Kentucky is 10-1 in the SEC for best league start in school history; Niman authors first CG shutout since 2019
LEXINGTON – April 6, 2024
Dominic Niman dominated his way to only the third complete game shutout by a pitcher in the Nick Mingione era as No. 12 Kentucky blanked No. 11 Alabama 7-0 to move to 10-1 in Southeastern Conference play for the first time in program history.
Niman joins Sean Hjelle (2017 at Texas A&M) and Zack Thompson (2019 vs. Georgia) in that elite company and both those previous pitchers are now in Major League Baseball.
Niman threw 100 pitches and allowed only one Alabama hitter to reach second base. He did not walk a player, struck out seven and allowed just three hits while hitting one batter. The performance was a complete undressing of an offense averaging nine runs a game and ranking among Division I’s top 15 offenses in multiple categories.
UK (26-4, 10-1) jumped ahead in the first inning with a manufactured run before adding a pair of two-run home runs by Ryan Waldschmidt and Grant Smith. James McCoy added an RBI double to cap the scoring as the Cats now have outscored the Crimson Tide 13-2 in the series.
With the victory UK now has scored series wins each of the four weekends of league play.
NOTES
- Kentucky now is 26-4 in 2024, 10-1 in Southeastern Conference play.
- Kentucky has won 14 of its past 15 games.
- Kentucky is 15-4 in day games.
- Kentucky is 15-2 in home games.
- Kentucky is 6-2 on Saturday.
- Kentucky is 2-0 in April.
- At 10-1 in SEC play, Kentucky is off to the best league start in its history.
- Kentucky is 8-0 vs. ranked teams this season and 66-92 under Coach Nick Mingione.
- The Cats’ current six-game win streak in SEC play is the longest in the Mingione era.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 242-154 career record.
- Mingione needs 16 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
- UK is 51-54 in the month of April under Coach Mingione.
- Mingione is 7-5 vs. Alabama.
- Kentucky has outscored SEC opponents 45-12 in the last four games.
- Kentucky scored four runs in sixth inning.
- It is the 17th time in the last 14 games UK has scored 4+ runs in an inning.
- It is the 26th time this season UK has scored 4+ runs in an inning.
- It is the 200th time in the Mingione Era.
- Senior Dominic Niman threw a complete game shutout.
- Niman allowed just three hits, walked none and struck out seven on 100 pitches.
- Niman joins Sean Hjelle and Zack Thompson as the only three pitchers in the Mingione Era to throw complete game shutouts.
- It is just the second CG shutout in the SEC this season and only by a SEC pitcher vs. a conference opponent.
- Junior Ryan Waldschmidt went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, a home run and steal.
- It was his 5th multi-hit game this season and 18th career.
- It was his 4th multi-RBI game this season and 15th career.
- Senior Grant Smith went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and walk.
- It was his 5th multi-RBI game of the season and 10th career.
ON DECK
The Wildcats and Crimson Tide return to Kentucky Proud Park on Sunday afternoon. The contest will begin at Noon ET and will be aired on the SEC Network, with radio coverage available on 630-AM WLAP (Lexington) and UKAthletics.com.