Kentucky opens season with dominant 11-0 win over Lipscomb

Kentucky Baseball opened its 2025 campaign on Friday with a dominant 11-0 win over Lipscomb in Nashville. It was Kentucky’s first season opening shutout victory since 2006, per Corey Price.

Six of Kentucky’s nine hitters recorded at least one RBI, but Cole Hage and Patrick Herrera led the way with three apiece. Hage, who made his first appearance as a Wildcat on Friday, had a debut to remember. He went 4-5 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. He also made a diving catch in the third inning to rob Lipscomb’s Stelogeannis of a base hit.

South Dakota State transfer senior right-handed pitcher Nic McCay had an incredible debut for Kentucky as well. McCay pitched five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Kentucky’s ace certainly looked the part against the Bisons.

The Wildcats had five mercy-rule wins all of last season. Now, they open the 2025 season with one.

Players of the Game:

• LF Cole Hage: Hage had an unbelievable Wildcat debut, going 4-5 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. He also made a diving catch in the third inning to rob Lipscomb’s Stelogeannis of a base hit.
• 3B Patrick Herrera: Herrera, who ended up winning the third base job over Ethan Hindle and Kyuss Gargett, drove in three RBI in his season debut.
• RHP Nic McCay: McCay was nails in his Wildcat debut. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks.

First look at Kentucky’s Starting Lineup

Before the game even began, Kentucky fans got their first look at the new look Kentucky Baseball lineup. The starters consisted of just two returning players from last season (James McCoy and Patrick Herrera), six transfers (Luke Lawrence, Will Marcy, Dylan Koontz, Shaun Montoya, Cole Hage and Raphael Pelletier), and one freshman (Tyler Bell).

The surprise of the lineup was the absence of Preseason All-SEC First Team selection Devin Burkes at the catcher position. Nick Mingione said at Media Day that Burkes had undergone surgery over the offseason and would be ready by Opening Day, but he did not get the start on Friday.

South Dakota State transfer senior right-handed pitcher Nic McCay got the Opening Day start on the mound for the Wildcats. In 40 career appearances (32 starts), the right-hander boasted a career 5.05 ERA with 177 strikeouts and 79 walks in 173 innings pitched at SDST.

Wildcats scratch across first run of the season

Nic McCay struck out two batters and sat the top of the Lipscomb order down in order to open the season, bringing the Kentucky lineup back up to bat in the second after a scoreless first.

Freshman phenom shortstop Tyler Bell grounded out in his first career college at-bat, but Cole Hage and James McCoy responded with back-to-back singles. Hage reached third on a warning track fly-out by Raphael Pelletier, bringing up nine hole hitter Patrick Herrera.

On a 1-2 count, Herrera hit a dribbler down the third base line. Lipscomb third baseman David Coppedge charged the ball but misplayed it, allowing Hage to score the first Kentucky run of the season. Lipscomb loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but McCay got out of the jam with a swinging strikeout, his third of the season.

Cole Hage knocks first Big Blue Bomb

The Wildcat offense got off to another good start in the bottom of the third inning, as Will Marcy drew an inning opening walk and Dylan Koontz singled to center field. Tyler Bell, who grounded out in his first at-bat, roped a hard-hit ball to the center field warning track but Lipscomb center field Aaron Stelogeannis made a great diving snag to rob Bell of his first career RBI.

Cole Hage made sure the Cats wouldn’t be shut out in the third inning however, as the Columbia transfer belted a three-run home run over the right center field fence to give Kentucky a 4-0 lead. Hage’s Big Blue Bomb was Kentucky’s first of the 2025 season.

BIG BLUE BOMB!@Colehage_33 is a big man and he crushes his first HR with the Cats, a three-run shot!

2-2, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, Infield hit, HR

UK 4, Lipscomb 0

📺ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/qPYbHnwgBE

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 14, 2025

Cats blow the game open in fifth inning

Luke Lawrence notched his first RBI as a Wildcat in the third inning to extend Kentucky’s lead to five, but it wasn’t until we reached the fifth inning where Kentucky really opened the game up.

Cole Hage opened the fifth inning with his third hit of the game, continuing his impressive debut. McCoy and Pelletier were then walked, loading the bases for nine hole hitter Patrick Herrera.

Herrera delivered, sneaking a line drive into left field to score both Hage and McCoy. The starting third baseman notched his second and third RBI of the game. He was then followed up by yet another Luke Lawrence RBI-single, bringing in Pelletier from third.

The Wildcats notched two more runs on yet another Lipscomb fielding error and a sac-fly from Tyler Bell to take a dominant 10-0 lead. Bell, who made his much anticipated debut on Friday, went hitless (0-3) with an error in the opening game.

Scott Rouse finishes out a Wildcat win

Following his fifth inning of work, Nic McCay’s day on the mound was over. It was a great debut for McCay, who allowed just two hits and no runs. He was relieved by Radford transfer right-hander Scott Rouse, who also made his Kentucky debut.

After a scoreless sixth for Rouse, James McCoy drove in Kentucky’s 11th run of the game on a single down the first base line. With the RBI, McCoy became Kentucky’s sixth hitter to drive in at least one RBI. Rouse returned to the mound in the seventh and allowed a hit, but closed the Bisons out to secure the win.

What’s next for Kentucky?

The Cats will immediately regroup for game two of the Friday doubleheader against the Bisons, which will begin 30 minutes after their season opening win.