Lexington, Kentucky – At 12:33 a.m. on a cool June night in Lexington, the Kentucky baseball program accomplished a goal that had been more than 100 years in the making, defeating Oregon State 3-2 in front of a record crowd at Kentucky Proud Park to secure a trip to the mecca of college baseball.
The Wildcats are headed to Omaha.
Reliever Johnny Hammel hit a perfect breaking ball that put the tying run 90 feet away and caused a dugout full of players dressed in blue to rush onto the field, and gloves and caps rained down.
And in true Kentucky baseball style, the game-winning run came on a blistering run by Nolan McCarthy, a speedy centerfielder who never met a moment he wasn’t prepared to try to make memorable.
Now, forever, his name will be synonymous with one of the most historic moments in the school’s athletics history. He scored two of the three runs, scored the winning goal and hit two doubles, prompting his teammates to tell the assembled media that he was “crazy.”
But McCarthy’s scramble and superman slide into home only mattered because pitching coach Dan Rozelle’s staff allowed just three hits in two games against one of the nation’s top offenses. Both of Oregon State’s runs came on bases loaded walks.
More than two hours after the game, McCarthy and catcher Devin Burks, the heart and soul of the Wildcats, both smiled and said the first trip was just the way it should have been — with the Cats kicking down the door.
notes
- Kentucky is now 45-14 in 2024.
- The 45 wins (2012) are the most in school history.
- Kentucky is 19-3 in night games.
- Kentucky is 26-6 at home.
- The crowd of 7,558 set a new all-time Kentucky record, previously set in Game One (7,448).
- Kentucky goes 5-0 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
- Kentucky wins its first Super Regional.
- Kentucky pitchers have allowed four runs in the last 39 innings.
- Kentucky has won 17 games against ranked opponents this season.
- UK Coaches Nick Mingione He’s in his eighth season at the helm and now has a career record of 261-164.
- Mingione is now the second most successful coach in school history.
- UK is 13-6 in the NCAA Tournament under Mingione.
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- UK goes 2-4 in NCAA Super Regional action.
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- Junior Mason Moore didn’t allow a hit in 3.1 innings but gave up two runs on a bases loaded walk.
- His scoreless streak in his career starts in the NCAA Tournament ended at 23.2 innings with two consecutive bases loaded walks in the fourth inning.
- Graduate Jonny Hummel earned his seventh save of the season.
- Graduate Cameron O’Brien struck out five in a scoreless 3.0 innings.
- Junior Robert Hogan pitched 2.1 hitless shutout innings.
- Junior Nolan McCarthy went 2-2 with a run, two RBIs, a SAC and two doubles.
- He scored the winning run.
on the deck
Kentucky advances to the College World Series and will face the winner of the Georgia/NC State game on Monday.
