Good morning, friends. For most of you, today is the first day back at work after the long Memorial Day weekend. For me, it’s my second day back at work after a ten-day trip to Tuscany. I spent Monday catching up on what I missed in the world of UK sports and KSR. Today, it’s fully back into the fire as we prepare for Kentucky Baseball to start its journey to Omaha, the SEC begins its annual Spring Meetings in Destin, and I make the short trek to downtown Nashville for a very special event.
If you were on the lake or at the pool all day yesterday, you missed some news. Let’s start our rundown with baseball, the talk of the Commonwealth this week.
Kentucky Baseball’s NCAA Tournament path revealed
Kentucky earned the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, the highest seed in program history. The Cats are one of 11 SEC teams to make the tournament, a record number from any conference; five of those 11 are among the eight national seeds, proof that baseball just means more in the Southeastern Conference.
Kentucky will host Indiana State, Illinois, and Western Michigan in the Lexington Regional. That’s not an easy draw. Many believed Indiana State, the winner of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season, should have been a host. Illinois won the Big 10 regular season title and Western Michigan, who Kentucky faces first on Friday (Noon ET, SEC Network), won the MAC Tournament to earn its bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Should Kentucky win the Lexington Regional, the Bat Cats will host the winner of the Corvallis Regional, which consists of Oregon State, UC-Irvine, Nicholls, and Tulane, in the first-ever Super Regional at Kentucky Proud Park. Win that and they’ll advance to the College World Series for the first time in program history.
Here is the bracket for the Lexington Regional, including game times and broadcast information:
Friday, May 31
Game 1 – Western Michigan vs. Kentucky – Noon – SEC Network
Game 2 – Illinois vs. Indiana State – 7 p.m. – ESPN+
Saturday, June 1
Game 3 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – Noon – TV: TBD
Game 4 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 6 p.m. – TV: TBD
Sunday, June 2
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 – Noon – TV: TBD
Game 6 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 4 – 6 p.m. – TV: TBD
Monday, June 3 (If Necessary)
Game 7 – same teams as in Game 6 – TBD – TV: TBD
..and here is the tournament format and schedule if you’re still a college baseball novice like me:
| DATES | ROUND | TEAMS | FORMAT |
| May 31-June 3 | Regionals | 64 | 4-team, double-elimination |
| June 7-9 | Super Regionals | 16 | Best-of-3 series |
| June 14-20 | Men’s College World Series | 8 | 4-team, double-elimination |
| June 22-24 | MCWS Finals | 2 | Best-of-3 series |
Nick Mingione, Evan Byers, and Nick Lopez met with reporters after the Selection Show to discuss the draw. Catch up on their comments below:
Shortly after, Daniel Hager, Derek Terry, and Jonathon Bruner shared their takes on a new episode of “Bat Cats Beat.” If you haven’t yet, subscribe to stay up to date on the road to Omaha.
Tickets to the Lexington Regional go on sale today
Want to cheer the Cats on at Kentucky Proud Park? Starting at 9 a.m. ET, you can purchase All-Session tickets to guarantee a spot for each game. Single-session tickets go on sale Thursday.
All-Session Tickets
- All-session tickets go on sale to the general public onTuesday, May 28 at 9:00 a.m.
- All-session reserved chairback seats are $100 each
- All-session outfield bleach general admission seats are $75 each
- All-session terrace/berm/standing room general admission seats are $75 each
Single-Session Tickets
- Single-session tickets go on sale to the general public onThursday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m.
- Single-session reserved chairback seats are $20 each
- Single-session outfield bleach general admission seats are $15 each
- Single-session terrace/berm/standing room general admission seats are $15 each
Student Tickets
- Full-time students with a valid UK will be allowed entrance at the left-field gate; one person per ID for terrace/berm/standing room, while supplied last for UK games only
VisitUKBaseballTix.comfor more information.
SEC Spring Meetings begin in Destin
The panhandle will be the center of attention in the SEC — and arguably all of college football — this week as the SEC Spring Meetings take place in Destin, Florida. The three-day event kicks off today as coaches, school presidents, administrators, and commissioner Greg Sankey come together to discuss the upcoming season, which marks the first Texas and Oklahoma are part of the league.
That’s just one of many huge topics on the docket. As Adam Luckett outlined yesterday, the SEC’s powers will also likely discuss the House vs. NCAA settlement that came out last week and the Jaden Rashada vs. Billy Napier NIL lawsuit. One topic not on the table? Football scheduling formats past 2026.
