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***** UK Baseball Season Thread 2025 *****

Hello HOB. Nick Mingione's Bat Cats will be holding their media day on Tuesday, so it's a good time for us to get the 2025 season thread started and pinned to the top of the board. Coming off a season when UK reached the first College World Series in program history, it will be interesting to see where Mingione & Co. go from here.

2025 MEDIA GUIDE LINK

On Tuesday, we're scheduled to speak with the following players...

Devin Burkes, Senior, Catcher
  • 2024 Kentucky Athletics Mr. Wildcat
  • Two-time NCAA Lexington All-Regional Team
  • Has started 132 career games
Nic McCay, Senior, Right-Handed Pitcher
  • In his seventh season of college baseball; Transfer from South Dakota State
  • Freshman All-American in 2019; Three-time All-Summit League honoree
  • Has made 41 starts in college and pitched 219.1 innings (4.47 ERA)
  • Missed the 2020, 2021 and 2023 seasons due to injury
Jackson Nove, Senior, Left-handed Pitcher
  • Has made 61 career appearances, including 28 in 2024 (2nd-most on team)
  • Ranks 3rd in career strikeouts per innings at Kentucky (12.46/9)
  • Three-time Academic All-SEC and UK Dean’s List member

Travis and David…..Acaden Lewis question

I don’t follow Acaden‘s father on X but I’ve seen several of his replies to Kentucky fans over the last few days primarily in response to the Jordan Brand game. He seems to still love Pope and seems to really be a fan of Kentucky under Pope’s guidance. The way he speaks just makes the decommitment even that much more bizarre. Was there something else going on behind the scenes leading up to this or was it truly just a playing time/Lowe commitment reason? Did it take Pope by surprise?

NBA Playoffs

Two big elimination games tonight for UK-centric NBA teams. Set the DVR, go have a nice dinner and a couple beers, come home about 90 minutes after first game starts and fast forward all the b.s. Herro had 38, and Bam dominated on defense for Miami the other night. AD and PJ are 40% of the Mavs starting lineup. AD basically rested the last couple of months to try to be healthy for this last Hail Mary shot at playing in. He should dominate against Memphis.

Elyjah Freeman to Auburn.

UK had early interest but it ultimately came down to Tennessee and Auburn. With UT likely to get Ament it looks like Freeman felt he would have a bigger role at Auburn. I enjoyed watching him play for LMU.

I hope in 2 years UK isn’t saying I wish we had this guy. I think UK could have got him if they had pushed for him early.

FWIW I do think he’s going to have to adjust to the physicality of the SEC. But he has the overall tools.

Best Vinyl Records To Get?

I'm working on building up a Dolby Atmos audio setup. While doing that, I figured I'd look into getting a turntable and building up a record collection. I grew up with the end of 8 track tapes into the start of cassette tapes and never really collected albums. I tried one of those cheap suitcase players but it sucked. I was at Walmart yesterday and found an Audio-Technica AT-LPGO-BT. It was on sale for like $127 ($30 off). It sounds pretty good with my new Sony 7.1.2 AVR.

Well so far, I have 2 albums I got with it. The first was Motley Crue's Greatest Hits. I also grabbed Michael Jackson's Thriller. I ordered Beatles 1 off Amazon and should get it tonight or tomorrow. They're all remastered versions and that's fine. I saw Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain and probably will grab that one. Maybe will look into The Beach Boys and Chicago's Greatest Hits from 82-89.

What are some recommendations of other must have albums to get? I prefer to get greatest hits albums or maybe if there are some good compilation albums with various artists on them. My favorite era is the 80's and 90's but listen to some other decades. Pretty much anything but country (just not my thing).

Handmaids Tale

New season dropped last week.

While the entire series has been largely aimed at evangelicals, I find it odd that said evangelicals are also climate crazies.

Most modern media embraces the reality of rhetoric that aligns with the zeitgeist. It’s at least a bit odd that god fearing zealots would be so enthusiastic about climate control and banging girls at Jezebels. It’s a weird commentary on current affairs.

Is there a risk of religious zealots taking the country over? No. They lack the stones. At the same time, it’s an interesting discourse on what might happen in the future. How many here would have an issue with what goes on in that series?

Basketball Portal Big Board

Going to list guys who have either announced they’re going into the portal or who have already entered that could be a UK level recruit or UK has reached out to. Will pin to the top and leave open for discussion in the thread. I’ll update as new names enter and leave it at a top 10 max probably, so names will get bumped off.

Guards:
Jaland Lowe, Pitt


Wings:
Jaron Pierre, Jacksonville State
Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston State


Forwards:
Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB
Kam Williams, Tulane
Alvaro Folgueiras, Robert Morris
Elyjah Freeman, Lincoln Memorial
Taylor Bowen, FSU
Mackenzie Mgbako, IU

Bigs:
Reed Bailey, Davidson
Aday Mara, UCLA

NOTES:

3/23: Added Max Green, who is from Kentucky and grew up a UK fan. Slotted him ahead of Eaglestaff because he’s an ELITE catch and shoot guy and has three more years left.

3/24: Dedan Thomas has Zoom scheduled, looking to visit.

UK has reached out to Kam Williams, per his circle.

3/25: UK reaches out to Magoon Gwath “multiple times”

3/26: Lamar Wilkerson’s camp says UK has him at top of the board on the wing. They’ve reached out multiple times.

Zoom being scheduled with Donovan Dent.

Mackenzie Mgbako hears from UK.
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