BBN Radio presented by Clark's Pump-n-Shop with Nick Mingione and Andrew Kappes

Join Darren Headrick for BBN Radio, presented by Clark's Pump-n-Shop. We are joined by Kentucky Head Baseball Coach Nick Mingione and Andrew Kappes of the UK Sports Network.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Across the forty coming here side Ookny five meets a.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Buck, He's He's going to House dun Tuch down, Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
From the UK Sports Network. This is Clark's Pumpin' Shop,
Big Blue Nation Radio.

Speaker 4 (00:19):
Second for one, make the turn, got him, Game's over.

Speaker 5 (00:22):
Kentucky Web interact with the show by calling eight five
nine two eight oh Cats that's Saint five nine two
eight oh to two eight seven, or state wide at
eight hundred six oh six game that's eight hundred six
oh six four to two six y three. Second tuck

(00:43):
or tweet the show at UK Sports Network.

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Hi for the eighth time.

Speaker 6 (00:48):
College basketball National Championship Trophy is coming home to Kentucky.

Speaker 7 (00:53):
Now your host Taron Hendrick, Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and welcome
into another edition of BBN Radio presented by Clark's Pumping Shop.
This week, on the show, we'll catch up with head
coach Nick Menjeone of Kentucky Baseball. We'll talk to him
about fall practice, how the exhibitions went, and also look
ahead to the spring as the Wildcats have announced their

(01:16):
schedule for twenty twenty six.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
Second half hour we'll feature Andrew Cappus.

Speaker 7 (01:21):
We'll talk to him about baseball plus a little volleyball
as the Wildcats are in action tonight in the SEC
Volleyball Tournament. They swept Auburn yesterday in three sets to
advance to the semifinals of the tournament. So we'll catch
up with Andrew about that. This is BBN Radio presented
by Clark's Pumping Shop. We're happy to have you along

(01:41):
with us, and we'll be back with more right after this.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
On the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 8 (01:48):
Skyline's New Chicken Chili is here now you can enjoy
that legendary Skyline taste with a new protein option. Come
try Skylines New Chicken Chili on ways Cony's and all
your Skyline one favorites, including chicken chili chiledos. When you
taste it, you're gonna love it, So come try Skylines
New Chicken Chili today. It's a tasty new way to

(02:10):
enjoy your Skyline time now available at participate in Skyline restaurants.

Speaker 9 (02:16):
When it's time to sell your home, you hope your
agent knows the market, timing, pricing, interest rates, neighborhoods, staging
open houses, understanding contracts, completing paperwork, oh and can actually
help guide you on your big move, don't hope.

Speaker 10 (02:32):
No.

Speaker 9 (02:32):
When you hire a WIKERD agent, you can be sure
you've got a partner who will guide you every step
of the way, from listing to closing and everything in between.
WIKERD Dream Move Home. Each WIKERD franchised office is independently
owned and operated.

Speaker 11 (02:47):
You know you've seen it on our ads for all y'all,
but what does it mean. It means we're for everyone
in Central Kentucky. Teachers, nurses, police officers, students, small business owners,
even that one friend who swore they'd never switch banks.
Because at UK Credit Union we believe good banking should
belong to just a few. It should be easy, local
and made for everyone. It's UK Federal Credit Union. We're

(03:10):
not just for some, We're for all, y'all. Membership eligabili
required federally insured by NCUA.

Speaker 12 (03:17):
There's an er that's built for you, built to make
your drivetime shorter when every second counts, Built to give
you and your neighbors a trusted place to go when
something is wrong in an emergency.

Speaker 13 (03:29):
The er at Baptist Health.

Speaker 12 (03:31):
Hamburg is here for you twenty four to seven with convenient,
patient centered care. Learn more at Baptist Heealth dot com
slash built for Hamburg. Baptist Health Hamburg is an apartment
of Baptist Health Lexington.

Speaker 14 (03:46):
The DQ sauce and toss Chicken strip baskets have more
flavor than your taste buds know what.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
To do with it.

Speaker 14 (03:53):
All starts with perfectly seasoned chicken strips, tossed in new
sweet chili or honey barbecue, fries, Texas toast, and housemade
Hidden Valley ranch. And you've got flavor on flavor on flavor.
Try the sauce and tossed chicken strip baskets and news
sweet chili or honey barbecue right now at DQ Happy

(04:15):
Tastes Good.

Speaker 4 (04:16):
Toyota thone is on.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Get in the spirit of the season with a new
Toyota now through December. First get three thousand dollars customer
cash on remaining new twenty five to n dress or
get zero point nine to nine APR financing plus one
thousand dollars TFS APR cash with approved credit through TFS
excludes TRD PRO APR cash must be applied to deal
and every new Toyota comes.

Speaker 4 (04:39):
With two years no cost maintenance.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
For complete details, go to Toyota dot Com, Toyota, Let's
Go Places.

Speaker 7 (04:56):
Welcome back into BBN Radio, presented by Clark's Poppin Shop.
Here on the UK Sports Network and on this Thanksgiving
edition of the show, we're actually going to look forward
to spring a little bit. As head coach Nick Menngionas
in studio with us and coach, congratulations, you got through fall.
You had a couple of nice impressive wins, especially over
West Virginia in an exhibition. But I know how excited

(05:19):
you were going into the fall and talking to you,
what were your thoughts coming out of it?

Speaker 4 (05:24):
Yeah, that's a really good question.

Speaker 15 (05:25):
And you know, if you were have asked me this
question three days ago, it would be totally different, really,
And that's the beauty of what we do.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
You know.

Speaker 15 (05:34):
It's just like a lot of ways, it's like the
stock market. But we've wrapped up at the time we're
filming this, we've wrapped up thirty four player meetings. And
one thing we value is feedback, and we always say
feedbacks and breakfast a champion. So I'm very impressed with
our players. Like we do a long, extensive evaluation where

(05:58):
they evaluate us, them, they evaluate each other. We ask
them some serious detailed questions as it relates to lineups
and teammates and Hey, one of the questions we ask,
if you're a coach for a day, what would you
do differently, what would you like to see different with
our facilities or academics or athletic training or strength and conditioning,
And we just asked them for a ton of feedback.

(06:20):
And the feedback that they gave not only to us
but about each other, Darren, it was incredible, really, and
in my twenty five years, I mean I'm talking they
told some guys not what they wanted to hear, but
what they needed to hear. And you know this, I
believe everything rises and falls on leadership and for them
to give themselves like honest, fair feedback. Pooh, I've been

(06:43):
super impressed.

Speaker 7 (06:44):
Yeah, I was thinking about kind of that twenty twenty
four team is what Kentucky's being measured against every team
now and those intangibles that that team had, and when
you talk about details, that was really one of the
things that carried that team the whole year.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
The focus on the small things.

Speaker 15 (07:00):
Yes, and at the beginning of the fall we were
awesome at it. And as the fall went on, Darian
like we didn't nail those and it was really difficult
as a coach to follow and just be along. It's like, Okay,
we're on top of it. Then all of a sudden,
it's like some of that went away. And we believe
in love and accountability, like we love our players, but

(07:22):
we hold them accountable, and we had one too many
things that were just man, we didn't nail the details,
and it became very frustrating as a coach, and our
coaches got really frustrated with them. And looking back, I'm
extremely happy that that happened because we had an opportunity
to grow and we don't back off the standards of standard.

