Episode Transcript
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What's Up, Big Blue Nation?Welcome inside the UK Sports Network Today podcast
presented by the Big Blue Brew newsletter. It is a diamond focused episode here
today and we will start with UKbaseball as we'll be joined by head coach
Nick Minjeon. What a start theircrew is off to eleven to one in
Southeastern Conference play. That is bestin school history, and when you factor
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in their nine and one start tothe twenty twenty three campaign last year,
nobody has done that in back toback seasons in over three decades, thirty
two years, that has not beendone. And when you consider all of
the great teams and the great historythat is SEC baseball, especially the last
thirty two years, simply a remarkableachievement. But we'll chat with head coach
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Nick Minjeon, who was prepping forhis midweek game against Samford wrap that one
up as well a little bit lateron in the show, as well as
kind of circle back to that excitingAlabama sweep at Kentucky Proud Park. But
the Cats getting ready and geared upfor a road trip to the Auburn Tigers
as they look to continue that greateleven in one start. Meanwhile, UK
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softball will be at home at JohnCrop Stadium. In fact, the UK
Sports Network will be carrying two ofthose three games live and we hope to
see you out at John Crop thisweekend. We will preview that series as
well as take a look back atlast weekend on their trip to College Station
against Texas A and M. Thisa jam packed episode as always, The
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UK Sports Network Today Podcast is presentedby The Big Blue Brew. It's the
official newsletter of UK Athletics. Youcan sign up today at Ukathletics dot com
slash Big Blue Brew. It's completelyfree and it hits inboxes every weekday morning.
That's Ukathletics dot com slash Big BlueBrew. Now let's hear from baseball
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coach Nick Minjeon. Head coach NickMinjeon of UK Baseball joined us here in
the UK Sports Network Today Podcast.Coach Minjeona, thank you so much for
the time. I know we're kindof squeezing in right before a midweek game
against Stamford, but what a startit's been for your Batcats eleven and one
in the SEC. Yeah, Andrew'sbeen a fun season so far, and
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you know the best part is justwatching the guys compete at a really high
level in all three phases when youthink about our catching, our defense,
and then offensively and then you know, maybe just as equally as impressive as
just how much fun they're having.I mean, it is truly a team.
I keep telling everybody this. Thestrength of our team is our team,
and we just have a bunch ofunselfish, committed guys that want to
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do whatever they can to help Kentuckywin. And man, they've been a
joy to be around. You andI had this conversation last year at Elon.
It was my first time being aroundlast year's version of the team,
but I I remember asking you,I said, these guys genuinely like each
other, and any winning team I'veever been a part of, that's been
a common You have talent, obviously, but that's been a common denominators that
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they like each other. Is thisculture that you guys have. This has
been a long time coming. Thisisn't just new this year. Yeah,
you know, I just even thinkabout to the first team that we had
here in twenty seventeen, and youknow, have the opportunity to have Logan
Salo with us. That was youknow, our first team All American closer
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and went to pro ball and he'swith us now and it's just been so
neat to like have him share andremind me of all these great stories.
And every team is different, andI've gone every day, so we continue
to try to do that and buildthat. But you know what, Andrew,
You're right. I mean, wejust spent about seven and a half
hours coming down here to the Birminghamarea and to hear them in the back
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laughing and cutting up and just havinga great time around each other. And
then we stop at the Cracker Barreland they're all hanging out and you know,
last night we take them to dinnerand you know, we're just it
is just a special group and there'sno question they do love being around each
other. Cracker Barel. You getme craving meatloaf now, But you know,
you look at eleven and one lastyear, you guys got off.
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I think it was nine of ten. No team has done that in the
SEC, in the Southeastern Conference,and back to back seasons in at least
thirty two years could be even furtherthan that. Record keeping, you know,
and all that fun. So itjust shows you how historic this is.
And I think fans are appreciating itbased on what we saw this past
weekend at KPP. Well, youknow, I've been fortunate enough to be
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in this league for this my eighteenthyear, if you can believe that as
an assistant and a head coach,and one I one thing I do know
is I do understand the magnitude ofthis league. I understand the strength of
the league. I understand you know, the history of it. And this
is one of those times where youdefinitely don't take these things for granted.
