Kentucky begins rare midweek double-dip versus Eastern Kentucky
The rhythm of the college baseball is set pretty early. There is one midweek game followed by a three-game weekend series. That can allow teams to find a grove and pitching plan. Kentucky will deal with a curveball this week. A rare double-dip has arrived.
For the only time all season, UK plays two midweek games in the same week. That means five total games this week before another home series over the weekend. A big and busy week starts now for the Bat Cats.
Can this team gobble up some more wins before the first SEC series of the season arrives next weekend? Eighteen innings of midweek craziness awaits us in a home-and-home between the schools in Lexington and Richmond.
A new starting pitcher
This week’s double-dip means that an additional starter will be needed in the midweek. Chase Alderman (2 starts, 7.04 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 7.2 IP, 8 K, 4 BB/HBP) will stay on Wednesday. That means another starter his needed for Tuesday. Will Coleman will make his second appearance of the season.
The left-handed pitcher is a true freshman out of Newburgh (Ind.) Castle who worked three scoreless innings in relief against Evansville in his only appearance of the season. Now the young hurler will be given an opportunity to eat some innings as a starter in a road start.
Something new has arrived this week for Kentucky baseball. Bullpen management will be important during this stretch before another weekend series arrives.
Bio Blast: Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Colonels have made four NCAA Tournament appearances but none since 1989. They are hoping to change that with a new regime in Richmond.
Jan Weisberg is in his first year as the head coach at EKU. The Kentucky alum led Birmingham Southern to the Division II College World Series after the institution announced that it would eliminate the baseball program in the middle of its final season. Weisberg’s run with his last team in year 17 was a national story in 2024. The Panthers ultimately lost in the semifinals. Weisberg spent the 2025 season as the head coach at Division II Valdosta State before moving to EKU. This veteran brought a .700-plus career winning percentage to Richmond.
The hope is the winning will follow. There is also a clear Kentucky blueprint in Richmond now. EKU pitching coach Logan Salow spent the last two years on Mingione’s Kentucky staff as a graduate assistant and director of scouting and analytics after playing for UK from 2014-17. EKU hitting coach Troy Squires spent the last four seasons working for former Kentucky head coach Gary Henderson at Utah. Prior to that, Squires was a graduate assistant at UK under Mingione from 2019-20. The former walk-on hit .264 with 25 doubles, six home runs, 88 RBIs and 73 runs scored in 154 career games for the Wildcats between 2014 and 2018 before spending multiple seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
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There will be a lot of familiar faces in the dugout during this week’s home-and-home.
On the field in Weisberg’s first season, EKU is off to a 3-8 start. The Colonels have dropped all three weekend series to Alabama State, Dayton, and Tulane. EKU was highly competitive in one-run midweek loss to Louisville. This team ranks No. 168 nationally in team batting average (.259) and No. 228 nationally in team ERA (7.21). Weinsberg’s club has some power problems on offense (.380 slugging percentage), defensive efficiency worries (19 errors in 11 games), and has issues keeping the ball in the park (15 home runs allowed in 11 games).
This is a team that is struggling in the first year of a new era.
Who To Watch For: Eastern Kentucky Colonels
These are the EKU players to watch in this week’s double-dip.
— Bradley Gagen (LHP | 6-2, 205): EKU has not announced who will be starting on the mound this week. The Colonels had to dig deep into their bullpen over the weekend against Tulane. The only thing we do know is that it’s likely that UK sees a lefty after some of the struggles they’ve had against them this season. This former Tennessee transfer could get a big opportunity this week. Gagen has started 12 career games over the last two seasons for the Colonels and owns a bloated ERA (7.35). Walks (12% career BB rate) have been a problem but he could give EKU some good matchups against a UK lineup with a lot of lefties.
— Dylan Littlefield (OF | L/R | 5-9, 175): The Massachusetts native is turning into a star for EKU as a redshirt freshman. EKU’s designated hitter leads the team in batting average (.395), hits (17), home runs (five), extra-base hits (seven), RBI (18), total bases (34), slugging percentage (.791), and sacrifice flys (two). Littlefield hits second in the order and is clearly this team’s most dangerous player.
— Pedro Moreno (INF | R/R | 5-8, 175): EKU’s starting shortstop and leadoff hitter followed head coach Jan Weisberg from Valdosta State to Richmond. The Venezuela native who was first-team all-conference last year in Division II is slashing .311/.426/.422 for EKU. Moreno leads the team in doubles (five), has stolen four bases, and drawn nine free passes. He gets on base and allows Littlefield to do some RBI damage.
— Khaleel Pratt (OF | S/R | 6-5, 225): After taking a redshirt season at Kentucky, Pratt transferred to EKU. That move is paying off. The Georgia native leads the Colonels in on-base percentage (.479) thanks to 15 free passes. The right fielder is hitting in the middle of the lineup and seems to have some legitimate upside.
How To Watch: Kentucky vs. Eastern Kentucky
For the first time all season, every Kentucky game this week will be streaming on ESPN+. The direct links can be found below for this home-and-home.
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