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Kentucky will play West Virginia-Wake Forest winner in Morgantown regional championship

Adam Luckettby: Adam Luckett05/31/26adamluckettksr

Kentucky found some more late-inning magic on Saturday evening in Morgantown when Luke Lawrence and Hudson Brown delivered consecutive RBI hits in a tie game. Those clutch knocks improved the Bat Cats to 2-0 in the Morgantown regional. A 2-0 start means that UK will play for a regional championship for the fourth season in a row.

The Wildcats are now just one victory away from advancing to the super regionals for the fourth time in program history. Who will Nick Mingione‘s club face in that championship? That is to be to determined. What we do know is the format and the game the time for Sunday’s huge tilt.

Top seeds West Virginia and Wake Forest will play in an elimination game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon ET at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The winner of that game will move up the bracket to face Kentucky in the regional championship, but the double-elimination format means that Kentucky has some breathing room. The Cats will need to lose twice. Either West Virginia or Wake Forest will need to beat UK two games in a row. One of those games will the second leg on a Sunday doubleheader. UK will play on Monday in Morgantown with a loss on Sunday. The baseball is not over yet on regional weekend.

Both of those teams got in this elimination game by losing to Kentucky. They now will have to win consecutive games and go deep into their pitching depth to stay alive on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cats only need to plan out nine innings and should have weekend starter Ben Cleaver ready to go for the evening tilt.

Kentucky will play for a championship on Sunday.

The schedule

Sunday

Time (ET)GameTeamsTV
NoonGame 5No. 1 West Virginia vs. No. 2 Wake ForestESPN+
5 p.m.Game 6No. 3 Kentucky vs. West Virginia/Wake Forest winnerESPN+

Monday

Time (ET)GameTeamsTV
TBDGame 7No. 3 Kentucky vs. West Virginia Wake Forest winner (if needed)TBD

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2026-06-04