all likely bring a respectable chunk of its fanbase along to the party, as West Virginia, Indiana and Ball State are all within or around five hours from Lexington.
While the teams' accommodation situation surrounding the Regional has taken a center stage in the lead-up to the action, there are plenty of other on-field storylines that make this quartet of teams doing battle so intriguing.
- For a complete preview of the action this weekend in Lexington, click HERE.
- For some UK baseball postseason lore, click HERE.
- Everything Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione said about the draw HERE.
- More on Mingione HERE.
- More on Kentucky's pitching staff heading into the postseason HERE.
The weekend will also serve as a homecoming as sorts for Kentuckians on all three teams. Here's who's coming back to the Bluegrass:
West Virginia
OF Braden Berry (Louisville)
The Trinity High School product is in his third season as a Mountaineer and is hitting a career-high .294 with an on-base percentage of .385 and a 5.16 slugging percentage. He's got 19 doubles, eight home runs, 44 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He has a career .372 OBP.
At Trinity, he was ranked as the No. 5 outfielder and No. 22 overall player in Kentucky by Perfect Game, was a 2020 Rawlings-Perfect Game Senior Preseason All-America High Honorable Mention and made a KHSAA All-Tournament Team.
INF Caleb McNeely (Versailles)
It's especially homecoming for the Woodford County High School graduate. A career .385 hitter for the Yellow Jackets, he then spent four seasons at Walters State Community College before making his way to Morgantown, where he's enjoying a nice season in the Power 5.
The redshirt senior third baseman is slashing .301/.417/.583, hitting 13 doubles, 13 homers, stealing 14 bags and amassing 48 RBIs.
Indiana
C Matthew Ellis (Waddy)
Somehow, McNeely isn't the only Walters State transfer playing baseball in Lexington. Ellis, a Shelby County High School product, made the jump to Bloomington and will now play against his former community college teammate.
Ellis (.250/.392/.447) has only played 25 games, but has four homers and 20 RBIs. He hit 18 a season ago. He was a five-year letterwinner at Shelby County and was rated the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 2 catcher in Kentucky by Perfect Game. He earned First-Team Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association All-State honors and was a Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention as a senior.
Additionally, RHP Luke Sinnard (6-3, 4.16) is a Western Kentucky transfer, while C Austin Bode and OF Bobby Whalen (.274/.369/.380) are Louisville transfers.
Ball State
RHP Casey Bargo (Corbin)
In 13 appearances this season, Bargo (1-2, 11.84) has allowed 32 earned runs in 24.1 innings pitched. His 2022 season saw much better numbers, as he totaled a 2.30 ERA after throwing 31.1 innings, allowing just eight runs. He transferred to Ball State from Charlotte, where he pitched just 10 innings in 2021.
He attended Madison Central High School in Richmond, where he won two region championships in 2015 and 2018. He earned Academic All-American honors and participated in the 2018 Kentucky East-West All-Star game.
This list doesn't include the heap of players on that hail from the surrounding cities in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and so on. There will be plenty of reunions this weekend at KPP.
Once again, here's the schedule for the Lexington Regional:
- Day 1: Friday, June 2
- Game 1: Kentucky vs. Ball State (Noon EST)
- Game 2: West Virginia vs. Indiana (7 p.m. EST)
- Day 2: Saturday, June 3
- Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (Noon EST)
- Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (6 p.m. EST)
- Day 3: Sunday, June 4
- Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (Noon p.m. EST)
- Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 (6 p.m. EST)
- Day 4: Monday, June 5
- Game 7: If necessary, same teams as in Game 6 (TBD)
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