Can pitching, defense catch up with UK's potent lineup in 2021?
Kentucky's John Rhodes has been a nearly consensus preseason All-American pick after hitting .426 with a 1.157 OPS during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
With a lineup that returns eight of nine players and some superstar potential, Kentucky expects to be one of the SEC's top offensive clubs in 2021.
The big question facing the Wildcats is whether they'll be able to prevent enough runs to re-emerge as a league contender after two seasons that fell short of expectations in 2018 and 2019, and the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign.
"The biggest thing we spent the most time on this fall was our defense, and we had to improve it," said Nick Mingione, who enters his fifth season as UK head coach. "We used the quarantine to evaluate all areas of our program, and one thing I realized was we have to be better defensively.
"So we've changed our mindset, we've created a whole new culture about the importance of defense, and we've gotten a lot better. This fall was really exciting to see the growth in that area."
Kentucky finished 13th in the SEC in team fielding percentage last season and was tied with Texas A&M with a league-high 28 errors in only 17 games. In 2019, the Cats finished dead last in fielding percentage and committed a league-high 71 errors in 55 games.
Being "strong up the middle" has been one of baseball's time-tested truisms, so Mingione set out to upgrade the Cats' defense at shortstop and catcher. Kentucky signed junior college standouts Ryan Ritter and Alonzo Rubalcaba at those positions, respectively, to help establish the new culture.
"This guy can really defend at shortstop," Mingione said of Ritter, an athletic, 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore who comes to UK via Logan College. "He's as talented, if not the most talented defensive shortstop, that I've coached, and I don't say that lightly. I've coached a lot of really good shortstops."
Meanwhile, some national baseball observers have labeled Rubalcaba as possessing "elite catch and throw" abilities. The junior threw out 46% of potential base-stealers in 2020 at Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College.
"This guy can really, really receive," Mingione said.
The shaky defense helped throw gas on the fire for another aspect of the team, pitching, which finished 12th and 14th, respectively, the last two years in the SEC.
Senior right-hander Jimmy Ramsey returns as one of the Wildcats' top arms for 2021. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
There is hope for improvement on the mound this season with numerous veterans like Mason Hazelwood and Jimmy Ramsey returning, the addition of what Mingione calls three "impact" transfers, and the signing of elite prospect Ryan Hagenow, who was rated the No. 8 right-hander in the nation by PerfectGame and the No. 26 prospect overall in his class.
"Pitching-wise, the word that comes to mind for me is depth," Mingione said. "We have some guys who have some experience... It's kind of neat to say so many familiar names. The arm talent has been really good. Coach (Dan) Roszel has done a fantastic job with those guys."
Kentucky's weekend starters are projected to be Hazelwood, a senior left-hander who had a 1.64 ERA in four starts last season; transfer Zach Kammin, a right-handed grad transfer who boasted a 2.62 career ERA at Coe College; and Zack Lee, a sophomore right-hander who appeared in six games with the Cats last year.
The UK midweek starters are projected to be sophomore right-hander Cole Stupp and newcomer Hagenow.
The Cats' bullpen has numerous veterans returning. The group is expected to be led by senior right-hander Jimmy Ramsey (3.26 ERA in four starts in 2020); junior right-hander Alex Degen (2.51 ERA in five 2020 appearances); junior right-hander Hunter Rigsby (3.48 ERA in six 2020 appearances); Clemson transfer senior right-hander Holt Jones (3.98 career ERA); and senior right-hander Sean Harney, a transfer from UMass who could emerge as a closer candidate due to his mix of three quality pitches.
A pair of hard-throwing freshman signees out of Ohio -- right-handers Austin Strickland and Wyatt Hudepohl -- could also factor into the bullpen equation.
If the pitching and defense improve like Mingione believes it will, Kentucky may have a chance to be a darkhorse in the SEC race this spring. The offense ranked among the league's best last season and returns preseason All-American John Rhodes, a versatile infielder/outfielder who was named national co-freshman of the year in 2020 after batting .426 with a league-high 10 doubles.
"His leadership, his work ethic, his talent... this guy is the package," Mingione said of Rhodes.
Rhodes should start in right field for the Cats this season. He'll likely be joined by veterans Jaren Shelby in center and Austin Schultz in left. Shelby, a grad senior, had six home runs and 13 stolen bases in 2019. Schultz, a junior who played primarily on the infield last season, batted .393 and ranked tied for third in the SEC with 46 total bases in 2020.
First base has another familiar face in grad senior TJ Collett, who has 26 career home runs at UK and is one of the biggest power threats in the college game.
"Offensively, the word that comes to mind is experience," Mingione said. "We bring starters back at eight of nine spots, including DH."