And you know, I spend eachtime in my discipleship planner and just writing
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down things. And I guess thething that I'm most proud of is I'm
just very thankful just for the positionwe're in, for our players, our
coaches, our staff, our fans, and we want to do whatever we
can to keep it going. Onestrategy you've had, at least last year
and then this year as well,is a really difficult non conference schedule that
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kind of helped out that RPI goinginto conference play kind of built you up
some goodwill and then obviously winning elevenof twelve and the SEC doesn't hurt either.
So now the national recognition starting tokind of pour in I know you
guys don't pay a lot of attentionto that, but it had to be
pretty nice to wake up Monday morningand see a pretty consensus top ten for
the Cats. Now, yeah,you know, the thing I appreciate about
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that and what I'm thankful for youon. That's the word I keep going
back to, is just for ourplayers to be recognized for their hard work.
You know, I want them andthe coaches excited and thankful that the
fans can you know, have athat they can be excited about and you
know, have the good kind ofpride in you know, So just thankful
for all that. But you knowthis is where my coach be hasts to
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come in, right. We justknow it's a really long season, and
our guys have done a great jobfocusing on the task that's right in front
of them at that time and notlooking too far down the road and not
spending too much time looking behind us. So they've done a great job of
that, and you know, asa coach, that's my job to make
sure our program continues to do thatand as we can try to advance forward
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and still find ways to keep gettingbetter. Kat's unbeaten against top twenty five
competition nine and zero. Big reasonwhy the RPI there is a top five.
This is a pitching staff that youkind of had to rebuild. Darren
and I were joking about this theother day. You know, you hear
that about the transfer portal with howfootball and basketball is adjusting to it.
That's nothing new for baseball, youknow, that's a Transfers have been a
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big part of the game for yearsand years now. So how did you
manage to kind of put together thispitching staff that's been outstanding both rotation and
the bullpen. Well, when youlook at the guys we're using, it
has been a really good combination ofboth. And there's been a lot of
high school guys that you know,we have brought in that have continued to
step up. I think of MasonMoore and Travis Smith. These are guys
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that came here out of high school. The mileage that we're getting out of
you know, an Evan Byers ora Jackson Novie, And you know there's
other guys that we have continued tojust help try to develop. And you
know those guys, Ryan Hagenow andsome of these guys that you know have
been in our program and have helpedset and run the culture and understand what
we're doing. And then, youknow, like every team does in college
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baseball, they have used the portalto add some guys. So a guy
like Trey Pooser and Dominic Nyman andJohnny Hummel and there's others, right,
I don't have time. We're notgoing to name them all, but there's
a lot of really good players inthere that we were able to add value
and add some depth and length toour pitching staff. And you know,
I give the coaches a lot ofcredit because they just spend the massive amounts
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of time researching, watching video,talking to scouts, talking to former coaches,
former teammates, you know, justdoing the research. I'm not only
getting good players, but getting theright ones. And that's something we've done
and I'm thankful again there's our word, you know, for that. But
there's been a lot of time,effort and intentional effort that has gone into
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getting the right people here. Onething I remember is when you hired Dan
Roselle, how industry experts, buteverybody said, man, that's a home
run higher And I think that's abig reason why I know you're not going
to personally take credit for it.So the I think the development that you
mentioned of some of the high schoolrecruits that you brought in, it's been
really fun to watch the last coupleof years and now seeing those guys blossom
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on a big stage. Yeah,you know, I've mentioned that even last
week, you know, and ouroffense was getting a ton of attention,
and rightfully so and deservingly so,you know, for the job that they've
done. But I had to remindsome fun well folks that hey, look
in the SEC offensively we had thenumber one pitching staff batting average in SEC
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play. But then if you lookat our pitch staff, we had a
top fifteen twenty pitching staff in thewhole country. You know. So the
job that Dan Roselle has done hasjust been super impressive and one that I
think. You know, people thatare in this industry, as you mentioned,
they know how amazing he is andhow good he is at his job,
and well thankful to have him andCoach Amo and Coach Kuzy and the
rest of our staff. I mean, that is part of the reason why
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I believe we're doing so well iswe have the right not only the right
players, we also have the rightpeople in our program and with your development
of guys that have come in ata young age in the team. And
it's not just limited to pitching.You talked about the hitting, and I
know we were going to get toit such a big weekend against Alabama the
past three days. The names thatreally pop out to me of guys that
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have been in the program the lastcouple of years that are now really starting
to take flight. You know,look at Nolan McAll the at bats that
he gives you. You know,you can talk about the power, but
just the every day at bats hegives you. And then a million Petrie.
