They Said UK peaked in Omaha, but Nick Mingione reloaded with 3 top-100 freshmen

If you listen to rivals like Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky was a flash in the pan that peaked in Omaha. Never mind getting back to a regional final in 2025, or the fact that they split the series with Louisville and took two of three from the Vols in Knoxville.

They keep wanting to write Kentucky off, and the Cats keep clawing back. This year, they have a historic recruiting class featuring three players ranked in the top 100 freshmen in the country.

Perfect Game USA Tabs Caeden Cloud, Owen Jenkins, and Braxton Van Cleave for Top 100 List

With spring practice starting yesterday, baseball publications are firing off their preseason rankings. Perfect Game USA released their list of the top 100 freshmen in the country, and three Wildcats: Caeden Cloud, Owen Jenkins, and Braxton Van Cleave found their way onto that exclusive list.

• Owen Jenkins (C/UTIL): The Versailles native is a top-30 national player and was rated the highest catcher in the country out of high school. Perfect Game gave him a 10/10 grade, predicting him as a potential very high draft pick or elite-level college prospect. He is listed as a utility guy, meaning he may play DH or other positions to get his bat in the lineup when he isn't catching.
• Caeden Cloud (INF): An infielder from Missouri, Cloud was the second-ranked player in his state. Perfect Game gave him a 9/10, projecting him as a potential top-10 round pick and highest-level college prospect.
• Braxton Van Cleave (OF): An outfielder who finished high school as a top-300 player nationally. He received an 8.5 grade, projecting him as a potential draft pick and excellent college prospect.

The returning star: Tyler Bell

That list doesn't even count the 13th-best freshman in the country from last year, Tyler Bell, who is back for his sophomore season. To put it simply: the man can rake.

Bell’s Freshman Resume:

• Freshman All-America First Team (D1Baseball, NCBWA), SEC All-Freshman Team, USA Baseball Collegiate National Team member.
• He played in 56 games and reached base safely in 54 of them, including his first 27 career games.
• Hit .296 with a team-high 46 RBI, 17 doubles, and 10 homers.
• He was the only Wildcat to hit over .300 in SEC play (.318) and recorded 14 two-out RBIs.

Kentucky's pitching needs to take a major step forward, but if they do, this lineup has the potential to be dangerous.

Kentucky baseball starts the season in the top 20

The "Bat Cats" will start the season ranked 18th in the D1Baseball poll.

While preseason rankings fluctuate, there are about five major polls, and the consensus is that the Cats return enough talent to be a threat. Last season, Mingione said if he could keep the talent together, they could be a top-10 team. They didn't quite make that cut, but there is plenty of momentum heading that way.

The Cats open the season on the road in Greensboro, N.C., for a weekend series starting Feb. 13, before their home opener against Morehead State on Feb. 17.