Memorable Moments and More Notes From Kentucky Baseball's NCAA Regional Win
As Kentucky Baseball celebrated the school’s second-ever NCAA regional championship, a faint chant of “baseball school” rang out from the stands. Though only a playful callback to last summer’s family drama, the University of Kentucky felt like a baseball powerhouse Monday night as the Wildcats won a third straight game while facing elimination to punch a ticket to the NCAA Super Regional.
High on the hill above Kroger Field, a record crowd of 6,796 fans turned out at Kentucky Proud Park, as Nick Mingione requested, to see the Wildcats beat those good-for-nothin’ Indiana Hoosiers in the decisive last game of the NCAA’s Lexington Regional. Kentucky’s four-year-old home stadium finally got the weekend it was built to host, and both the team and the Big Blue Nation did their part in creating an experience unlike anything seen on UK’s campus.
It felt like ’17 in Lexington last night, only louder with nearly two thousand more fans in attendance to cheer on the ‘Cats against longtime rival Indiana at Kentucky’s new state-of-the-art ballpark.
Let’s look back on all of the fun…
Marlana Van Hoose got the party started
Just like in 2017, UK Athletics brought in Marlana Van Hoose for the singing of our national anthem. Listen to how it sounded outside of the stadium to those of us who cut our arrival times a little too close to first pitch.
The ‘Cats had all of the fun and the swagger
From the second-base dancing…
to dugout crowd-surfing…
Kentucky’s players are enjoying the ride.
Enjoy KSR’s photos from the night
Nick Mingione’s postgame moment with Keith Madison
Emotions were high throughout Kentucky’s postgame celebration, all the way to the press conference when Nick Mingione asked former Kentucky manager Keith Madison to sit with him in front of the room. Mingione expressed his appreciation for Madison as a mentor with stories of how the former UK manager of 25 years helped put Mingione and Kentucky Baseball in a position to achieve new levels of success.
Madison retired in 2003, but his impact on the program is still felt daily. Hear Mingione explain how below:
“That’s what we dreamed and hoped of one day”
In his opening postgame comments, Mingione said, “Obviously, a special night. And it doesn’t happen with a lot of people. And especially thankful for Mr. Barnhart and Dr. Capilouto and everyone for building that stadium.
“That is what we dreamed and hoped of one day, that we would see all those people in there. Our student-athletes would get a chance to celebrate and win a championship. So I’m super thankful for them and proud of our team.”
Kentucky got its dogpile celebration
Mingione also spoke about UK’s dogpile once their ticket to Supers was punched with the final out.
“That’s my favorite thing to do as a coach,” he said of the pile of Kentucky’s players. “This team was built a long time ago. When you think about recruiting in baseball, guys commit when they’re freshmen in high school, and sophomores. And to have all those guys come through and deliver in that moment and watch them celebrate, it doesn’t get any better as a coach because they’re the ones that have made the pitches. They’re the ones that have made the plays. They are the ones that went to the workouts. They’re the ones that went to class. They’re the ones that do it.
“And when you get a chance to just see pure joy, it’s one of the best feelings as a coach. That’s the only thing you could ever hope for on a field is to watch your team celebrate. And I was soaking it in. And I was loving every second of it.”
Mason Moore’s 94-MPH bowling ball
Kentucky pitcher Mason Moore was outstanding Monday night with five shutout innings to get the win. Indiana manager Jeff Mercer said Mason was, “throwing a bowling ball at 94 miles an hour.”
Moore didn’t give up a run all weekend.
Devin Burkes named M.O.P.
Though Moore was crucial in Kentucky’s wins, the Most Outstanding Player honor went to catcher Devin Burkes. Burkes batted .462 for the weekend with two doubles, two home runs, and 7 RBI.
Today is his birthday. Let’s see those dance moves again.
It felt good to hate Indiana again.
Ever since Indiana forgot how to basketball, we’ve missed the regular back-and-forths with Kentucky’s rivals north of the river. Adding to the fans’ rekindling of that animosity, the Hoosiers and ‘Cats didn’t get along on the field throughout the weekend.
Mitch Barnhart even got in on some of the smoke when the coaches exchanged words after Saturday’s contest:
Before the Hoosiers went back home for the summer, Indiana manager Jeff Mercer made it clear that his team won’t be back.
Mercer said in the postgame press conference, “No, Kentucky canceled the series last year. Kentucky and Indiana is no longer a series. They called and canceled it. It’s done. It’s the last time we’re playing unless we play in the postseason. They asked if we want to come down here. I’m not coming down here without a return trip. So it’s done.”
Welp, see ya never. Thanks for coming down.
More ice cold beer coming soon to UK Athletics?
If the Kentucky Baseball season truly was a trial run for alcohol sales at Kentucky games, all of you beer-drinkers should feel optimistic about the future of booze at football and basketball games. Last night, the beer was flowing and there didn’t seem to be any problems or belligerence anywhere throughout the stadium. There are no tales of major incidents during the regular season, either.
Maybe, just maybe, Kentucky Football fans can experience an ice-cold beer at Kroger Field this fall?
More in KSR’s Rapid Reaction
For more takeaways from the special night, hit play on the late-night Rapid Reaction from the scene.
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