Kentucky Baseball ever so slightly snuck into the NCAA Tournament after a subpar end to the regular season and a one-stop-shortcoming in the SEC Tournament. As one of the last four teams to make the cut, little was expected of the Bat Cats heading into the Morgantown Regional.
And against Wake Forest - one of the more high-scoring, home-run-reliant clubs in the field - Kentucky's tendency to get behind the needle with a bad inning on both sides of the ball was at risk of being exposed over in the West Virginia mountains.
And yet, after a slow start and in spite of a ton of chirping from both dugouts, the Wildcats beat out the Demon Deacons in their postseason opener to a final tune of 6-5.
As close as things were the whole way through, Nick Mingione and his Bat Cats can't ask for much more than being alive at this point. And, for the time, the Wildcats are very much breathing.
Kentucky Remains Alive
From three runs down to a one-run victory, it was the Cats' resilience that took them over the finish line. Now, Kentucky awaits the winner of No. 1 West Virginia and No. 4 Binghamton in the "1-0" game, sending Wake Forest (and their angry energy) to the bracket below.
VICTORY, KENTUCKY!!!!!!!!!!
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 29, 2026
F \ UK 6, Wake Forest 5 pic.twitter.com/EpbsJuhtXZ
Although Kentucky's bullpen has struggled to garner any sort of reliable consistency throughout the season, it was Jackson Soucie who retired the Demon Deacons in order in the bottom of the ninth inning.
While Kentucky's contingent of fans didn't dominate the crowd, enough of the Big Blue Nation made the trip east to cheer on their Bat Cats to a much needed win. Not only is the triumph a good sign of the team's momentum heading into the postseason, but it's a promising note on Nick Mingione's standing within the program.
Eyes Set Ahead
Of course though, one win and one win alone won't do it. It's a good feeling to bring home a "W" over a trash-talking opponent, but the Wildcats will (likely) have to look forward to a hardened West Virginia squad more than worthy of their full attention.
Extra special credit to Braxton Van Cleave for returning to the plate in this one and, mask and all, making an impact. The Bat Cats may not be back in full force, but the bunch was ready for their first challenge of the postseason today.
Day-by-day, fellas. The BBN has your back all the way.
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