Kentucky one win from NCAA baseball regional title after beating Illinois, 6-1

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The madness is not limited to basketball in NCAA Tournament play. Strange things happen in baseball, too.

Eleven lower seeded teams lost in the 32 first-round games Friday. On Saturday Wake Forest, the preseason No. 1 squad as well as a team with three of the top dozen prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft, was eliminated. So was Vanderbilt. As was Arizona, which was a regional host.

Nick Mingione’s second-ranked University of Kentucky squad did not get the memo about bracket chaos.

The Wildcats moved to within one victory of winning their regional Saturday by defeating Big Ten champion Illinois, 6-1, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington. Kentucky is trying to win a regional for the second consecutive season, while trying to earn the program's first trip to the College World Series.

Former St. Xavier star Ryan Nicholson launched a two-run homer to left-center to put the Wildcats ahead, 2-0, in the second inning.

Ryan Waldschmidt, a likely first-round draft pick next month, put the game away with a 444-foot, two-run homer in the ninth. Waldschmidt also doubled and singled.

James Pooser, the Wildcats’ ace during Southeastern Conference play, pitched seven strong innings. Pooser allowed only 5 hits, all singles, while striking out seven. Pooser threw 63 of 102 pitches for strikes.

Ryan Hagenow pitched two scoreless innings for the save.

Kentucky can win the regional with another victory Sunday night when the Wildcats will play either Indiana State or Illinois, who will play Sunday at noon. And if UK loses Sunday, the Wildcats will get another shot Monday night in the double-elimination tournament.

Kentucky has yet to trail in 18 NCAA Tournament innings.

After Nicholson’s home run, the Wildcats added another run in the fifth when Waldschmidt doubled home James McCoy. Kentucky scored again in the seventh when Grant Smith came home on a ground out.

The Wildcats put their leadoff man on four times while drawing five walks and having three guys hit by a pitch.