Nick Mingione's 'move on' philosophy will be needed on Monday

Kentucky suffered absolute heartbreak after an Oliver Boone balk was followed by a three-run home run from West Virginia centerfielder Paul Schoenfield. The Wildcats went from a potential celebratory dogpile to a long walk out of Kendrick Family Ballpark. Before the team could leave the venue, head coach Nick Mingione was spotted running after the team. What did he tell them?

The 10th year head coach told them what he always tell them. Kentucky is going to stick to who they are. That means getting off the mat and flushing what happened today away.

“I told them that they’re not leaving this field unless they leave everything that happened here. It’s over. You have to move on. You have to move on,” Mingione said in his postgame press conference. “This is what you do in life. There are times where things are gonna go your way, and there are times they’re not. We no longer have control over the outcome of the game, but 90% of life is how you respond to what happens to you.”

Kentucky is turning the page and they are turning it quick. The Wildcats will be back at Kendrick Family Ballpark to play in front of a rowdy crowd of Mountaineers on Monday night. For UK to bounce-back and get the win, there can be no sulking. This baseball team simply has to turn the page and get ready to play in another high-leverage game that will very likely feature plenty of twists and turns across nine innings. Mingione believes this group — and his program — have what it takes to bounce-back immediately.

“You just go on to the next thing, and that’s what the great competitors do. That’s what the great
teams do,” said Mingione. “When you ask what is our secret sauce? Why have we done so well consistently in the postseason? We have amazing players, we have amazing people in our program, and we move on. You just move on. And you do not let things beat you down.”

One of those amazing players is Tyler Bell. The sophomore shortstop is a likely first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Bell is extremely talented but had a tough start to his NCAA Tournament career. The switch hitter was in a 2-19 slump in his postseason career until he stepped into the box in the fourth inning. A solo blast into the West Virginia bullpen from the left side would be followed up by another solo shot in the seventh inning from the left side. That slump feels over now. Bell knows that at Kentucky this program always closes the book and can move on. No matter if it’s a big strikeout day or a multi-home run outing like the one Bell just had.

“At the end of the day, it’s already expired. Whatever happened, happened. We’ll be right back at it tomorrow,” Bell said.

“I give a big shoutout to Coach Minge. He’s preached it every day for the last two years that I’ve been here at Kentucky that everything expires at midnight. No matter if it’s a good day, a bad day.”

Midnight has come and gone. Kentucky says they’re turning the page. The program lives off it. Throughout the season, this team has gotten off the mat when they have been knocked down. It’s part of the reason this group was never swept in SEC play, gobbled up a bunch of ranked wins, and keeps battling despite a numerous tough losses. This team knows how to bounce-back. We will see if they have one more punch left in him. They seem to know what’s ahead and are a ready for another chance in the ring. Another resilient moment is needed in the biggest spot of the season. UK know what’s at stake.

“We have an opportunity,” Mingione said.