Kentucky baseball’s season closes and now the waiting begins
Six long days.
That’s how long the Kentucky baseball team will wait, scoreboard-watching and refreshing bracketology pages, to see if their rollercoaster season earns them an NCAA Tournament berth. And after a 5–1 loss to Oklahoma capped off a four-game losing streak, the Wildcats aren’t in control of their own destiny anymore.
They were once.
Kentucky led in 28 of 31 SEC games at one point this season. That’s not a typo. But the final record? Just 13 SEC wins. That kind of collapse doesn’t just sting—it haunts.
The offense had flashes of brilliance. Tyler Bell (.311, 10 HR, 46 RBI) and Cole Hage (.322, 12 HR, 39 RBI) led a group that could turn it on in bunches. But in conference play, the bats ran hot and cold—mostly cold. Kentucky finished 12th in the SEC in batting average during league games, hitting just .257. Despite ranking near the top nationally in hit-by-pitches (87), they managed only 260 hits in SEC contests.
And the pitching? It never found the consistency needed to support even their occasional offensive surges. Kentucky’s SEC ERA sat at 5.74—11th in the league. Ben Cleaver was a bright spot with a 3.39 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 77 innings, but too often, strong starts were undone by bullpen breakdowns or games that unraveled late.
It was a season of almosts. Almost enough hitting. Almost enough pitching. Almost enough wins.
Standouts weren’t enough to offset team inconsistencies
Kentucky had individual pieces that shined. Hage and Bell were dangerous all season. Luke Lawrence (.288, 35 RBI), Patrick Herrera (.297), and James McCoy (.290) added depth to the lineup. On the mound, Nic McCay (5–0, 4.37 ERA) and Nate Harris (4–2, 4.72 ERA) were reliable.
But no matter how many individual stats you point to, it comes back to the team struggles.
Defensively, the Wildcats were solid with a .978 fielding percentage and 28 double plays turned. They stole 120 bases, ranking near the top of the SEC. But in tight games, it was often the lack of clutch pitching or a timely hit that did them in.
On the bubble: Tournament hopes hang in limbo
Before the loss to Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament, bracketologists like JustBaseball and On3 projected Kentucky as a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. But four straight losses have put the Wildcats squarely on the bubble again.
They’re not alone. Teams across the SEC and the country will jostle for the final at-large spots this week. For Kentucky, the hope lies in their full body of work—solid RPI, tough schedule, and flashes of real potential.
It’s eerily similar to what happened with the Kentucky softball team, who also ended their season with a whimper and an early SEC Tournament exit, only to wait on Selection Sunday. For Big Blue Nation, déjà vu isn’t comforting.
What’s next?
The NCAA Baseball Selection Show airs on Monday, May 27. Until then, Kentucky must hope that the committee values their strength of schedule, road wins, and competitive play in the deepest baseball conference in America.
They led in 28 of 31 SEC games. That has to count for something, right?
We'll see.