No. 20 Kentucky 2025 College Top 25 Preview

Image credit: RHP Nic McCay (Photo courtesy of Caleb Bowlin/UK Athletics)

• Last season: 46-16 (22-8 SEC); reached College World Series
• Final 2024 ranking: No. 3
• Coach (record at school): Nick Mingione (264-166; 9th season)

You can find our complete 2025 preseason Top 25 ranking here.

The Good News

Kentucky is coming off the best season in its history, which included a new-all time high in wins, its second-ever regular-season conference title and College World Series debut. The Wildcats thrived in a look-see-do offensive style that saw them hit 88 home runs, steal an SEC-leading 119 bases and post a team OBP of .401, which ranked fifth in the conference.

On the mound, Kentucky leaned on upperclassmen to carry them to a solid overall performance, which included the sixth-best ERA in the SEC. With 29 total newcomers on their roster this season, the Wildcats will have new faces spread throughout their starting lineup, rotation and bullpen, but are confident that they brought in enough firepower on both sides to maintain the level of success they established over the last two seasons.

Campbell transfer first baseman Dylan Koontz is expected to hit in heart of the Wildcats’ order while Indiana State middle infielder Luke Lawrence, Columbia outfielder Cole Hage, Memphis outfielder Will Marcy, San Diego State outfielder Shaun Montoya and prized freshman middle infielder Tyler Bell, the highest draft pick to reach campus in Lexington, are all expected to play prominent roles, if not start. On the mound, South Dakota State righty Nic McCay, Radford righty Scott Rouse and Longwood lefty Ethan Walker are likely rotation members.

The Bad News

With so many newcomers comes a very high degree of uncertainty. The Wildcats over the last two years have performed at an exceptionally high level thanks to success on the recruiting trail, showing that they have the evaluation skills needed to succeed in a high-turnover model, but it still comes with risk. Kentucky will need things to click for over a dozen players on both sides of the ball.

Player To Know

With so many critical starter innings to replace, Kentucky’s biggest transfer-portal win was arguably McCay, who put together a career season in his final year at South Dakota State, pitching to a 3.64 ERA with 96 strikeouts against 36 walks in 71.2 innings. McCay primarily relies on a low-to-mid-90s fastball that averaged nearly 20 inches of induced vertical break in 2024, a curveball and a runny changeup. He has the stuff to lead the Wildcats’ rotation in 2025.

Path To Omaha

The Wildcats have figured out the necessary ingredients to make a deep postseason run, having reached super regionals in each of the last two seasons and Omaha in 2024. Part of their recipe has included bringing in a very high volume of transfers from all levels of the game, which introduces a significant degree of volatility to their season projection. If everything falls into place the way it did in 2023 and 2024, Kentucky could once again be a late-postseason presence.

Projected 2025 Lineup

Pos	Player	Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	HR	RBI	Note
C	Devin Burkes	R-Sr.	.239	.372	.361	205	3	35
1B	Dylan Koontz*	Sr.	.295	.406	.488	129	6	31	Campbell
2B	Luke Lawrence*	Jr.	.337	.399	.465	243	4	49	Illinois State
3B	Ethan Hindle	So.	.083	.313	.167	12	0	3
SS	Tyler Bell	Fr.							Lincoln-Way East HS – Frankfort, Ill.
OF	Cole Hage*	Sr.	.329	.471	.658	161	13	38	Columbia
OF	Will Marcy*	Sr.	.303	.398	.407	155	1	19	Memphis
OF	Shaun Montonya*	Sr.	.327	.401	.427	248	3	17	San Diego State
DH	James McCoy	R-Jr.	.218	.369	.387	142	6	25
Pos	Player	Year	GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	SO	BB	Note
SP	Nic McCay*	Sr.	13	71.2	3.64	1.37	96	36	South Dakota State
SP	Scott Rouse*	Sr.	14	69.2	5.94	1.49	78	33	Radford
SP	Ethan Walker*	Jr.	9	42	4.50	1.43	59	31	Longwood
RP	Robert Hogan	Sr.	0	40.2	3.10	1.13	42	21
RP	Simon Gregersen*	Sr.	0	37.0	4.86	1.35	43	21	Indiana State