I mean, he's one of thebest infielders now in the country,
both as a two way guy.It's been remarkable to see their growth from
their freshman year to now. Yeah, you know, and guys that have
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been in our program for three andfour years and the guys that some of
them aren't have been in our programfor two. When you just go up
and down the guys that are playing. But Pete, as you mentioned,
he's been phenomenal. What a leaderDevin Berks has been. You mentioned Nolan
McCarthy, he's been here. JamesMcCoy getting a ton of knowledge out of
him. Grant and Waldy have beenhere for you know, this is their
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second year now. So when youlook at some of the guys that are
getting the every day at bats,they have been guys that have been in
our program for two, three andfour years. And then you sprinkle in
some guys like Nick Lopez and RyanNicholson and Mitch Daley who are kind of
sitting right there in that middle ofthe lineup. You know that we were
able to add. But yeah,just it's been a it's been an offense.
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It's been a bunch of guys thatare willing to do whatever it takes.
And that's what I've been talking aboutlately, is or whatever it takes
type of offense. I don't liketo put you on the spot and ask
you really tough questions, but I'mgonna do that here. Does Nick Lopez
have the best mustache in baseball?I'm sticking by my guy. There's no
doubt that is the best. Idon't care who else is out there.
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Lopi's got the best. What adition, What an addition he's been though,
you mentioned some of those guys thatsome of those new guys quote unquote that
are sprinkled in, guys like himand Ryan Nicholson. I mean, they've
been a lot of fun these theselast few days or a few weeks,
I should say, yeah. Andyou know what, they all add something
different which is really neat, andthey're all really good players, and they
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can beat the opposing team in multipledifferent ways. And when I think about
good offensive players, that's what theycan do. And not only offensive players,
but the level of defense that MitchDaley and Ryan Nicholson give us.
I mean, I really believe wehave the best infield in the country and
those guys are two of the mainreasons why. And you think about Grant
and Pete what they've been able todo, but for Mitch and Ryan just
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to come in and do a greatjob on the corners has been really big
for us and one of the mainreasons why we're doing so well. We
mentioned at the top of the showthat you're in on your way basically to
Auburn. You're playing Sanford in amidweek game, road game on the way
to Auburn. I really like thatidea of what you did, because you're
kind of in middle of the seasonnow right, you had the the early
February travels that can kind of finalizethe cohesion of that team. But it's
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almost like a regrouping, isn't itlike in the middle of this in the
middle of this conference season, tospend a whole week together. Well,
this is three out of four weeks. Now we've been on the road,
you know, in SEC play whenyou think about Missouri O miss and we
had the series at home, andnow we're back on the road. And
that's where what you mentioned earlier,just how much they genuinely get to be
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around each other and like each other. And you know, you've been with
us, You've done a road tripwith us, you as you mentioned,
and so you know you can seeit. Learning games, there's no question
this team they're dugout, you know, antiques and things they're doing are like,
you know, maybe is equally asentertaining as actually watching the play on
the field. But until you dowhat you've done Andrew, until you get
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to do what I have the privilegeand honor of doing. Is just being
around these guys every day. Sometimesit's hard to see the full length of
how much they really do care.And it's obvious darning games, there's no
question. But man, when youstart putting them together for six and seven
hours, it's pretty neat and veryenjoyable. I remember earlier in the year
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it might have been one of thefirst series of the season at home you
challenge the dugout, and since then, this kind of quote unquote weird things
has been born. What does itmean to be weird in your eyes?
Well, you know, I feellike it changes every day because I look
over and I'm like, Wow,that's weird. Oh, that's weird.
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But the one thing that I willgive this team a ton of credit for
is they actually pay attention at avery very high level, Like they have
the things going on in a dugout, but to hear their comments and to
hear what they're saying. Make nomistake about it. They are having a
great time. They're competing at ahigh level, but they are also understanding
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and locked into the game at isas good as level as you can.
And their focus is on us.It's not about anybody else, it's not
about the other team, it's notabout the umpires. Their focuses on us.
And it's gone well so far,and we need to keep doing it.
