MORGANTOWN, W.V. – Kentucky second baseman Luke Lawrence was removed from Friday's 6-5 win over Wake Forest in the sixth inning after fouling a bunt off his knee. Lawrence finished his at-bat and reached base after battling back to draw a walk. He came around to score the game-tying run, but was replaced by Tyler Cerny in the bottom of the frame.
Head coach Nick Mingione said in his postgame press conference that Lawrence was set to have an X-ray on Friday afternoon. According to a University of Kentucky spokesperson, the X-ray was negative and Lawrence's status is day-to-day. A source told Bat Cats Central that he'll be evaluated again on Saturday morning after treatment and that his status will come down to how much pain he can tolerate.
Lawrence, a senior from Evergreen Park, Illinois, has been a standout on this year's team. He's hitting .340 on the season with 68 hits, 12 doubles, three home runs and 41 RBIs. Lawrence has started all 53 games this season. He went 0-2 with a walk and a run in the win against Wake Forest.
"This guy is so tough," Mingione said. "He was not taking himself out. I literally went up to him like 'Luke, there's no way I can put you out there.' He's laid up on the bench and his knee, and I'm like 'Luke, I've got to take you out.' He's like 'OK coach, OK.' We'll see. We're taking him over now, (trainer Justin Durham) is with him to get an X-ray to make sure there's nothing broken there. We'll see tomorrow."
It's the second straight year in a regional that a middle infielder for Kentucky went down with an injury at the plate in the opener. Shortstop Tyler Bell fouled a ball off his leg against West Virginia in his first at-bat of the Clemson Regional in 2025 and remained in for the rest of the game, but he was out of the lineup the next day in an elimination game against USC Upstate. However, Bell returned on Sunday and played in a doubleheader.
"I know this, if Luke has any ability to play, he's going to try everything to play," Mingione said.
Kentucky will play West Virginia on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET in the winners' bracket of the Morgantown Regional.
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