PREVIEW: Kentucky hosts NIU in makeshift mid-week matchup

Kentucky will host Northern Illinois Tuesday night in a mid-week game that was scheduled just six days ago. It was scheduled to give the ‘Cats one more dress rehearsal before starting SEC play on Friday, as they have played just 14 games this season (T-least in SEC).

Nick Mingione’s team will enter their matchup with NIU boasting a 12-2 record, which is 10th best in the SEC. Through 14 games, Kentucky is outscoring teams by 89 runs.

Following this mid-week matchup, the ‘Cats will travel to No. 4 Georgia for an SEC-opening series clash with Nolan McCarthy and the Bulldogs.

Northern Illinois Huskies (7-6, 0-0)

Northern Illinois hails from the Mid-American Conference, which it has never won. The Huskies lone NCAA Tournament appearance came all the way back in 1972, when they were a member of the Midwestern Conference.

The Huskies are 7-6 in their first 13 games with wins over Nicholls, SEMO, SIUE and Kent State. They are outscoring teams by 19 runs this season.

Head coach Ryan Copeland is in his second season at the helm, where he boasts a 28-39 overall record. Copeland was hired after spending four seasons (2020-23) as the head coach at University of Illinois-Springfield, where he compiled a 131-38 record.

They boast a disappointing .252 team batting average with a 5.24 team ERA. Junior outfielder Logan Gregorio (.392 AVG, 20 RBI), senior first baseman Gavin Baldwin (.350 AVG, 16 RBI) and sophomore infielder Cooper Cohn (.300 AVG, 2 2B) are however all hitting for at least a .300 average. Gregorio was named a top performer from over the weekend by D1Baseball, as he notched hits in eight of 16 at-bats with two doubles and three home runs.

Northern Illinois has yet to play in a midweek game this season, so it is currently up in the air who they will throw against the ‘Cats on Tuesday.

Kentucky Wildcats (12-2, 0-0)

Kentucky bounced back from an extremely disappointing loss to Wofford on Saturday with a 2-1 win on Sunday to take the series. That Saturday matchup went south fast, as the Terriers scored eight runs in the top of the ninth inning to win 12-5.

This was extremely uncharacteristic for the Wildcat pitching staff, which still boasts an impressive 1.88 team ERA. In particular, senior relievers LHP Jackson Nove, RHP Scott Rouse and LHP Evan Byers have been extremely valuable for the ‘Cats this season. That trio has allowed just 12 hits and two earned runs in a combined 27 2/3 innings.

Through 14 games, senior left fielder Cole Hage has emerged as the Wildcats’ most important offensive player. He is currently hitting for a .478 batting average, which is second among SEC players behind Tennessee’s Levi Clark (.513 BA). His on-base percentage of .607 also ranks second in the conference behind Clark.

Senior outfielder Shaun Montoya has also emerged recently following his move to leadoff batter, as he’s 6-11 in his last three games. This recent stretch has brought his batting average up to .306, which ranks third among Kentucky batters.

Look for Tuesday to be one last chance for Nick Mingione to get his pitching staff and depth pieces some play before SEC play begins Friday.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Series tied 0-0

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 (Kentucky Proud Park – 6:30 p.m. EST)
UK: RHP Nate Harris (2-0, 2.75 ERA, 8 IP) vs NIU: TBA

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