Kentucky Baseball Looking to Build Off Second Super Regional Appearance

In a make or break season for Nick Mingione, the Kentucky baseball program went to a place they’ve only been once before, a Super Regional. Even though the Wildcats came up two wins short of a College World Series appearance, Mingione is proud of the way his players performed under pressure.

“I think you guys could see how tough and gritty, unselfish, how much they love Kentucky, how they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win. And I feel bad I couldn’t help lead them to do something that’s never been done before in the history of our program,” Mingione said after Sunday’s 8-3 loss to LSU.

“But these group of men have changed our program forever and I’m forever grateful for them.”

The key to success was not behind one big arm or a couple of Big Blue Bombs. With their backs against the wall, the Kentucky baseball team bought in completely to the program’s message.

“We pushed them. We challenged them,” said the Kentucky baseball coach. “They didn’t succeed at times. They don’t whine or complain or make excuses. It’s just not normal. It’s not normal…

“It’s just not normal to be around that many guys that are that unselfish and just really care about winning. And it showed. The hardest part about it is I don’t get to be around them anymore. Man, that hurts as much as anything.”

The Next Step for Kentucky Baseball

Throughout his trials and tribulations as a first-time head coach, Nick Mingione has learned on the job. This season he had to be willing to listen to others in order to grow.

“I’ve made good decisions. I’ve made bad decisions. One thing I believe in is feedback, and feedback is the breakfast of champions. I have called former players. I’ve picked their brain. They’ve shared some tough things with me that I didn’t want to hear but were true. And I’ve tried to make adjustments and become a better coach.”

Mingione listened and brought the program back to where we found it at the end of his first season, winning a Regional in Lexington. Even though the Kentucky baseball team is on much more solid footing this upcoming offseason, the message is not drastically changing as Kentucky looks to use this success to continue to build momentum.

“We were this close to being a national seed. We were a couple wins away. I said at our media day at the beginning of the year how I wanted to get our program to where we were on the other side of that. I was tired of being one and two wins short of even making the postseason,” Mingione said.

There are plenty of promising players that could return to Lexington for another season, but the MLB Draft has a way of throwing a wrinkle into things. If the offseason goes well, the BBN could spend another spring wrapped up in Kentucky baseball madness.

“We’ve been to two Super Regionals in the last six years and we’d never been to one ever. So we’re trending in the right direction.”