Kentucky
Kentucky Races Past Lipscomb to Sweep Series
Kentucky baseball earned its second series sweep of the season, defeating Lipscomb 9-1 under a sunny sky at Kentucky Proud Park.
The Wildcats (10-1, 0-0 SEC) now have swept the first two three-game series of the season for just the second time since Head Coach Nick Mingione took over in 2017. Additionally, the program’s 10-1 start to 2024 ties the second-best mark in the Mingione Era, matching the mark set by the 2022 team and only trailing the 12-1 start by the 2018 squad.
Offensively, the Wildcats clubbed a season-high 16 hits, led by a trio of three-hit games from Ryan Waldschmidt, Émilien Pitre, and Patrick Herrera. Kentucky scored five of its eight plate appearances, including multiple runs in the second (two) and seventh (four) innings.
Mason Moore started Sunday’s contest and earned his second win of the season, pitching five solid innings while only allowing three hits, one run, and two walks, The Morehead, Kentucky native also struck out seven Bison batters, tying his career high. The Kentucky bullpen held strong once again, as Evan Byers, Cameron O’Brien, and Colby Frieda combined for six strikeouts over four scoreless innings. The Wildcat relivers are currently on an 18-inning scoreless streak, dating to February 25.
The two teams began the game by trading scoreless frames, as the Wildcats were able to escape an early jam after catcher Devin Burkes threw out his second runner of the season. The Wildcats would then score a pair in the second on RBI singles from Grant Smith and Waldschmidt. The Wildcats would extend their lead in the third as a ground ball allowed Herrera, who led off the inning with a double, to score. After a triple in the first at-bat of his career, Kyuss Gargett would score the game’s fourth run on a Pitre RBI single.
Lipscomb (3-8, 0-0 ASUN) would score its only run in the game on a fifth-inning home run, but the Wildcats would soon respond, taking a 5-1 lead in the sixth after Pitre smashed his second RBI of the game to score Waldschmidt. In the seventh, Kentucky would put the game out of hand, hanging four runs on the Bison bullpen. A failed pickoff allowed Ethan Hindle to score the first run of his career, before Waldschmidt clubbed a 418-foot home run to left field, his first of the season. Pitre would follow with a triple, and scored on an RBI single from Herrera, bringing the game to its resting score of 9-1.
Next week, the Wildcats will continue their eight-game stretch against members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, facing Eastern Kentucky in a home-and-home midweek series before hosting Kennesaw State for a three-game set at Kentucky Proud Park.
NOTES
- Kentucky now is 10-1 in 2024.
- The Wildcats are 5-0 at Kentucky Proud Park.
- Kentucky is 10-1 in day games.
- This matches the program’s second-best start under Mingione, tying the 10-1 mark set by the 2022 squad.
- It is only second to 2018, where the team began the season 12-1.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 226-151 career record.
- Mingione needs 32 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
- UK is 88-34 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
- Mingione is 143-41 in non-conference games overall.
- Mingione is 124-16 vs. non-Power Five opponents.
- Kentucky swept the weekend series over Lipscomb, outscoring the Bisons 32-6 over the three- game set.
- Kentucky is now 5-7 all time vs. Lipscomb.
- This is Kentucky second sweep of the season.
- For just the second time in the Mingione Era (2022), the Wildcats have swept the first two three-game series of the season.
- Kentucky used the same starting batting lineup in consecutive games for the first time this season.
- They also used the same starting defensive alignment (sans pitcher) in consecutive games for just the second time this year.
- Kentucky’s bullpen has pitched 18.0 consecutive scoreless innings.
- The Wildcats recorded a season-high 16 hits today.
- Kentucky pitches fanned 13 Bison hitters, a new season high.
- The Wildcats drew two walks and were hit by three pitches.
- UK has drawn 22 free passes and been hit by seven pitches in the series.
- Junior RHP Mason Moore went 5.0 innings, yielding one run on three hits, walking two and striking out seven.
- He is 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.75.
- He now holds the lowest ERA on the staff among starting putchers.
- His seven strikeouts tied a career-high, matching his total against Mississippi State on March 17, 2023.
- He is 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.75.
- Junior RHP Colby Frieda threw the final two innings of the game, allowing no runs on two hits.
- He registered four strikeouts, a new career high.
- Junior DH Ryan Waldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs, three RBI, a double, and a home run.
- He had a pair of extra base hits.
- He clubbed his first home run of the season, a 418-foot bomb to left field, in the seventh inning.
- It was his first multi-hit game of the season, and 13th of his Kentucky career.
- He also recorded the 13th multi-RBI game of his Wildcat career.
- Junior Émilien Pitre went 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
- It was his fifth multi-hit game of the season and 23rd of his career.
- Junior Patrick Herrera went 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
- It is the second multi-hit game of his weekend, season, and career.
- He also set a new career high with three hits.
- Senior IF Ryan Nicholson had a pinch-hit base knock for the second straight day.
- Senior IF Nick Lopez went 2-for-5 on the day.
- It was his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
- Freshman INF Kyuss Gargett smashed a triple in the first at-bat of his career.
- He is the fourth Wildcat this season to earn a hit in his first career at-bat, joining Griffin Cameron, Lukas Schramm, and Eli Small.
- Freshman INF Ethan Hindle scored his first career run.
ON DECK
The Wildcats return to action in the midweek, facing in-state foe Eastern Kentucky in a two-game home-and-home series. Kentucky will play host to the Colonels on Tuesday, March 5 with first pitch set for 4 p.m. ET. Then, Kentucky will head down I-75 to play EKU in Richmond, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. Both games will be broadcast on the UK Sports Network, with streaming available on SECN+ (Tuesday) and ESPN+ (Wednesday).
Kentucky
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.
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.
Copyright 2025 WFIE. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
Kentucky
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics1 week agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio1 week ago
Who do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Texas6 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
News1 week agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World1 week agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Washington3 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire