PREVIEW: Bat Cats Set for Midweek Home-and-Home with EKU
Fresh off its three-game sweep of Lipscomb, Kentucky is set for two midweek games against neighbor Eastern Kentucky.
Tuesday’s game will be in Lexington at Kentucky Proud Park, while Wednesday’s game will be in Richmond at Turkey Hughes Field.
If Kentucky can go 2-0 against the Colonels this week, it would match its best start to a season under Nick Mingione at 12-1 (2018).
The Cats snuck their way into Perfect Game’s Top 25 Rankings (No. 25), but remain left out of D1Baseball’s Top 25.
Eastern Kentucky
The Colonels are struggling this season, as they’ve started 2-9. They have however faced some stiff competition in No. 15 Auburn, No. 6 Vanderbilt, and Louisville.
Senior Conner Davis has been EKU’s best offensive player this season, batting .385 with four doubles and six RBI. Senior outfielder Max Williams, who attended high school at Lafayette in Lexington, is tied for the team-lead in home runs with three.
Junior left-handed pitcher Quinton Hall will start Tuesday’s game for the Colonels. In 5 1/3 innings pitched, Hall boasts an 0-2 record with a 16.88 ERA.
Although Kentucky leads the all-time series, Kentucky and EKU have actually split the last two meetings. Eastern knocked off the Cats in Lexington 6-3 on March 29, 2022. Kentucky got its revenge last season with a 9-3 victory on March 21, 2023.
Kentucky
The Kentucky offense dominated in their sweep of Lipscomb, totaling 32 runs on 37 hits. From the start of the weekend to the end, their team batting average jumped from .243 to .282. Coach Nick Mingione seems to have found a lineup he likes.
Kentucky’s pitching staff shined as well, as Lipscomb scored just six runs over the span of three games. The Wildcat bullpen has not allowed a run in 19 1/3 consecutive innings.
Grad transfer first baseman Nick Lopez, junior second baseman Emilien Pitre and junior right fielder Patrick Herrera are coming off banner weekends. The trio combined to go 17-35 at the plate (.486) with nine RBI.
Lopez in particular has been a very welcome addition the the Kentucky lineup this season, as he’s batting .387 with five doubles through his first 31 at-bats.
Junior Ryan Waldschmidt, who has slotted in as Kentucky’s designated hitter as he continues to work back from an ACL tear, hit his first home run of the season in Sunday’s 9-1 victory. Waldschmidt is reportedly very close to getting back in left field, and may return to the field as early as this week.
Senior shortstop Grant Smith, who suffered what seemed to be a right hamstring injury on Sunday, is unlikely to play Tuesday or Wednesday.
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Drew Lafferty is Tuesday’s probable starter. Lafferty has yet to allow a hit through his first five career innings pitched.
Wednesday’s started has not yet been determined.
The Colonels should be nothing more than tune-up games before a series with Kennesaw State and a midweeker against Murray State. SEC play begins on March 15 when Georgia heads to Lexington.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Kentucky leads 70-25-1
Game 1: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 (Kentucky Proud Park – 4:00 p.m. EST) SEC Network+
UK: RHP Drew Lafferty (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP) vs EKU: LHP Quinton Hall (0-2, 16.88 ERA, 5.1 IP)
Game 2: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 (Turkey Hughes Field – 6:30 p.m. EST) ESPN+
UK: TBD vs EKU: TBD
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