Moving to the right Trey Pooser from the bullpen to the starting rotation has been the best decision made by Nick Mingione and Kentucky this season.
For the first month of the season, Pooser, who transferred from the College of Charleston during the offseason, was used exclusively as a reliever. In six appearances out of the bullpen, Pooser had a 5.21 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched.
right handed Travis Smith, who was expected to make the leap as one of college baseball’s breakout pitchers this season, never seemed to get going in that time period. Smith made five Friday night starts in the first month, compiling a 1-2 record with a 6.69 ERA in 24 2/3 innings pitched.
That’s when Nick Mingione made a decision that would significantly alter Kentucky’s season.
Photo by Caleb Bowlin | UK Athletics
It was announced that Pooser would make his first start as a Cat on March 22 against Missouri. However, Pooser was no stranger to being a starting pitcher. He made 36 career starts in four seasons at College of Charleston, compiling a 3.93 ERA in 220 innings pitched.
“You know, he had experience before and starting experience at the college level,” Mingione said Saturday. “Any time you can have that, it’s an advantage. The transfer portal allows you to be older and allows you to develop your high school kids. “If you look at our lineup, I feel like we had a great combination that played in this baseball game from the pitching side and the offensive side.”
Since becoming the starter on Friday night, Pooser has become Kentucky’s “ace.” Including Saturday’s masterful start where he allowed just one earned run in seven innings, the right-hander has a 3.57 in 63 innings pitched. Even he said that he wouldn’t believe where he would be now at the start of the season.
“You always want to do good,” Pooser said. “You never know exactly how it’s going to go and everything doesn’t always go as planned, but I’m glad it went the way it did. “I just have to keep going.”
Photo by Grace Smith | UK Athletics
Not only has it been good, it has been absolutely close. In his final 13 innings pitched against Arkansas (SEC Tournament) and Illinois on Saturday, Pooser’s allowed just one earned run (0.69 ERA) with 10 strikeouts.
When asked if Pooser had become Kentucky’s ace, Nick Mingione gave a cheeky answer.
“Yes,” the head coach said. “We also have other good ones. You look at Mason Moore. What is he, 8-3? He has been defeated by the same team. Twice. Two of his three losses are from the same team (South Carolina). That guy could be sitting at 8-1. But I will let you decide what title or label you want to give it.”
Pooser’s emergence has given Kentucky two aces down the stretch, him and Mason Moore, who will start Sunday’s game in the regional final. For a staff that has been up and down this season, the Hanahan, SC native has provided much-needed stability time and time again.
Poorer and dexterous Ryan Hagenowwho pitched the final two innings in Saturday’s win over Illinois, will be the only two pitchers unavailable for Sunday’s game.
The Cats will now wait until Sunday at 6:00 pm EST, where they will play the winner of Indiana State/Illinois (who play Sunday at noon EST). With a win for Kentucky, they would claim the Lexington Regional in just three games. With a loss, the Lexington Regional Championship would be Monday.
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