Darren Williams explains what it meant to him to be part of Kentucky's program

Darren Williams’ time with Kentucky baseball is over. Yet, he’ll always be a Wildcat.

On Sunday, Kentucky’s season came to a quiet end as LSU defeated the Cats 8-3 in Game 2 of the Baton Rouge Super Regional. Despite the season’s disappointing close, Williams was proud of what he’d helped the program accomplish.

“Last year, going back to Week 2 of SEC play, Cole Stupp hurt his elbow on Friday night. Week 3 of SEC play, I hurt my elbow. Week 4 Tyler Bosma hurts his shoulder, and we were down a whole weekend rotation. In this league, you don’t come back from that,” Williams said. “Then, we made the best run a 12-seed has ever made in Hoover last year. That changes a program.”

It’s true. Last season, Kentucky went on an unprecedented run, becoming the first 12-seed to ever reach the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Nonetheless, the Cats didn’t stop there. Kentucky went 40-21 this season, reaching a super regional for the second time in program history.

Williams was a significant driving force behind Kentucky’s record run. The UK graduate student went 4-2 this season from the mound, recording a 4.26 ERA. Moreover, Williams dealed out an impressive 61 strikeouts.

Williams contributes his success, along with the team’s, to a selfless mentality.

“Coach [Mingione] recruited specific kind of guys for this year’s specific team from the transfer portal last year who just wanted to win. All they cared about was winning. That’s what it takes in baseball. It’s a team game. You need one through 27 to buy in, not care about roles; just want to win for the guy next to you,” Williams said.

Williams knows what it’s like to be one of those transfers. After pitching his first three years at Eastern Kentucky University, Williams joined the Wildcats for his senior year. The 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher felt supported by Kentucky, even after Tommy John surgery on his elbow prematurely ended his season.

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione couldn’t be prouder of Williams and his team.

“I’ve got some really nice compliments from coaches and people around the league about our team, and just how tough they are,” Mingione said with tears in his eyes. “It’s just not normal to be around that many guys that are that unselfish and just really care about winning. And, it showed.”