Campbell Takes Advantage of Opportunity in Saturday Win

Big things were expected from Kentucky baseball senior Scott Campbell Jr. this season. He was named a preseason All-American after having a big season at USC Upstate last year.

After a solid start to the 2026 campaign, Campbell hit a rough patch and was removed from the starting lineup. However, he continued to keep himself ready when an opportunity provided itself.

That moment came on Saturday in Kentucky’s 9-2 win over Missouri at Kentucky Proud Park. Campbell got his first start since March 13 and he took full advantage of the chance.

In the bottom of the third inning, Campbell came to the plate with the bases loaded. And for the second time this season, Campbell hit a grand slam, extending the UK lead to 8-0.

Then, in the top of the sixth inning, Missouri appeared poised for a big rally. With one out and runners on the corners, MU’s Eric Maisonet hit a fly ball to Campbell in left field. Campbell caught the ball, then fired home to catch Tagger Tyson, who put the tag on Peyton Basler to complete the double play.

Campbell was asked after the game if he was happier with the grand slam or throwing out the runner, and he did not hesitate with his answer.

“Probably throwing the guy out,” Campbell said. “It’s a windy day, so I got the ball in the air on the grand slam. But, throwing him out, I work on that, take a lot of pride in that, so that was good for me.”

Campbell knew that it was important for him to be ready when given another opportunity, and he has continued to work at his craft.

“I’ve been around baseball a long time,” Campbell said. “There’s going to be times where you kind of lose it a little bit, somebody else needs to go in there because we’ve got to win. It wasn’t something I really disagreed with, me coming off of there for a little bit. It’s just something where you’ve just got to stay ready. You’ve just got to keep working, making sure you’re staying healthy, knowing that you’ll get a shot. So, I’m just staying ready.”

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione was excited to see good things happen for Campbell on Saturday.

“Super happy for Scott Campbell Jr.,” Mingione said. “He’s been an unbelievable teammate the entire time. Coach (Chase) Slone has a saying that the game rewards those who play it the right way. And (Campbell) has just been unbelievable. Continue to work, continue to watch video, continue to try to get better. For him to have that moment, that was super special because he definitely deserved it.”

Campbell kept himself ready to play, and when he was given the chance on Saturday, he made the most of it.