Nick Mingione will remember his team as winners

DanielHagerKSR

Nick-Mingione-remember-his-team-winners — Photo via NCAA

Kentucky was eliminated from the Men’s College World Series following its 15-4 loss Wednesday afternoon, ending the greatest season in program history.

Fan-favorites and all-time greats such as Ryan Waldschmidt, Émilien Pitre, Mason Moore, Trey Pooser, and Nick Lopez may have all played their final games as Wildcats, but the Big Blue Nation will always remember this team.

“As winners,” Nick Mingione responded when asked how he’ll remember his team. “I’ve been telling everybody all year, they’re just winners, literally in everything they do, they just — you can coach them any way. You challenge them; they respond. You love on them; they love you back. You get on to them; they look you in the eye and say, yes, sir.”

In 2024, Kentucky set many program records. It’s 46 wins and 22 SEC wins were the best in program history, while it shared an SEC Regular Season Championship for the second time. It also won a Super Regional and a College World Series game for the first time ever.

Kentucky Wildcats celebrate Mitchell Daly's walk-off home run vs. NC State in the College World Series - Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio — Kentucky Wildcats celebrate Mitchell Daly’s walk-off home run vs. NC State in the College World Series – Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio

“They literally have done everything from the way — we talk about the student/person/player, in our program, they’ve crushed it in the classroom,” Mingione said. “They’re unbelievable. Like our staff members that have children just telling me yesterday, Coach, watch these guys get on the floor and play with our kids and do all this. They’re just winners.”

Along with being stellar players on the field, it meant more to Mingione about how his players represented the program off the field.

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“And it’s something we talk about in our program all the time. We talk about being a family. We were that. Boy, that should have just screamed out. I can look you all in the eye today and tell you, we’ve done the best job we could to develop in every single area of their life, and therefore they’ve made history, and I just want everybody to know what kind of winners they are.”

Kentucky’s 2024 season has come to an end, but this is just the beginning for the program. You need to reach a College World Series to expect to make a College World Series, and it accomplished that this season.

KSR’s trip to Omaha for the College World Series was presented by Summit Insurance Group, a veteran owned, family operated business. We want to introduce you to Steve Terrell, who is here to help and give you a tip.
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