Kentucky Baseball Hosts Tennessee Tech in Final Midweek Game of Season

Fresh off returning to the Top 25 national rankings, the Bat ‘Cats (33-13) will host the Tennessee Tech Eagles (17-27) at Kentucky Proud Park on Tuesday in their final mid-week game of the season.

Following their matchup with the Eagles, Nick Mingione’s squad looks to finish the season strong against conference rivals No. 23 Tennessee and No. 7 Florida. Buckle up, because things are about to get interesting.

After losing 10 of their last 13 games prior to last weekend, Kentucky bounced back in a major way, sweeping then No. 3 ranked South Carolina at home by a combined score of 30-12. The strong play of Jackson Gray and James McCoy paired with strong pitching performances from SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Travis Smith and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week Zack Lee sparked much optimism amongst the BBN that something special could be brewing with this group.

Tennessee Tech enters Tuesday’s matchup on a bit of a roll as well, having won seven of their last 10 games dating back to their upset of No. 18 Tennessee in Knoxville 12-5. They are coming off their first series sweep of the season, a dominant three-game sweep of SIUE over the weekend. With a win on Tuesday, Kentucky would finish the season 10-1 in midweek games. They were just 7-5 last season.

Tennessee Tech Impact Players

Senior John Dyer has been Tennessee Tech’s best player all season. Dyer is a massive power threat, ranking 21st in the country with 18 home runs hit on the season. Dyer leads the Eagles in batting average (.333), homers, and SLG% (.722). With a hit on Tuesday, the senior would extend his hitting streak to 17 games. He has hit 10 of his 18 home runs on the season in just the last 11 games.

Senior Peyton Mills forms a dynamic duo with Dyer, leading the Eagles in doubles (11) and RBI (49). The Eagles are an older team looking to build momentum ahead of the OVC Tournament with another big SEC victory. They were blanked 13-0 last season by the ‘Cats at Kentucky Proud Park.

RHP Colt Taylor has started the last two midweek games for the Eagles. Taylor leads Tennessee Tech in appearances made this season with 18. He holds a 1-4 record with a 9.35 ERA. A starter for Tuesday’s game has yet to be announced, but he seems to be the probable starter.

Kentucky Impact Players

Jackson Gray has been playing like one of the best players in the country over the past month of action. He has notched a hit in 14 of Kentucky’s last 15 games, reaching base in 32 of his last 45 at-bats. Paired with his stellar outfield play this season, Gray seems to be a real candidate for an All-SEC team at the conclusion of the season. He has bumped his average all the way up to a team-leading .371. Gray is also tied for 14th in the country with five triples belted this season.

Émilien Pitre and Hunter Gilliam seemed to have snapped out of a bit of a funk as well, combing to go 10-21 over the weekend series against the Gamecocks. Kentucky’s explosive offense seems to have reawoken as we near the conclusion of the regular season.

Travis Smith has been Mingione’s go-to midweek pitcher all season, but it seems unlikely he will start on Tuesday as he got the series opening start against Carolina on Friday. An early presumption would be that Mingione rocks with a bullpen game, starting seventh-year slinger Darren Williams on the mound. Williams has made 11 appearances (four starts) on the season, boasting a 3-1 record with a 4.37 ERA. Mingione knows just how important a healthy rotation is heading into late-season/postseason play, so using up some bullpen arms against a lowly opponent may be the route he goes.

First pitch between the ‘Cats and the Eagles is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday night at Kentucky Proud Park. The game will also be streaming on SEC Network+.