'It's done': Indiana head baseball coach says rivalry series vs. Kentucky is over

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Indiana and Kentucky baseball teams played a chippy three-game series in the Lexington regional.

The Hoosiers played Kentucky three games in a row, and the there was an uptick in tension every game. After Indiana beat Kentucky on Saturday night, the Hoosiers seemed to have the regional in hand. But the Wildcats fought through the loser's bracket to win three games in a row — including Indiana twice.

The Wildcat and Hoosier coaches first had a heated discussion after Kentucky's 16-6 clobbering of Indiana on Sunday night to save its chances in the regional.

Indiana assistant coach Derek Simmons followed Kentucky's coaches after the handshake line Sunday, prompting head coach Jeff Mercer to come over.

"I don't want to get into it. But there's just a lot," Mercer said following the game on Sunday. "We just have to have a discussion about keeping it on the field and being professionals. And we've done a really good job of that this year. We've been professionals and we've been gentlemen. And that's something that's really important to me and I'm very proud of that.

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"And we need to continue to be that. We need to continue to represent Indiana the correct way. Represent the department, the program with class and dignity, and make sure we continue that. We have all year and we will continue to do that. So we just have to have a discussion and make sure we stay where we've always been."

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione and Mercer appeared to have another heated discussion on Monday night after Indiana was eliminated from the regional. The pair shook hands, but Mingione walked away while Mercer was still talking.

"Guys, there's a lot at stake here. We're all playing for a lot of really important things," Mingione said on Sunday. "And when you have a group of competitive coaches, players, that happens. So I give the umpires a lot of credit. I think they've done a great job handling and managing everything. So kudos to the umpires, you know. I think they've done a great job."

Kentucky and Indiana have seen each other sparingly in the past few seasons. The two teams typically play a single midweek game, switching between Bloomington and Lexington each season.

That's scaled down from the nonconference three-game series that the teams used to play. But that regular season series won't happen again, Mercer said.

"Kentucky canceled the series last year," Mercer said Monday night. "Kentucky and Indiana is no longer a series, they called and canceled it. This is the last time we're playing them unless it's in the postseason. They asked if we want to keep coming down here, but I'm not coming down here without a return trip. So it's done."

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NCAA baseball: Indiana-Kentucky rivalry finished, per IU’s Jeff Mercer