Three things I'm watching as fall baseball practice at Kentucky ramps up
The first intrasquad scrimmages for the 2027 Kentucky baseball team begin this week.
Fall workouts for the Kentucky baseball team have been ongoing for a few weeks, but things ramp up in the coming days as intrasquad scrimmages begin. Bat Cats Central will provide regular updates throughout the next six weeks. Expect an early intel piece later on this week, likely Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Before we dive in, here are a few recruiting notes since the most recent notebook was posted on Sept. 3:
- Minnesota outfielder Beau Cazin, a top 300 player nationally according to Perfect Game, announced his commitment to the Wildcats on Friday. Cazin recently visited and committed a few days before announcing his decision. Cazin is coming off a strong summer and could be someone who steadily climbs in the rankings over the next year.
- Kentucky has two more verbal commitments in the 2028 class that should go public soon. Both players will be ranked among the top players in the class to this point. Kentucky currently has seven public commitments and should be up to nine in the days ahead.
- The Wildcats hosted more 2028 visitors over the weekend as they look to build out the class. Missouri RHP Asher Krimmel, Ohio catcher Colt Ward and Indiana RHP Billy Miller were on hand for the Wildcats' football game against Alabama on Saturday. I like Kentucky's standing with Ward, in particular. UPDATE: Ward announced his commitment to Kentucky on Monday morning.
Now, on to the three things I'm thinking about this week.
How will the shortstop battle affect the rest of the infield?
One infield scenario for 2027 could look much like 2026. Fourth-year first baseman Hudson Brown would anchor one corner infield spot, sophomore Caeden Cloud could handle third base again after starting 29 games there in 2026 and Ethan Hindle would play second base. That would leave Tennessee Tech transfer Owen Lee and Ohio State transfer Lee Ellis battling at shortstop.
Perhaps it plays out that way, but fall is for experimentation.
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