Nick Mingione and Kentucky's baseball team face a challenging schedule in and out of conference in 2017.
Cats Illustrated takes a closer look at the competition Kentucky will face throughout the year. Before we dig deep, let's start simple: It's a brutal slate.
Loaded out of conference slate
The Cats begin their 2017 baseball season in just one week's time with an extended trip to the east coast for non-conference action. The season-opening series takes place in Chapel Hill, N.C., against North Carolina, a team that's ranked in the Top 20 by all major preseason polls.
While North Carolina enjoys a lofty national ranking and a wealth of success in modern times the Tar Heels have fallen on hard times more recently. North Carolina has not reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2014 season. For the first time since the mid-1990's the Tar Heels have missed consecutive tournaments.
North Carolina was poor at the plate in ACC play last season and just as much a problem was the lack of depth in their starting rotation. But both issues figure to be better for UNC this year, at least on paper.
After three games in Chapel Hill the Cats head north to Virginia for a game at Liberty and then contests against Old Dominion, St. Joseph's and Delaware, with each a part of the ODU Baseball Tournament in Norfolk, Va.
The Cats' first two games at Cliff Hagan Stadium are against EKU and WKU and that sets up a three-game series with No. 25 UC Santa Barbara.
The Gauchos were 43-20-1 last season, defeating Louisville 2-0 in the Super Regionals to advance to the College World Series where they were eliminated. Perfect Game USA has selected four Gauchos as all-conference selections ahead of the 2017 season and the team has been picked to finish second, by the league's coaches, in the Big West. UCSB outfielder Landon Silver is the preseason pick for Big West Freshman of the Year.
On April 4 the Cats travel to Louisville for their first of two regular season games against their archrival, and the Cards make a trip to Lexington two weeks later on April 18. Louisville finished last season 50-14 and that included a 36-3 home record. The Cards were a much more beatable 13-9 on the road. Louisville won both of their games against Kentucky last season (9-6 and 7-6).
Get used to seeing aces and stars
Those who follow the Cats this year had better prepare themselves to watch them face some of the nation's best pitchers.
There's a chance Kentucky could face every D1 Baseball Preseason first team All-American on the mound this year. The organization has named J.B. Bukauskas (UNC), Tanner Houck (Missouri), Alex Faedo (Florida), Kyle Wright (Vanderbilt), Tyler Johnson (South Carolina) and Brendan McKay (Louisville) as their preseason All-American picks and each team is on UK's schedule multiple times.
Beyond the aces, Kentucky will also see some fantastic hitters and fielders. Other D1 Baseball first team All-Americans set to play against the Cats this year are outfielders Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) and Jake Mangum (Mississippi State).
Second team All-Americans on Kentucky's schedule include: third baseman Jonathan India (Florida), outfielder Brian Miller (UNC) and pitchers Alex Lange (LSU), Clarke Schmidt (South Carolina) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M).
Florida catcher Mike Rivera and Gators' pitcher Brady Singer are D1 Baseball third team All-American picks.
Cats draw brutal SEC West slate
Kentucky will play a series against every SEC East team, as the Cats do every year, and they also draw series' against four of the seven teams in the West division.
Unfortunately for the Cats this year they draw the top four teams in the West according to Perfect Game.
Kentucky misses series against Arkansas, Auburn and Alabama, the three teams picked to finish last in the West by Perfect Game.
Put differently, that means Kentucky will face every Preseason All-SEC player according to Perfect Game.
Running the numbers
Of the 56 games on Kentucky's 2017 schedule, 23 are against D1 Baseball preseason Top 25 teams. More daunting, 15 of the 56 games against preseason Top 10 opponents.
The Cats play 13 road games against teams that are ranked in the preseason.
They start and end the season against preseason Top 10 teams.
Kentucky faces two opponents (Florida, UCSB) against clubs that reached the College World Series last year. The Cats face seven opponents and play 20 games against programs that reached a Super Regional last year.
