Are You Jelkin Me?! Jaxon Jelkin Delivers Complete Game Masterpiece
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jaxon Jelkin saddled up and put Kentucky on his back in a weather-delayed complete game masterpiece, delivering a 4-2 victory over No. 13 Florida at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday night.
UK improved to 30-17 overall and 12-14 in the Southeastern Conference.
Facing what felt like a nearly must-win game and a four-hour delay as intermittent rain pounded the Florida swampland, Jelkin struck out the side in the first inning and never looked back. He struck out a career-high 12 in his second consecutive complete game. In his past two games he has struck out 23 and walked one in 17 innings.
The Cats strung together three hits to open the game and put up two runs on Florida starter Liam Peterson. UK led 4-0 entering the seventh before a solo home run cut the lead to three. Having seen a five-run lead disappear in the eighth inning a night earlier the Cats were hoping to skip the drama on Saturday.
But nothing would come easy as Jelkin went back out for the ninth. After a leadoff flyout, a flare found grass in no man’s land behind first base in front of a walk and single that loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly made it 4-2 before the game appeared over on a dribbler in the infield before the original out call was overturned on replay. With the bases loaded UK coach Nick Mingione considered removing his pitcher but Jelkin told him to stay put in the dugout and the right-hander induced an infield pop out for the final out.
NOTES
- Kentucky is 30-17 on the season, 12-14 in SEC play.
- UK is 11-11 on the road in 2026.
- UK is 5-6 vs. Top 25 opponents.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his 10th season at the helm and now owns a 323-209 career record.
- Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
- Mingione is 125-138 in SEC games.
- He is 52-82 in SEC road games in his career.
- Mingione now is 9-16 vs. Florida.
- The game was delayed four hours and 15 minutes by inclement weather.
- That’s a two-day total of seven hours and 15 minutes.
- The Cats ensured they would continue their streak of not being swept this season.
- IF Luke Lawrence went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run.
- He has 126 hits in his two-year career, moving him into 45th place on the all-time chart.
- He has reached safely in 49 of his past 50 games.
- He has back-to-back multi-RBI games and five in the series.
- He has 20 multi-hit games this season and 41 at Kentucky.
- IF Tyler Bell He has reached safely in 84 of 88 career games.
- He had two hits and now has 12 multi-hit games this season and 29 in his career.
- He has 106 career hits, moving him into a tie 60th on the all-time career list.
- IF Caeden Cloud went 1-for-4 with a solo home run.
- He lined his fourth home run of the season to the left field berm.
- OF Jayce Tharnish has a hit in 21 of his past 23 games.
- He has reached safely in 25 consecutive games.
- RHP Jaxon Jelkin threw a complete game: 9 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 12 K
- It is his second consecutive complete game.
- He is the first UK pitcher to throw a complete game at Florida since Zack Thompson in 2019.
- The strikeout total is a career high.
- He had 10+ strikeouts for the second straight outing and fourth time this season.
- He’s the first UK pitcher to strike out 12 or more batters since Nic McCay at Tennessee last season, which earned him National Pitcher of the Week honors.
- His last two starts, both vs. ranked opponents: 18.0 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 23 K
- He has pitched at least 8.0 innings in three of his past four starts and five of the past seven.
ON DECK
UK faces Florida again Sunday at 10 a.m. ET. The game will air on the SEC Network and can be heard on the UK Sports Network.
