Wildcats baseball loads up: Transfer portal class shoots UK to no. 3 in the nation
Kentucky baseball has completely overhauled its roster through the transfer portal, making seismic moves that have rocketed the Wildcats to No. 3 in the latest 64analytics Top Team rankings. Only Georgia and South Carolina stand above them/ UK’s beast of a haul screams “we’re here to win now.”
Here's the breakdown of each incoming impact player:
🎯 Pitching reinforcements
RHP Jack Bennett (WKU)
A Kentucky native from Paducah, Bennett went 7-1 with a 3.13 ERA over 63 innings, striking out 49 batters while appearing in 14 games in 2025.
Awards:
2025 ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Second Team
2025 All-Conference USA Second Team
2025 College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year Midseason Watch List
2025 Perfect Game USA Midseason All-American Third Team
RHP Burkley Bounds (EKU)
As a true freshman from Lexington in 2025, Bounds logged 41 innings across 18 appearances (2 starts), going 2–0 with a 4.17 ERA and 39 Ks.
RHP Kaden Echeman (NKU)
Over 2025 with NKU, Echeman was 3–3 with a 4.34 ERA, 87 strikeouts in 56 innings.
RHP Connor Mattison (GCU)
At Grand Canyon, Mattison logged 41 strikeouts with a 5.40 ERA and a 2-1 record over 2025 in 11 appearances.
RHP Ryan Mullan (LMU)
A reliable reliever, he posted a 3.77 ERA over 45.1 innings with a 4–2 record, ranking seventh nationally in appearances in 2024.
RHP Bryson Treichel (UNF)
Freshman season at North Florida saw him strike out 74 batters in 61.2 innings (4–5, 5.25 ERA) and earn ASUN Freshman All‑Team honors
🔋 Bowie behind the plate
C Alex Duffey (Elon)
Duffey delivered a potent .344/.463/.479 slash with 13 doubles, 4 homers, 54 RBI in 2025, earning Second Team All‑CAA honors.
A Look at Infield Depth
INF Tyler Cerny (Indiana)
A swingman at both second base and shortstop, Cerny slashed .281/.903 OPS with 10 homers, 14 doubles, 32 RBI and 53 runs over 55 games.
Building on history
With a 2025 appearance in the Clemson regional, this season marked the first time in program history with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. That consistency now meets an injection of talent especially in the pitching department where it will be sorely needed.
Pitching Depth & Talent – Six new righty arms, from weekend starters to multi‑inning relievers, give coach Nick Mingione’s staff much needed flexibility. As last year the bullpen was a weak spot giving up several late leads, including blowing 2 5 run leads in a loss to West Virigina.
Offensive Reinforcement – Cerny’s pop, Duffey’s savvy catching, and lineup versatility balance UK’s offensive profile.
Program Momentum – Getting everything going after keeping the core young players is key to continue building a program that threatens every year.
Looking ahead
The mix of experience, local talent (like Bennett and Bounds), and power arms set UK up for a deep postseason run. Mingione was already talking like next year could be a special season, which you can read more about here. Now it looks like he can add more bullet points to that speech.