Three storylines to follow as fall practice begins at Kentucky
Kentucky baseball begins fall ball today. Here are three storylines to follow over the next few weeks.
Returning player spotlight
Returning player spotlight: Eli Small
Small showed flashes as a freshman and could work his way into regular playing time as a sophomore.
2 min read
The returning player spotlight series rolls on with sophomore Eli Small.
Previous player spotlights:
- RHP Robert Hogan
- INF Ethan Hindle
- LHP Ben Cleaver
- RHP Cooper Robinson
- OF/RHP James McCoy
- INF Kyuss Gargett
- LHP Jackson Nove
- C Devin Burkes
- UTIL Patrick Herrera
- LHP Evan Byers
Background
Small played his prep career at Elkhorn South High School in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the second highest-ranked player in Kentucky’s 2023 class according to Perfect Game, coming in at No. 290 nationally and No. 4 overall in Nebraska. He was also ranked in the top 500 by Prep Baseball Report. Both sides listed him as a catcher. Kentucky worked him at catcher some as a freshman, but he also played in the outfield.
Small played in 12 contests — most of them before SEC play — and had 17 plate appearances. He hit .273/.471/.636 with three hits, one double, one home run and three RBI while drawing three walks and reaching base via HBP. Small looked comfortable offensively during a small sample size and delivered a couple of big at-bats.
Read next
Returning player spotlight: Leighton Harris
Leighton Harris pitched 12.1 innings as a freshman during the 2025 season before turning in a dominant performance in the New England Collegiate League.
Returning player spotlight: Carson Hansen
Hansen finished the season strong by earning All-Clemson Regional honors after going 7 for 14 with five runs and five RBIs.
Returning player spotlight: Nate Harris
Harris looks to take another step forward after breaking into the weekend pitching rotation as a freshman in 2025.
Returning player spotlight: Ethan Hindle
Hindle was getting on-base at a .484 clip before an injury ended his season in mid-April.