(07:43):
You know that, And it's not the best team that's
going to win. It's a team that plays the best
is going to win. And we quite frankly, we have
to learn and do the little things and appreciate those things.
What it takes to win. We have to do that,
and that's what's made us different is we focus on
what it takes a win. In quite frankly, we went

(08:04):
to a phase where we weren't doing that, and I'm
happy because it provided us an opportunity to grow from it.

Speaker 4 (08:10):
So one of the other things too.

Speaker 7 (08:13):
I think about, and you've even talked about just in
the fall, that roller coaster that baseball can go on,
that really occurs in the spring when you get into
conference play, especially. I thought last year's team did a
pretty good job of riding that and getting back to
a regional But how do you prepare a team for
what they're about to face with that roller coaster and
to have that steadiness like we saw in twenty twenty

(08:33):
four and even last year.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, I'll give you three things.

Speaker 15 (08:36):
Number one, we've really had to hammer the point home
to this team that consistency compounds.

Speaker 4 (08:44):
Consistency compounds.

Speaker 15 (08:45):
So we did an exercise where we're like, hey, give
us an example of a player that you would say
on our team that is extremely consistent.

Speaker 4 (08:52):
Who is it?

Speaker 15 (08:53):
And they named the guy Luke Lawrence. Okay, what about
Luke that you would say is consistent? Well, he's the
same guy every day, whether he strikes out or goes
fourth to four, he's the same guy.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
So it's like bang, okay. So that's the first step.

Speaker 15 (09:09):
The second step is we've got to have an appreciation
to be committed, Like what are we committed to?

Speaker 4 (09:16):
So we did this.

Speaker 15 (09:16):
Exercise where we asked them like, hey, what are you
committed to? So we listed things and then the third
thing is it's like we have to just get together
as a unit and we have to trust each other.
So it's like, hey, when we trust each other, then
we can grow. And the team that knows each other
can grow with each other. So we we've done a
lot of like team building exercises, leadership talks. We have

(09:41):
another one tomorrow, we did one today. It's just like
we're constantly just pouring in. But they have to trust
each other. And really, the only way I believe to
like truly gain that trust is through vulnerability. And we've
had guys ask some and share some difficult things like
what have you had to go through? What have you
been through that's you know, the hardest you've been through,
and share some heartaches, and like this team is like

(10:03):
really growing because we're now starting to trust each other.

Speaker 7 (10:07):
You had two exhibition games in the fall against West
Virginia and Morehead State.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
You got different results in each one.

Speaker 7 (10:12):
How important are those exhibition games just to learn more
about your team? And like West Virginia coming from behind,
how this team rallies around itself?

Speaker 15 (10:20):
Yeah, you know, in the Fall, I've always said that
I wanted them to experience everything. I want to share
extremely hot days, I want to experience some golf days.
I want to experience rain. I want to experience us
blowing out a team. I want to experience us having
a close game and having to come back. And you know,
I also like to learn from wins. I don't like
to learn from losses. But we got to beat a

(10:43):
game this fall and it was I think that was
really important.

Speaker 4 (10:47):
And I actually believe we'll look back at.

Speaker 15 (10:50):
The end of June, hopefully with another one of these
like us in Omahan. Our season ends in June, and
we'll look back and say, hey, what was one of
the defining moments the fall? And it was just us
not winning because we're used to winning. I mean, I
don't know if we've lost the Fall game since I've
been here, but we lost the game, and I can
honestly say that I so far looking back is one

(11:11):
of the best things because we had some guys that
didn't have the falls.

Speaker 4 (11:14):
They wanted, Okay, but we're able to grow from that
and success leaves clues.

Speaker 15 (11:19):
But sometimes success can be a lousy teacher and we've
grabbed the guys attention.

Speaker 7 (11:23):
So now you're kind of rolling into the off season
or the downtime before you ramp it back up for
real in January. What are some things this team? What
kind of assignments and homework have you given them over
the next month or so before it really ramps back up.

Speaker 15 (11:37):
Well, I'll start with our pitchers. They're just now getting
back into their throwing program. So their health will always
be number one, but their attention to detail and their
ability just to really just like focus on, Hey, this
is what I'm doing today. This is the warm up.
This is going to be the best warm up I
can possibly have. And then we're going to do some

(11:57):
of their pre throwing drills, whether it's their throwing flyoballs
or whatever.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
I want them to do that at the very best.
And then you're going to play.

Speaker 15 (12:02):
Cats with this extreme attention to detail and high focus
and them just be able to appreciate every little thing.
And so we're building those blocks with our pitching staff.
And positionally, we spend a lot of time under swings.
Some guys have made some amazing, amazing adjustments to their swing.
So I give Coach Loan and Coach Coozy a lot
of credit they've been so they've been down in the

(12:23):
cages working with them, and you know, I've told them
it's like we're like building our engine and we're making
it strong to be able to fire and function right.
And so for those guys are going to continue to
hone those things. Take ownership of that. And I remind
them today, eighty four days the opening day able to
be here before we know it. We've got to make
the day's count.

Speaker 7 (12:42):
Well, that schedule has been announced and there was one
tweak Citadel has been added to the schedule, but overall
excited on the challenge that awaits Kentucky in the spring.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (12:53):
You know, one thing that we've done, and I think
you you know this better than anybody being in the
fight with us, is we value playing really good teams
and we like to go on a road and play
really good teams. So we're going to have an opportunity
to do that. We have four weekends prior to the
season starting. I think if you look a lot of
our teams in our league, they're at home for all

(13:13):
four and we choose to play half of them on
the road and to do that, so we have obviously
two really good series on a road and then two
at home, so excited about that. And then obviously you
know the value of our league, and then some really
quality midweeks. You know, Darren, We've been really fortunate is
we have some really good teams that are close to

(13:34):
us that we've been able to schedule, whether it's us
going to their place or them coming to us. And
we have put some really good teams into midweek. So
looking over it again, I mean, I fully expect us
to have a top ten strength to schedule.

Speaker 7 (13:44):
Again, I always kind of smile and I talk with
Matt May, you're outstanding sports information director. But when the
SEC schedule comes out, we're always like, whoa, here's a
road trip, here's this team, here's that team. But you're
so used to it you don't even really look up anymore,
do you know?

Speaker 15 (14:00):
You know, Darren, Like, I had this revelation this week.
It's crazy. I had a high school.

Speaker 4 (14:06):
Friend of mine send me a text and say, hey, Nick,
I'm in town.

Speaker 15 (14:10):
Me and Nicole. He married a high school sweetheart, went
high school with him down in Cape Cole, Florida. It's like, Hey,
my daughter's a freshman here we'd love to see you.
I'm like, no way. Like so we connected and I
made me realize, like, I'm getting ready to have my
thirty year high school reunion. Oh so I did that,
and I'm like, oh my goodness, Nick. And then I
started thinking, I'm like, how long have I been coaching?

Speaker 4 (14:29):
During this?

Speaker 15 (14:29):
My twenty fifth year coaching? Why comes to twenty five years?
And then I've been in the SEC for twenty years?

Speaker 4 (14:36):
Used to it.

