Preseason content continues at Bat Cats Central with the season less than two weeks away. This is the first of two roundtables previewing the 2026 season. Derek Terry, Adam Revelette and Jonathon Bruner project the leaders on this year's Kentucky team.
Which returning player do you see making the biggest leap from the 2025 season?
Terry: Sophomore outfielder Ryan Schwartz. Schwartz, who spent most of last fall recovering from injury, broke into the lineup in April and was one of the most productive hitters in the order. He slashed .317/.461/.500 with seven of his 19 hits going for extra bases. Schwartz looked like one of the best hitters on the roster for most of September and October, so I like his odds of putting together a good season in a larger sample size.
Revelette: There‘s plenty to dream on with the 2026 version of UK baseball, but my pick(s) to click are returning relievers Nile Adcock and Tommy Skelding.
I think Adcock has the upside to earn some big innings and turn into a real weapon out of the bullpen, and Skelding is fresh off a summer in the Cape and had a great fall. If Derek lets me throw in Tristan Hunter – who has the stuff to be a closing option this spring – the trio combined for 52:23 K:BB in 43 innings last year, and their collective development can really bolster a pitching staff that continues to improve under Dan Roszel’s watch.
Bruner: I like Luke Lawrence to make the biggest leap out of the returning players in 2026. The second baseman has been an elite hitter throughout his college baseball career and he had a few spurts in SEC play where you could tell he was making an adjustment. Now that those have been made, he will have a massive impact on the season. He gives good at-bats as consistently as anyone in the lineup and will probably be near the team-lead in stolen bases. I could also see his power numbers going up in 2026.