Observations from Kentucky's shaky exhibition against Cincinnati
There were some strong individual performances on Sunday, but it was a tough first scrimmage as a whole as Kentucky was outscored 13-4 by Cincinnati over 14 innings.
MASON, Ohio – Kentucky had little trouble dispatching both opponents it played in my first two trips to Prasco Park. The Wildcats outscored Wright State 25-8 over 14 innings in 2024 and outscored West Virginia 26-10 last October.
Of course, Kentucky's 2026 season ended in Morgantown after two close losses in the regional to the Mountaineers. It was no surprise that the results of the very first scrimmage either team played last year had no effect on what ultimately happened when the games counted.
As I was driving back to Lexington and thinking about what to write from Kentucky's first exhibition – a 13-4 loss over 14 innings to Cincinnati – I weighed two elements: While it's meant to be competitive, fall baseball scrimmages are still a time for experimentation. Roles are not yet defined, and it's a chance for coaching staffs and players to learn more about themselves in hopes of improving when the regular season arrives. These games don't count for a reason.
But I also considered the power of a first impression, and this one was much worse for Kentucky than the previous two years. Cincinnati has built a strong program in the Big 12 over the past few years, so credit goes to Jordan Bischel for what appears to be another good team in 2027. But it's safe to say there's plenty of room for improvement for Kentucky throughout the rest of fall practice.
Ultimately, I decided to do a first in my time at Bat Cats Central. Rather than go with the normal format for our observation posts, I thought the most fitting approach was to look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Sunday's scrimmage.