The offseason is well underway, and it is now transitioning into AAU season. As coaches from across the country head to different events starting with the live period this weekend, you can find Mark Pope and the majority of his staff in Memphis for the first Nike EYBL event of the year.
Kentucky
Fight Like Wildcats: No. 4 Kentucky Rallies for Thrilling Victory
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Kentucky battled valiantly, overcoming significant adversity to rally for a thrilling 12-11, 10-inning victory at Condron Family Ballpark in Friday afternoon’s series opener. The teams return to the field Saturday at noon ET.
The game, which was moved up from a 6:30 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. start, was delayed 92 minutes before first pitch due to storms in the Gainesville area.
Down to its final out in the ninth inning, Nick Lopez and Mitchell Daly calmly drew walks before Ryan Nicholson unloaded on a 2-0 pitch, driving it off the top of the videoboard to give UK (36-10, 19-6 SEC) the lead. Florida tied it in its half of the ninth on three two-out singles before Lopez lined a three-run double into the corner with two out in the 10th. The Gators pulled with one on two solo home runs and had the tying run on first base with one out before Ryan Hagenow induced a double play to end the wild affair.
Nicholson homered twice and drove in five, as Lopez also did to lead the charge. Ryan Waldschmidt and Devin Burkes also each reached base three times in a return to their home state.
UK scored right out of the gate but Florida answered in its half of the first and took a 4-1 lead on a two-out home run by Colby Shelton in the third. After the Gators added a solo home run in the fourth, the Cats battled for a pair in the fifth to cut the deficit to two.
UK looked poised to tighten the gap even more in the seventh after the first two reached but a bizarre double caught stealing short-circuited the threat and allowed the Gators off the hook. Emilien Pitre broke for second on the play but Waldschmidt did not do the same for third, creating a logjam at second. Florida threw out Waldschmidt at third and then nabbed Pitre trying to scramble back to first.
The unusual lack of sharpness showed again in the bottom of the inning as the Cats dropped a two-out pop-up and failed to catch another in foul territory. A wild pitch then chased home a run after the inning should have been over.
The Cats rallied to tie the game at six in the eighth on Eli Small’s pinch hit double, his first hit since February 20, that chased James McCoy home from first. It took Florida two batters in its half of the inning to reclaim the lead after an infield single and double into the corner.
NOTES
- Kentucky now is 36-10 in 2024, 19-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
- Kentucky is 22-7 in day games.
- Kentucky is 3-1 in May.
- Kentucky is 10-3 in SEC road games.
- Kentucky’s 15 road wins are the most in program history.
- Its 10 SEC road wins also are the most in program history.
- Kentucky is 12-5 vs. ranked teams and 18-5 vs. Quad 1 opponents.
- Kentucky owns the most Quad 1 wins in Division I.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 252-160 career record.
- Mingione needs six victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
- UK is 43-42 in the month of May under Coach Mingione.
- Mingione now is 7-13 vs. Florida.
- Wildcats from the state of Florida include: Devin Burkes, Ty Crittenberger, Austin Fawley, Colby Frieda, James McCoy and Ryan Waldschmidt.
- Kentucky has 19 SEC wins for just the third time in school history.
-
-
- It is the second-most in school history (19, 2017).
- The school record for SEC wins belongs to the 2006 SEC Championship squad, who finished 20-10.
-
- Kentucky scored three runs each of the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, the 60th, 61st and 62nd time this season it has scored three or more in an inning.
- Junior INF Emilien Pitre extended his streak of games reaching base safely to 23.
- Graduate INF Nick Lopez went 2-for-2 with two runs, five RBI, two doubles and three walks.
- It was his 19th multi-hit game and 13th multi-RBI game of the season.
- He had a three-run double in the 10th
- He has 17 doubles on the season.
- Junior OF Ryan Waldschmidt went 3-for-6 with a run, a double and stolen base.
-
-
- He has a hit in 16 of his last 17 games.
- He has 19 steals on the season.
-
- Senior IF Ryan Nicholson went 2-for-5 with two runs, five RBI and two home runs.
- He hit a two-run shot in the eighth and three-run, two-out shot in the ninth.
- Junior C Devin Burkes went 0-for-3 with three runs, a walk and two HBP.
- Senior RHP Ryan Hagenow earned his second save.
ON DECK
Kentucky will face Florida at noon on Saturday. It will be televised on the SEC Network and radio coverage will be on the UK Sports Network.
On this date in history:
In 1792, 24 brokers met in New York City and formed the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1875, Aristides was the winner of the first Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
In 1943, the Memphis Belle became one of the first B-17 to complete 25 missions in World War II, securing the plane and crew’s reputations as rockstars. The plane was the subject of a documentary at the time and a film about the crew was made in 1990 starring Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz and Harry Connick Jr. Ten days after the 25th mission, the pilot, Capt. Robert K. Morgan and co-pilot, Capt. James Verinis, met the king and queen of England, to whom Morgan explained the origin of the plane’s name.
In 1954, in a major civil rights victory, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
In 1970, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl set sail from Morocco in a papyrus boat called the Ra II, modeled on drawings of ancient Egyptian sailing vessels. His mission was to prove his theory that ancient civilizations could have sailed to the Americas. He arrived in Barbados 57 days later.
In 1973, the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee opened hearings into a break-in at Democratic National headquarters in Washington.
File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI
In 1987, two Iraqi Exocet missiles hit the frigate USS Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 seamen. Iraq apologized for mistaking the ship’s identity and the Stark’s top officers were reprimanded and retired.
In 1989, 1 million people demonstrated for democratic reforms in Beijing. The number of students fasting to support the drive reached 3,000.
In 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his bid for re-election when voters chose Ehud Barak, head of the center-left Israel One coalition, to succeed him.
