BTN News: For the first time this season, Kentucky, under coach Nick Mingione, lost a game in the NCAA Tournament – and it was an absolute shock. The No. 2 seed Wildcats dropped their match to the third-seed Texas A&M — 5-1 at Omaha, Nebraska. This loss has put Kentucky in the loser’s bracket as the Wildcats must win or go home from the College World Series.
Game Summary: The game started off as a pitching duel as neither team scored a run through the first five innings of this night cap of the doubleheader from Sioux City. Mason Moore did chase a lot of base runners, but was able to keep Texas A&M off the board through the first five innings before the Aggies broke through in the 6th. TAMU had just escaped Arizona in extra innings with a 4-3 victory, and no one from the San Antonio Express-News — not even the sports editor — was more surprised this story was in the paper the next day than Joe — but that is another tale for another time — suffice it to say that that is when Joe learned to always believe the sports editor — and then TAMU and Prager just squeezed by Arizona 4-3, and TAMU did so with 20 hits, and Arizona would have TWO!!;}; then TAMU and Prager just blanked Arizona 5-0 with a one-hitter thrown to boot.
His biggest moment came in the sixth inning, though, when the Texas A&M offense broke through. Jace LaViolette – a top 2025 MLB draft, prospect triggered the rally with a walk before scoring on a double by Jackson Appel. Hayden Schott’s two-run single chased Moore, who was relieved by Cameron O’Brien. O’Brien had previously thrived in high-pressure situations, but he couldn’t handle the Aggies. Ali Camarillo doubled home two more in the second and Kaeden Kent hit a two-run single to put Texas A&M up 5-0.
Kentucky Offense Kentucky had few chances but when they did they were ineffective. In the bottom side of the second, two UK batters did get on base, but a squeeze bunt ended the threat. The Athletics squelched another threat with a double play in the sixth. After Ryan Nicholson and Nolan Mccarthy registered singles in the top of the seventh for the Wildcats first official hit DateTimeOffset: 2020-02-07T012. However, Texas A&M reliever Josh Stewart struck out Patrick Herrera, keeping the Aggies in front.
Ryan Nicholson kept the Wildcats from a shutout by tying the UK single-season record by hitting a solo home run in the ninth, his 23rd of the year. Despite this, the 1-2 punch in Kentucky’s lineup have had troubles all weekend long as key performers such as Ryan Waldschmidt and Devin Burkes have struggling at the dish since the tournament began.
Pitching Problems: The control problems that have plagued Mason Moore have continued into the NCAA Tournament, walking 12 in his last 14 1/3 innings. While he worked out of trouble time and again early on, the sixth did him in. Pitching on short rest, reliever Cameron O’Brien gave up more runs, and Evan Byers tossed three shutout innings to keep the Aggies from running away with it further and preserving the bullpen.
What Kentucky needs to do next: The road to the championship series is a tour that Kentucky has to take that has grown more treacherous. They will have to win three games in a row to continue, including two against Texas A&M, to move on. Kentucky faces an elimination game against Florida which Mingione will have to decide whether or not to start lefty Dominick Niman, or tweak his rotation. Unfortunately for Niman, who has struggled of late — he had a season-worst 7:3 BB:K ratio in 5 innings in his last appearance, vs. Florida — this complicates the decision.
Takeaway: The Wildcats are now in a deep hole to remain in the College World Series. In order to have a chance next week against Florida, the pitching needs to be improved or changed, and the bats from this week need to be left on the bus. Now, Kentucky is going to show just how resilient and adaptable it has been, or hasn’t been, in its fight to stick around the tournament.
