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Kentucky Softball Preview: Look Ahead to the Defense

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Kentucky Softball has some major weapons back on defense but also lost a huge piece of the puzzle in the off-season.

The 2024 season starts up in less than a week. Friday, February 9 is the big day when the Wildcats will show what they are made of. Kentucky will play five games in three days in San Diego, including three ranked matchups. The team has some defensive position question marks heading into opening day.

The ‘Cats lost star catcher Kayla Kowalik after last season. Kowalik held down home plate for Kentucky over her five-year career in the blue and white. The left-handed slapper was a force to be reckoned with on offense and defense. As a catcher, she could throw a batter attempting to steal first out from 84 feet away.

With Kowalik gone, the catching position for the ‘Cats has extremely high expectations. The next catcher will most likely be junior Illinois native Hallie Mitchell. The ambidextrous junior has already had some chances behind the plate, but very little compared to her predecessor.

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Although Mitchell is most likely to take on the role, time will tell who will be able to step up to the plate. The catching position remains the biggest question mark for the team with a new season coming up. As for the rest of the defense, the team brings back familiar faces.

Familiar Faces

Kentucky’s infield is full of returning players. Last season all of these returners started at their respective positions and kept getting better so hopefully that trend will continue into this upcoming year.

At first base, Meeko Harrison returns. Harrison, now in her final season with Kentucky, has started as the first baseman for the ‘Cats for the past few years. Harrison’s long frame and wide stride make it easy for her to reach those throws that may not make it all the way.

Coming back at second is junior Margaret Tobias. Tobias, who is a slapper on offense but throws out batters with her right hand on defense, has been a constant help. With 86 total putouts and a fielding percentage of .975 last season, Tobias has continued to improve her stats over the two seasons that she has been a Wildcat.

Another familiar face will be found at third base. Grace Lorsung, who transferred to Kentucky from Indiana State in 2023, started at third for the ‘Cats last season. After being voted to the First-Team All-Big Ten team in 2022 it was a fairly easy transition for the former Sycamore. The transition was easier for Lorsung since she would be joining childhood friend Erin Coffel.

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Last but definitely not least at shortstop is Erin Coffel. Coffel has been a star before she even stepped foot onto Kentucky’s campus. Out of high school, she was ranked No. 7 nationally and was one of the highest recruits that the ‘Cats had ever received. Coming into her final season as a Wildcat, Coffel has a putout average of 72 over her three previous seasons. The Indiana native’s average fielding percentage over three seasons is .937. It is safe to say that Coffel has the highest expectations out of all of Kentucky’s defenders, but that is what comes with the territory of being great.

Outfield Friendlies

Center field is arguably the hardest outfield position to play. Senior Wildcat Vanessa Nesby made it look easy last season. Nesby, who hails from California, has been one of the top, if not the top, outfield players on the team since she has been at Kentucky. Her numbers have improved each season and nothing less is expected from her this season.

Taylor Ebbs, a junior who exploded on the field last season could be found in right field this year. Not only was Ebbs a beast with her bat last season, but she also had some huge catches in the outfield to save the game for the Wildcats. Ebbs fielding percentage increased from .953 to .975 between her first and second seasons, and should continue to improve as she competes this season.

Left field has been questionable for the ‘Cats over the last few seasons. Fifth year Rylea Smith returns to wear the blue and white one more time. Smith has played left field for the team, but redshirt sophomore Jenna Blanton also jumped in on various occasions. Although both Smith and Blanton have experience in the position, there is a new name that has been brought to the table.

Delani Sullivan, a freshman from Georgetown, Kentucky, might see some time in left field. Sullivan has a strong connection to the team as her sister Kennedy Sullivan played for the ‘Cats last season. The left-handed slapper was named First-Team All-State for Kentucky in 2021 and her last name alone holds weight in the program already.

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It will be interesting to see who is in the position on opening day. After watching the past few seasons, one of the returning players will most likely start, but only time will tell who will secure the spot.

Overall, the team’s defensive core remains strong. Coffel alone will be a star but now that some of the other players are getting in their third and fourth years, this could turn out to be a big season for the Wildcats. It could also be a scary season for opponents.



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Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say

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Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say


MUHLENBERG, Ky. (WFIE) – Kentucky officials says there are multiple people injured in a three-car accident on Western Kentucky Parkway.

According to a post made by the Central City Fire Department, three vehicles were involved in a crash between the 64 and 65 mile markers eastbound of the parkway.

They say both the eastbound and westbound lanes are closed at this time. The closure should last around 3 hours.

Two people were extricated from a vehicle. Four adults and three juveniles are being taken to the hospital. No update has been given on their conditions.

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They say a mass casualty incident was declared, and Ohio County Fire and EMS were called to the scene due to the number of patients.

We will update you when we learn more.

Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say(Central City Fire Department)



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2027 top in-state prospect talks about his Kentucky unofficial visit on Tuesday

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2027 top in-state prospect talks about his Kentucky unofficial visit on Tuesday


Kentucky’s recruiting efforts in the 2026 class have hit a current rough patch, but things are looking promising in the 2027 class, as the staff has already casted a very wide net in the class, with a number of top targets in the fold. As they’re continuing to pursue mostly national targets, a local star is now on the staff’s radar.

2027 in-state guard Braxton Keathley, one of the state’s top prospects even regardless of class, took an unofficial visit to Kentucky on Tuesday for the game against NC Central. Keathley is native of Martin County, KY, and has took the state by storm as he has really stuffed the stat sheet. Just recently, he dropped a triple-double of 34 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds last weekend.

