Kentucky baseball clinches share of SEC title with run-rule win over Vanderbilt

Kentucky baseball locked up at least a share of the SEC title Friday night with its victory over Vanderbilt. The Wildcats put together a strong performance en route to the 17-7 win via run rule.

UK scored in every inning of the seven-inning victory, kickstarted by a five-run first. The Bat Cats wasted no time as Ryan Waldschmidt hit a lead-off home run and Emilien Pitre followed suit to give Kentucky a 2-1 lead over Vanderbilt.

Waldschmidt had the biggest day for UK with a 4-for-4 effort, including two RBI. After Dominic Niman allowed four runs in three innings, the Kentucky bullpen locked in to allow just three runs over the final four innings as Ryan Hagenow got the win.

It’s just the second SEC title in UK history and the program’s first since 2006. Afterward, Hagenow soaked it all in.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s something, obviously, we work all fall for. And every year that’s a goal, and we’ve never been able to do it. It’s just hopefully, one little milestone along the way of something even bigger. This team’s really hungry. We’re definitely not satisfied, but we’re gonna enjoy for tonight.” 

Kentucky coach Nick Mingione was an assistant coach on that 2006 title-winning team and won another as an assistant at Mississippi State during his coaching career. With his third championship in his cap, he looked back on this Wildcats team’s journey.

“I just keep going back to thankful,” Mingione said. “What a team. Just relentless, nonstop, just keep coming and coming and coming and coming on both sides. Really proud of our guys for so many reasons. This is 18 years for me in this league, the best league in America. I was telling Kristen, I’ve been a part of this twice – this’ll be the third time in 18 years. I’ve just gotten to this spot where when you watch the guys go about their business every day, you just want all the success for them. You just want it for them because no one will ever be able to take it away from them. That’s what I told them tonight.

“They’ll forever be SEC champions, and no one will ever be able to take that away. They’ll remember tonight for the rest of their life. But this team deserves it. They deserve it. From everything they do, for the way they go about their business, I cannot tell you enough. This is a group of guys who absolutely deserve this, and they’ve earned it.”