The Kentucky Wildcats are quietly looking like a good and tough college baseball team in 2026.
After a series sweep over the Alabama Crimson Tide this past weekend, the Wildcats have an 18-2 record and have won 13 straight games.
What has stood out in the Kentucky offense so far this season?
The Kentucky Wildcats are known for their “small-ball” style of baseball under 10th-year head coach Nick Mingione.
Some of the characteristics of small-ball play have once again been on display for Kentucky through 20 games this season.
The Wildcats lead the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in stolen bases with 64 as a team. They also rank towards the top of the country in stolen bases, along with other teams such as VMI, Duke, and Dayton.
Kentucky has found ways to stand in the box and get hit by pitches. They lead the SEC in getting hit by pitches with 55. This, in turn, has led to a strong team on-base percentage, which sits at .419.
‘Cats lead the SEC in Saves this Season, Jack Bennett with Five Saves
The Kentucky pitching staff leads the SEC in saves this season with eight.
The pitcher largely responsible for this output is Jack Bennett. The right-handed senior has five saves this season.
Two of those saves came during this past weekend against Alabama. Against the Crimson Tide in both appearances, Bennett had two strikeouts in 1 ⅔ innings of work. Over that same stretch, he allowed no runs.
Bennett’s other saves this season came in games against The Citadel, St. John’s, and Evansville. In 12 ⅔ innings of work this season, Bennett has a 0.71 ERA and 13 strikeouts.
Along with Bennett, other Kentucky pitchers with a save this season are Burkley Bounds, Jackson Soucie, and Nile Adcock.
Strong Sunday start from Nate Harris leads to a series sweep of Alabama
Kentucky starting pitcher Nate Harris delivered in the Wildcats’ 6-4 win over Alabama on Sunday, March 15.
Harris had five strikeouts in six innings of work. Over that same stretch, he allowed just one hit, two walks, and gave up just two runs.
This season, Harris has a 3-1 record and a 4.03 ERA in 22 ⅓ innings of work. Over that same stretch, he has 26 strikeouts.
Up next for Kentucky
The Kentucky Wildcats’ next SEC weekend series is on the road against the Ole Miss Rebels at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss.
This season, Ole Miss has a 16-5 overall record. During SEC opening weekend, they were able to win just one game against the Texas Longhorns in Austin.
The first pitch for the game on Thursday, March 19, between Kentucky and Ole Miss is at 8 p.m. EST. You can watch that game on SEC Network.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione pictured during an NCAA College World Series baseball game against Texas A&M on Monday, June 17, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. Texas A&M won 5-1. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher)
