June 8, 2024

By Matt May

University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Devin Burkes punched the air as a record crowd roared in delirium, signifying the most poignant of clutch moments in Kentucky’s 10-0 victory over Oregon State in game one of the Lexington Super Regional in front of 7,441 fans at Kentucky Proud Park.

Kentucky (44-14) stands one victory from its first College World Series appearance.

Trey Pooser turned into peak Pedro Martinez yet again in a pressure-packed moment, allowing just one single in seven scoreless innings to extend his postseason streak this season to one run allowed in 19 total innings. His only real trouble came in the fifth inning when he extricated himself from a pickle of his own making due to an errant throw, culminating in Burkes driving a clenched fist through the night air in celebration.

It was the only spark the Wildcats would need.

Ryan Nicholson slammed a home run in a third consecutive game and doubled off the wall in another, while Emilien Pitre (Repentigny, Que.) delivered a two-run double before the Cats broke the game open in a seven-run seventh inning.

NOTES

-Kentucky now is 44-14 in 2024.

-44 wins ties for the second-most in school history (2006, 2008).

-Kentucky is 18-3 in night games.

-Kentucky is 25-6 at home.

-The crowd of 7,441 set a new all-time Kentucky record, previously set earlier this season (7,304).

-Kentucky is 4-0 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

-Kentucky won its first-ever Super Regional game with the win.

-Kentucky’s pitchers have not allowed a run over the last 21 innings and only one in the last 30 innings.

-Kentucky now has won 16 games this season vs. ranked opponents.

-Kentucky stole four bases in the game and now have 117 on the season.

-Kentucky’s seven-run seventh was the 71st time this season it has scored at least three runs in an inning.

-UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 260-164 career record.

o Mingione now is the second-winningest coach in school history.

o UK is 12-6 in the NCAA Tournament under Mingione.

-UK is 1-4 in NCAA Super Regional action.

-Graduate Trey Pooser was sensational again in tossing seven one-hit shutout innings. He did not allow a hit after single in the second inning.He walked four and struck out eight. In two NCAA tournament games this season he allowed one run on six hits in 14 innings with six walks and 15 strikeouts. Including his SEC Tournament win over Arkansas he has allowed one run over 19 innings.

-Junior Jackson Nove struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief.

-Junior Ryan Nicholson went 3-for-5 with a run, three RBIs, a double and home run. His HR was his 21st of the season, the most in a single season in the Mingione era and third-most in a single season in Kentucky history. It was his 15th multi-hit game and 16th multi-RBI game of the season.

-Junior Emilien Pitre extended his streak of games reaching base safely to 34 with a two-run double. He finished 1-for-3 with a run, two RBIs, a double, a stolen base and two walks. He now leads the team with 25 stolen bases this season, the most in a season in the Mingione era.

-Graduate Mitchell Daly went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI, a double and two sacrifices.

-Graduate Nick Lopez had two hits, including a double. His 22nd double of the season is third-most in the Mingione era, two behind Evan White’s 24 in 2017.

ON DECK

Kentucky will attempt to reach the College World Series for the first time on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.