Kentucky Baseball's Most Impressive Stats Heading Into The Weekend

The hottest team in baseball, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, return to action today at five o’clock in the first game of a three-game series at Georgia, just a short drive from all the happenings over at Augusta National Golf Club. Initially scheduled for six, the start time was moved up one hour due to weather in the area, like today’s second-round tee times at The Masters.

In the shadow of Augusta National… pic.twitter.com/SCWydZtmFt

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) April 6, 2023

Going into the game, Kentucky won five in a row after dropping one of three at Alabama, which snapped a 17-game win streak for the Wildcats. Aside from the one loss in Tuscaloosa, Nick Mingione’s club has won 22 of 23 since February 25 and holds a No. 9 ranking in college baseball.

A remarkable turnaround from a year ago, Kentucky is in a position to host an NCAA Tournament Regional for the first time since 2017.

Today, Kentucky (26-3, 8-1) will meet a Georgia team with only one conference win to date in nine SEC games. The Bulldogs (16-13, 1-8) are fresh off a Tuesday win over Kennesaw State, one of only two home games in a nine-game stretch leading into tonight’s game.

With Jaden Woods (3-2, 5.30, LHP, Jr.) expected to start, Georgia is happy to return home to Foley Field for a weekend series.

Kentucky’s starter is listed as TBD between Logan Martin or Darren Williams, followed by Tyler Bosma on the mound Saturday and Zack Lee to wrap up the weekend in Sunday’s game.

Tonight’s and tomorrow’s contests can be seen on SEC Network+. Sunday’s game will get a spot on SEC Network at noon.

KSR’s Kentucky Baseball expert Daniel Hager already wrote a preview of the road trip earlier today. Since it’s so exciting to be good, here are five more things to know about the Cats as Kentucky moves further along into the back half of the schedule:

Kentucky is No. 1 in the RPI.

Though still barely inside the top 10 in most polls, the RPI considers Kentucky its No. 1 overall team in college baseball at the moment. UK entered the week with the most RPI top 100 wins in the nation (20) and 14 top 50 wins.

It’s the best start to SEC play in school history.

With eight wins in the first nine Southeastern Conference games, Kentucky is off to its best start in league play in program history. This year is also the first time since 2017 that Kentucky has won its first three series in the SEC. The Wildcats can make it four by winning at least two of three in Athens. Let’s do it.

UK’s pitchers are on fire.

For the season, Kentucky’s pitching staff has allowed three or fewer runs in 20 of 29 games. In the hot start to SEC play, no opponent has scored more than five runs on the Wildcats in the nine games played.

Kentucky’s pitchers rank fifth nationally in hits allowed per nine innings, sixth in WHIP and fifth in ERA.

Kentucky is ranked fourth in OBP.

Not just a team of pitchers, the Wildcats also get on base, currently better than all but three teams in the country. With a .442 OBP, only LSU, Campbell University, and Florida Gulf Coast reach base better than Kentucky.

LSU hosts Kentucky next weekend in the second leg of Kentucky’s SEC tour.

Senior Hunter Gilliam produces at the plate.

Redshirt senior Hunter Gilliam, the first baseman, is currently riding a 22-game hit streak, the second longest in 18 years, and has reached base in all 28 games this season.

With 41 runs batted in, Gilliams ranks 17th nationally in RBI.

Read more on this weekend’s series at Georgia here.

Beat the Dawgs.