Kentucky Baseball honoring 11 seniors on Senior Night
Kentucky Baseball is honoring its 11 seniors on Senior Night in Friday night’s game against Vanderbilt.
Four are true seniors (Church, Daly, Hagenow, Smith) while seven are grad transfers (Crittenberger, Hummel, Lopez, Nicholson, Niman, O’Brien, Pooser).
Reuben Church and Ryan Hagenow are the only two seniors who have spent their entire college careers at Kentucky.
Kentucky thrives on senior production, as 50% of its hits, 49% of its home runs, 46% of its RBI, 37% of its pitching appearances, and 45% of its pitching strikeouts comes from the Wildcat senior class.
Friday night’s game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. EST, while Senior Night festivities will begin at 5:55 p.m. EST. The first 1,000 fans will receive a 2024 Senior Class Rally Towel upon entrance.
Ty Crittenberger | Outfield
Crittenberger followed in the footsteps of Jackson Gray last season, transferring in the offseason to continue establishing the Western Kentucky to Kentucky transfer pipeline. The outfielder has played in 20 games this season, and is hitting .250 with six hits in 24 at-bats. Three of his six hits are extra-base hits (two home runs and a double). He’s been used almost exclusively as a pinch-runner down the final stretch of the season.
Reuben Church | Infield
“Big Reub” has played four seasons at Kentucky, slashing a .257 average in 284 career at-bats with five home runs and 52 RBI. He’s played in 21 games this season, and has totaled six hits in 33 at-bats (.176). Church was named to the Dean’s List in Spring 2022, along with a selection to the 2022 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Mitchell Daly | Infield
Mitch Daly has really flown under the radar as one of Kentucky’s most underrated players this season. In his one season in the blue and white after transferring from Texas, the third baseman is hitting .292 with 10 doubles, six home runs, and 38 RBI. Daly took over third base early in the season after Nick Lopez’s shift to designated hitter and hasn’t looked back since. He hit a grand slam and drove in six RBI in Kentucky’s win over Texas State in the Karbach Round Rock Classic back in February.
Ryan Hagenow | RHP
Ryan Hagenow, just one of two Kentucky lifers apart of this year’s senior class, has been a consistent figure in the Wildcat bullpen over the last four seasons. “Hags” has pitched 91 1/3 career innings, boasting a 4.05 ERA with 113 strikeouts and four saves. This season, he’s pitched 12 1/3 innings out of the pen with a 2.23 ERA. He earned two of his four career saves this season against South Carolina and Florida, both of which came on the road. The right-hander was named a Third Team Midseason All-American by Perfect Game in 2022 and was the second-highest ranked player to ever arrive at Kentucky (Alex Meyer).
Johnny Hummel | RHP
Johnny Hummel has established himself as a fan-favorite in his short time at Kentucky due to his love of the “Cars” franchise and his awesome walk-out song (“Real Gone” by Sheryl Crow). Hummel has been Kentucky’s go-to closer for most of the season, but has struggled a bit down the final stretch. However, the right-hander has still been one of Dan Roszel’s most trusted arms this season. In 24 1/3 innings pitched, Hummel boasts a 3.36 ERA with 34 strikeouts and six saves.
Nick Lopez | Designated Hitter
Nick Lopez has been the biggest surprise for Nick Mingione’s squad this season. Brought in over the offseason from USC as a utility piece, Lopez has blossomed into one of the best players in the SEC. Along with his stellar play, he’s also emerged into a fan-favorite due to his larger than life personality and Big L-esque mustache. In 176 at-bats, Lopez is hitting .375 with 19 doubles, six home runs, and 45 RBI. His 19 doubles rank second in the SEC, just behind Tennessee’s Blake Burke (23).
Ryan Nicholson | First Base
Over the last half of the season, Ryan Nicholson has turned into one of the SEC’s premier power-hitters. The Cincinnati transfer has hit 14 of his team-leading 16 home runs against SEC competition, which is tied for third in the conference with Florida’s Jac Caglianone. Along with his power-hitting prowess, Nicholson has continued the trend of great finds at first base out of the transfer portal. He’s hitting .289 in 159 at-bats this season with six doubles, 16 long balls, and a team-leading 48 RBI.
Dominic Niman | LHP
The Central Connecticut State transfer gets everyone excited every Friday for #DomDay. The Preseason Third Team All-American has made an impact in his lone season as a Cat, pitching to a 5.40 ERA in 63 1/3 innings pitched with 56 strikeouts. His best stretch of the season came in his two-start span against Alabama and Auburn, where he allowed just one earned run in 14 1/3 innings. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Crimson Tide, which earned him SEC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Cameron O’Brien | RHP
Cam O’Brien has made his mark on over half of Kentucky’s games this season, as his 27 appearances out of the bullpen are most on the team. In 23 2/3 innings pitched, the Campbell transfer boasts a 3.80 ERA with 29 strikeouts. In his appearance against South Carolina on April 27, he struck out six of his first seven batters faced.
Trey Pooser | RHP
Trey Pooser made the transition from a bullpen arm to the starting rotation on March 22 and has turned into Kentucky’s most reliable starter. In nine starts, Pooser boasts a 4.24 ERA in 51 innings pitched with 46 strikeouts. Prior to his transfer from Charleston, “Poos” was named to the 2023 CAA All-Tournament Team and 2021 All-CAA Second Team.
Grant Smith | Shortstop
Grant Smith has spent two seasons at Kentucky, locking down the shortstop position in that time. He’s been one of the best in the country, as he was a Rawlings Gold Glove finalist at the position in 2023. The Incarnate Word transfer is a career .283 hitter (318 at-bats) with 13 home runs and 62 RBI. On defense, he’s made just six errors in two seasons, boasting a 0.988 FLD%.
With a win on Friday night, Kentucky would clinch at least a share of its second ever SEC Regular Season Championship. If it can finish off the sweep, no matter what Tennessee does, Kentucky would win the title outright.
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