Vicky Graff Photo
After taking Kentucky to the College World Series for the first time in school history in 2024, coach Nick Mingione knew this would likely be a rebuilding season even if he didn’t want to use those words publicly.
However, Kentucky persevered through some trying times and Monday received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was a historic moment because this is the first time in program history Kentucky has advanced to the NCAA three consecutive seasons.
Kentucky will open NCAA play against West Virginia Friday in the Clemson Regional. Clemson is the host and will face USC Upstate.
The Cats are a No. 3 seed after a 29-24 season that featured so many big victories and narrow defeats. UK had 11 victories over teams that made a regional and the eighth-most difficult schedule in the nation.
Kentucky was ranked 38th in the RPI and that combined with the strength of schedule enabled UK to make the field even though the Cats lost their last four games — three at Vanderbilt when they had the lead in every game and a first-round SEC Tournament game to Oklahoma.
Mingione’s team had the lead in 28 of 31 games against SEC teams this season. Eleven of the 17 regular season SEC losses came by either one run or two runs. Kentucky won a series at then No. 2 Tennessee in April and the Vols are the 14th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky swept Oklahoma in its final home game of the season when the Sooners were ranked 14th nationally.
Mingione has guided the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament four times in nine seasons. This is the first time Kentucky has not hosted a regional in Mingione’s NCAA appearances.
The NCAA Tournament bid awards a one-year automatic extension to Mingione’s contract that now runs through the 2030 season when he will be paid $1.975 million.
Former Kentucky coach Keith Madison, now an analyst for the UK Radio Network, predicted last week that Kentucky would still be in the NCAA despite the loss to Oklahoma.
“I like Kentucky’s resume. They have a really good resume again and have done all this without a full team,” Madison said. “They have had so many injuries, including season-ending injuries.
“I have been so impressed with the way Nick and his staff have put together a lineup every day and even played so many guys out of position. But Kentucky has good athletes who can adjust to what they have to do.”
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Game times and ticket information will be released as it becomes finalized and available.
