KSR Today: Survival Mode in the SEC Tournament
It’s a good thing the SEC Tournament is a double-elimination event. If Wednesday was the only time we saw the Wildcats on the baseball diamond all week… let’s just say finding the good vibes for the Lexington Regional would have been difficult.
The Kentucky baseball team laid an egg in the opening round against LSU. Aside from one hit and a flyout to the warning track, the Bat Cats did not bring the Bats at all to Hoover. Nick Mingione took a “pitch by committee” approach and it immediately resulted in a home run. The game was within reach until LSU blew the doors off the seventh inning with a grand slam. The Tigers hit another salami sandwich to bring the final score to a total of 11-0.
Kentucky got run-ruled and only tallied one hit. That’s bad, real bad.
Here’s the thing — the SEC Tournament is an odd event that stretches the typical limits of a baseball team. Success in Hoover rarely translates to Omaha. In that regard, Wednesday’s loss was not that big of a deal. It also shouldn’t be that surprising when you consider this team’s track record. They’ve won a lot of series in SEC play, but when they lose, they lose big.
Now the Bat Cats get a chance for redemption against the top-seeded team from the West, Arkansas. Despite the initial setback, this is a valuable opportunity to receive redemption and regain some momentum. First pitch is set for 10:30 am EST on the SEC Network.
Kentucky Baseball Preempts KSR
The early pitch means Darren Headrick will be taking control of the microphones on SportsTalk 790 in Louisville and 630 WLAP in Lexington. If you still want to listen to Matt Jones and the KSR crew in those areas, you’ll need to livestream the action on the iHeartRadio app by tuning in to NewsRadio 1240 WSFC in Somerset.
Mingione Confident Kentucky will be able to Bounce Back
The Bat Cats took a haymaker to the jaw. Even though the final score looks ugly, they did hang tight for seven innings. That’s not to provide any sort of moral victory, but it is what they’re reminding themselves before they get back on the horse on Thursday morning.
“That’s the beauty of this team. That’s why in my opinion we’ve been one of the most successful teams this year,” Mingione said after the loss.
“This league is an absolute grind. To go wire to wire and win it, that’s a real, real challenge… The only way you do it is you can’t ride the roller coaster. This team in this league, this sport, this life — WOO! you better hang on tight, have white knuckles you’re hanging on so tight. You gotta be able to move on and this team has done that as good as any team I’ve ever coached.”
Chaz Lanier Watch Continues
Yesterday was a weird day. The day began with chatter that Chaz Lanier to Tennessee was inevitable. For hours, we were preparing for a commitment. That never happened. In fact, the pendulum swung almost completely back in the opposite direction. We’re now stuck in limbo, playing the waiting game. It feels like Tennessee is the most likely choice, but no one would be shocked if we got a BOOM today.
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The NCAA Votes to Pay Athletes
The House settlement in the high-profile antitrust case has been approved by the four-letter organization. It will effectively change the way the NCAA operates, ushering in a new financial model where schools will directly pay athletes through revenue sharing. Thousands of athletes will receive retroactive compensation from a lump sum of $2.8 billion. It’s a historic change, but it’s only the beginning.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals
The Pacers absolutely blew it in game one. It was so bad I got second-hand embarrassment just by living across the river from the state of Indiana. All they had to do was foul up three with less than 8 seconds to play. Did they foul up three? No. They gave up a three and lost in overtime.
The Pacers are 9-point underdogs in game two and it should be closer to 90. Indiana: Losers now and forever. You can watch the Hoosiers fall at 8:10 pm EST on ESPN.
Hospital Curve Shuts Down I-65 in Louisville
Did you know potholes can turn into actual holes? Neither did I, until that happened yesterday in downtown Louisville. The right two lanes of I-65 South were shut down for hours when a hole opened in the middle of the highly-trafficked area known as “Hospital Curve.” When I say a hole, I mean you can see through the road from the street below. You don’t see that every day.
WAVE-3 reports road crews have been called to that same area for repairs 14 times since the beginning of last year. Hopefully, this is the last time they’re called to this area for a long time.
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