File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI
In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
In 2005, Los Angeles voters elected Antonio Villaraigosa as the city’s first Hispanic mayor since 1872.
In 2007, the United States’ “minority” citizenship topped the 100 million mark, about one-third of the total U.S. population, the U.S. Census Bureau said. Hispanics made up the largest group, ahead of Black Americans, 44.3 million to 40.2 million.
In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court banned the sentencing of a juvenile to life in prison for a non-homicide case, calling the practice unconstitutional, and cruel and unusual punishment.
In 2018, the Senate confirmed Gina Haspel to be the first female director of the CIA, ending weeks of speculation over whether her past role in using torture as an interrogation technique would derail her nomination.
In 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage.
In 2025, two people died after a Mexican navy training vessel crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The collision caused the ship’s three masts to snap.
File Photo by Dean Moses/UPI
As the clock winds down toward May 19, the recruitment of Miles Brown is entering the phase every SEC staff both loves and fears—the emotional stretch run. This is where relationships outweigh graphics. Where consistency matters more than hype. And where programs find out whether months of effort truly connected with one of the South’s premier defensive backs.
Brown, the electric four-star cornerback out of Martin, Tennessee, is set to announce his commitment with Rivals, choosing between the University of Kentucky, the University of Mississippi, the University of Louisville, and The University of Tennessee. But in the final days leading into the decision, Kentucky has positioned itself like a program determined to close strong.
The Wildcats’ presence in Martin throughout the spring evaluation period has not been accidental. Cornerbacks coach Allen Brown has made Brown a priority from the jump, first visiting on May 5 before returning the following week alongside defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. In recruiting, repeat visits this late in the process send a clear message: you are not simply wanted—you are viewed as a cornerstone. And when speaking with Brown, the foundation of Kentucky’s push became crystal clear.
“The relationships I have built with their staff and just the love they show on a day-to-day basis.”
That statement may be the most important quote of this recruitment. In today’s recruiting landscape, elite prospects are constantly evaluating more than football. They are studying energy. Authenticity. Development plans. Communication. Families want to know who will still be present when adversity hits. Brown’s comments suggest Kentucky has consistently answered those questions.
And from a pure football standpoint, it is easy to understand why the Wildcats — along with the rest of the finalists — continue pushing aggressively for his signature. Brown is built for modern SEC football. Long, instinctive, and explosive in transition, he brings the kind of multi-dimensional skill set defensive coordinators crave in today’s game. He has the frame to play physically at the line of scrimmage, the fluidity to survive in man coverage, and the ball skills of a wide receiver. That last trait is what jumps off the tape most. Brown does not simply defend passes. He attacks the football.
That mentality showed up throughout his sophomore season when he became one of Tennessee’s most dynamic two-way athletes. Offensively, he hauled in 54 receptions for 984 yards and 16 touchdowns. Defensively, he added 39 tackles and three interceptions while routinely changing momentum with his instincts and competitiveness. His state championship performance only elevated his national profile further, showing impact ability in all three phases of the game.
But what separates Brown from many highly ranked defensive backs is his understanding of development.
“I’m looking for a place where I can be developed and be the best version of myself.”
That answer reflects maturity beyond rankings and NIL chatter. Brown is focused on trajectory. He wants coaching. Structure. Accountability. The programs remaining in contention all offer different paths, but Kentucky’s staff has clearly emphasized long-term player development throughout the process.
Ole Miss continues to present itself as an aggressive SEC contender capable of producing defensive playmakers. Tennessee carries the natural home-state appeal and national momentum. Louisville remains firmly in the mix with strong relational ties. But Kentucky’s consistency late in the race feels significant.
The Wildcats are recruiting Brown like a future face of the secondary. As commitment day approaches, the final decision may ultimately come down to which program convinced Brown not only where he can play football but also where he can evolve into the best version of himself both on and off the field. That is the battle now unfolding behind the scenes. It is why May 19 suddenly feels like one of the most important recruiting dates in the region this spring, especially for Kentucky!
Featuring plenty of the class of 2027 and 2028’s top prospects, Coach Pope, Mo Williams, and Cody Fueger are trying to get some closer looks at the players they should focus on heading into another high school recruiting cycle.
Players that the staff watched on Friday include:
- ‘27 forward, CJ Rosser
- ‘27 guard, King Gibson
- ‘27 forward, Marcus Spears Jr.
- ‘27 guard, Ryan Hampton
- 27 guard, Beckham Black
- ‘27 wing Gabe Nesmith
- ‘27 guard, Chase Lumpkin
- ‘27 center, Paul Osaruyi
Plenty of names to keep up with as more names will likely emerge as the summer rolls on. Should be interesting to watch how the staff approaches this year’s recruiting cycle compared to the last.
This would have been fun.
A look at some of Kentucky’s newest football offers.
A familiar face heads to South Carolina.
Oweh continues to dominate.
Kerr will try to turn the Warriors back around.
Not a ton of rookie QB’s will get looks this season it seems.
It will be a low-scoring tourney in Philly.
-
News19 minutes agoBus riders to Montgomery retrace old steps while fighting a new fight
-
New York2 hours agoVideo: Debris Falls Onto Car on Busy New York City Highway
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoLong Beach to hold new pride festival after previous one canceled
-
Videos2 hours agoDoes a Labour leadership race mean another UK Brexit debate? | BBC Newscast
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago4 Reasons Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Schedule Is Very Promising
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoWhere to watch San Francisco Giants vs Athletics : TV channel, start time, streaming for May 17
-
Dallas, TX3 hours ago4 New Dallas Cowboys Players Who Could Make or Break the 2026 Season
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoMiami residents sue Trump over planned presidential library
