Kentucky baseball has been on an absolute tear lately. Now number six in the country according to ncaa.com, Kentucky looked to improve upon their record against unranked South Carolina.
There’s never been a season where as the closer it got to postseason play, the excitement grew. This year, Kentucky baseball is in position to earn a top-national seeding. The Wildcats were 29-13 overall with a 12-6 SEC record coming into a 3-game road stretch against South Carolina.
Kentucky dominated this game on both sides of the diamond. Pitcher Sean Hjelle pitched six innings, in which he only allowed three hits and no runs. Hjelle has been on a tear in the SEC, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA. Add onto that three scoreless outings, making him our most consistent pitcher in SEC play.
How about @Hjellebean in SEC play:
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) April 29, 2017
☑️ Five straight quality starts
☑️ Three scoreless outings
☑️ 5-1, 2.11 ERA#ace #tonesetter pic.twitter.com/FM7ZLjZsQJ
On the offensive side, Kentucky recorded 20 total team hits, with ten batters on Kentucky getting a hit. Kentucky ripped South Carolina for 19 runs, led by Luke Becker and Tristan Pompey. The two combined for nine RBIs and three homeruns, Becker responsible for two of them. The final score ended up being 19-1, which is the Wildcat’s biggest SEC victory in school history.
No. 6 Kentucky is becoming one of the hottest teams in the country, hitting their peak at the right time. Coach Mingione has these Wildcats tuned up for Omaha, proving their worth as of late. This last month alone, Kentucky has knocked down No. 2 Louisville, and won a three-game series against No. 9 LSU last week.
Next on Kentucky’s List
The boys look to continue this three-game winning streak as they look to win another game on the road against South Carolina. After wrapping up this series, Kentucky will take on Georgia at home, starting an eight-game home stand. With only three SEC opponents and two non-conference opponents left, our boys look to be in good shape to make a run a top seed in the nation.
The Cats dropped game two at South Carolina earlier on Saturday afternoon in a 5-1 defeat.
The remaining games left on the schedule leading into the SEC Tournament leave room for some excitement:
4/30: @ South Carolina
5/5: Georgia
5/6: Georgia
5/7: Georgia
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If there has ever been a time to hop on the bandwagon, this is it. Kentucky baseball has proven that they are no longer the team they used to be, and they will not be looked over.