Baseball leagues across the country are in full swing as the summer rolls on. Several current Kentucky baseball players and commitments, including those from the transfer portal and high school ranks, have been participating in these leagues.
It’s not always easy to find information about players in summer leagues, so I may have left off a couple of players. If so, I’ll update the story after publication with a note of any corrections. Some players (especially pitchers) who had a heavy workload during the collegiate season will often not play during the summer. Several players will stay back on campus and work out during this time.
The stats listed for each player are courtesy of each summer team’s website and were compiled on June 30. And finally, the classification listed for each player is based on what they will be during the 2026 season.
Returning players
- Sophomore shortstop Tyler Bell — Kentucky’s All-SEC Freshman selection played five games in the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners before joining the Team USA Collegiate National Team. With Harwich, Bell slashed .316/.409/.474 with three doubles and two runs batted in. Bell played his first game with Team USA on Sunday and started at second base.
- Senior outfielder Carson Hansen — Hansen is playing with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League. Hansen, a Wisconsin native, is playing in the league for the third straight summer. Through 20 games, Hansen is slashing .333/.409/.462 with 26 hits, five doubles, one triple, one home run and 16 RBIs. He also has five stolen bases.
- Sophomore lefthanded pitcher Leighton Harris — Harris has been sharp in his three starts with the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He’s yet to allow an earned run through three starts, totaling 15 strikeouts over 11 innings with just three walks and six hits allowed. Harris has pitched four innings in each of his previous two starts and went three innings in his first start on June 11. Fans can watch his starts through ESPN+.
- Sophomore outfielder Ryan Schwartz — Schwartz has been terrific in 10 games with the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. He’s slashing .452/.550/.516 with 14 hits, two doubles and six RBIs while drawing seven walks to just two strikeouts.
- Redshirt sophomore first baseman Hudson Brown — Brown is playing with the Elizabethton River Riders in the Appalachian League. He’s played in 13 games so far and has 11 hits in 45 at-bats. Brown is slashing .244/.340/.289 with a couple of doubles and seven RBIs. He’s drawn six walks while striking out five times. According to the stats page, Brown has appeared at first base in 10 games and been the designated hitter three times.
- Redshirt sophomore RHP Tommy Skelding — Skelding has appeared in three games and made two starts with the Amsterdam Mohawks. He’s pitched in nine innings so far and has allowed just one earned run while striking out eight batters, resulting in a 2-0 record. Opponents are hitting just .214 against him.
- Sophomore RHP Tristan Hunter — Hunter has only made two appearances so far with the Amsterdam Mohawks. In five innings, he’s given up two earned runs and struck out five batters while walking four. Hunter has a 3.60 ERA and batters are hitting .227 against him.
Transfer commitments
- NKU RHP Kaden Echeman — Echeman is the starting pitcher on Monday night for the Cape Cod League as it faces the MLB Draft League in an exhibition at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. Echeman is playing with the Falmouth Commanders and has 19 strikeouts through 12 innings so far in league play. He has a 2.25 ERA in his three starts and has given up three earned runs.
- Indiana infielder Tyler Cerny — Cerny is off to a good start with the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League. He’s slashing .327/.377/.388 with three doubles and four RBIs. Cerny will turn 22 years old on the first night of the MLB draft, which is set for July 13.
Class of 2025 signees
Some of Kentucky’s 2025 class is already on campus, while four others — Owen Jenkins, Jase Mitchell, Joshua Flores and Conor Essenburg — participated in the MLB Draft Combine recently. Four players are currently playing in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League: Caeden Cloud (Boca Raton Blazers), Michael Gardner (Boca Raton Blazers), Maxime Boies (Boca Raton Blazers) and Ryan Foscolo Delray Beach Lightning. Mitchell is listed on the Boca Raton roster but has not played in any games.
- Infielder Caeden Cloud: Cloud had a blazing start for the Blazers before cooling off a bit over the past week. He’s still slashing .346/.454/.577 with six doubles, four homers and 22 RBI. He’s also drawn 14 walks to just 12 strikeouts. Cloud went into last week with a batting average over .400 and a slugging percentage near .700.
- Infielder Michael Gardner — Gardner, a native of Oyster Bay, New York, has played in 17 games so far for the Boca Raton Blazers. He’s slashing .268/.529/.341 with three doubles and 13 RBIs. He’s walked 22 times and struck out 21 times.
- Infielder Maxime Boies — Boies, a native of Quebec, Canada, is slashing .258/.395/.258 with all 16 of his hits being singles so far. He has eight RBIs, has scored 14 runs and driven in eight runs.
- Outfielder Ryan Foscolo — Foscolo, a Florida native, has played in the most games among the Kentucky signees in the league as Monday was his 27th game. He’s collected 68 at-bats and has 18 hits so far with four doubles and nine RBIs. Foscolo was slashing .265/.393/.324 as of June 30.
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