Speaker 15 (14:36):
So it's just like, you just have a level of
respect for every team in our league. So the beauty
of the twenty four team, arguably the greatest team in
school history. They were never concerned about who we were playing.
They were more concerned how we play. And that's something
I knew I have to teach every team. It doesn't
matter who we play, it matters how we play.

Speaker 4 (14:57):
That matters.

Speaker 15 (14:59):
And so when you have that focus and you guys
are doing your jobs right, so it's.

Speaker 4 (15:03):
Like, man, we gotta go here, we gotta play these guys.
And it's like, but the thing that's really helped me
as a coach is.

Speaker 15 (15:10):
This whole notion of it doesn't matter who we play,
it matters how we p That's right, and when we're
focused on ourselves and that game and that game only,
that's us at our best and the twenty fourteen did
that better than anyone.

Speaker 7 (15:22):
But trying to teach this team the same, it's how
you go fifteen to zero.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
In the league. All right, Well, let's take a quick
time out.

Speaker 7 (15:28):
We'll talk about this year's squad when we come back
with coach Menngion Here on bb AND Radio, presented by
Clark's Puppin Shop.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
This is the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 16 (15:37):
Picture it your holiday table, the family cooking together, the
scent of golden brown bread, rosemary from roasted potatoes, and
a salad so crisp it snaps, spice, Cider in every glass,
laughter around every plate.

Speaker 4 (15:52):
At Kroger.

Speaker 16 (15:53):
We know these moments matter and we make it easier
to bring them to life with quality that's affordable in
every aisle this season, don't just host, make every moment unforgettable.
Kroger Fresh for everyone.

Speaker 17 (16:05):
Hey, BBN, stay connected to the Caps with the Big
Blue Brew.

Speaker 18 (16:09):
The official newsletter of UK Athletics. It's free, it's daily,
and it's all things Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (16:14):
Put open, Touched Up Kentucky.

Speaker 17 (16:17):
Sign up now at UK Athletics dot com backslash, Big
Blue Brew.

Speaker 10 (16:21):
Oh right, all right, it's a beautiful day for football
here at the stadium, and we're just about ready for kickoff,
score zero zero, and suddenly I'm in the mood for
a coke zero sugar real coke taste zero sugar.

Speaker 17 (16:35):
No, that's a winning combo, Yeah, Chris, refreshing that hits
the spot when it comes to great taste. Coke zero
sugar is always on the scoreboard. Coke zero sugar, real,
coke taste zero sugar.

Speaker 19 (16:51):
An sec, it just means more. But what is it exactly?
It's the fans, the students, the traditions, the legends. It's
passion to celebrate deeper, breach farther, think smarter, make an
impact off the field. It's that intelligible thing that happens

(17:11):
when sixteen schools raised the bars one because in the SEC,
it just means more.

Speaker 20 (17:21):
Dear you, you've hung the lights, checked off every to
do list. Now treat yourself to a fun break with
holiday scratch offs from the Kentucky Lottery. Play festively fantastic
games like Twinkle Cash, Marry Multiplier, and now much fun.
No wrapping, no thank you, No, it's take the break
you actually wanted.

Speaker 6 (17:41):
Grab your tickets today your local k White lottery retailer
and put a little play in your day this holiday season.
Please play responsibly. Remember it's just a game.

Speaker 13 (17:51):
You need open heart surgery where it's no one wants
to hear, but when it becomes your reality, you deserve
care built on trust. At Hazard a rhen heart surgery
is performed by doctor James Shoptak, a cardiothoracic and vascular
surgeon with over twenty nine years of experience. With skilled hands,
strong face, and proven results, Doctor Schoptah and his team

(18:11):
are with you every step of the way. Trust your
heart to AARH and Doctor Shoptaw a proud member of
the AARH Care Network.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
AARH.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
More for Appalachia, Hey Wildcat Fans.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
Little Caesars, the home of Hot and Ready Pizza, invites
you to try our world famous Crazy Bread with Crazy Sauce,
Caesar Wings, It, Gallian Cheese bread, and our new cookie
Old Browning dessert. At Little Caesar's, we begin each day
with dough made fresh from scratch, fresh never frozen cheese,
and the tastiest topping. Little Caesar's is also a proud

(18:44):
partner of UK Athletics and an enthusiastic member of Big
Blue Nation.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
So Go Cat Pizza Pizza.

Speaker 21 (18:51):
Flight by Yingling is the next generation of light beer
for those who don't follow trends but craft them. Flight
by Yingling is twelve bounces of uncompromised refreshment from America's
oldest brewery with only two point six grams of carbs
and ninety five calories. This is premium refreshment, six generations
in the making.

Speaker 13 (19:11):
They'll just raise a.

Speaker 21 (19:12):
Glass, raise the bar. Flight by Yngling available wherever beer
is sold. DJ Yngling and Sounincorporated Potsoel, Pennsylvania.

Speaker 22 (19:19):
Please enjoy responsibly.

Speaker 23 (19:21):
Thinking about digging, planning a tree, putting up a fence,
hold that shovel. Before you break ground, head to Kentucky
eight one one dot org or call eight one one.
It's quick, it's free, and yep, it's the law. Submit
your request online or call Before you dig. Member utility
pros will mark where the underground lines are. Don't risk
the injury, service outages, penalties, or costly repairs. Safety is

(19:42):
in your hands.

Speaker 18 (19:43):
Eight one to one Before you Dig.

Speaker 24 (19:44):
Sponsored by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

Speaker 7 (19:59):
Welcome back into b and Radio presented by Clark's Puppinshop.
We're here with head coach Nick Manjeon talking about the
Kentucky Wildcats baseball team, who are about to go into
their little winter hibernation before the season starts in the spring. Coach,
We're excited about this group. I know you are the
talent on this team. I want to start with the
lead and that is for the first time in a
long time, you're going to have a different voice behind

(20:22):
the dish with Devin Burk's moving on to bigger and
better things. Congratulations to him, by the way, on his
growing family. But exciting to see you and hear a
new voice behind the plate this year.

Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yeah, and you know you're good, buddy.

Speaker 15 (20:34):
Darren Williams, also known as Dub Dub, had the opportunity
to share with our captains for all of our sports
just last week, and one of the questions that was
asked to him was, Hey, what was the difference between
the twenty two and the twenty three season, Like what
got us over the hump? Was it something within the program?

(20:56):
And Darren dott and he paused and he says, Devin Burks,
Devin Burks. He's what got us in our program over
the hump, and what a compliment by Darren for him
to recognize he'll say that truly amazing, but that's how
powerful he was.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
We spent five years with.

Speaker 15 (21:17):
Man, this amazing, amazing guy, human being, him and Charisma
married now getting ready to have a child, and just
I'd be lying to you if I told you it
wasn't hard for me this fall.

Speaker 4 (21:30):
Think about him every day every day. It's been five years.

