Kentucky
Preview of Kentucky baseball’s three-game series with Ole Miss
The Wildcats are back in Lexington after a series win over Texas A&M for an SEC showdown against Coach Mike Bianco and the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels. The series kicks off Thursday at 7 PM ET at Kentucky Proud Park and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
Leading OffHead Coach Nick Mingione and the Wildcats traveled to College Station last weekend to face the preseason top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Kentucky took the final two games in the series after Texas A&M won the opener.
The Cats, who currently hold a record of 17-9 (4-5 in the SEC), scored 31 runs in the three-game series. Seven of those runs were off all three of Texas A&M’s starting pitchers, who all had an ERA under 3.00.
Kentucky Infielder Tyler Bell had an outstanding performance on the road and was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Bell brought home eight runs in the series, including three doubles, a home run, and seven RBIs.
On The RebsAs they say down in the Sip, “Don’t Let The Rebs Get Hot!” Ole Miss leads the all-time series against Kentucky 54-39. The last time the Rebels faced the Cats was in March 2025, where Kentucky, ranked No. 15 at the time, swept the series against Ole Miss at home in Oxford. Will the Rebels return the favor?
One player to watch is former Kentucky catcher Austin Fawley, who has been a standout performer for the Rebels this season. Fawley is hitting an impressive .314 with a .405 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage, including four doubles and two home runs in SEC play. The Rebels currently rank eighth in the country with 55 home runs.
As Keeneland’s opening weekend has already been pushed back, the Wildcats are hoping for favorable weather to allow their series to take place. If the games go ahead, fans can catch the Cats in action this weekend. Stay tuned for an exciting weekend of baseball!
Catch The Cats
Thursday, April 3 vs. #9 Ole Miss
7 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park)
Radio: UK Sports Network, UKathletics.com (630 AM Lexington); TV: SEC Network
UK – TBD; MISS – LHP Hunter Elliott
Friday, April 4 vs. #9 Ole Miss
6:30 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park)
Radio: UK Sports Network, UKathletics.com (630 AM Lexington); TV: SECN+
UK – RHP Scott Rouse; MISS – RHP Riley Maddux
Saturday, April 5 vs. #9 Ole Miss
2 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park)
Radio: UK Sports Network, UKathletics.com (630 AM Lexington); TV: SECN+
UK – LHP Ben Cleaver; MISS – RHP Mason Nichols
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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