Kentucky Baseball Adds Cincinnati Transfer 1B Ryan Nicholson

Just days after losing Delaware State transfer commit Trey Paige to the MLB Draft, Nick Mingione has acted quickly to bring in yet another quality first base addition. On Friday afternoon, redshirt junior Ryan Nicholson announced his transfer from Cincinnati to Kentucky on Twitter. Kentucky beat out the likes of Louisville and Vanderbilt for the 6-foot-4 Louisville native.

I’d like to thank UC for everything they have done for me, I will always cherish the relationships I’ve made over my last 4 years. I have loved my time at UC and will always be a Bearcat. For the next step in my journey I will be Grad transferring to the University of Kentucky pic.twitter.com/cYByP5yXHd

— Ryan Nicholson (@rynicholson25) July 14, 2023

Nicholson, who was born in Louisville and attended St. Xavier High School, batted .294 (63-for-214) with 16 home runs, 15 doubles, two triples, 41 RBI and 41 runs scored in 55 games played last season (54 starts at first base). However, the Bearcats had a disappointing season. Cincinnati finished with a record of 24-33 and failed to win a single game in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

The addition of Nicholson is a big get for Mingione as Kentucky once again looks to replace a first baseman. Following the graduation of fan-favorite Hunter Gilliam, the Cats kicked off their transfer class by grabbing Trey Paige from Delaware State.

Paige, a power-hitting first/third baseman who participated in the HBCU Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 515th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. It was unknown whether or not he’d sign or return to school, but he took to Twitter to share he’s finished with college baseball.

So excited for this opportunity! Thank you @Cardinals let’s get to work! https://t.co/SWSbX3erco

— Trey Paige (@treypaige_) July 11, 2023

When Nicholson entered the transfer portal back on June 12th, he immediately became one of the biggest names in the portal. With the addition of Nicholson and Central Connecticut RHP Dominic Niman last week, Mingione has scooped up two of the best available players in the country. Nicholson and Niman round out a stellar transfer class, consisting of OF Ty Crittenberger (Western Kentucky), RHP Trey Pooser (Charleston), and INF Mitchell Daly (Texas).

After losing just four players to the MLB Draft (Austin Strickland, Magdiel Cotto, Logan Martin, Trey Paige) and retaining arguably their most two important pieces, postseason stars Mason Moore and Devin Burkes, there’s a lot to be excited about the Kentucky baseball program.