Kentucky baseball to host third NCAA Tournament regional in school history

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Jack Weaver

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Nick Mingione talks to reporters after the No. 18 Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky baseball game on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Kentucky won 10-8. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

Parker Scott, Reporter

No. 13 Kentucky baseball (36-18) was announced as one of sixteen hosts for the NCAA Tournament regionals on Sunday, marking just the third time in school history that UK will host.

Although the Cats were shut out by Alabama in the first round of the SEC tournament on Tuesday, UK was selected to host a regional after finishing second overall in RPI for the regular season, which was in big part thanks to the Cats taking on the nation’s toughest schedule.

The 2023 season marks the first postseason appearance for Kentucky and the first Lexington regional since 2017, head coach Nick Mingione’s first season leading the program.

Additionally, it will be the first time that a regional will be played at Kentucky Proud Park, which opened in 2019, as the 2017 and 2006 regionals were played at Cliff Hagan Stadium, the team’s former home which has since been demolished.

The other three teams that will participate in the regional will be announced during ESPN2’s selection show on Monday, May 28, at noon EST.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, May 30, at 9 a.m. EST, and the tournament will begin at Kentucky Proud Park on Friday, June 2.