Speaker 15 (21:34):
Oh five years, five years against a guy like that,
two times, mister wildcat like. Man's just a reminder of
how I get to coach some amazing people. And there's
been a lot so we've had a great battle behind
the plate. We have three guys that have done exceptionally well.
Tager Tyson transfer from the school down the road and

(21:57):
he is just his growth has been expanded. Owen Jenkins,
the freshman from right here in Lexington, amazing fall to
watch his growth from where he started to where he
is now. And then Alex Duffy. I mean we had
three guys. Duff missed some time with a thumb injury,
but he's back and healthy. But we've had three guys

(22:17):
just like show unbelievable signs of growth and maturity, and
so definitely has been different. But I just feel really
good about what they've been able to bring to the table.
And it's been a good battle, and I'm looking forward
to watch that play out in the spring because those
three guys have shown tremendous leadership up the middle.

Speaker 7 (22:36):
I'm just going to stay up the middle because I
know that's where you like to start your defense and
championship defense. Coming back this year, You've got Tyler Bell
at short, Luke Lawrence at second. How have you seen
those two grow since the end of last year coming
into the end of fall.

Speaker 15 (22:51):
Yeah, I'll hit on Luke again. Just his consistency is incredible.
Here's a guy that you know at one point he's
chaired with our tea, like at one point he was
debating about even playing baseball anymore, and now here he
is really just like being one of the voices of
our entire team. But his consistency, as we mentioned earlier,

(23:12):
has been incredible.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
So to watch him.

Speaker 15 (23:14):
Grow from that, and then really him sliding over to
second base was a newer position for him. He had
played some, but he had been a shortstop, so but
him defensively he has grown and with the strike zone, Darren.
This fall he walked fourteen times and struck out four
fourteen with only four Yes, we need to just keep
saying on first base, all right, Luke. But and then TJ.

(23:36):
TJ's arm has gotten extremely He's got his arms gotten better.

Speaker 4 (23:40):
Wow.

Speaker 15 (23:40):
So to watch his comfort at shortstop and be able
to do about that. And TJ has shown leadership skills.
I mean, you know what he's gotten really good at
from a leadership standpoint is he's able to have the
difficult conversation with somebody other some Marrias where TJ and
both need to grow. But yes, he's not afraid to
have the difficult conversation where some other people.

Speaker 4 (24:00):
Yeah, so I appreciate that.

Speaker 15 (24:02):
And you know, TJ offensively didn't have the fall he wanted,
which quite frankly, I think is just going to be
motivation for him, right, I mean, this guy, but the
talent to watch the way TJ goes about his business
with just tremendous focus every day has been fun to
watch for a.

Speaker 4 (24:20):
Year and a half. Yea.

Speaker 7 (24:21):
In terms of your outfield, a lot of new faces,
but one there was a couple of guys who had
big falls, And I'll just start with Jace Tarnish because
everybody talks about his speed, but what else have you
seen out him besides the fact that he can just
fly around the bases.

Speaker 4 (24:34):
He can use the entire field.

Speaker 15 (24:37):
I mean, I'll just think about West Virginia about him
smacking a ball right over the first baseman's head down
the right field corner.

Speaker 4 (24:44):
Then I just remember him in.

Speaker 15 (24:45):
That same game hitting a ball high to the pull
siding hitting a home run. I mean, his ability to
use the entire field that he finds the barrel. Darren,
He's one of these guys that can hit when he's
off time, so he'll get in a funny position.

Speaker 4 (24:58):
You're like, how did he do? Like how did he
do that?

Speaker 15 (25:01):
And then really his speed, I mean, from the time
he takes his lead, his ten yards split time incredible,
he can really really run so and then his ability
to just run balls down in the outfield, it's it's
been pretty pretty amazing to watch.

Speaker 7 (25:15):
Towards the end of last year, Ryan Schwartz really came
on and became a huge factor in your lineup once
he got in store.

Speaker 15 (25:22):
For year two, well for one, he finished the spring
healthy was able to play summer baseball.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
I thought was crucial for him.

Speaker 15 (25:28):
And then if you remember, in the fall, he missed
the fall because the injury, so he missed the fall.
So he came and had a healthy fall. And Darren,
this guy has taken another step. Offensively, Utah, he led
our team in home runs this fall showed his ability
to hit the ball all over the field. And then defensively,

(25:51):
he's taken another step in right field. We've even had
to play him some at first base and he's taken
to that. You know, he's even pitched. You know this guy, Darren,
this guy is a baseball player. So far like it
so far his time in Kentucky. Yeah, he's caught, he's pitched.
He's played first, he's played left, he could play right.
We put him in center. He's gonna try to tell
me a short no shot. Sorry, but I bet if

(26:12):
we put him at thirty he could play third. I mean,
this guy is a baseball player, and he's been healthy
and it's taking another step forward.

Speaker 7 (26:19):
We just have a couple of minutes left with you, coach,
So I wanted to jump on the pitching side real
quick because you have several stars back, but you also
have totally revamped the bullpen because the graduations and different
things tell me a little bit about what you expect out.

Speaker 4 (26:32):
Of your relief corps this year.

Speaker 15 (26:33):
Yeah, I mean, well, really, there's three guys that are
still recovering from injuries in Ryan Mullen, Chase Alderman and
Oliver Boone and Boonie and Mullen have been back and
we're able to throw some live to some hitters before
the fall finished.

Speaker 4 (26:49):
And those two guys they're gonna help.

Speaker 15 (26:52):
I mean Boone, the growth he's made, not only physically,
he's gotten in way better shape.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
He's better. And then Mullen brings a look.

Speaker 15 (27:00):
That quite frankly, we maybe haven't had it in a
little while, straight over the top with a good breaking ball,
and he's been really really exciting to watch his growth
and his mentality and his voice. And then obviously we
got guys that Jack Bennett is a guy transfer who
had a phenomenal fall. Jackson Soussie's a guy who just
keeps continue to climb and grow and so and there's others,

(27:23):
but there'll be some different looks back there. And what
I'm excited about is we've got the different arm slots.

Speaker 4 (27:29):
Ira Austin, ask you about that.

Speaker 15 (27:30):
Ira Austin's throwing down here at eighty eight to ninety
to ninety four up here in the same arm slot.
And you know, Tommy Skelding had arguably the best fall
at any pitcher on our entire staff, the way he's
mixed and matched, and it's been it's been really good.

Speaker 7 (27:46):
And real quick. In this last minute here you're starting pitchers.
I'm sure you're still shaking all that out. But Ben
Cleaver's back obviously, so he's I would expect him to
be a guy to lead the starting staff.

Speaker 4 (27:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (27:56):
You know, Ben, he ended up cutting his ankle and
miss some time and had to kind of come back,
and I actually thought that was good. You know, I'm
happy that he's healthy, but I'm kind of happy he
had to deal with some a little bit of adversity.
That was good for Ben, and Ben has grown and
learned some valuable lessons from that. So I'm excited to
watch him in the spring. And then Nate Harris, same thing.

(28:18):
Nate is a guy that had a fall where it
was kind of good and bad, and I think if
you asked him, he didn't have the fall he wanted.
He had some outings where he was phenomenal, but even
him going through a little bit of diversity has been great.
So looking forward to those guys and their growth.

Speaker 7 (28:30):
Well, Coach, we appreciate you joining us here on BBN
Radio presented by Clark's Pumping Shop, and on the lead
up to the season, Darren Williams and I will have
plenty of behind Kentucky Baseball podcasts to get to know
these guys. We're excited to see him on the field
in the spring and Coach will be there in the
dugout with you.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Thank you. Congrats to my man, Craig Skinner. Nine in
a row. That's right.

