PREVIEW: Kentucky hosts Evansville in home opener

For the first time since the Kentucky Baseball program clinched its first ever Men’s College World Series berth on June 9, 2024, baseball returns to the Bluegrass on Tuesday.

Kentucky Proud Park was originally set to host Kentucky’s home opener last Tuesday against Morehead State, but the game was delayed due to weather and moved to the following Wednesday. Their home opener will now come against the Evansville Purple Aces of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Kentucky opened its 2025 campaign with a series split against Lipscomb, as the third game was canceled (and wasn’t rescheduled) once again to due weather. The ‘Cats however bounced back nicely and swept Belmont over the weekend, outscoring the Bruins 23-6.

Last season, Nick Mingione’s team drummed Evansville 11-3 on March 19.

Evansville Purple Aces (1-5, 0-0)

After an 0-5 start to the 2025 season for Evansville, the Purple Aces run-ruled Southern Indiana 13-0 on Sunday to earn its first win of the season.

Evansville and head coach Wes Carroll are fresh off a run to the Knoxville Super Regional last season, as it outlasted East Carolina, Wake Forest, and VCU for a surprising Greenville Regional victory. It was the first NCAA Tournament Regional victory in Evansville program history. In 17 seasons as head coach, Wes Carroll has led the Purple Aces to a 429-439 (155-177) record.

The stat sheets don’t look great for Evansville at all through six games, as the Purple Aces are hitting for a lowly .226 team average and boast an unflattering 5.94 team ERA. Teams on average are scoring nearly seven runs per game against them, and opposing teams have scored at least nine runs in three of six games.

The Aces and Wildcats share a common opponent in Lipscomb. On Feb. 18, Lipscomb held off Evansville 11-10 in a 13-inning Nashville showdown.

Senior outfielder Ty Rumsey has been Evansville’s lone offensive standout this season, as he boasts a .360 average with a double and three RBI. The Aces lineup experiences a drastic fall-off after Rumsey, as senior outfielder Harrison Taubert and junior third baseman Drew Howard are tied for the second best average on the team with .278. There just isn’t much pop at all on this team, as they’ve hit just two home runs in their first six games.

On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Owen Byberg will likely get the start for Evansville. In six innings pitched this season, Byberg boasts a 3.00 ERA with five strikeouts. He started last Tuesday against Lipscomb and held the Bisons to just three hits and one earned run in three innings.

The Purple Aces are projected to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference this season by D1Baseball.

Kentucky Wildcats (4-1, 0-0)

After a disheartening two games at the plate (Lipscomb finale and Belmont opener), the Kentucky offense exploded for 19 hits and 21 runs over the final two games of the Belmont series. Through five games, major contributors are starting to emerge.

Three of these players are freshman shortstop Tyler Bell, senior left fielder Cole Hage and junior designated hitter Carson Hansen.

Hage, who transferred in from Columbia, currently holds the team-lead for highest batting average (.500), runs scored (seven), hits (seven), walks (six), and total bases (11). In 20 at-bats this season, Kentucky’s starting left fielder has reached base 15 times (seven hits, six walks, two hit by pitches). He’s emerged as the guy you likely want up to bat with a big inning brewing.

Where Hage has shown his consistency, the new hot name on the block is Carson Hansen. The Milwaukee transfer played in just the final two games of the Belmont series but absolutely tore it up. Over the weekend, Hansen went 4-5 at the plate with two home runs, two singles, and six RBI. He has likely earned the everyday start at the DH position, at least for now.

Finally, freshman shortstop Tyler Bell is already living up to the hype. After a 1-10 start at the plate this season, Bell is 4-8 in his last eight at-bats with a home run, a double and five RBI. He is currently tied with Hansen for the team-lead in RBI (six).

On the other side of the ball, the Kentucky pitching staff is dominating opposing batters. As a team, the staff boasts a 1.58 team ERA with a 11.9 K/9 through five games. Tuesday and Wednesday’s mid-week games will be interesting, as much of the roster will likely see playing time.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Kentucky leads 11-10

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 (Kentucky Proud Park – 4:00 p.m. EST)
UK: TBA vs UE: RHP Owen Byberg (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP)

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