PREVIEW: Kentucky Hosts Morehead State in Home Opener on Tuesday
260 days after a dramatic Lexington Regional victory that Wildcat fans will never forget, the Bat Cats return home to Kentucky Proud Park for their home opener against Morehead State on Tuesday.
Kentucky started the 2024 season on the road in Spartanburg, SC over the weekend, where they swept Preseason Big South favorite USC-Upstate to begin the season 3-0. It marked the Cats’ first season opening sweep in two years.
The Wildcat offense combined for 30 hits and 23 runs over their first 21 innings at the plate this season, good for an average of 1.43 hits per inning and 1.1 runs per inning.
The trio of starters RHP Travis Smith, LHP Dominic Niman, and RHP Mason Moore combined for 14.1 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 11 K. Good for a 2.84 ERA.
Under Nick Mingione, Kentucky is 6-1 in home openers, with their only loss coming to Xavier back in 2018.
Morehead State
Tuesday’s meeting will mark the third consecutive season featuring a Kentucky/Morehead State matchup. The Cats came out on top in both games, winning 7-5 in 2022 and 15-1 in 2023.
The Eagles had an impressive 2023 campaign, as they claimed their first OVC Regular Season title since 1979. They finished with a 36-20 (16-7) record, but were however quickly ousted from the OVC Tournament by Eastern Illinois.
Morehead started the 2024 season on the road in Davidson, NC, where they won their opening series against Davidson. After splitting the first two games, the Eagles clinched the series win with a 6-3 victory on Sunday.
A great crop of talent returns to Morehead in 2024, led by 2023 OVC Player of the Year OF Ryley Preece (.335 BA, 21 HR, 53 RBI). All-OVC First Team OF Roman Kuntz (.304 BA, 15 2B, 54 RBI) reunites with Preece in the outfield, as All-OVC Second Teamers 2B Nick Gooden (.262 BA, 8 2B, 38 RBI), SS Colton Becker (.332 BA, 17 2B, 51 RBI), and RHP Luke Helton (7-2, 5.10 ERA, 77.2 IP) return as well. OF Carter Owens and RHP Luke Lyman were named to the OVC All-Freshman Team, but Lyman transferred to West Virginia over the offseason.
Colton Becker has started off the 2024 season red-hot, garnering a hit in six of his first 11 at-bats (.545) with a home run and 5 RBI. For his efforts, he was named OVC Co-Player of the Week.
The Eagles are led by first-year head coach Brady Ward. Reigning OVC Coach of the Year Mik Aoki left the Eagles over the offseason to become the new head coach at the University of Richmond.
Kentucky
The Cats are off to a good start in 2024, earning a No. 24 ranking by NCBWA on Monday.
Kentucky’s lineup feasted on Morehead State last season, lighting the Eagles up for 15 runs on 16 hits. Reuben Church especially shined, going 4/4 with four singles with 4 RBI. Eight Wildcats notched at least 1 RBI, including returners Church, Ryan Waldschmidt, James McCoy, Devin Burkes, and Nolan McCarthy.
Tuesday will serve as another opportunity to get everybody involved, as 13 different batters and seven different pitchers played in last season’s game against the Eagles.
The Cats were a perfect 14-14 on stolen bases in their series victory over USC-Upstate, delivering on a promise Nick Mingione made back at Media Day.
“We’re going to bunt and we’re going to run,” Mingione said. “That’s one of my favorite ways to score a big inning; bunting and walks.”
Redshirt junior C Devin Burkes led the team with five stolen bases. Burkes also slugged his first home run of the season on Friday.
Along with Burkes, three other Wildcats homered as well. Grad transfer Ty Crittenberger, redshirt freshman Lukas Schramm and true freshman Eli Small all hit their first Big Blue Bombs in Sunday’s series finale.
Tuesday will serve as a final tune-up game for the Cats before they head to Round Rock, Texas for the Karbach Round Rock Classic. Kentucky faces Washington State on Friday, Feb. 23, Texas State on Saturday, Feb. 24, and Kansas on Sunday, Feb. 25.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Kentucky leads 49-27
Game 1: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024 (Kentucky Proud Park – 4:00 p.m. EST) SEC Network
UK: TBD vs Morehead State: TBD
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