Where Kentucky baseball sits in new top 25 rankings
Kentucky had a nice debut in the opening weekend of the 2026 college baseball season. The Bat Cats got the brooms out, scored 10-plus runs in every game, saw their starting weekend rotation dominate, and never really had to sweat against UNC Greensboro. Tyler Bell’s injury looms large but UK looked like a legitimate contender and a team that could be a threat in the SEC this season.
D1 Baseball continues to agree. Baseball America also gave UK some credit for the big weekend. Perfect Game wants to see more. This where the Bat Cats landed in this week’s top 25 rankings.
Kentucky checks in at No. 18 (D1 Baseball), No. 25 (Baseball America) and unranked (Perfect Game) as the sport shifts to Week 2. The Wildcats will look to improve their resume with four games this week. UK put it on cruise control in the first weekend but this is a team that may have to prove that it can play without Bell for an extended period. That means shifting starting second baseman Luke Lawerence to shortstop and asking veteran Ethan Hindle to be a full-time starter at second base. Starting right fielder Ryan Schwartz and first baseman Hudson Brown will each move up in the lineup as UK tries to replace Bell’s expected production.
Top 10
- 1Trending
Florida 71, UK 63
Gators beat Cats for 3rd time
- 2Hot
Todd Golden
took a victory lap
- 3Hot
Bad stats
from UK's loss to Florida
- 4
"No Doubt"
UK will play better in the NCAA Tournament
- 5Trending
Complex Brains
Impress No. 2 QB recruit.
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The Bat Cats did not miss a beat in Week 1. This is a top 25 team. Will that remain the same in Week 2? We’ll find out on Tuesday when Morehead State rolls into Kentucky Proud Park before another road series against Evansville this weekend.
On Deck: Morehead State and Evansville
Kentucky’s first four-game week of the season has arrived. The home opener will take place at Kentucky Proud Park on Tuesday before another weekend series on the road against a mid-major opponent. This week all games are expected to be streaming on ESPN+.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time |
| Feb. 17 (Tuesday) | Morehead State | Kentucky Proud Park | 4 p.m. ET |
| Feb. 20 (Friday) | Evansville | Charles H. Braun Stadium | 4 p.m. ET |
| Feb. 21 (Saturday) | Evansville | Charles H. Braun Stadium | 3 p.m. ET |
| Feb. 22 (Sunday) | Evansville | Charles H. Braun Stadium | 2 p.m. ET |
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