### Kentucky Wildcats Gear Up for NCAA Clemson Regional Against West Virginia

The Kentucky baseball team is poised to begin its NCAA Clemson Regional journey on Friday, squaring off against West Virginia. The first pitch will be thrown at noon ET from Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, and the action will be televised on ESPNU.

This year marks the Wildcats' 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament's storied history, and their third consecutive run. Last season, the team captured the spotlight by reaching the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since they began playing in 1896. Now, head coach Nick Mingione believes that his team is on the brink of further historic achievement.

"They completed something that's never been done before in Kentucky baseball history," Mingione noted, regarding the team’s three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances. "We are now five wins away from going back to the College World Series." Since he took the helm, Mingione has led the Wildcats to half of their 28 all-time NCAA Tournament victories, doubling the win count in his nine seasons and steering them to last year's remarkable Omaha run.

Kentucky enters the game with a 29-24 overall record, having labored through a tough 13-17 Southeastern Conference season amidst the ninth-hardest schedule in the nation. On the opposite end, their adversaries, the West Virginia Mountaineers, are coming in strong with a 41-14 record and a formidable lineup featuring six hitters that bat over .300. The Mountaineers clinched the Big 12 Conference regular season title and were close contenders for hosting a regional themselves this season.

These two teams last faced off in the 2023 Lexington Regional, where Kentucky triumphed with a resounding 10-0 win in an elimination game. Whom Kentucky will start as pitcher remains uncertain, but options include their trio from the Southeastern Conference's weekend rotation: Freshman Nate Harris, holding a 4-2 record with a 4.72 ERA; right-hander Nic McCay, boasting a 5-0 record with a 4.37 ERA; and sophomore lefty Ben Cleaver, who is 6-3 with a 3.39 ERA.

In Friday’s later game, the Clemson Tigers will compete against the USC Upstate Spartans. The teams defeated in Friday's matchups will face off in a noon elimination game on Saturday, while the victors will battle it out at 6 p.m. The double-elimination format will extend through the weekend, potentially concluding on Monday with a regional champion crowned.