Morgantown Regional Update: Kentucky is ready, Braxton Van Cleave injury status, no pitching announcement

Kentucky baseball will begin a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament on Friday in Morgantown. The Bat Cats have a tough challenge ahead with Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons have the best offense in this pod and could be throwing a future first-round pick who had a stellar season as a sophomore. This will be a real challenge.

Head coach Nick Mingione believes that his team is ready for the challenge.

“The team just wants to win. We had an amazing week of preparation,” Mingione told reporters at the West Virginia regional. “I would say that its been our best week of preparation last week for this team that we’ve had all year. It has been an amazing week of preparation.”

Kentucky got some needed time off after bowing out early at the SEC Tournament and even got some scrimmage work done in Lexington. The team is refreshed and ready to go. The late push for one of the last at-large bids in the field started in April after two consecutive losses to South Carolina. Since that moment, UK has beleived they were a tournament team. Now they’re ready to attack.

“When you ask our players, and you were to ask me, I felt good about it the whole time. I’ve been telling them that for weeks that I feel good about it,” Mingione said. “And I really believed in my heart that we were going to be here.”

Kentucky is now just one sleep away from this big opportunity. This is what we learned from the Bat Cats in their meeting with the media at the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament run could start with pitching showdown against Wake Forest

Braxton Van Cleave is available

Kentucky true freshman Braxton Van Cleave became a permanent starter for the Wildcats over the last five weeks of the regular season. This big recruiting win clubbed a walk off home run against Vanderbilt and never let up. After batting below .100, Van Cleave did some damage as a designated hitter and right field starter. His left-handed power made an impact.

Then an injury hit.

In the second game of the final SEC series, a collision with Arkansas shortstop Camden Kozeal led to a face injury where Van Cleave needed a stretcher to leave the field. That led to the starter missing two games, but that absence could end this weekend at the NCAA Tournament. Nick Mingione says the Texas native can play this weekend.

“He’s good. He practiced today,” Mingione told the media. “Full practice. BP — he’s gotta wear his mask — and he’s got his helmet where he’s gotta wear the cage. So far, so good. So, we’ll check and make sure that he feels good again tonight and tomorrow.”

“We fully expect him available to be able to play.”

Two weeks ago, @Braxton_VC was blindsided. This weekend he's available, albeit as Batman.

That's not the only hurdle BVC has overcome along the way. @UKSportsNetwork All-Access takes you inside his incredible journey. (FREE)https://t.co/LHWsaE5xYV pic.twitter.com/Q0fpHV6MEo

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 29, 2026

The class of 2025 signee is slashing .260/.329/.506 with four doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBI in 85 plate appearances this season. Adding him back to the lineup will add some pop and give Kentucky another potential corner outfielder after Will Marcy (.636 OPS, 5 extra-base hits, 88 plate-appearances) and Carson Hansen (.743 OPS, 6 extra-base hits, 111 plate appearances) have earned starting assignments. There will be at least one position player absence this weekend.

Ryan Schwartz is expected to miss his 11th consecutive game on Friday. The sophomore is slashing .243/.348/.400 with six doubles and four home runs across 115 plate appearances.

Kentucky will not name a starter until game day

The working assumption by most heading into the Kentucky-Wake Forest matchup is that this will be an ace vs. ace matchup. Jaxon Jelkin (8-3, 3.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 88.1 IP, 98 K) versus Chris Levonas (10-3, 2.90 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 68.1 IP, 110 K) will arguably be the best pitching matchup of the opening round.

Nick Mingione pulled a Lee Corso on Thursday afternoon in West Virginia.

“We actually haven’t decided who we’re starting yet. So, no decision has been made,” the Kentucky head coach said. “We have quite a few guys lined up to be able to throw.”

Kentucky has scouted Wake Forest and will throw the pitcher who gives them the best chance to win. Similar to the SEC Tournament, UK is not releasing that information until game day. Everything points to Jelkin starting but the final call is still up in the air.

On the latest episode of “Pump It Up“, Derek Terry and myself discussed this important managerial decision that could play a big part in determining who wins the Morgantown regional.

Who will Kentucky and Wake Forest pitch on Friday? The answer seems clear after digging into this matchup.

Jaxon Jelkin vs. Chris Levonas could be electric on Friday.

PUMP IT UP: https://t.co/uVRJV2CtkM pic.twitter.com/Ro3mJgurPH

— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) May 27, 2026