Greg Sankey does not expect the SEC's 2026 (and beyond) football scheduling to be discussed this week at the spring meetings.
With coaches making the rounds, we could also see Mark Pope, Mark Stoops, and John Calipari (now in Arkansas red) on “The Paul Finebaum Show” set. That should be interesting.
On3 Elite Series kicks off in Nashville
Today, over 45 of the nation’s top high school football players arrive in Nashville for the second annual On3 Elite Series. The event is designed to educate and inform athletes on how to safely and successfully navigate the NIL era, the rest of their playing careers, and life after football.
Included on the guest list is the No. 1 recruit in the country, LSU QB commit Bryce Underwood; 5-Star Plus+ OT David Sanders, the top uncommitted prospect in the 2025 class; and On300 RB James Simon, who is down to Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas, and Texas A&M and will make a live announcement from the rooftop of the W Hotel downtown. An all-star panel of current and former athletes is also in town to share their experiences and advice, including the Cavinder twins, former NFL player Andrew Hawkins, and Will Compton of “Bussin’ With The Boys.”
Nick Roush is joining me in Music City to cover the On3 Elite Series. Even though there aren’t any Kentucky recruits in attendance, it’ll be an interesting and informative look at the current state of recruiting and NIL. Plus, there’s a pool party. We’ll be poolside to bring you the highlights on the site and KSBoard.
Want more intel? Join KSR Plus for the most comprehensive coverage of the Cats on the internet. With a KSR membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.
Jaxson Robinson Watch continues
On the basketball front, things are (externally) quiet as we wait to hear whether BYU star Jaxson Robinson will keep his name in the NBA Draft or return to school, potentially at Kentucky. He has until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, the NCAA’s early entrant withdrawal deadline, to decide.
Outside of Robinson, Kentucky still has some irons in the fire. Miami guard Wooga Poplar is still working out for NBA teams but is also keeping his options open by planning college visits, including one to Lexington. 2025 five-star wing Will Riley, who could reclassify, will also visit Kentucky June 4-6. More roster certainty is on the horizon, possibly by the end of the week.
Rich Brooks got a hole-in-one at Pebble Beach
As usual, Rich Brooks had a better Monday than you. Papa Brooks got a hole-in-one at Pebble Beach, proof that he continues to rock retirement better than anyone.
Number 8 at Spanish Bay for my 2nd hole in one. Steve on the comments. pic.twitter.com/A9mfH5GKLB
PJ Washington looks to advance to the NBA Finals
Last night, the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 105-102 and complete the sweep to win the Eastern Conference Finals. Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks will look to do the same vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
PJ Washington’s Mavericks hold a 3-0 lead vs. Karl-Anthony Towns’ Timberwolves. It was pretty hard to keep up with the series abroad, but PJ’s apparently been fantastic, scoring in double figures in each of the Western Conference Finals games thus far. On the other side of the ball, KAT’s been in a shooting slump, making just 27.8% (15-57) from the field and 13.6% (3-22) from three.
Will Karl, Anthony Edwards, and the Timberwolves show some life or will the Mavs close out the series to advance to face Boston in the NBA Finals? We’ll find out tonight starting at 8:30 PM on TNT.
KSR’s Summer Radio Schedule begins
Matt Jones is off on his ten-week European vacation, leaving the radio show in the capable hands of Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon the Dude, Billy Rutledge, Mario Maitland, and a variety of guest hosts. The radio crew had Monday off so today marks the official start of the new summer schedule. Tune in at 10 a.m. ET as they get the party started.
KSR Summer Radio Schedule: Week 1
Tuesday, May 28 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon The Dude, and Mario Maitland
Wednesday, May 29 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, and Shannon The Dude
Thursday, May 30 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon The Dude, and Billy Rutledge
Friday, May 31 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, and Shannon The Dude
(Plus guest interviews)
KSR Summer Radio Schedule: Week 2
Monday, June 3 – Myron Medcalf w/ KSR crew
Tuesday, June 4 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon The Dude, and Mario Maitland
Wednesday, June 5 – Tom Hart w/ KSR crew
Thursday, June 6 – Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon The Dude, and Billy Rutledge
Friday, June 7 – Peter Burns w/ Drew and Shannon
