Kentucky’s 2025 campaign came to a close Sunday night, but if there’s one thing these Wildcats proved all season, it’s that they never go quietly.
Facing elimination in the Clemson Regional, Kentucky first stunned the top-seeded Tigers and their home crowd with a decisive 16-4 rout in the afternoon. The Wildcats then turned right around and had West Virginia teetering on the brink in the nightcap, holding leads and trading blows before the Mountaineers erupted for six runs— all with two outs in the eighth— to snatch away a wild 13-12 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
It was a fitting, if heartbreaking, end for a Kentucky squad that made a habit of living on the edge. UK (31-26) endured a season marked by razor-thin margins, late-inning heartbreaks, and a relentless schedule, yet still found itself just three wins shy of a return trip to Omaha. Injuries and a roster overhaul— 30 new faces in all— couldn’t keep Nick Mingione’s club from making history: a third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, a first for the program.
Several young Wildcats announced their arrival on the big stage, and six earned All-Regional honors: Hudson Brown, Cole Hage, Carson Hansen, Luke Lawrence, James McCoy, and Ethan Walker.
Quick Hits:
- Kentucky wraps up the year at 31-26, marking four straight 30-win seasons.
- Nick Mingione, now in his ninth year at the helm, boasts a 293-192 career record, making him the second-winningest coach in school history.
- The Wildcats are 14-9 in the month of June under Mingione, and he’s 14-10 overall in NCAA Tournament play, including an 11-4 mark in four regional appearances.
- Mingione picked up his first career win over Clemson, but now stands 1-2 against West Virginia.
What’s Next:
The 2025 season is in the books, but with a resilient core and a new wave of talent, Kentucky’s future remains bright.