Speaker 7 (28:49):
Coming up next here on bb AND Radio presented by
Clark's Pumping Shop, will be joined by Andrew kappas stick Around.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
This is the UK Sports network Skyline's new Chicken Chili here.

Speaker 8 (29:00):
Now you can enjoy that legendary Skyline taste with a
new protein option. Come try Skylines new Chicken Chili on Ways,
Coney's and all your Skyline favorites including chicken chili chiledos.
When you taste it, you're gonna love it, So come
try Skylines new Chicken Chili Today. It's a tasty new
way to enjoy your skyline time, now available at Participate

(29:23):
in Skyline Restaurants.

Speaker 12 (29:27):
There's an er that's built for you. Build to make
your drivetime shorter when every second counts. Built to give
you and your neighbors a trusted place to go when
something is wrong in an emergency. The er at Baptist
Health Hamburg is here for you twenty four to seven
with convenient patient centered care. Learn more at Baptistealth dot

(29:48):
com slash built for Hamburg. Baptist Health Hamburg is an
apartment of Baptist Health Lexington.

Speaker 17 (29:56):
Hey, there's that penny by your foot a penny, Find
a penny, pick it up, then all day you'll have
good one.

Speaker 19 (30:00):
Come on, let's aim higher for the nickel.

Speaker 18 (30:02):
But how often do you find free Nikels every.

Speaker 19 (30:04):
Day at Thornton's.

Speaker 25 (30:05):
Save five cents off for gallon of fuel every day
with Thornton's refreshing rewards.

Speaker 19 (30:09):
Then we need a new adage.

Speaker 13 (30:10):
Come to Thornton's.

Speaker 14 (30:11):
Pump your gas, save some nickels with every pass that'll
add up to save a buck.

Speaker 6 (30:15):
How does that sound for a little luck that is
way better.

Speaker 20 (30:17):
Than pennies get five cents off for gallon of fuel
every day at your local Thornton's.

Speaker 12 (30:21):
Valid on fuel purchases up to thirty five gallons requires
download of the Refreshing Rewards app and successful registration.

Speaker 11 (30:26):
You know you've seen it on our ads for all y'all,
but what does it mean? Means we're for everyone in
Central Kentucky. Teachers, nurses, police officers, students, small business owners,
even that one friend who swore they'd never switch banks
because at UK Credit Union we believe good banking shouldn't
belong to just a few. It should be easy, local
and made for everyone. It's UK Federal Credit Union. We're

(30:49):
not just for some, We're for all y'all. Membership eligabilia
required federally insured by NCUA.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
Toyota thone is on get in the spirit of the
season with a new Toyota now through December. First get
four point seventy five APR financing on remaining new twenty
five Corollas and Corolla hybrids excludes gr and Corolla Cross
or lease a gas powered twenty six Corolla l E
for one ninety nine a month for thirty nine months,
where thirty six ninety nine do its signing with the

(31:17):
proof credit through TFS tax Title on licensed Extra Call
one eight eight eight thirty six Toyota Fruit details or
go to Toyota dot com Toyota Let's Go Places.

Speaker 8 (31:27):
Skyline's New Chicken Chili is here. Now you can enjoy
that legendary Skyline taste with a new protein option. Come
try Skylines New Chicken Chili on Ways, Coney's and all
your Skyline favorites including chicken chili chiledos. When you taste it,
you're gonna love it, So come try Skylines New Chicken
Chili today. It's a tasty new way to enjoy your

(31:50):
Skyline time. Now available at participate in Skyline restaurants.

Speaker 7 (32:07):
It is BBN Radio presented by Clark's Pumping Shop on
the UK Sports Network. Just had a great chat with
head coach Nick Minjeone of Kentucky Baseball and now we're
going to switch gears and bring on a young man
who has done some baseball filling in for me. He
also hosts the men's basketball pregame show, The Jack Burford
Chevrolet count Down to tip Off alongside Dave Baker and

(32:30):
Cameron Mills. He's Andrew Cappus you've heard him on volleyball
and he wears many other hats for the UK Sports Network. Andrew,
you're a busy man these days. We appreciate the time.

Speaker 22 (32:41):
Oh thanks, Jarrein an exciting time despite the setback by
the Cats last week.

Speaker 18 (32:47):
Against Michigan State, but the week prior to Louisville.

Speaker 22 (32:51):
But you know, there's a lot of exciting things going on,
and boy, there's a buzz around some of these programs.

Speaker 18 (32:56):
Really exciting.

Speaker 7 (32:57):
Yeah, absolutely throwing women's back basketball. They've won the first
six games in impressive fashion. So, like we mentioned, we
just talked to coach Minjion about fall practice and getting ready.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
For the spring.

Speaker 7 (33:12):
A lot of excitement surrounding that program with a great
signing class, but also they have a lot of returners
on this year's team, a dynamic infield, the SEC and
actually even the full schedule has been released for Kentucky.
So there's a lot of excitement right now around this
Kentucky baseball program and can't wait to see some of
these stars shine again this spring.

Speaker 4 (33:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 22 (33:35):
I think what kind of gets lost in the sauce
from last year is that is that head coach Nick
Minjeon kind of pivoted towards some younger guys for health
reasons and just to get those young guys in as
well later on in the season. So when you look
at how far they advance getting to a regional again
with those young talented pieces that are all coming back,

(33:56):
and I'm really looking forward to the year to jump
from Tyler Bell. I mean, what a job he did
last year his freshman season, and it's a really difficult
position to play as a freshman shortstop. I think probably
the only more difficult position would be catcher, and the
Cats are young at the catching position too and return
a lot of those young pieces too, So it's going

(34:16):
to be really fun to see the year two jump
for some of those freshmen. But then you also have
a rotation that I think is going to go up
against any rotation in the SEC and the country for
that matter, which is really exciting. And you know, I
moonlight as a as a pro baseball guy during the summer,
and you know, there's a lot of names on this
Kentucky team that are are very draft worthy names that

(34:40):
I know a lot of Major league organizations are going
to be very much checking in on the Cats throughout
the year, and you know, it doesn't always lead to success,
but when you have that type of returning talent mixed
in with talent that will play at the next level,
I think something really really special can be brewing and
the roster can struct dare I say, Darren kind of

(35:02):
reminds me from a couple of years ago when the
team went to Omaha, just maybe with some extra expectations
baked in that that team did not have.

Speaker 7 (35:10):
Yeah, no, I'm with you on that. And you think
about championships. Usually championship baseball teams usually start up the middle,
at your middle endfield, at your centerfield, or at your catcher.
Obviously the middle endfield has established Tyler Bell at short,
Luke Lawrence at second. I think they're going to be
outstanding in centerfield this year. Catching, I think they're going

(35:30):
to have some quality backstop options. You look at a
Tagger Tyson, the transfer from Louisville, They've got the young
man from Elon and and then obviously the young freshman.
So but the biggest thing for me with the catching position,
and you can probably echo this is how strange is
it going to be to not see Devin Burks behind

(35:52):
the dish this year? After an outstanding career with the Wildcats.

