Kentucky baseball coach Nick Mingione joins Southeastern 16’s Graham Doty, Alfred Ezman and Chris Lee for a discussion of his Wildcats heading into the 2025 season. Topics include:

How did Kentucky’s first College World Series appearance in 2024 change perception and support for the program?

The importance of veteran catcher Devin Burkes.

The Wildcats have reloaded with a bunch of key transfers in the lineup, including Dylan Koontz (Campbell), Luke Lawrence (Illinois State), Will Marcy (Memphis), Cole Hage (Columbia), Raphael Pelletier (Kansas State) and Carson Hansen (Milwaukee).

The Wildcats scored a major coup in getting second-round Rays' pick Tyler Bell through the draft last year. Bell figures to man shortstop for Kentucky in 2025.

Seventh-year South Dakota State transfer Nic McCay headlines the Wildcats' rotation, along with transfers Ethan Walker (Longwood) and Scott Rouse (Radford).

The ‘Cats have a couple of experienced end-game pieces in Indiana State transfer Simon Gregersen and Richmond’s Cole Hentschel.

Several returnees such as Robert Hogan, Evan Byers, Jackson Nove and Ben Cleaver will be integral pieces of Mingione’s pitching staff.

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