Hogan’s Alley: Kentucky Staves Off Upset Bid Behind Robert Hogan, Offense

Whatever you say about the 2024 Kentucky Wildcats don’t say they are boring.

The Wildcats (41-14) raced out to an 8-0 lead, saw most of its edge wiped out in a flurry of infield hits and weak contact then stabilized behind pitcher Robert Hogan’s 3.1 scoreless innings, including leaving the bases loaded to end the game, as Kentucky edged Western Michigan 10-8 in the opener of the Lexington Regional in front of 5,861 fans at Kentucky Proud Park.

UK now will face the winner of Illinois and Indiana State at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.

Hogan and the Cats bent but refused to break. The junior from Minnesota closed the door with gutsy relief work to earn his first save in blue. Much like Hogan, reliever Cameron O’Brien also extricated the Cats from a dicey situation in minimal fashion as the team made an early lead hold up.

UK scored in each of the first five innings, including a four spot in the fourth. James McCoy lined a two-run home run inside the right field foul pole and later delivered an RBI double to lead an attack that saw seven players drive in a run, three steal a base, four deliver sacrifices and three draw a HBP.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 41-14 in 2024.
• Kentucky is 25-11 in day games.
• Kentucky is 8-5 in May.
• Kentucky scored four runs in the third inning, the 70^th time this season it has scored three or more in an inning.
• Kentucky is 35-2 this season when scoring at least six runs.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 257-164 career record.
• Mingione needs two victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
• UK is 9-6 in the NCAA Tournament under Mingione.
  • UK is 9-2 in NCAA Regional action.
• UK is 48-46 in the month of May under Coach Mingione.
• Junior Ryan Waldschmidt stole his 24^th base this season to tie for the team lead.
• Junior Emilien Pitre extended his streak of games reaching base safely to 32.
  • He had two hits to give him 22 multi-hit games this season and 40 career.
• Graduate Nick Lopez hit his 21^st double of the season is the third-most in the Mingione era.
• Redshirt Sophomore James McCoy went 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI, a double, a home run and an HBP.
  • He hit his sixth home run of the season.
  • He now has eight multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games this season.
• Redshirt Junior Devin Burkes went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and a stolen base.
  • He has 12 multi-hit games this season and 32 career.
• Junior Robert Hogan threw 3.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out a pair.
  • He earned his first save in blue.

ON DECK

Kentucky will face the winner of Indiana State and Illinois on Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET.