Nick Mingione confident in NCAA Tournament berth for Kentucky

Kentucky needed just ONE win in its final four games to cast out any doubt about making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. It however went 0-4 in that span, but still looks like a team that will limp into the Big Dance with a 29-24 (13-17) record.

“What we’ll do is get back and give them a day or two just to get their bodies right, as we’ve been on the road since Vanderbilt last week,” Nick Mingione said following Kentucky’s 5-1 loss to Oklahoma on Tuesday. “We’ll immediately get into practice. We’ll set up some modified scrimmages this weekend to keep their arms in shape and in a good spot. We’ll keep making sure our pitching is lined up and continue to keep going.”

It was a disappointing end to an up-and-down regular season/SEC Tournament, as the ‘Cats led in 10 of their final 12 games but went just 4-8. Kentucky, which seems to be a consensus No. 3 seed in the latest Field of 64 Projections, will be hitting the road for NCAA Tournament Regional play for the first time since 2014.

“For the first time in a couple of years we will not be hosting a Regional,” Mingione said. “It’s been nice to be at home so we’ll find out where we’ll going and travel. We’ve been fortunate enough the last two years to win Regionals so we’ve got a locker room with some guys who know what it takes to win.” 13 players on this year’s Kentucky team has experienced a Regional victory, while four (Devin Burkes, Evan Byers, Jackson Nove and Patrick Herrera) have been apart of two Regional victories.

Although it has lost all four of its games in the past week, Kentucky has dropped just one spot to No. 37 in the RPI Rankings. The ‘Cats however are now just 8-19 against Quad One teams.

Kentucky will now have to wait until the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday, May 26, at 12 p.m. ET to learn where (or if) it will be traveling next week.

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