Triple Play: Bullpen has been impressive during hot start for Kentucky
We are two weeks into the 2022 college baseball season, and Nick Mingione’s sixth ballclub at Kentucky has hit some important checkpoints early as the Wildcats are off to a 7-0 start with two early season sweeps over mid-major competition. Things are currently looking up for Kentucky baseball.
Just like last season, KSR is going to dive in every Monday and provide a notebook for how things are going on the diamond. So far, Kentucky has hit their early season goals before TCU heads to Kentucky Proud Park this weekend for a huge non-conference series.
Steady bullpen
In the sweep over Jacksonville State to begin the year, Kentucky’s bullpen delivered 12 shutout innings over three games and followed that up with a solid mid-week performance against Bellarmine. Three guys leading the charge.
EKU transfer Darren Williams is the early workhorse of the group as he leads the team in appearances (3), innings (7) and has yet to give up an earned run with a WHIP of 1.29. Sean Harney is back for his super senior season, and Kentucky is currently planning on using him in a closer role, but that could change at any point. In 5.2 innings of work, the former UMass transfer has given up just one hit with seven punchouts. Zack Lee was last season’s Sunday starter who has moved to the bullpen as a junior. The veteran hasn’t given up an earned run in 4.1 innings of work.
The starting rotation has gotten off to a slow start with all three weekend starters owning a WHIP of at least 1.40 or higher, but the bullpen has bailed them out and appears to be the strength of the Kentucky team seven games into the season.
Jacob Plastiak could be this year’s slugger
Last season, first baseman T.J. Collett burst onto the scene as the super senior led the team in extra-base hits (27), home runs (16), RBI (48), and slugging percentage (.607). Collett provided big-time pop for the Wildcats in the middle of the lineup.
Former junior college transfer Jacob Plastiak is trying to do the same for Nick Mingione’s club as a senior in 2022.
The Chicago native has stepped into the starting lineup at first after playing just 23 games last season. So far, Plastiak looks much more comfortable at the plate after hitting just .207 in 67 at-bats last year. Through seven starts, the veteran is crushing the ball.
Plastiak leads the team in hits (14) and home runs (3). There have been a few strikeouts recorded (8), but with a .568 on-base percentage and 1.368 OPS, the new starter is helping replace one of the biggest losses in the lineup.
The emergence of a true middle of the lineup threat could raise the ceiling for Kentucky’s offense in 2022.
Ryan Ritter is still special
One of the biggest developments for last year’s team was the outstanding play that junior college transfer Ryan Ritter gave the team at shortstop. Things were up and down at the plate, but the Metro Chicago was special on defense.
That has not gone away in 2022.
In Sunday’s win over Western Michigan, Ritter once again made some ridiculous defensive plays and showed why he was a preseason All-SEC selection and a top-50 MLB Draft prospect. Ritter is elite with the glove and is getting better at the plate. Through 30 at-bats this season, the senior is hitting .367 with a pair of doubles and four stolen bases.
The electric defender is worth the price of admission.
Daniel Harris IV is on fire
Darren Williams was not the only transfer added from EKU in the offseason as the Wildcats also brought on Daniel Harris IV to the roster. The Stone Mountain (Ga.) Miller Grove product is a super senior who was named a third-team All-American in 2020.
The transfer has shown up big at the plate in his first seven games with Kentucky.
Harris was a career .289 hitter with nearly 800 at-bats at Eastern Kentucky. However, the 195-pound middle infielder did flash pop with the stick as he had 33 doubles and 22 home runs. So far, that offense has translated at Kentucky.
Harris is batting .500 through seven games with a pair of doubles and a stolen base. The big knocks have not been there, but to this point, the transfer is giving Kentucky some much-needed offense at the bottom of the lineup.
This week in Kentucky baseball
The monster homestand continues for the Bat Cats as UK will host five games at Kentucky Proud Park this week. WKU (3-4) rolls into town on Tuesday and then Evansville (1-6) follows on Wednesday. The Wildcats will look to avoid a sluggish performance like the one against Bellarmine in last week’s mid-week contest.
On the weekend, TCU (6-1) heads to Lexington under new head coach Kirk Saarloos. The Horned Frogs are ranked inside the top-20, and the three-game series with the Big 12 foe will tell us a lot about where Kentucky stands early in the season.
Stay tuned as KSR will have the Bat Cats covered all week and throughout the season.
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