The dirt from the mound runs through Gary Henderson’s veins. The powder from the rosin bag still builds up beneath fingernails.

If there is one thing Henderson knows better than anything else, it’s pitching. It’s in his blood. It’s his forte and his love. It’s also what likely broke his heart in his first season as head baseball coach of the Kentucky program.

Henderson took over the reins of the program last season after a long and successful career as a pitching coach. In his first season as skipper, Henderson’s squad walked a fine line between potential breakthrough and disappointment.