LEXINGTON, Ky. — As expected, Kentucky baseball will host an NCAA regional tournament at Cliff Hagan Stadium this weekend. It’s the first time the Wildcats have hosted a regional since 2006.
UK (39-20) will find out on Monday at noon which teams will come to Lexington for the regional. The Wildcats will also know whether they will be given one of the eight national seeds, which would guarantee a super regional at Cliff Hagan Stadium if UK wins the regional tournament.
The Wildcats have been in the national seed conversation for several months now, but a 1-4 finish down the stretch has opened the door for other teams to earn a bid. Stanford (40-14) and Southern Mississippi (48-13) are the other teams most heavily discussed with UK getting one of the last national seeds.
Southern Mississippi is eighth in D1baseball.com's latest RPI rankings. Stanford and UK follow at No. 9 and No. 10. The Wildcats own a much better strength of schedule than either of the other teams. UK has the 13th toughest schedule in the nation while Southern Mississippi has the 72nd toughest schedule. Stanford is 57th in strength of schedule.
SEC Coach of the Year Nick Mingione stated the Wildcats’ case for a national seed after UK's 3-1 loss to South Carolina on Friday.
In logistical terms, UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart told Catsillustrated.com in early May that the plan is to increase the capacity at Cliff Hagan Stadium from 3,000 to 4,500.
