No. 2 Kentucky Hosts Vanderbilt with SEC Championship at Stake (2024)

No. 2 Kentucky Hosts Vanderbilt with SEC Championship at Stake (1)

Baseball
May 15, 2024 - 02:15 PM

No. 2 Kentucky welcomes Vanderbilt to the friendly confines of Kentucky Proud Park this weekend, as the two squads are set to close the 2024 regular season with a three-game series. Along with the rest of the league, the series is set to be played from Thursday, May 16 through Saturday, May 18, a one-day shift from the regular Friday through Sunday schedule. Games on Thursday and Friday are set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET with streaming-only broadcasts on SEC Network +. Saturday’s series—and regular season—finale will begin at noon ET and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network. Audio-only broadcasts of the entire series will be available via the UK Sports Network.

The Wildcats (37-11, 20-7 SEC) currently hold a one-game lead in the Southeastern Conference standings entering the final weekend of play. Due to its advantage over the two teams in second place—Tennessee and Arkansas—a series win this weekend would guarantee at least a share of the league title for Kentucky. For an outright title, the Wildcats would need to sweep Vanderbilt or match the results of the Volunteers and Razorbacks in their respective series.

The 2024 SEC season already has been historic for Kentucky, as it reached the 20-win milestone in SEC play for just the second time in school history. Sunday’s extra-inning win at Florida pushed the 2024 squad into a tie with 2006 SEC Championship team—who currently holds the only conference title in program history— for the most single-season SEC wins in Kentucky baseball history. Kentucky also owns seven SEC series wins for just the fourth time in program history.

The Wildcats are slated to use the same starting rotation for the ninth consecutive weekend, with Trey Pooser, Dominic Niman, and Mason Moore scheduled to get the ball as the weekend progresses. At the plate, Ryan Waldschmidt, Nick Lopez, and Ryan Nicholson continue to spearhead the Cats’ offensive attack that is leading the SEC with a .301 batting average in SEC action. Waldschmidt leads the Cats from the leadoff position, hitting a blistering .385 clip in SEC action that is tops on the team and good for fourth in the league. Lopez leads the Wildcats in overall batting average (.372) and doubles (18), while also driving in 43 runs. Nicholson continues to be the top power threat for Kentucky, leading the team in home runs (16) and RBI (48).

Vanderbilt (34-18, 12-15 SEC) comes to Lexington on the heels of a 3-0 win over No. 1 Tennessee in their final home game of the regular season, although the ‘Dores did drop the series two games to one. Bryce Cunningham—Vanderbilt’s scheduled starter for the series opener—has led the pitching attack for the Commodores this season, boasting a 6-3 record on a 4.33 ERA. On the other side of the ball, Jayden Davis leads his team with a .319 batting average, while RJ Austin has been Vanderbilt’s top run producer, driving in 49 runs.

After the regular season wraps up on Saturday, the Wildcats will head to the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Ala. Kentucky has already clinched a first-round bye, meaning the Cats have secured their spot in the double-elimination portion of the event. Kentucky will first play in Hoover on Wednesday, May 22, and is guaranteed a second game on Thursday, May 23. Seeds, times, and opponents are still to be determined based on the final weekend of the regular season.

GAME DETAILS

6:30 p.m. ET; Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Proud Park)

No. 2 Kentucky Hosts Vanderbilt with SEC Championship at Stake (2024)

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