Kentucky baseball lands '24 standout RHP Tristan Hunter

Nick Mingione continues to build toward the future with Kentucky baseball, adding a commitment from right-handed pitcher Tristan Hunter to the program’s recruiting class in 2024.

Going into the day with 16 commitments in the rising senior class, the Forsyth (MO) High School standout became No. 17 for the Wildcats on Monday.

“I’m excited to announce that I will continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Kentucky,” Hunter announced. “I want to thank God first and foremost and my parents, sisters, coaches, teammates, and anyone who has helped me through this whole process.”

I’m excited to announce that I will continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Kentucky. I want to thank God first and foremost and my parents, sisters, coaches, teammates, and anyone who has helped me through this whole process. @Coach_Mingione @NickHerrinsAs pic.twitter.com/g2z2MXKDrO
— Tristan Hunter (@Tristanhunter29) August 7, 2023

Hunter went 7-2 at the mound as a junior, finishing with 112 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA while batting .363 with 33 hits, 27 RBI and two home runs with seven stolen bases. He was named Class 3 First-Team All-State Pitcher and unanimous First-Team Mid-Lakes Pitcher & Outfielder.

This summer, the newest Wildcat finished with a 9-0 record and a 1.3 ERA, allowing just 11 hits in 37 innings pitched.

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The 6-foot-2, 175-pound pitcher, who plays AAU ball with the Inevitable A’s (Adidas Athletics), throws a 92.9 MPH fastball (2097 spin rate), 79.5 MPH curveball (2372 spin rate), and 77.3 MPH changeup (1851 spin rate).

Kentucky finishes in the top 20 in final rankings

The Wildcats are coming off one of the program’s most successful seasons in history. Mingione led Kentucky to just its second-ever Super Regional appearance after finishing the season with a 40-21 overall record that included a 16-14 mark in conference play.

Kentucky closed out the year inside the top 20 in the country across the final national polls. Both D1Baseball (No. 17) and Baseball America (No. 19) slotted the Wildcats as a nationally-ranked team to end the 2023 season, while Perfect Game (9), NCBWA (11) and the Coaches Poll (13) were even higher on Mingione’s squad.

What’s next for Kentucky? Another postseason run is the expectation.