Nick Mingione was not ready for the 2025 season to be over when Kentucky blew a five-run lead in the eighth inning to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament but it didn’t take him long to make it clear he was already excited about the 2026 season with young players like freshmen Tyler Bell, Hudson Brown, Nate Harris and Ryan Schwartz returning.
“Unfortunately with the transfer portal we have already started having meetings with players (about next year). We have been forced to prepare for next year,” Mingione said after the season-ending 13-12 loss to West Virginia.
“I’m really excited about next year’s team. I think if guys continue to grow and develop and we bring all of this back. Depending on what happens with the draft, if you told me we were a preseason Top 10 team in the country, I could believe it. That’s how highly I think about the guys we have coming back offensively. I really believe, depending on how all of this works with the portal, we have a chance to be special next year.”
Junior second baseman Luke Lawrence hit .306. Bell, the starting shortstop, finished the season with a .296 batting average and was second on the team with 10 homers and was named a first-team freshman all-American. Schwartz hit .317 and knocked in 15 runs in 23 games. Brown hit .265 with three homers in 43 games.
Junior Carson Hansen became the team’s starting center fielder in the second half of the season and hit .283 with seven home runs. Sophomore Kyuss Gargett hit .266 and stole eight bases.
Freshman Nate Harris had an outstanding first season for the Cats. He was the Friday night starter for the back half of the season and went 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA. Harris was the winning pitcher in UK’s NCAA Regional win over No. 11 Clemson.
“Look at what Nate Harris did. Look at Ben Cleaver,” Mingione said. “And we’ve got a couple of other guys that as they continue to progress and get back, there’s a really strong foundation.”
Sophomore Ben Cleaver, a southpaw who earned all-region honors, became the staff ace and went 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA. He struck out 92 batters in 83 innings. Harris went 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA and was the winning pitcher in UK’s NCAA Regional win over No. 11 Clemson.
