Let’s be honest with each other, just you and me. The way the 2025 season ended still keeps some of us up at night. We remember the 6-1 lead in the Regional elimination game. We remember the fight to go up 12-6 after losing that lead. And we remember the heartbreak of giving it all away in the 8th inning again.
It was a season defined by wild highs, but it ended with a bullpen that just ran out of gas.
But as Nick Mingione enters his 10th season in Lexington, he isn't looking in the rearview mirror. He is looking at a roster that is older, stronger, and frankly, scarier than a lot of people are giving them credit for.
Mingione doesn't care what the national polls say (Kentucky is unranked by Baseball America and picked just 11th in the SEC). He knows what he sees in the dugout.
"I don't really care what anyone else thinks," Mingione said. "I'm in it, and I live it, and I get to be around some amazing people... I'm fired up."
The "Alley Cats" are back. And this time, they want it all. Here is your ultimate guide to the 2026 Kentucky Baseball season.
The identity: Return of the 'Alley Cats'
Mingione has officially doubled down on his team's identity: The Alley Cats. What does that mean? It means chaos. It means bunting, stealing, hitting nukes, and generally making the other team miserable by applying tons of pressure all over the field. "We’re a whatever-it-takes type of offense," Mingione said.
He even laughed about a call he got from a contact trying to pitch him a recruit: "He’s like, 'You love pressure. You love guys that have feel for the barrel, can hit, can create havoc.' I go, 'Hey man, who’s the guy?'"
This roster was built specifically to execute that vision.
Tyler Bell is a 'Machine"
If the Alley Cats have a leader, it is Tyler Bell. The sophomore sensation is already a Preseason All-American x2, but it isn't the accolades that impress his coach. It’s the obsession.
Mingione shared a story about arriving at the facility before the sun came up, only to find the stadium lights already blazing. "There are times where he'll text one of our staff members to turn the field lights on at 6:00 in the morning because he wants to work on his steal jumps. True story," Mingione said. "I’m rolling in, and I’m like, 'Oh, TJ must have been here.' The guy is just a machine the way he works."
That machine hit over .300 in SEC play as a freshman. Imagine what he does now that he is turning on the lights before breakfast.
Fear the 'Reaper'
The biggest question mark last year was the rotation. This year, it’s the biggest weapon.
Ace Ben Cleaver returns with a slight variation on the popular "Slim Reaper" nickname. "The Reaper" comes back after gaining weight and a new edge in the offseason.
His impact goes way beyond the 92 strikeouts he had last season. Mingione revealed a moment from a team dinner at his house that perfectly sums up Cleaver's leadership. When asked who they were grateful for, a teammate pointed to the ace.
"One of the guys goes, 'I'm thankful for Ben Cleaver,'" Mingione recalled. "Because anytime I have a question about the schedule, my delivery, what's next... he just helps me. And he does it in a way where he doesn't make me feel stupid."
That sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how often just asking a question makes you feel dumb. To have a guy with that level of success takes the time to help an up-and-coming pitcher, that's awesome. That is the guy you want on the mound on Friday nights and in the clubhouse all year long.
Projected lineup
Based on fall practice and returning production, here is how the Cats could line up on Opening Day:
- 1. Luke Lawrence (2B): The table-setter.
- 2. Jace Tharnish (LF): The newcomer to watch. He hit over .400 and stole 30+ bases at St. Bonaventure.
- 3. Tyler Bell (SS): The superstar.
- 4. Carson Hansen (DH): The power bat. Expect him to clean up the bases Bell creates.
- 5. Tyler Cerny (3B): The Indiana transfer has been turning heads in camp.
- 6. Ryan Schwartz (RF): Mingione called him "just a baseball player." And that's exactly what he is.
- 7. Hudson Brown (1B): A steady hand returning from injury.
- 8. Scott Campbell Jr. (CF): Elite speed and defense in center.
- 9. Tagger Tyson (C). There is a battle between two talented transfers and an uber-talented freshman here. Alex Duffey and Owen Jenkins will also look to make a splash.
The good news is there is a lot of quality depth on this team, and in a weekend series that is key.
Matt Ponatoski is a wildcard
Keep an eye on freshman Matt Ponatoski. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio for football and baseball.
"The game has not told him that he should stop pitching. The game has not told him that he should stop hitting," Mingione said. "Let's do Shohei Ohtani."
Will Stein will be watching too, as Ponatoski looks to be the QB of the future for the Cats.
The Schedule: Circle These Dates
If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Kentucky plays 26 games against Preseason Top 25 teams.
Here are the dates you need to know:
- Feb 13-15: Opening Weekend @ UNC Greensboro
- Feb 17: Home Opener vs. Morehead State
- Mar 27-29: @ LSU (The defending champs. The ultimate road test.)
- Apr 17-19: vs. Vanderbilt (Always a grind.)
- May 1-3: vs. Tennessee (The biggest series of the year at Kentucky Proud Park.)
- May 14-16: vs. Arkansas (Closing the season against a titan.)
The goal is clear for Kentucky baseball
Ben Cleaver didn't mince words when asked about the expectations for this group.
“The goal is a national championship," Cleaver said. "And I think we’ve got everything we need to do that this year."
The pieces are there. The rotation is deep. The star power is real. The Alley Cats are ready to hunt.