• SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2022)
• Second-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference (2021)
• Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week (2021)
• Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2018)

2022

Appeared in nine games with two starts before Tommy John surgery on his elbow prematurely ended his season in early April…Was 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA and a save in 29.0 innings…Opponents batted a paltry .225…Lefties batted .213…Did not allow a run in non-conference games (15.1 IP)…Had a 0.79 ERA in home outings…Was outstanding in his last outing, allowing just two run in 6.1 IP vs. eventual national champion Ole Miss.

2021 SUMMER
Pitched for the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League…Made seven appearances, including four starts…Went 2-1 in 21.1 innings, allowing 20 hits and striking out 19…After a rusty first outing he pitched to a 3.93 ERA as he settled back into rhythm.

PRIOR TO KENTUCKY
Pitched in parts of four seasons at nearby Eastern Kentucky University…Appeared in 62 games with 18 starting assignments…Went 6-10 with a 4.91 overall ERA but that dropped to 3.70 over 129 innings after his freshman season in 2018…Has struck out 184 batters and walked just 89 in 163.0 innings…Opponents have not hit better than .241 against him the past three seasons.

2021 (EASTERN KENTUCKY)
Named Second team All-Ohio Valley Conference…Started 13 games and made a total of 15 appearances…Went 3-8 with a 4.10 ERA…Struck out 92 in 83.1 innings…Walked 30 batters…Held opponents to a .238 average…Ranked second in the OVC in strikeouts, second in innings pitched, ninth in opposing batting average and 10th in ERA…Was at his best over the final eight of his 13 starts, posting a 3-3 record with a 2.41 ERA and 62 strike outs in 56.0 IP…Allowed just 15 earned runs and 15 walks during that time and limited batters to a .204 average…Had six quality starts over that period…Allowed two runs in five innings at No. 15 Georgia Tech (2/19)…Pitched 8.1 innings, allowed one run and struck out seven against Austin Peay (4/3)…Struck out nine over eight shutout innings against Jacksonville State (4/16)…Had 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings at Murray State (4/23)…Earned OVC Pitcher of the Week honors after allowing just one unearned run on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts in eight innings against Belmont (5/14)…Struck out a career-best 11 hitters and allowed two runs in seven innings against North Dakota State (5/21).

2020 (EASTERN KENTUCKY)
Appeared in five games…Went 1-0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA over six innings of work…Struck out 10 and walked four…Allowed just five hits…Pitched one inning of scoreless relief in EKU’s 2-0 Friday night win at No. 11 LSU (2/21)…Earned the save after striking out three in one inning against Siena College (2/28).

2019 (EASTERN KENTUCKY)
Made 24 appearances…Had a 2-1 record with three saves and a 3.40 ERA…Struck out 48 batters in 39 and two-thirds innings…Opponents had a .241 batting average against him…Earned the save while striking out five in three innings against Maryland Eastern Shore (2/23)…Struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief against Miami (3/20)…Earned the win after tossing three hitless innings and striking out four against Tennessee-Martin (3/24)…Had four strikeouts in two innings and picked up the save at Southeast Missouri (5/12)…Earned a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

2018 (EASTERN KENTUCKY)
Appeared in 18 games and started in five…Struck out 34 batters over 34 innings pitched…Threw four innings, allowing two hits and striking out two batters against Louisville (2/20)…Struck out a career-high six batters over 4.1 innings pitched against Xavier (4/3).

2017 (EASTERN KENTUCKY)
Redshirted.

PERSONAL/HIGH SCHOOL
Full name is Darren Cole Williams…Hometown is Maysville, Ky. … Son of Troy and Goldie Williams…Mom attended Kentucky as well…Has younger brother, Caleb…Working on graduate certificate in High Performance Coaching…Played all four years at Mason County (Ky.) High School…Part of the 2014 squad that went 21-8…Also played basketball and was part of the 2016 10^th Region championship team.