Last question for you, coach,before we let you get back to
film ahead of tonight's game against Stamfordand then this weekend against Auburn. I
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don't want to overlook tonight, butjust looking ahead to that Auburn series in
the SEC, very good program,another opportunity for your squad to kind of
continue this SEC streak. So howdo the Tigers look this year as you
can of roll into town for itanother SEC road series? As he said,
well, I can just tell youI haven't done any research on them
to this point, and I thinkthat's one of the reasons why we've done
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so well, is because we haven'tlooked ahead Andrews. So I hope you
appreciate my honesty. I know theirrecord, I know they've played some close
games. I know the margin ofvictory in this league is really small,
and I can tell you that they'rebetter than what their record says. I
know their head coach. He's adear friend of mine. I know what
an amazing man he is. Iknow what an amazing coach he is,
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and I can just tell you thatwe'll have a hands full because this is
a program that's I think been toOmaha to in the last four years.
They know what they're doing. Theyare super talented and sometimes maybe they're just
snake bit And I think when Ipop on the film and the video of
them, I'll have a better feel. But I can just tell you this
that it will not be an easyseries and we need to be ready to
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play. But as you mentioned,first things first, we got Sanford tonight
YEP. At the recording of thisinterview, the Cat's getting ready for a
Tuesday night midweek game against Samford andthen they will roll into Auburn. Well,
the good thing about all these roadgames, coach, is that it'll
be rewarding on the back end,with quite a few sec series at Kentucky
Proud Park, hopefully some warm weatheras well. We look forward to that.
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We look forward to your next visitas well on the pod. But
appreciate your time and best of luckthis week. Yeah, thanks for having
me on of course, gocats awesomeinterview with Coach MINGI and hope to check
back with him later on in thecampaign, maybe possibly before postseason play begins.
Hard to believe that'll be up andrunning in a little over a month.
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As the season flying by here inthe spring semester. Let's take a
quick look back at last weekend whenKentucky swept away the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama actually, in some polls,came in ahead of Kentucky in that top
twenty five. No longer the casethough, with the Cats now a consensus
top ten team, but nonetheless lastFriday, Kentucky got the job done,
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six to two winners over those CrimsonTide and on the mound, Trey Pooser
seven innings, two runs allowed onsix hits, one walk in three strikeouts.
He threw a gem with Travis Smithclosing it out, and off offense
provided a couple of RBIs by NolanMcCarthy and Devin Burks as well his bat
heating up is Devin Burks. Bythe way, McCarthy smacking that fourth home
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run of the year on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday a little less drama,
not that there was a whole lotof drama in the six to two
win on Friday, but how aboutseven nothing on Saturday, A balanced offensive
effort as five different Kentucky Wildcats drovein runs, including a pair from Ryan
Waltschmitt, who had two hits andalso two runs knocked in from Grant Smith
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as well Walt Schmidt his third homer, Grant his second at the time,
and then going the distance on themound was Dominicneman and boy he had a
great outing with nine shutout frames onlythree hits allowed. Bigger reason he can
go, could go the distance,he didn't walk about her struck out seven,
throwing one hundred pitches, his RAnow at a cool three point five
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nine, and then the Cats wrappedup the sweep in style ten to one.
On Sunday, five runs knocked infrom Ryan Nicholson. He went three
for five and hit a couple ofhome runs to take over the team lead
in sole possession, hitting long ballsnumber five and six on the year.
And oh, by the way,Mason Moore just doing Mason more things.
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Seven innings, one run, allowed, six strikeouts, lowering his ERA to
two point four to four on theyear. As it stands now Kentucky dropping
that midweek game against Samford, butstill a very good program. That Samford
team is. On the road,tough environment, the Cats fell behind early
five nothing. They would rally acouple at different times, but Samford able
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to hold off that late Wildcat charge. So Kentucky will go into Auburn with
a twenty seven and five record elevenand one overall in the SEC that weekend,
that series, rather, this weekendlooks like this Thursday night, seven
thirty, It'll be a nationally televisedgame on ESPNUU Kentucky at Auburn. You
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can turn that down, turn upour coverage. Darren Hedrick will be on
the air at seven point fifteen EasternTime, getting you ready for that ESPN
U affair. He'll be calling theaction on the UK Sports Network. Then
on Friday night seven o'clock start atAuburn, so Darren pregame coverage of his
starts at six forty five. Andthen on Saturday the series finale. That
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is a three pm start, soDarren taking things over at two forty five.
