Johnny Hummel will be important factor in Super Regional

After not pitching in the Lexington Regional, right-hander Johnny Hummel will certainly be an important factor in the upcoming Lexington Super Regional.

“Yeah, he’s in a really good spot, and I think as you know, boy, did we lean on him a lot early,” Nick Mingione said on Friday. “When you lean on him a lot early, sometimes the weather plays a factor in that because sometimes it can be a little chilly and it’s a little harder to get loose and it’s harder to get back out there for another inning. We relied on him heavy early, but I feel really good about where he’s at physically now. He’s well-rested, his stuff is super sharp, so we’re in a good spot.”

Hummel, who has become a fan-favorite thanks to his awesome “Cars” inspired walk-out, has been one of Kentucky’s most reliable relievers this season.

In 28 innings pitched this season, Hummel boasts a 3.54 ERA with six saves, including two against Tennessee and Arkansas.

The right-handed transfer from Erskine has struggled a bit in SEC play, but was absolutely nails against non-conference competition. In 8 2/3 innings pitched against non-SEC teams, Hummel did not allow a single run with 15 strikeouts. He’ll look to continue that success this weekend against the Beavers, who hail from the Pac-12.

“The reason why we had him ready to rock and roll is because we believed in him, and it was just Cam [O’Brien] was just throwing the ball so well, and he was not getting good swings and takes, so we just decided to keep going with Cam,” Mingione said. “But we feel and have the utmost confidence in Johnny.”

Game one of the Super Regional between the Cats and Beavers is scheduled for Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU), and game two is scheduled at 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) on Sunday night. Game three (if necessary) would be played on Monday.