Kentucky Baseball has been on a war path during the 2023 season after the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament after a magical run in the 2022 SEC Tournament. However, Kentucky Baseball failed to make the NCAA Tournament despite the strong showing in Hoover. Head Coach Nick Minigone made it his mission to build Kentucky from not making the Tournament in 2022 to a legitimate National Championship contender. Coach Minigone let some guys transfer out, then started going around the country to find the guys that would give Kentucky Baseball the best chance at returning to the elite of college baseball.

With their win over Missouri on Saturday, Kentucky has won the first three Southeastern Conference series of 2023. With seven remaining, conversations have started about Kentucky Baseball as a program that could receive a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning Kentucky Proud Park would host an NCAA Regional. In terms of the numbers, with seven conference series to play, Kentucky is plus three in terms of having an off series or two. Although it might not happen, with three series in the positive, Kentucky can afford to drop an SEC series or two and still have an incredible opportunity to host a Regional and maybe a Super Regional. Programs that get to host a Regional have a better chance at reaching the College World Series in Omaha than those that have to go on the road.

For those who haven’t paid much attention to Kentucky Baseball, winning on Saturday for the Bat Cards their 20th win in the last 21 games, with series wins over Mississippi State, Alabama, and Missouri to go with the streak. Not many can claim an impressive winning streak like the Kentucky Wildcats. The wins that Kentucky has put together have not been very close. Since the start of the season, Kentucky has produced an offensive explosion by scoring 230 runs.

You add the offensive production with a ridiculously talented pitching staff; you have the perfect storm for a team to reach the College World Series. There are still a lot of baseball games left for the Cats, but if you’re Head Coach Nick Mingione, confidence in your program will continue to grow as they get closer to taking on the other championship programs in the conference.

As the Wildcats continue to win in the Southeastern Conference, they are more confident they will become a contender to win at the SEC Tournament and even bring a National Championship home to Lexington, Kentucky.