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Kentucky stays alive in SEC Tournament with win over Arkansas, top MLB draft prospect

jon hale
·4 min read

No. 3 seed Kentucky stayed alive in the SEC Baseball Tournament with a 9-6 win over No. 2 seed Arkansas in an elimination game Thursday morning in Hoover, Alabama.

Despite facing one of the top pitchers in the league for the second game in a row, Kentucky ended a 21-inning scoreless streak in the SEC Tournament that dated back to 2022 with a two-run first inning against Arkansas ace Hagen Smith.

Arkansas used Smith for just two innings, but the Wildcats offense broke things open against the Razorbacks’ bullpen with a three-run fifth inning.

Kentucky is the first of the top four seeds to win a game in Hoover. UK, Arkansas, No. 1 seed Tennessee and No. 4 seed Texas A&M all fell into the losers’ portion of the bracket with losses in their first games Wednesday.

Here is what you need to know about Kentucky’s victory:

Key moment

The top-ranked pitcher in the 2024 MLB draft class according to MLB.com, Smith struck out four Kentucky batters in just two innings but ran into early trouble due to defensive miscues.

UK left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt led off the first inning with a walk then moved to second base on an errant pickoff throw from Smith. He moved to third on a single from second baseman Émilien Pitre and scored on a squeeze bunt from catcher Devin Burkes. Pitre then stole third base and scored on a throwing error from Arkansas catcher Hudson White.

The fact that Arkansas removed Smith after just 36 pitches — probably in an effort to keep him fresh for next week’s NCAA Tournament opener — certainly helped Kentucky’s chances at staving off elimination, but it was the early runs that set the tone for the win.

Player of the game

Waldschmidt’s early run was just the start of his contributions. He also launched a solo home run in the fifth and a two-run home run in the seventh inning to keep Kentucky in control of the game.

On the season, Waldschmidt is now batting .367 with 13 home runs, 42 RBI and 62 runs scored. If there were any hard feelings for the SEC coaches relegating him to second-team All-SEC earlier this week, Waldschmidt made a case for proving he is one of the best players in the league Thursday.

Ryan Waldschmidt homered in the fifth and seventh innings during Kentucky’s game against Arkansas at Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday.
Ryan Waldschmidt homered in the fifth and seventh innings during Kentucky’s game against Arkansas at Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday.

What’s next for Kentucky baseball

With the victory, Kentucky advances to face No. 10 seed South Carolina at 4 p.m. Friday. The Gamecocks suffered their first loss of the tournament Thursday night to No. 11 seed LSU, 11-10.

LSU beat Kentucky on Wednesday, but the Wildcats will have the luxury of having normal Sunday starting pitcher Mason Moore available for the Friday elimination game.

With the help of a home-run-robbing catch from center fielder Nolan McCarthy, normal Friday starter Trey Pooser threw five shutout innings against Arkansas on just 76 pitches, meaning he should be fully rested for the NCAA Tournament opener next week. Kentucky’s bullpen was not as effective, with three relievers combining to surrender six runs in four innings. Almost all of Kentucky’s top pitchers have been used in the first two SEC Tournament games, so it might be difficult to piece together enough innings if UK advances to the semifinals Saturday.

The Wildcats in the Kentucky dugout salute Nolan McCarthy’s leaping catch of a long fly ball in the second inning that robbed Arkansas’ Ben McLaughlin of a home run.
The Wildcats in the Kentucky dugout salute Nolan McCarthy’s leaping catch of a long fly ball in the second inning that robbed Arkansas’ Ben McLaughlin of a home run.

SEC Tournament

At Hoover, Ala.

All times Eastern

TUESDAY

(Single-elimination format)

▪ No. 11 seed LSU 9, No. 6 Georgia 1

▪ No. 10 South Carolina 10, No. 7 Alabama 5

▪ No. 8 Vanderbilt 6, No. 9 Florida 3

▪ No. 5 Mississippi State 2, No. 12 Mississippi 1

WEDNESDAY

(Double-elimination format begins)

▪ No. 11 LSU 11, No. 3 Kentucky 0

▪ No. 10 South Carolina 6, No. 2 Arkansas 5

▪ No. 8 Vanderbilt 13, No. 1 Tennessee 4

▪ No. 5 Mississippi State 5, No. 4 Texas A&M 3

THURSDAY

▪ No. 3 Kentucky 9, No. 2 Arkansas 6

▪ No. 1 Tennessee 7, No. 4 Texas A&M 4

▪ No. 11 LSU 11, No. 10 South Carolina 10

▪ About 9 p.m.: No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (SEC Network)

FRIDAY

▪ 4 p.m.: No. 3 Kentucky vs. South Carolina (SEC Network)

▪ About 7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt-Mississippi State loser (SEC Network)

SATURDAY

▪ Single-elimination semifinals begin at 1 and about 4:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

SUNDAY

▪ 3 p.m.: Championship game (ESPN2)

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