The Kentucky staff has certainly seemed to take notice really quickly. He’s also getting plenty of other interest, too, including having frequent contact with Louisville, LSU, Purdue, South Carolina, and Florida State, plus offers from Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Ohio, and Bowling Green, among others. Keathley sat down with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to talk about his recent visit to Kentucky. What were his impressions of the staff? He shared a conversation he had with them before Tuesday’s game. He also had some interactions with others, too.

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“They really talked about how well I scored it and how they’ve been hearing about me for a long time,” Keathley said of his conversation with the Kentucky staff. “One of the (Kentucky) assistants mentioned he had a coaching friend tell them that they better jump on me quick cause I was really good. I had several fans come up to me and take pictures. Jack Givens welcomed me and talked to me for a little bit and said he’s highly impressed with my game and plans on coming to a game soon. A couple of other UK players came up, they were really nice and said they been keeping up with me.”

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Braxton Keathley | Photo via Jessica Adkins

As a Kentucky kid, Keathley says he been a fan of the Wildcats since he was little, even getting to train with Tyrese Maxey this summer, and he also had some great things to say about what he saw from fellow Kentucky natives and current Wildcats Trent Noah, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno. “I looked up to players like Tyler Herro, SGA, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Malik Monk and Reed Sheppard. I got lucky that I got to train with Maxey for a week in August,” Keathley said. “I saw Trent Noah last night having great energy and keeping a smile on his face during warmups. You could tell he loved every minute wearing that Kentucky uniform. He cares and it shows. I saw Jasper and Moreno warming up hard. The one thing about it, and my dad always told me, it’s a different place. You got to be special to play there and be willing to accept everything that comes with wearing that jersey.”

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Interestingly enough, Keathley’s dad coached former Kentucky greats Anthony Epps and Wayne Turner after their time at Kentucky, so Keathley has a family history of being around all that comes with the passion of Kentucky basketball. What did Keathley’s dad learn about the two former Wildcats he got the privilege to coach? “He said they carried a chip on their shoulder and were great leaders always humble but tough. and I have to do the same.” Now, for Keathley, it’s about climbing the ranks nationally. “A couple (recruiting services) don’t have me ranked yet and that’s ok. I’m going to walk in the gym every night and know I outworked you and I’m going to outplay you,” he said. “I’m going to compete like every game is a championship. I’m going to to play with the same passion that the fans have. I’m always all in there’s no going back or in-between.”

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Keathley has so much passion for his community in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and he has plans of doing big things at Martin County. He also shared a message Trent Noah’s dad had for him during their interaction at Tuesday’s Kentucky game. “Something he said that really stuck out. ‘Us mountain people have got to stick together.’ He’s right, Eastern Kentucky has great people and basketball players. Kentucky basketball as whole, we got to stick together through the highs and lows. That’s what we do.”

That’s a great message from a parent of a current Wildcat who was in his shoes before, being a fellow native of that part of the state. The Kentucky staff is certainly going to keep an eye on him as he continues the impressive run he is on so far this season, because he just continues to catch more and more people’s attention with his play.



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Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduces legislation for U.S. to leave NATO – UPI.com

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Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduces legislation for U.S. to leave NATO – UPI.com


Dec. 10 (UPI) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican serving a House district in Kentucky, introduced legislation for the United States to pull out of NATO.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, posted on X that she would be a co-sponsor of the Not a Trusted Organization Act, or NATO Act. Utah Republican Mike Lee introduced the same legislation in the Senate earlier this year.

“NATO is a Cold War relic,” Massie said in a statement Tuesday. “We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries.

“NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over 30 years ago. Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars.”

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He added: “Our Constitution did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements, something our Founding Fathers explicitly warned us against. America should not be the world’s security blanket – especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense.”

NATO was founded in 1949 by 12 members as a military alliance involving European nations, as well as the U.S. and Canada in North America. There are now 32 members, with Finland joining in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.

The NATO Act would prevent the use of U.S. taxpayer funds for NATO’s common budgets, including its civil budget, military budget and the Security Investment Program.

Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty allows nations to opt out.

“After the Treaty has been in force for 20 years, any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of denunciation,” the treaty reads.

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During the last NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, President Donald Trump told reporters he agrees with NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense treaty.

“I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” Trump said. “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.”

Article 5 was invoked for the first time after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, leading to NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan.

The Kentucky Republican, who calls himself a “fiscal hawk” and a “constitutional conservative,” has been at odds with Trump on several issues, including fiscal spending, foreign policy/war powers, government surveillance and transparency.

Trump has also been critical of NATO.

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During his 2016 election campaign, Trump called the alliance “obsolete.”

He urged nations to spend at least 3.5% of gross domestic product on core defense needs by 2035.

In June, NATO allies agreed to a new defense spending guideline to invest 5% of GDP annually in defense and security by 2035.

Five nations were above 3% in 2024: Poland at 4.12%, Estonia at 3.43%, U.S. at 3.38%, Latvia at 3.15% and Greece at 3.08%. In last is Spain with 1.28% though Iceland has no armed forces and Sweden wasn’t listed.

Some Republican senators want stronger involvement in the alliance, including Joni Ernst of Iowa and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Wicker is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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For passage, a House majority is needed, but 60 of 100 votes in the Senate to break the filibuster and then a majority vote. Trump could also veto the bill.



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