The most challenging task new Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione faces in his first season is replacing a pitching staff that combined to throw 266.1 innings and recorded 17 wins. While replacing Kyle Cody, Dustin Beggs and Zack Brown will be a difficult task, replacing the man who coached them is equally important.

Former head coach Gary Henderson has coached Kentucky’s pitching staff since 2003, so Mingione — whose bio would show he has little history interacting with pitchers — needed to hire a person he can fully trust to rebuild the rotation. He found that in Maryland pitching coach Jim Belanger.

"I wanted Coach Belanger at Kentucky for numerous reasons,” Mingione said. “What stood out to me was how much family means to him, the fact he’s won everywhere he’s been and his track record of player development.

“He did a great job at Maryland, going to two super regionals the past three years, and he truly understands what it takes to win at a very high level. His player development has been second to none. What he’s been able to do with players who went undrafted out of high school and how he’s turned them into legitimate prospects and top draft picks is impressive. He is an outstanding communicator, with the perfect demeanor for a pitching coach."

Belanger has served as Maryland’s pitching coach since 2012 and impressive results have followed. 10 pitchers have been selected in the MLB draft during Belanger’s tenure and several pitchers have broken school records.

Belanger, 29, takes over a staff that returns only one SEC start among everyone. Zach Logue was the regular midweek starter a year ago and seems to have a lock on at least one of the weekend rotation spots going into next season. Several relief pitchers such as Sean Hjelle, Justin Lewis and Zach Pop have been viewed as guys who could start, but that’s a decision Belanger must ultimately make.

Belanger said he had a good situation at Maryland, but it was the opportunity to work for Mingione that sold him.

"Coach Mingione is ultra-positive and his attitude and energy are qualities that are going to make him a really good head coach. I also knew about Kentucky and the league (Southeastern Conference) speaks for itself.”

Houston Astros first baseman A.J. Reed, arguably the best player in Kentucky baseball history, made his major league debut on Saturday night. Reed went 0-for-2 in the designated hitter spot but walked twice and scored two runs and notched his first RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Reed started Sunday’s game at first base but had a tough time at the plate. Reed struck out all three times at the dish. The good news for Reed is he’s expected to be an everyday player for the Astros, so his first hit should come soon.

“We’re really looking for an everyday first baseman in him,” Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow told MLB.com. “We don’t want him to come up and have to be relegated to platoon because it puts constraints on the roster and the manager, so if he can hit lefties, I think he’s going to be fine.”

The 2016 recruiting class, once ranked as high as ninth on Perfect Game, has taken some hits. Some of the departures were expected, such as Akil Baddoo and Nick Hanson signing professional deals, but some have been unexpected.

Cats Illustrated first reported Lexington (Ky.) Tates Creek outfielder Jaren Shelby’s decision to attend a junior college, State College of Florida, instead of Kentucky. Over the weekend, J.C. Flowers, an 18th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds, was given his full release from Kentucky and signed with Florida State.

Mingione will likely continue to add players to the 2016 class, but two big decisions still remain with players currently committed. Kentucky native Easton McGee was drafted in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Rays but still hasn’t signed. McGee has been expected to sign with the Rays but the two sides haven’t reached an agreement yet. MLB teams hope to sign their top 10 prospects, so it’s hard to imagine the Rays selected McGee in the fourth round without knowing he would likely sign.

If for some reasons the two sides don’t come to an agreement and McGee enrolls at Kentucky then he will be the highest rated prospect on campus and would likely push for a spot in the weekend rotation next season.

Zack Thompson, a left-handed pitcher from Selma, Ind., was also an 11th round selection of the Rays. It’s unclear which way Thompson is leaning, but he has until July 15 to sign with the Rays. Thompson is another pitcher who will compete for a weekend spot if he chooses to attend Kentucky.