Speaker 22 (35:56):
Oh yeah, that's that's the toughest part of really sorts
in general, but especially college athletics because you all, you know,
these all these guys have a finite shelf life, you know,
if you will four to five years, and so it's
going to be really, really strange. He's been kind of
the heart and soul of the program the last few years.
But but just kind of taking a step back and

(36:19):
looking at what he did for the program and and
kind of helping head coach Nick Minjeon and still the
culture that he wanted it. Sometimes it takes a guy
like Devin Burks to kind of complete that culture change
for a coaching staff. And I think that's what that's
what transpired for for coach minji On with Devin Burkes,
and I think those dividends will pay off for years

(36:41):
to come. Is that Torch gets handed off to some
of the younger guys.

Speaker 7 (36:44):
Yeah, And like we talked about, you know, the options
now for Kentucky behind the dish tagger Tyson, Alex Stuffy,
he's the young man I was referring to from Elon
and then Owen Jenkins. I think there's a lot of
excitement about Jenkins. There's also a lot of excitement about
Ryan Schwartz, Tyler Bell. You talk about that youth movement
that Kentucky went through at the end of last season.

(37:05):
They're going to add to that this year some quality transfers.
So it's going to be fun and the SEC is
going to be just as challenging as ever. No favors
for Kentucky in the spring schedule, but Andrew, it's what
you sign up for when you come to the SEC
to play baseball. And also when I say there's no favors,
I don't think any team in this league got any
favors when the schedules were released.

Speaker 22 (37:27):
No, it's it's going to be a gauntlet just because
I mean, it's just it's where you want to be.
And I think that's why it's such an attractive landing
spot for these freshman classes that Kentucky's been able to sign.

Speaker 18 (37:38):
But also I think they've done a great job in
the portal.

Speaker 22 (37:41):
I don't know if there's another team that's done a
better job just fitting both need but also fit quite
frankly than what coachman g On and his staff that
have done over the last few years, so I know
they're really excited about some portal additions. Maybe not as
big of a portal tsunami as there has been the
last couple of years, just because they have so many
talented pieces returning, which is obviously a good thing, it's

(38:03):
what you want. But I do trust with based on
the past experience in the portal, that this coaching staff
probably knocked it out of the park yet again with
that too.

Speaker 4 (38:12):
We're chatting with Andrew Kappas.

Speaker 7 (38:14):
He is one of the co hosts of the Jack
Burford Chevrolet count Down to tip Off with Kentucky Ben's Basketball.
You hear him calling some Kentucky baseball, We've heard him
call softball, and he's also called some volleyball on the
UK Sports Network. And Andrew switching over to volleyball, Now, Wow,
what another season for Craig Skinner's team. Can you believe

(38:35):
nine consecutive SEC regular season championships. You think about the
string of success that Kentucky basketball has had over the
history and all the SEC crowns, and here's volleyball with
nine straight conference crowns. Just an amazing job, especially when
you consider Texas and Oklahoma being in the league now yeah.

Speaker 22 (38:59):
There when they won their seventh in a row, when
they clinched it at home, and we had that game
on radio that day, and I remember there was a
sense in the feeling of like, man a seven in
a row, huge accomplishment, but there was this uh, dot
dot dot. But Texas is coming in the league next year.
And last year they go out, they win eight in
a row and they think. Everybody says, well, you know,

(39:22):
Texas coming back. They got they got a lot of
talent coming back, and they did a great job in
the portal.

Speaker 18 (39:27):
Nine's gonna be tough.

Speaker 22 (39:28):
And I don't want to say nine was easy, because
coach Skinner would probably smack me on top of the head.
But but I mean they run the table, they go
unbeaten in SEC play to take a ninth straight crown.
So Texas story about it zero for two since joining
the league, despite being a top five perennial top five program.
Of course, that's a team that Kentucky faced in the

(39:49):
National Championship Game a handful of years ago when they
when they hung their first banner, and I think they
got a really good chance, just as good a chance
as anybody to hang number two. Because for me, the
two favorites going into the NCAA Tournament. And I know
we still had the SEC tournament to play through, which
that back after a twenty plus year hiatus. But looking ahead,

(40:09):
if you will, at the NCAA Tournament, I think there's
two really heavy favorites, I would say, and that would
be the Cats in Nebraska. But you look at a
Nebraska team that was a team that in Nashville.

Speaker 18 (40:20):
Kentucky had on the ropes.

Speaker 22 (40:22):
They were up two sets to none, and that was
early in the season when they were still trying to
fit in some of these new pieces that have become
really big pieces. Ava Hudson, who is stacking up her
award cabinet now over two thousand kills for her career
between Perdue and Kentucky, she had just come over from
the boiler Makers. Lizzie Carr, little sister of Andrew Karr,

(40:42):
former UK men's basketball player, she had just come over
from Perdue. And then there was some young talent that
was infused into the lineup, freshmen and sophomores that were
still wanting to play with each other. You consider all that,
and that was one of their first games of the
year and they were up two nil on tow to
zero on Nebraska, the number one team in the country,

(41:03):
who did come back and win that three sets to two.
But all the growth that this team has done since
that moment, and I go back to last year. Last year,
Kentucky really struggled in August in September when they played
a gaunt of a schedule a number of top ten teams.
They played them well, but they lost a lot of
those games. That was different this year. They won most

(41:25):
of those games because they played another gauntlet of a
schedule this year as well. We were at the Louisville game.
Louisville's a very impressive team. I think they got a
great shot to make a run at the final four
lead eight to that type of run to make a
run at a championship two, and Kentucky came down from
two sets to one deficit there in Lowell, really hostile crowd.

(41:46):
And again that was early in the year when these
girls were still learning to play with each other. So
I'm really really excited. I think they got a great
shot at hanging a second banner up there at the
historic Memorial Collins Steae.

Speaker 7 (41:57):
Without question, I agree with you, and it's going to
be fun to watch this team in the postseason. We
got to get a quick break one more segment with
Andrew Cappus when we come back here on BBN Radio,
presented by Clark's Pumpin' Shop.

Speaker 4 (42:08):
This is the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 24 (42:13):
Yingling Traditional Lagger, a beer that, like true Legends, stands
the test of time. Brewed by the same family for
nearly two hundred years, It's a crisp amber lagger with
a bold, smooth flavor that's perfect for game day, whether
you're cheering from the stands or watching from your favorite bar.
Yingling is the taste of tradition, Yengland. Legends stand the

(42:34):
test of time.

Speaker 26 (42:37):
Goes Paceline, Tip or God Cathleen UK Athletics with length
I Bank, our official cornerstone partners, Central Bank, the official
bank of UK Athletics, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, Big On
Commitment and UK Healthcare, official healthcare partner of Big Blue Nation.

Speaker 5 (42:52):
STO Kentucky Cool On Pas.

Speaker 4 (42:55):
Take the learning track walking on the Kentucky goes Up.
Once again.

Speaker 6 (43:01):
Thank you to our official cornerstone partners who.

Speaker 26 (43:03):
Play a vital role in the success of the University
of Kentucky Athletics.

Speaker 4 (43:07):
Program.

Speaker 13 (43:08):
You need open heart surgery words no one wants to hear,
but when it becomes your reality, you deserve care built
on trust. At hazard ARH, open heart surgery is performed
by doctor James Shoptak, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon with
over twenty nine years of experience. With skilled hands, strong
face and proven results, Doctor Schoptah and his team are

(43:29):
with you every step of the way. Trust your heart
to AARH and doctor Shoptaw, a proud member of the
AARH Care Network. AARH more for Appalachia.

