No. 1 seed Kentucky defeated No. 3 seed Illinois 6-1 on Saturday, putting itself in control of the Lexington Regional.
Right-handed Trey Pooser continued its stellar final streak of the season Saturday, allowing just one earned run with seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Since April 26, Pooser has a 3.08 ERA in 35 1/3 innings pitched.
Ryan Waldschmidt dominated at the plate, going 3-5 with an RBI double and a two-run home run. The left fielder, who continues to show shades of Kentucky legend Collin Cowgill, continues to establish himself as one of the most talented in program history.
Kentucky’s win over Illinois on Saturday marked its first in the second regional game in the Nick Mingione era. The Cats were 0-2 in their previous two games (2017 and 2023).
“I told Christen it took me four tries: ’06, ’17, ’23 and ’24,” Nick Mingione said after the game. “It took me four tries. I am happy. Just another thing we’ve never done before. There’s obviously still a lot of baseball left.
This is only the second time in program history that Kentucky has won its first two NCAA Tournament games (1988, 2024).
The Cats will now wait until Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST, where they will face the winner of Indiana State/Illinois (who play Sunday at noon EST). With a Kentucky victory, it would win the Lexington Regional in just three games. In the event of a defeat, the Lexington regional championship would take place on Monday.
Players of the game:
- RHP Trey Pooser: Pooser pitched seven one-run innings, striking out seven en route to his sixth win of the season.
- LF Ryan Waldschmidt: Waldschmidt continued his dominant play, going 3-5 at the plate with an RBI double and a two-run homer.
- 1B Ryan Nicholson: Nicholson hit a two-run homer in the second, his 19th of the season.
Nicholson’s long ball gives the Cats the lead
Illinois shocked everyone by starting left-handed pitcher Payton Hutchings (7.99 ERA) against left-handed ace Cooper Omans (3.73 ERA), but Hutchings kept the Cats scoreless in the first. Kentucky starting right-hander Trey Pooser also kept the Illini scoreless in the first, bringing the Wildcats’ offense back to bat in the top of the second.
Mitch Daly started the inning with a hit by pitch, his 12th of the season. This brought the powerful first baseman Ryan Nicholsonwho went 1-5 at the plate in Kentucky’s game against Western Michigan on Friday.
Nicholson hit a two-run homer to deep left field, giving the Cats an early two-run lead. His second-inning long ball marked his 19th of the season, which ties the most hits in a season by a Kentucky player in the Nick Mingione era (Kole Cottam — 2018).
“I felt like we gave ourselves a little bit of a break,” Nicholson said after the game. “Obviously, I just set the tone from the start. Really, from that it was obviously great, but obviously there was a lot to play with for the rest.
Illini responds fourth
Pooser was cruising until the fourth inning, where he encountered his first troubles of the day.
After forcing two quick outs, Pooser gave up a two-out single to Jacob Schroeder. Schroeder took second on a passed ball, putting a runner in scoring position for the Illini. They took advantage of the free base, as Brody Harding lifted an RBI single to right center field to score Illinois’ first run of the game.
Pooser, however, struck out Coltin Quagliano to get out of the inning, bringing the Cats back to bat.
Kentucky responded quickly, as James McCoy hit a double off the right-center field fence to put a runner on second with one out in the inning. Ryan Waldschmidt continued to deliver for the Cats as he has all season, delivering an RBI double down the left field line to put Kentucky back in the lead.
The Cats led 3-1 at five. They loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but James McCoy struck out to end a potential big inning.
Cats attach their leashes
Pooser held the Illini at bay for six innings, allowing the Cats to take a lead in the top of the seventh.
Grant Smith started the inning with a hard-hit ball by Illinois’ Coltin Quagliano at third, which he managed to beat out for a single. He was followed by Ryan Waldschmidt, who continued to do Ryan Waldschmidt things. A Waldschmidt single to right field allowed Smith to take third, putting runners on the corners with no outs.
Emilien Pitre converted for the Cats, setting up on a fielder’s pick to score Smith from third. However, he was caught in a double play to end the inning on a Devin Burkes flyout, providing another missed opportunity for Kentucky to extend its lead.
Waldschmidt powers Kentucky to victory
Pooser opened the seventh inning with a hit and a walk, but rebounded to force a double play and a flyout to right field to end the seventh inning and his day.
The Charleston transfer was outstanding for the Cats, allowing just five hits and one earned run with seven strikeouts in seven innings. Moving Pooser from the bullpen to the rotation was Nick Mingione’s best move of the season.
“Yeah, I felt like I filled the zone,” Pooser said after the game. “I was trying to get ahead as much as possible, and the fastball changeup combo was working really well today. I didn’t really feel my curveball, but the fastball changeup really came into play today.
Right-handed Ryan Hagenow entered in the eighth and held the Illini scoreless, bringing Kentucky back to bat in the ninth with a chance to increase its lead. that’s what happened.
After Grant Smith led off the inning with a walk, Ryan Waldschmidt put the Illini in the dirt. Waldy hit a 444-foot two-run homer to left center field, propelling the Cats to a five-run lead.
“(Waldschmidt), in a lot of ways I feel like two totally different hitters, but I feel like him when we had Evan White“, Nick Mingione said after the game. “When Evan White came into the game, you knew something good was going to happen. You never Evan was never out of the bat; Waldy was never out of harm’s way. He’s special.
Hagenow returned to the mound in the ninth and sat the Illini on four batters to solidify the victory.
Victory, Cayts.
What’s next for Kentucky?
Kentucky will face the winner of Indiana State/Illinois (who play Sunday at noon EST) Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. EST.