Kentucky coach Nick Mingione had one of the most special first-year campaigns.
Fall Report: Kentucky
Fall ReportLEXINGTON, Ky. — The sounds of a Kentucky baseball practice are unmistakable. As you approach Cliff Hagan Stadium during early hitting work, you can hear head coach Nick Mingione and assistant Roland Fanning shouting encouragement to players, sometimes at the top of their lungs. Even on a random Tuesday in mid-October, the intensity never wanes in Mingione’s program. After early hitting work, it’s “Identity Day” — the coaches administer oral quizzes to players one-on-one, testing their knowledge of the program’s offensive identity, pitching identity and defensive identity. As the correct answers pour in, Fanning yells “YES! YES! STUD!”