Kentucky baseball vs NC State score updates in NCAA College ...

11 days ago

Courier Journal

Kentucky baseball vs NC State score updates in NCAA College

UK hasn't dropped a game since the NCAA Tournament started, posting a 5-0 record heading into the College World Series. In the Lexington Regional, Kentucky beat"...

Coverage from the game:

Kentucky baseball's Mitchell Daly walks off NC State at 2024 College World Series

Coverage during the game:

OMAHA, Neb. — Kentucky baseball kicks off its College World Series debut Saturday afternoon, squaring off against N.C. State.

UK hasn't dropped a game since the NCAA Tournament started, posting a 5-0 record heading into the College World Series. In the Lexington Regional, Kentucky beat Western Michigan, Illinois and Indiana State to advance. Then in the super regional round, it bounced Oregon State in two games in the best-of-three series. The Wildcats dominated en route to a 10-0 win in Game 1, then held on in a 3-2 nail-biter in Game 2.

N.C. State also notched a 3-0 mark in its NCAA regional, topping Bryant, South Carolina and James Madison. In the Athens Super Regional against Georgia, the visitors rolled to an 18-1 victory in Game 1. The Bulldogs rebounded to win Game 2 and force a winner-take-all contest. The Wolfpack didn't flinch, however, winning Game 3, 8-5, to earn its fourth CWS berth in program history.

WATCH: Follow Kentucky baseball in the College World Series on Fubo (free trial)

The victorious team Saturday remains in the winners bracket; the victor's next game would take place at 7 p.m. Monday against the winner of Saturday's second game: an all-SEC tussle between Florida and Texas A&M. The loser of the UK-N.C. State matchup will play an elimination game at 2 p.m. Monday against the loser of the Florida-Texas A&M tilt. The season is over for the loser of Monday afternoon's game.

The Courier Journal's Ryan Black is at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, and will have live updates throughout the game — here and on X, formerly known as Twitter — and complete coverage after. You can follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

Three up, three down for N.C. State in the 10th.

Ryan Nicholson's solo shot was the only run of the ninth inning for UK. Now we're headed to extras in Omaha.

Kentucky first baseman Ryan Nicholson led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run, which tied the game at 4-all. Watch his game-tying homer in the video below.

Kentucky entered the bottom of the ninth down 4-3. Ryan Nicholson erased that immediately, launching a leadoff homer to tie the game yet again.

After reaching on a single, N.C. State's Jacob Cozart scores on a wild pitch to put UK in a 4-3 hole. Kentucky didn't allow another run, but now is just three outs away from suffering its first loss since the NCAA Tournament started.

A wild inning ends with no runs for Kentucky: Émilien Pitre walked and then stole second. He advanced to third after N.C. State pitcher Jacob Dudan was called for a balk. But standing on third with only one out, Pitre advanced no further. Nick Lopez struck out swinging for Out 2, then Mitchell Daly popped up to end the inning.

Cameron O'Brien notched one out in the eighth before giving way to Jackson Nove on the mound. Nove ended the inning, stranding two N.C. State runners.

No baserunners for UK in the seventh, going three up and three down. It's tied at 3 with two innings to play.

Kentucky hit a two-run homer in the fourth to go up 3-1. In the seventh, N.C. State responded with a two-run jack of its own, courtesy of Alex Makarewicz, to tie the game again. UK reliever Cameron O'Brien came in to close the inning after Trey Pooser was lifted.

After Trey Pooser allowed a two-run homer to tie the game at 3-apiece, his day ended. Cameron O'Brien, the star reliever, is now on the mound. O'Brien inherits a runner on first.

Ryan Nicholson singles, but N.C. State caps the frame by turning an inning-ending double play.

A clean frame from Kentucky hurler Trey Pooser in the sixth, sitting down all three batters he faced.

Nothing doing for Kentucky in the fifth, going three up and three down.

Trey Pooser gave up back-to-back singles to start the fifth. And a runner advanced to third. But a double play and a groundout helped him, and Kentucky, escape the inning without permitting a run.

Watch Kentucky center fielder Nolan McCarthy's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth in the video below.

Kentucky begins the fourth frame with back-to-back base knocks. It starts with a single by Ryan Nicholson. Then Nolan McCarthy brings 'em both home on a homer to that clears the left-field wall and lands in UK's bullpen. The Wildcats didn't plate another run, but it heads into the fifth with a 3-1 lead.

Trey Pooser gives up a single but keeps N.C. State off the board as the score remains 1-all.

Émilien Pitre walked to start off the inning ... and that was it for Kentucky. The next three batters went down in consecutive order.

The Wolfpack tag Trey Pooser for a run: Jacob Cozart's RBI single scored Garrett Pennington. Tie ballgame now.

Nolan McCarthy drew a leadoff walk, but then Kentucky's next three batters went down in consecutive order. Wildcats up 1-0 after two.

UK's Trey Pooser hit a batter and gave up another single, but once again gets through an inning without allowing a run to keep Kentucky's 1-0 lead intact.

Émilien Pitre doubles and then advances on a throwing error. Nick Lopez singled to bring Pitre home. Mitchell Daly singles as well before the inning ends. UK leaves two men on base, but takes a 1-0 lead into the second.

Kentucky starting pitcher Trey Pooser issues a walk and gives up a single, but allows no runs to cross the plate.

Kentucky's NCAA College World Series game against N.C. State will air on ESPN.

You can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial here.

Historic season continues: Kentucky baseball advances to College World Series for first time in program history

First pitch for Saturday's game in Omaha, Nebraska, is set for 2 p.m. ET.

Kentucky 9, N.C. State 2: Offensively, the teams appear evenly matched. The Wolfpack has a .289 batting average, narrowly ahead of the Wildcats' .287. But Kentucky boasts its own slight advantage in runs per game (8.0, compared with N.C. State's 7.7). The biggest difference is on the mound, where UK gives up more than one run fewer per game and also has allowed fewer hits and issued fewer walks. And if the game comes down to manufacturing runs, Kentucky owns a sizable edge there, leading the SEC in stolen bases, an area in which N.C. State ranks outside the top 200 in Division I. The Wildcats won't let their first College World Series game end in defeat.

On to Omaha: Kentucky baseball sweeps Oregon State in NCAA tournament super regional, advances to CWS

All games in the College World Series will be held at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kentucky is 45-14 in 2024, including 22-8 in SEC play during the regular season. The Wildcats claimed a share of the league's regular-season title for only the second time in school history. Their 45 wins in 2024 tie the program's single-season mark alongside the 2012 team.

Click here to see the Wildcats' full 2024 schedule.

N.C. State is 38-21, going 18-11 in ACC play during the regular season to place second in the Atlantic Division.

Click here to see the Wolfpack's full 2024 schedule.

Interested in seeing the Wildcats' entire roster?

Click here to meet the 2024 UK baseball team.

Want to learn about the Wolfpack's roster?

Click here for player bios and more.

All times Eastern