Grad senior TJ Collett watched the ball jump off his bat during one of the Wildcats' games last season. He returns to UK with 26 career home runs. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Kentucky's John Rhodes has been a nearly consensus preseason All-American pick after hitting .426 with a 1.157 OPS during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
With a lineup that returns eight of nine players and some superstar potential, Kentucky expects to be one of the SEC's top offensive clubs in 2021.
The big question facing the Wildcats is whether they'll be able to prevent enough runs to re-emerge as a league contender after two seasons that fell short of expectations in 2018 and 2019, and the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign.
"The biggest thing we spent the most time on this fall was our defense, and we had to improve it," said Nick Mingione, who enters his fifth season as UK head coach. "We used the quarantine to evaluate all areas of our program, and one thing I realized was we have to be better defensively.
"So we've changed our mindset, we've created a whole new culture about the importance of defense, and we've gotten a lot better. This fall was really exciting to see the growth in that area."
Kentucky finished 13th in the SEC in team fielding percentage last season and was tied with Texas A&M with a league-high 28 errors in only 17 games. In 2019, the Cats finished dead last in fielding percentage and committed a league-high 71 errors in 55 games.
Being "strong up the middle" has been one of baseball's time-tested truisms, so Mingione set out to upgrade the Cats' defense at shortstop and catcher. Kentucky signed junior college standouts Ryan Ritter and Alonzo Rubalcaba at those positions, respectively, to help establish the new culture.
"This guy can really defend at shortstop," Mingione said of Ritter, an athletic, 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore who comes to UK via Logan College. "He's as talented, if not the most talented defensive shortstop, that I've coached, and I don't say that lightly. I've coached a lot of really good shortstops."
Meanwhile, some national baseball observers have labeled Rubalcaba as possessing "elite catch and throw" abilities. The junior threw out 46% of potential base-stealers in 2020 at Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College.
"This guy can really, really receive," Mingione said.
The shaky defense helped throw gas on the fire for another aspect of the team, pitching, which finished 12th and 14th, respectively, the last two years in the SEC.
Senior right-hander Jimmy Ramsey returns as one of the Wildcats' top arms for 2021. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
There is hope for improvement on the mound this season with numerous veterans like Mason Hazelwood and Jimmy Ramsey returning, the addition of what Mingione calls three "impact" transfers, and the signing of elite prospect Ryan Hagenow, who was rated the No. 8 right-hander in the nation by PerfectGame and the No. 26 prospect overall in his class.
"Pitching-wise, the word that comes to mind for me is depth," Mingione said. "We have some guys who have some experience... It's kind of neat to say so many familiar names. The arm talent has been really good. Coach (Dan) Roszel has done a fantastic job with those guys."
Kentucky's weekend starters are projected to be Hazelwood, a senior left-hander who had a 1.64 ERA in four starts last season; transfer Zach Kammin, a right-handed grad transfer who boasted a 2.62 career ERA at Coe College; and Zack Lee, a sophomore right-hander who appeared in six games with the Cats last year.
The UK midweek starters are projected to be sophomore right-hander Cole Stupp and newcomer Hagenow.
The Cats' bullpen has numerous veterans returning. The group is expected to be led by senior right-hander Jimmy Ramsey (3.26 ERA in four starts in 2020); junior right-hander Alex Degen (2.51 ERA in five 2020 appearances); junior right-hander Hunter Rigsby (3.48 ERA in six 2020 appearances); Clemson transfer senior right-hander Holt Jones (3.98 career ERA); and senior right-hander Sean Harney, a transfer from UMass who could emerge as a closer candidate due to his mix of three quality pitches.
A pair of hard-throwing freshman signees out of Ohio -- right-handers Austin Strickland and Wyatt Hudepohl -- could also factor into the bullpen equation.
If the pitching and defense improve like Mingione believes it will, Kentucky may have a chance to be a darkhorse in the SEC race this spring. The offense ranked among the league's best last season and returns preseason All-American John Rhodes, a versatile infielder/outfielder who was named national co-freshman of the year in 2020 after batting .426 with a league-high 10 doubles.
"His leadership, his work ethic, his talent... this guy is the package," Mingione said of Rhodes.
Rhodes should start in right field for the Cats this season. He'll likely be joined by veterans Jaren Shelby in center and Austin Schultz in left. Shelby, a grad senior, had six home runs and 13 stolen bases in 2019. Schultz, a junior who played primarily on the infield last season, batted .393 and ranked tied for third in the SEC with 46 total bases in 2020.
First base has another familiar face in grad senior TJ Collett, who has 26 career home runs at UK and is one of the biggest power threats in the college game.
"Offensively, the word that comes to mind is experience," Mingione said. "We bring starters back at eight of nine spots, including DH."
Grad senior TJ Collett watched the ball jump off his bat during one of the Wildcats' games last season. He returns to UK with 26 career home runs. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
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