So Thursday on ESPN, you feelfree to mute that television broadcast,
turn Darren up on the UK Athleticsapp or on your terrestrial radio, and
then can do the same on Fridayand Saturday as well, though those games
are on the digital stream of SECNetwork Plus. So best of luck to
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baseball this weekend. Auburn coach Lawsonand the softball team had a tough assignment
as well last weekend, as theytraveled on the road to College Station to
take on number thirteen Texas A andM on Friday and Saturday, games one
and two of the series. Itwas very tight, one run losses for
the Cats. On Friday night,it was five to four, Texas A
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and M walking it off in thebottom of the seventh to unbreak a four
to four tie and spoil the completegame from Stephanie schoon Over. Three runs
knocked in from Grace Lawson, whocracked her tenth home run of the year.
Lauren Borzolari one for two on Fridaywith her second long ball of the
season. Offense was the theme onSaturday, Kentucky, rallying for four runs
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in the seventh inning to cut thedeficit two to one. Unfortunately, they
would inch no closer in fall tento nine. On Saturday, Borsolari continued
swinging that hot batch. She wenttwo for three with three runs knocked in.
She hit two home runs on Saturdayas well, her fifth and sixth
of the year. Peyton Plots twofor four, couple of runs knocked in
her seventh homer of the year,and Grace Laresung, making it back to
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back games with home runs. Shewent one for four with her twelfth long
ball of the year Aaron Koffl,gaining the respect that she show deserves.
Unfortunate for the Cats, she onlygot one official plate appearance because they elected
to walk her three different times.Did Texas A and M, who improved
a thirty one and seven ten andfour in sec play after Saturday's win,
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but the Cats did get the finalein a pitcher's duel, Stephanie Schoonover like
she did on Friday, going thedistance, but this time getting the win
seven shutout frames, limiting the Aggiesto just two hits and seven strikeouts for
her one nothing. The final scoreCarissa Hamilton her seventh home run of the
year, providing all the offense theCats would need. It came in the
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top of the seventh inning, soall sorts of drama. As Kentucky improved
a three and nine sec play.They have had a gauntlet of a schedule
to open things up. Of course, the Southeastern Conference far and away the
best conference for college softball, andthat schedule does not get any easier for
softball this weekend. Their midweek contestagainst Louisville rained out, so their next
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one will be this Friday against numberseven Georgia's they open up a three game
series against the Bulldogs. We willhave coverage of that Friday game beginning shortly
before first pitch at six thirty.That's at John Crops Stadium. Wear blue
for Donate life that night. Youcan buy tickets at UK Athletics dot com
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and hope to see you out atJohn Crops Stadium. Should be a really
fun weekend of beginning on Friday nightat six thirty. On Saturday, it'll
be a two pm start and thatgame will be on SEC Network Plus.
And then on Sunday it's an afternoonaffair again to thirty, this time nationally
televised on ESPN two, but wewill have on the UK Sports Network as
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well, so you can mute thatnational television broadcast feed to get a little
Kentucky flavor to your video if youcannot make it out to the ballgame again,
we hope to see out at leastone of those three games this weekend
at John Crop Stadium, but whynot be all three? As a softball
entertains the number seven Georgia Bulldogs atip of the cap to UK Gymnastics,
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whose fiftieth season came to a closeon Saturday. They made it all the
way to the regional final in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but out of that regional
it was Kentucky and number fifteen Minnesotagetting eliminated, while number two LSU and
number ten Arkansas moved on. TheCats were the seven seed there and made
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it all the way to the regionalfinals. So a big congrats on an
outstanding fiftieth season for Kentucky Gymnastics.Plenty of chances to see some Wildcat teams
in Lexington this weekend. We talkedabout soft but men's tennis is at home
against Georgia on Friday at five pmat the Boone Tennis Center, and about
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the Stunt National Championship that is atthe Clive Mbec Center on the campus of
Transylvania University on Saturday and Sunday,and then men's tennis will wrap up their
home stand against Tennessee that's on Sundayat one o'clock. And again a reminder,
softball at John Crops Stadium Friday atsix point thirty, Saturday at two
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and Sunday at two thirty as well. That does it for us here on
the UK Sports Network Today Podcast.Look forward to seeing you somewhere around town
as it's a busy weekend for UKathletics for everybody at the network. I'm
andre Kappas saying thanks for listening andwe'll talk to you next time.