Bat Cats Insider: Who's standing out at fall practice?

Kentucky travels to Mason, Ohio, on Sunday to face Wright State in the first of two scrimmages this fall for the Wildcats. Kentucky will practice for a few more weeks before hosting Morehead State at Kentucky Proud Park on Sunday, Oct. 27.

The scrimmage against Wright State will be held at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. Wright State is a solid program from the Horizon League that has played in six NCAA Tournaments since 2015, including three straight from 2021-23. New Kentucky hitting coach Chase Slone was a full-time assistant for the Raiders from 2021-24 and played for the program in 2018 and 2019.

This is being branded as “Fall Fest at Prasco Park,” with gates opening at 11 a.m. and first pitch scheduled for noon. Learn more about Sunday’s activities.

Insider notes

I posted some notes Sunday night about Kentucky’s first scrimmage. The Wildcats have scrimmaged two other times since then. In speaking with sources around the program, here’s the latest on what I’m hearing:

• Campbell transfer Dylan Koontz is playing first base and continues to have a solid fall. A native of Huntersville, North Carolina, Koontz slashed .295/.406/.488 with seven doubles and six home runs in 2024. He was also excellent in the Coastal Plains League, hitting .440 with eight home runs. He’s keeping that momentum going at Kentucky so far this fall. Koontz provides some solid pop from the left side of the plate.
• Memphis transfer Will Marcy is making a good impression in center field. Marcy began his career at North Carolina State before transferring to Memphis last season. He roped a single up the middle at the scrimmage I went to and has continued to hit well. One person I spoke with felt that Marcy was one of the most naturally talented players in the portal last summer. It would be big for Kentucky’s 2025 team if he plays up to that potential.
• Freshman shortstop Tyler Bell is providing good at-bats. He looks the part when you see him in person and certainly came to college with high expectations after turning down the Tampa Bay Rays after being selected No. 66 overall in the draft.
• Illinois State transfer Luke Lawrence has looked really smooth in the infield when I’ve seen him. I think he could handle shortstop responsibilities if needed, though Bell is likely the favorite at this point. Lawrence could slide over to second base and provide a really nice defensive middle infield for the Wildcats. However, there is still a long way to go before this needs to be decided.
• Some good competition is ongoing at third base between senior Patrick Herrera and sophomore Ethan Hindle. Hindle had a really good day last Sunday but Herrera is steady and there has to be a level of confidence in what he’ll provide in his plate appearances.
• San Diego State transfer Shaun Montoya is capable of playing center field but he’s been spending most of his time in the corners this fall. I’m curious to see the lineup Kentucky opens with on Sunday, but I think he could be the leadoff batter and start in right field.
• Kansas State transfer Raphael Pelletier's defensive ability is impressive. It’s easy to see why he was considered one of the best defenders in the Big 12. Redshirt senior Devin Burkes has been playing defense but hasn’t hit over the last week as he deals with a minor injury.
• The plan on Sunday is to play 14 innings, so there will be quite a few pitchers who throw. South Dakota State transfer Nic McCay, Longwood transfer Ethan Walker, Radford transfer Scott Rouse, Robert Hogan and Evan Byers are all likely to get some innings against Wright State. There will certainly be more pitchers who get some reps as well.
• Freshman pitcher Nate Harris had a good showing on Wednesday. I’m not sure if he’ll throw on Sunday but he touched 95 mph with the fastball during his outing. Harris, ranked in the top 300 nationally by Perfect Game in the 2024 class, will likely compete with a few other young pitchers as a midweek starter.

According to a source, Eli Small has improved significantly in the outfield. Getting to league-average ability in the outfield would go a long way for the Wildcats because he has a real chance to be an impact bat. Small homered in the scrimmage on Friday and could profile as a middle-of-the-order hitter.