Cats Start Season in Style with Big First Inning

Opening the season at home for the first time since 1983, the Kentucky baseball team made the most of the opportunity. And they wasted little time in doing so.

Freshman pitcher Ryan Hagenow, one of the highest-rated recruits to ever come to Kentucky, opened the season on the mound for the Cats against Miami (Ohio). And he started in nearly perfect fashion. Hagenow got leadoff hitter Cristian Tejada to strike out looking. Hagenow then struck out Brian Zapp swinging. Then he struck out Will Vogelgesang swinging.

UK head coach Nick Mingione was impressed with Hagenow’s start.

“You can’t draw up a better first,” Mingione said. “First game, first inning: strikeout, strikeout, strikeout.”

Mingione thought Hagenow’s start also sparked the team’s offense.

“He set the tempo,” Mingione said. “I thought by him doing that and how fast he worked, it set the tempo for our offense.”

After watching their freshman standout mow down Miami on just 12 pitches, the Wildcats wasted little time in giving him some run support.

Austin Schultz got things going with a single up the middle. Two batters later, senior T.J. Collett hit a long home run to straight away center field to give the Cats a 2-0 lead.

Oraj Anu followed Collett’s bomb with one of his own, clearing the wall in right center field to give Kentucky a 3-0 advantage. And with two outs in the inning, Cam Hill hit the third UK home run of the inning, this one over the left-center field wall, giving Kentucky a 4-0 lead.

Turns out that those four runs would be all that the Cats would need as they earned a 5-1 win over Miami on Tuesday at Kentucky Proud Park. But it all started with that big first inning.

“How about that first inning?” Mingione said. “Three strikeouts, three homers. Awesome.”

Hagenow (1-0) more than lived up to the lofty expectations in his first UK outing. He threw 58 pitches over the course of four innings. He allowed just one hit, did not walk anyone and struck out six of the 15 batters he faced. Mingione was impressed with his freshman’s first effort.

“Ryan Hagenow was special. He was everything we thought he’d be,” Mingione said. “Happy for him. First game of the year. Freshmen usually have the opportunity to watch a game or two. He didn’t have that opportunity but he was really special today.”

Mingione knows that Hagenow has limitless potential.

“He threw three pitches for strikes. When he’s doing that, he’s really hard to hit because you can’t sit on a pitch,” Mingione said. “He’s extremely talented. The sky’s the limit for Ryan Hagenow.”

The home opener was a long time coming, but Mingione was thankful to have it.

“The last time we opened up at home, I was five years old. That tells you how long that’s been,” Mingione said. “What a great crowd, just so thankful for the people to come out because two days ago, there was ice on this field.”

From Hagenow’s outstanding start to the offensive explosion in the first inning, it was a great start to the 2021 season for the Cats.