KSR Today: Bat Cats in the NCAA Tournament, Milan Watch Continues

It’s a beautiful day to make life miserable for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, huh? Sounds like a plan to me.

Nick Mingione and the No. 3 seed Kentucky Bat Cats begin their run to Omaha in the NCAA Morgantown Regional on Friday, taking on No. 2 seed Wake Forest at noon ET on ESPN2. No. 1 seed West Virginia also takes on No. 4 seed Binghamton at 5 p.m. ET, setting up the other potential foes in the winner’s and loser’s brackets with a shot at the Super Regional on the line.

What you need to know about the Demon Deacons

Wake Forest (38-19, 16-14) punched a ticket to its sixth straight postseason after a solid year in the ACC, led by longtime coach Tom Walter, who has been in Winston-Salem since 2009. The Deacs are known for their offense, ranking top-35 nationally in home runs (No. 26), on-base percentage (No. 28) and runs per game (No. 34). Right fielder Luke Costello leads the team in OPS (1.146), home runs (17), RBI (61) and slugging percentage (.680) as a third-team All-ACC selection. First baseman Kade Lewis is also a star in his own right, hitting .362 overall with 76 hits and 127 total bases en route to second-team All-ACC honors.

They’ve also got a big-time pitching talent in right-hander Chris Levonas, who boasts an ERA of 2.90 with 110 strikeouts and 10 wins in 68.1 innings. Still no word on official starters, but the odds are good it’ll be Levonas vs. Jaxon Jelkin, a battle of great vs. great.

Adam Luckett has all of the content you need ahead of today’s first pitch:

Mingione, Cats preview Wake Forest

What does Mingione think of the matchup? He sat down with the media alongside Jelkin and Ethan Hindle after learning of the Wildcats’ fate in the Big Dance.

“What I’ve learned over the years is they’re all hard. I like the fact that we have really good teams. I told our team yesterday, ‘This is an opportunity to win a really good regional,’” the Kentucky head baseball coach said Tuesday.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Gainbridge Super League Final: Lexington SC vs. Carolina Ascent FC

The biggest night in Lexington soccer history is here. Join us Saturday (5/30) at 7pm as Lexington SC hosts Carolina Ascent FC under the lights at Lexington SC Stadium.

This is the FIRST women’s professional championship match ever hosted in Lexington — and after winning the Players’ Shield and the Golden Boot, the squad is 90 minutes from completing the dream season.

Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first match, this is the night to show up for Lexington. The atmosphere will be electric, the beer will be cold (and cheap), and we’re capping it all off with a drone light show you won’t want to miss.

What to know before you go:

Gates open at 5:30 PM — arrive early for the best experience.
General admission tickets start at just $5
Beer ranging from $1.50 to $2 including craft beer options
Postgame drone show — don’t leave early!
Family-friendly — kids 2 and under are free (must sit on lap)
Streaming live on Peacock for those who can’t make it

This is Lexington’s moment.

Grab your tickets HERE and we’ll see you Saturday.

What will Milan Momcilovic do?

The wait continues for the Iowa State star transfer, who withdrew from the NBA Draft ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, but has yet to make a final decision on a commitment.

Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

There was plenty of speculation favoring Kentucky on Thursday, but it’s never official until it’s official — and we know what assuming gets us here in Lexington. The competition continues to be Louisville and Arizona, in that order, with a decision expected as early as today and likely no later than the end of the weekend.

KSR+ is popping with all the latest intel, including buzz from other competing programs and national sources, in what has arguably become the most important recruitment of the Mark Pope Era at Kentucky.

Oh, and KSBoard is on a different level of chaos this morning, clearly the place to be for BBN diehards. 30 pages of comments on a single thread about Milan Momcilovic, folks. Absolute insanity.

Want more Kentucky basketball intel? Join KSR Plus for access to bonus content and KSBoard and House of Blue, the most vibrant message board communities in BBN, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

Who else will punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships?

The NCAA East First Round for track & field is going well for Kentucky — shocker, right? Another Wildcat punched a ticket to Eugene for the NCAA Championships, with Sarah Ferguson joining Kingi McNair and Grayson Brashear on Thursday, with more to come Friday and beyond.

Day three continues today in Lexington, starting at 1 p.m. ET and going through 8:45 p.m. ET. From there, day four will run from 2-8:45 on Saturday to wrap up the event ahead of the NCAA Championships, which will take place in Eugene from June 10-13.

Keep it rolling, Cats.

That’s all for this morning. Stay along for the Milan Momcilovic ride with us at KSR — and remember to buy your tickets to Saturday’s Gainbridge Super League Final HERE.

Go Cats.