Cats Gain Momentum in Wednesday Victory

The Kentucky baseball team suffered its first SEC series loss over the weekend, dropping two out of three games against Mississippi State in Starkville. It was the first time since the season’s opening weekend, when Kentucky was swept at No. 9 North Carolina, that the Wildcats had lost a series to any opponent.

Kentucky hits the road again this weekend, facing a Missouri team that was nationally-ranked earlier this season. The Tigers are 25-9 on the season, and 6-6 in conference play, so the Wildcats will be in for a challenging three games in Columbia.

Combined, those factors made a seemingly benign mid-week game against UT Martin on Wednesday much more important. After dropping the last two games at Mississippi State, Kentucky needed to gain some measure of momentum in their brief, one-game homestand before departing for Missouri on Thursday.

The Wildcats did just that in Wednesday’s game, riding a strong pitching performance from freshman Zack Thompson to an 8-0 win over the Skyhawks at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Thompson threw a career-high six and two-thirds innings, giving up no runs, and just five hits, while walking three and striking out a career-best eight hitters. He also threw a career-high 113 pitches in the game. 

It was just the type of effort that the Wildcats needed from their starter.

“I thought (his control) was a lot better, and one thing we challenged him with is to not worry about the corner so much and to be so fine,” Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione said following the game. “I thought he did a really good job with his tempo, I thought his body language was phenomenal and I thought he was able to land his curve ball for a strike.”

Thompson’s effort helped the Wildcats bounce back, as well as setting the stage for the weekend set at Missouri.

“This team doesn’t let bad plays or losses linger,” Mingione said. “We believe we are a premier team. This team, they don’t let the negative stuff stay with them. They’ve been able to move on. That’s why we were able to play so well tonight.”

Junior first baseman Evan White, who hit a three-run home run on Wednesday, his fourth of the season, agrees with his head coach.

“Before each game, we talk about how every game is the most important game of the season, on that day,” White said. “We came out tonight, ready to go, put a run up in the first, and that’s always a good sign. I think the fact that we talk about it before each game is important to us.”

Thompson echoed the thoughts of his head coach and White.

“We take every game very seriously,” Thompson said. “If we’re playing the number one team in the country or the worst team in the country, it doesn’t really matter to us. We just go out there and prepare the same every week and attack the other team.”

Thompson earned his third win of the season, against two losses, and dropped his ERA one full point in the process, from 5.46 to 4.46.

“I’ve been working on a lot, week after week, trying to get the command better,” Thompson said. “Every game, you want to work in, out, up, down, keep the hitters off balance.”

The weekend series at Missouri begins on Friday, with a 7:30 p.m. ET first pitch from Simmons Field in Columbia, Mo. Saturday’s second game is at 8 p.m. ET, with Sunday’s series finale beginning at 1 p.m. ET. And with Wednesday’s comfortable win, Kentucky will take positive vibes into the three-game set.