Kentucky Baseball racks up SEC Awards

The Kentucky Wildcats racked up the SEC awards on Monday, highlighted by Nick Mingione winning SEC Coach of the Year.

Mingione, who is in his first season with Kentucky, has his club entering the SEC Tournament with 38 wins, ranked in the Top 10 and expected to host an NCAA Tournament Regional. The wins are the most for the program since the 2012 team won a school-record 45, and the Wildcats’ 19 regular season SEC wins are the second most in school history to the 20 won by the 2006 team, the Cats’ only league title.

Mingione was joined in the league awards and honors by Sean Hjelle, who was named SEC Pitcher of the Year. Also earning All-SEC honors were Tristan Pompey, Logan Salow, Evan White, Riley Mahan and Troy Squires.

In total, eight Wildcats earned SEC honors:

• Nick Mingione winning SEC Coach of the Year.
• Sean Hjelle – SEC Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-SEC
• Tristan Pompey – First Team All-SEC
• Logan Salow – First Team All-SEC
• Zach Logue – SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year
• Evan White – Second-Team All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive Team
• Riley Mahan – Second-Team All-SEC
• Troy Squires – Second-Team All-SEC

The Cats will begin SEC Tournament play as the No. 3 seed on Wednesday in Hoover, Alabama. They will play in the morning at 10:30 a.m. ET vs the South Carolina - Vandy winner from Tuesday’s action.