Speaker 20 (43:38):
This season, Be a holiday hero with the Kentucky Lottery.
Slip the chance at a big win under every tree
with festively fantastic scratch offs like Twinkle Cash, Marry Multiplier.

Speaker 4 (43:48):
And Snow Much Fun.

Speaker 20 (43:50):
Give the gift of excitement and make their season unforgettable.
Whether it's stocking stuffers or surprise gifts, these holiday games
bring cheer to everyone on your list.

Speaker 6 (44:00):
Tickets today at your local Kwhye Lottery retailer and put
a little play in their day this holiday sees it.
Please gift responsibly. Remember it's just a game.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
Hey, Wildcat Fans, Little Caesars, the Home of Hot and
Ready Pizza invites you to try our world famous Crazy
Bread with Crazy Sauce, Caesar Wings, Italian cheese bread, and
our new cookie old Browning dessert. At Little Caesar's, we
begin each day with dough made fresh from scratch, fresh
never frozen cheese and the tasty is topping. Little Caesars

(44:31):
is also a proud partner of UK Athletics and an
enthusiastic member of Big Blue Nation.

Speaker 5 (44:36):
So go Cat Pizza Pizza.

Speaker 23 (44:39):
Thinking about digging, planting a tree, putting up a fence,
hold that shovel before you break ground, head to Kentucky
eight one one dot org or call eight one one.
It's quick, it's free, and yep it's the law. Submit
your request online or call before you dig. Member utility
pros will mark where the underground lines are. Don't risk
the injury, service outages, penalties, or costly repairs. Safety is

(45:00):
in your hands.

Speaker 4 (45:01):
Eight one to one Before you.

Speaker 24 (45:02):
Dig, Sponsored by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

Speaker 10 (45:05):
Oh right, all right, it's a beautiful day for football
here at the stadium and we're just about ready for kickoff.

Speaker 17 (45:11):
Score zero zero, And suddenly I'm in the mood for
a Coke zero Sugar Real Coke Taste zero Sugar. No,
that's a winning combo. Yeah, Chris refreshing that hits the spot.
When it comes to great taste, Coke zero Sugar is
always on the scoreboard. Coke zero Sugar Real Coke Taste

(45:34):
zero Sugar.

Speaker 4 (45:36):
Hey, Deblue Nation.

Speaker 25 (45:37):
Looking to get closer to the teams, coaches and student
athletes you love, It's time to go all in with
BBN United, the ultimate way to support Kentucky's student athletes
and show off your pride. With a BBN United membership,
you'll be invited to watch exclusive player and coach content,
access one of a kind fan experiences, get you KVAM
merchant delivered to your door, and be part of something
bigger than the game. Sign up for BBN United at

(45:59):
BBN United UK Athletics, a official fan loyalty program where
passion Fuel's purpose.

Speaker 16 (46:05):
Picture it your holiday table, the family cooking together, the
scent of golden brown bread, rosemary from roasted potatoes, and
a salad so crisp it snaps spiced cider in every glass,
laughter around every plate at Kroger. We know these moments matter,
and we make it easier to bring them to life
with quality that's affordable in every aisle this season, don't

(46:28):
just host make every moment unforgettable, Kroger Fresh for everyone.

Speaker 7 (46:45):
One last segment here on Thanksgiving Week as you listen
to BBN Radio presented by Clark's pumpin Shop, Andrew Cappus
is with us, and he's got a busy week coming up.

Speaker 4 (46:53):
We all do on the network.

Speaker 7 (46:55):
We've got three basketball games and a football game surrounding
the Thanksgiving festivities and all the turkey and trimmings that
come with that. The men's basketball team will take on
Tennessee Tech Wednesday night at seven pm. Inside Reperena. Pregame
coverage begins at five thirty. You've also got the Kentucky
women down in Puerto Rico. They'll take on Maryland Wednesday

(47:16):
at five thirty. That's a top ten matchup, and then
they'll finish up with Morgan State on Friday. Football on
Saturday against Louisville to finish off this season. But Andrew,
before we had to take that break, you and I
were talking about the volleyball team. As you and I
are talking, the SEC Tournament is currently going on down
in Savannah. Hopefully the Cats will come out and finish

(47:38):
off what they started in the regular season against the SEC.

Speaker 4 (47:42):
But I was just thinking about it.

Speaker 7 (47:43):
Maybe you can touch on this, having covered the team
and called some games, how Craig Skinner winning nine in
a row has helped elevate the competition in the SEC. Now,
obviously adding Texas and Oklahoma added to that depth, But
there was a time early in this run of nine
straight where SEC volleyball was Kentucky and Florida. Like everybody

(48:09):
was just waiting on that match. It was hot and heavy,
it was intense. The winner of that one won the league.
But now you think about over the last few years,
Missouri's had some strong teams. I think Georgia had a
little run. Tennessee is a strong team this year, and
Texas A and M is a top ten if not
maybe a top five team that Kentucky had to outlast

(48:29):
en route to this SEC championship. So just how coach
Skinner has elevated play in the SEC during these last
nine years has been something to see.

Speaker 22 (48:39):
Yeah, it's a great point because, as you said, going
into the conference play, the first maybe handful of years
or first couple of years at least of this current
nine year SEC dominant run, dynasty run, if you will.
For the Cats, there really wasn't more than one team
in any given year that you could say that they
could make a run in the tournament. Every now and then,

(49:01):
as he said, you could say Florida would do that
and have a chance to do that, But really you
didn't fear anyone else, if you're at least on a
national level. I'm not sure Nebraska or Wisconsin was fearing
anyone in the SEC.

Speaker 18 (49:15):
Maybe outside of Kentucky.

Speaker 22 (49:16):
But as you said, now Texas A and M what
a leap forward they made this year.

Speaker 18 (49:21):
They were right in it.

Speaker 22 (49:22):
I mean they were only one behind in the lost
column up until the final weekend of play because they
had only lost one match was to Kentucky. And so
I think they're a team that's going to make a
deep run in the NCUBLEA tournament. We covered the game
against Tennessee. They were ranked sixteenth in the country at
the time. They're a team that's going to make a
deep run. As he said, Misszoo tried to play spoiler.

(49:42):
Tried to play spoiler.

Speaker 18 (49:43):
Last year.

Speaker 22 (49:44):
Kentucky got the job done on the road in Columbia,
but they were right there in the thick of things
in the last couple of weeks of the season, and
Florida is kind of the normal Florida.

Speaker 18 (49:52):
They have regressed at.

Speaker 22 (49:53):
Times, but I think they're back a little bit these
last couple of years as far as putting out together
a team that can win a few games in the
NCAA Tournament and possibly making a run. So it is
cool to see the conference catching up to the Cats
because I think it's it's better for Kentucky, not just
the overall resume, but I think if if you just
look at how coach Skinner schedules, he schedules really difficult

(50:15):
games in August and September, and I think a part
of that element was was before he.

Speaker 18 (50:19):
Almost had to because the SEC was down.

