KSR Today: Kentucky baseball faces elimination

Last week in the Lexington regional, Kentucky baseball needed to win three games in two days after dropping a Saturday contest against Indiana. Down in Baton Rouge, the Bat Cats will need to do something similar.

We’ve had a busy June weekend in the Bluegrass, but most of that attention will be focused on tonight’s win-or-go-home game against LSU. First pitch is scheduled for 6:06 p.m. ET/5:06 p.m. CT. Let’s hope there are no more weather shenanigans.

LSU was LSU on Saturday

Game 1 between Kentucky and LSU should have been played in the afternoon. There was a weather delay when we didn’t need a weather delay. Regardless, Paul Skenes showed why he is the top pitcher in college baseball, and the LSU lineup flexed its muscles.

Skenes went 7.2 innings (101 pitches) giving up four hits, one walk, and collecting nine strikeouts. The Wildcats only produced one extra-base hit. On the other side, LSU scored 14 runs on 15 hits. Six of those hits left the ballpark. Tommy White and Tre’ Morgan each had multi-home run games.

TANK'D@tommywhite44 | ESPNews pic.twitter.com/DwAF1bOJPe

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 11, 2023

Starter Zack Lee lasted only 4.0 innings allowing six earned runs and five home runs before seldom-used relievers Christian Howe and Seth Logue gave up five more runs in the last four innings.

The Bat Cats fell into a big hole early and were able to waive the white flag. Kentucky will have all of its top bullpen arms available for Saturday along with some quality starting pitching options to pick from. The Bat Cats must bounce back quickly after taking it on the chin on Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium.

Two teams have advanced to Omaha

Florida and TCU were able to punch their tickets on Saturday. Both the Gators and the Horned Frogs completed sweeps over national seeds at home and will be returning to Omaha for the College World Series. We could see some more tickets punched on Sunday.

LSU, Texas, and Wake Forest will each be looking to wrap up sweeps. Duke-Virginia and Oral Roberts-Oregon will play in game three. The day will be filled with some high-stakes baseball.

• Noon, ESPNU: Tennessee vs. Southern Miss (Game 1 resumes after yesterday’s weather delay with Game 2 to immediately follow.)
• Noon, ESPN2: Duke vs. Virginia (Game 3)
• Noon, ESPN: Alabama vs. Wake Forest (Game 2)
• 6:00, ESPNU: Oral Roberts vs. Oregon (Game 3)
• 6:00, ESPN2: Kentucky vs. LSU (Game 2)
• 9:00, ESPN2: Texas vs. Stanford (Game 2)

Kentucky football wraps up a huge recruiting weekend

The Kentucky football program currently has at least a dozen class of 2024 prospects on campus this weekend going through official visits. That big recruiting weekend will end today. We’ve seen a pair of prospects multiple times posing for pictures with Vince Marrow and quarterback commit Cutter Boley.

Vince Marrow here @KSBarAndGrille with some big time dudes visiting pic.twitter.com/zKLnjWk026

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) June 10, 2023

Four-star EDGE Brian Robinson and three-star tight end Willie Rodriguez are two of Kentucky’s top targets at the moment. We’ll see if UK can close on the two and wrap up some commitments sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned for more recruiting coverage. KSR will be on site for Kentucky’s OL/DL camp on Sunday to provide updates and a full report on Kentucky’s current recruiting developments. Join us at KSR+ where some recruiting intel should begin to flow heading into another big recruiting week.

Take advantage of our KSR+ Summer Special and join the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR+ Message Board.

Whitley County brings home the state baseball title

The wait is over for the Whitley County baseball program. The Colonels have finally brought home a state title to Williamsburg.

FINAL WHITLEY COUNTY HAVE DONE IT, WE HAVE NEW CHAMPIONS 🏆
Whitley county 2
Shelby county 1 pic.twitter.com/ny9oj7EXB0

— Brady Byrdwell (@BByrdwellKSR) June 11, 2023

In Saturday night’s 2-1 victory over Shelby County, head coach Jeremy Shope finally got his team to the top of the mountain, and the celebration was a big one at Kentucky Proud Park. KSR’s Brady Byrdwell has a full recap of the wild night in Lexington.