Speaker 22 (50:21):
But I think coach Skinner just believes every year that
he's got a team that can win a national championship
and he wants to run out against the best competition,
and so I know he really enjoys the fact that
the league is caught up. And obviously I don't want
to say caught up because it's hard to stay caught
up when he won nine in a row.

Speaker 18 (50:36):
But they're but they're competitive on a national level, which
I think is.

Speaker 22 (50:40):
Way more than what you could have said five to
six years ago. And then, as you said, the addition
to Texas, so this is a really really good league now.

Speaker 7 (50:48):
And then the uh the SEC Awards were just announced
last week after the conclusion of the regular season, SEC
Player of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Eva Hudson and I had a chance to go to
the Arkansas match at the end of the regular season.
It was really special the way the team honored Eva
and the way she has embraced Big Blue Nation, the

(51:09):
way they have welcomed her into the community, into the program.
She has been a tremendous part of this year's volleyball
team and its success. And I have to say, and
you could probably back me up on this, sitting court
side after watching this team in person, whether it's her
or Brooklyn Delay, I do not want to be on
the other side of a spike from either Eva or Brooklyn.

Speaker 4 (51:33):
I'm getting out of the way.

Speaker 22 (51:36):
Oh she's so talented. Yes, she's so talented, and really everywhere.
She's really talented. From the back row too, which is
I think something that Brooklyn Delay has really worked on
and become really really good at this year too. And
you had your choice for SEC player the year. I
think you certainly could have given it to Brooklyn Delay
as well for a certain consecutive season, but Eva, she

(51:57):
earned it, and I mean, she's been such a great.

Speaker 18 (52:00):
Addition to this team.

Speaker 22 (52:01):
You kind of knew what you were getting, right, you know,
you knew you were getting a player that was gonna
hit or at least flirt with two thousand career kills
once she got to campus, and she was able to
eclipse that before the Cats ever even got to to
postseason play, which is cool to see. But you also
got a leader and uh, and I think that's what
really came out in those Senior Day festivities. That video

(52:21):
that the Cats did for for Senior Day was really
really special, just showing what kind of what kind of
impact she's had, especially on the younger players, uh, in
just one year on campus. And Uh, it's got to
be a little annoying and maybe concerning for for Kentucky's
rivals to look up at Senior Day and say they're
only honoring one player.

Speaker 18 (52:41):
Oh gosh, they're going to return so much.

Speaker 22 (52:43):
It's you know, it's it's kind of wild to think
that Brooklyn Delay is still just a junior because of
how big an impact she's had since the day she's
gotten on campus. But but yeah, really really thrilled that
that Eva was able to get that that title in
UH and Newcomer of the Year as well to boot
and and you talk about a two headed monster offensively,
that's nobody's going to want to face in the NCAA tournament.

Speaker 18 (53:05):
They are it.

Speaker 7 (53:07):
Craig Skinner was named SEC Coach of the Year for
the third straight year. It's his seventh such honor. Cassie
O'Brien won SEC Freshman of the Year. And I know
a lot of people Andrew going well going into the
season and throughout thought that Carrie Spears of Texas was
the front runner for SEC Freshman of the Year, and
for good reason. She's an incredibly talented player. But Cassie,

(53:30):
it seems like, really grabbed another gear once conference play
came around and she became a huge factor in this
team's success. And I believe SEC Freshman of the Year
she has done everything and more to deserve that honor.

Speaker 22 (53:46):
Well, you got to remember too, Darren, she had probably
the most pressure out of anybody coming into the season
on this Kentucky roster, and that includes Brooklyn Delay, who
was the reigning player of the year in the league.
That's including Eva Husson, who was coming in from Perdue
that was expected to produce at a high level because
you look at really any hallmark of a successful volleyball team,
but especially a Craigs Skinner team, it's that you have

(54:08):
a really skilled, talented and highly effective setter. And that's
a lot to ask from a freshman to come in
and step in and be that person on a team
that's expected to compete for a national title. And she
did that with Flying Colors from day one. And she
wasn't always healthy either. Early in the year. She was
a little banged up in that Louisville game and Avias

(54:28):
Sarafa did a great job coming in for her and
filling in in that game.

Speaker 18 (54:32):
But when you factor in once she got healthy.

Speaker 22 (54:34):
Kind of right before conference play, she took off, as
you said, and found another gear. And it's crazy her
growth as a freshman, especially when you consider all the
pressure that she was facing. But boy did she pass
that test with Flying Colors.

Speaker 7 (54:48):
Andrew just got a couple of minutes left in the show.
So now I wanted to look forward, like we talked about.
As you and I are recording, the SEC tournament is
going on down in Savannah, but a lot of people
are anxious about the NCAA tournament depending on what Kentucky
does in the SEC tournament. I don't know, with it
being back in brand New this year, how much the
Committee's going to weigh what Kentucky does in the SEC tournament.

(55:11):
But it feels like this team has positioned itself to
be one of those top four and to host all
the way through to the final four, and that would
be huge for this club in an effort to win
a national championship.

Speaker 22 (55:24):
Yeah, with their resume, I know bracketologists, but with their resume,
I would be absolutely shocked that whatever happens in the
SEC tournament, that they're not a top four seed. And
really I don't really see anything knocking them off that
two C line. I just I wouldn't agree with it.
I guess it would be the proper way to say

(55:45):
it if they would get knocked off that too.

Speaker 18 (55:47):
For whatever reason.

Speaker 22 (55:49):
I certainly understand why they wouldn't be number one, but
I don't think you can really realistically make it an
argument for anybody else but Kentucky for being the two seed.
And if that's the case, if they're in that top four,
then you guarantee yourself you don't have to leave until
the semi final. In the NCAA tournament, you get to
play at home. Last year, Kentucky, you got to play

(56:10):
the first two rounds at home, but then they had
to go off to Pittsburgh to play in the regional semis.
And I think that's such a huge, huge luxury when
you're able to play at home, sure, especially in an
environment like historical Memorial Coliseum. I mean, that place was
jumping last weekend. We covered the game against Tennessee. That
was the largest crowd at Memorial Coliseum for a volleyball

(56:33):
match since nineteen eighty three, and it was loud.

Speaker 18 (56:37):
I mean, it was amazing.

Speaker 22 (56:39):
So if they can recreate those environments in the NCAA
Tournament as they're hosting all the way up to the semis,
I mean, oh man, that's going to be a ton
of fun.

Speaker 7 (56:47):
Absolutely, Andrew, we appreciate the time, my friend. Hope you
have a wonderful Thanksgiving and try to catch your breath
this week, all right, buddy.

Speaker 4 (56:56):
Yeah, you too.

Speaker 18 (56:56):
You enjoy the weather, Darren.

Speaker 4 (56:58):
Oh, we'll do it. We'll do it.

Speaker 7 (57:00):
That's Andrew Cappus and that's been our show. We wish
happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are listening tonight
as this is BBN Radio presented by Clark's Pump and Shop.
We'll be back with you next week here on the
UK Sports Network.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
Good Entucky, Goodentucky, Tony O Bah, You've been listening to
Clark's Pump and Shop, Big Blue Nation Radio on the
UK Sports netch work Big Blue Nation Radio. It's a
presentation of the UK Sports Network powered by JMI Sports

Speaker 14 (57:49):
The DQ saucetin Toss, Chicken, strip bat