< PreviousBy Matt May UK Athletics Communications and Public Relations S even players ranked amongst the nation’s Top 200 players by at least one of the major recruiting services signed with Kentucky baseball. In total, UK signed 11 student-athletes, all of whom are ranked by either Prep Baseball Report or Perfect Game as Top 500 players in the 2026 class. Ranked by Perfect Game as a Top 15 overall class in the 2026 recruit- ing cycle, UK signed three Top 100 overall players as ranked by both Per- fect Game and PBR. The Cats also added top junior college star Jimmy Anderson, who was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in last summer’s Major League Baseball Draft and batted .439 with 29 extra base hits, 14 stolen bases and a 1.226 OPS at Heartland Community College in the 2025 season. UK inked players from seven states, including the top overall players in Kentucky and Ontario, Canada. Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana and Tennessee also are represented. Perfect Game PBR NameHometownRankRank Jimmy AndersonJoliet, Illinois (JUCO) Joey AnsellFranklin, Tennessee500NR Rob CzarnieckiChesterton, Indiana302132 Sam FinnNapierville, Illinois500285 Carson MayOlathe, Kansas61183 Cole McLeanCampbellsville, Kentucky365365 Robert OmidiMississauga, Ontario6799 Kaden PowellGoodlettsville, Tennessee16664 Aiden SmithShelbyville, Indiana500143 Logan SorrelBaton Rouge, Louisiana500485 Sammy SwankLafayette, Indiana335178 Grayson WilloughbyLouisville, Kentucky6851 KENTUCKY BASEBALL RELEASES 2026 SCHEDULE More than half of Kentucky Baseball’s 2026 games will be against opponents that reached NCAA regionals last season, including nine contests against 2025 College World Series teams. UK will open the season Friday, February 13 at UNC Greensboro. The Wildcats will play 30 home games at Kentucky Proud Park next spring with the home opener scheduled February 17 against Morehead State. UK also will open and close Southeastern Conference play in Lexington with Alabama coming to town March 13-15 and Arkansas on May 14-16. UK will play its annual home and home series with Louisville on Tuesday, April 7 (Lexington, Ky.) and Tuesday, April 21 (Louisville, Ky.). Additionally, will host St. John’s (Feb. 27-March 1) and Mercer (Mar. 6-8) in three-game series before conference play begins and 2025 College World Series Cinderella Murray State on Tuesday, March 24. The Cats also will travel to defending national champion LSU on March 27-29. Game times and television assignments will be announced at a later date, as well as season and single-game ticket information. The Cats are entering their 10th season under head coach Nick Min- gione and have won 293 games during his tenure, including a College World Series appearance in 2024. The program signed top 10 transfer portal and top 25 high school recruiting classes in the offseason. Olympic Sports Update n Baseball Kentucky Baseball Inks One of the Top 2026 Recruiting Classes 72 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLD r. Eli Capilouto became the 12th Pres- ident of the University of Kentucky on July 1, 2011. Under his leadership, the Commonwealth’s flagship and land grant research university has grown from $2.7 billion to $8.6 billion in total operations and has gained significant momentum in ad- vancing Kentucky — the institution’s singu- lar yet multifaceted mission. President Capilouto has led a more than $7.3 billion transformation of the campus, aimed at enriching the living-learning ex- perience of UK’s students, ensuring their success; strengthening the university’s re- search infrastructure dedicated to solving Kentucky’s most intractable health and economic challenges; and expanding UK HealthCare’s capacity to teach, heal and serve. Through partnerships with the pri- vate sector, increased philanthropy and effective financial management, UK is self-financing much of this aggressive in- frastructure development with the purpose of equipping the next generation of leaders who will impact our Commonwealth and world for the better. Under his leadership, the university has experienced historic student suc- cess; enhanced care of our people; unri- valed ingenuity; greater trust, transparen- cy and accountability; and one communi- ty made up of many people. The progress on campus is resulting in a high-quality workforce and improved well-being for the Commonwealth UK has served for more than 160 years — all essential to ad- vancing Kentucky. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Capilouto previously served as provost of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and dean of the UAB School of Pub- lic Health — a period of remarkable growth and transformation at one of the leading academic and health sciences institutions in the South. Dr. Capilouto holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees from schools within the University of Alabama system, a Doctorate of Dental Medicine from UAB and a Doctorate in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University. He and his wife, Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto (D.M.D.), a former Dean of the UAB School of Dentistry, have one daughter. Eli Capilouto n President of the University of Kentucky 74 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLLEARN MORE AT UKY.EDU In Every Community. For Every Kentuckian. At the University of Kentucky, we don’t just show up on game day. We show up every day…for farmers, for families, for patients in our hospitals and for students chasing bold dreams. We are advancing agriculture and healthcare, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for Kentuckians so they become healthier, wealthier and wiser. We are the University of, for and with Kentucky. And we’re advancing Kentucky together. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNIVERSITYN ow in his 24th year as Director of Athlet- ics at the University of Kentucky, Mitch Barnhart’s impact spans the past, present, and future of UK Athletics while reach- ing across the entire landscape of college sports. Massive changes are underway in col- lege athletics, and Barnhart is once again helping lead the way. He is one of 10 athlet- ics directors on the Settlement Implementa- tion Committee, guiding the national rollout of the House case settlement. “Ten years of work in ten months,” he says with a wry grin. This isn’t Barnhart’s first national leader- ship role in tumultuous times. In 2020–21, he chaired the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tour- nament Committee. With the 2020 tour- nament canceled due to COVID-19, losing another landmark event would have jeop- ardized the NCAA’s primary revenue source and its championship operations across Di- visions I, II, and III. Working with the NCAA staff, Barnhart and his committee reorganized the massive event in just three months. The first-of-its-kind ar- rangement preserved one of America’s most cherished sporting events and kept the NCAA financially afloat, in addition to providing mil- lions of dollars to participating schools. At Kentucky, Barnhart is also shaping the future. UK Athletics is transitioning to Champions Blue LLC, a new business struc- ture enabling more agile financial opportu- nities. It’s being hailed as a groundbreaking model in college athletics. Barnhart’s 23-plus years at UK make him the second-longest serving AD among Pow- er 4 schools. With Oklahoma’s Joe Castigli- one set to retire, Barnhart will soon become the longest-tenured Power 4 AD. Barnhart has a long history of national service. In addition to his five-year term on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Committee, he served on the College Foot- ball Playoff Committee—one of only four people to serve as men's basketball chair and also on the football committee. Barnhart’s national influence extends through his “AD tree” – seven former staffers have become Division I athletics directors. Under Barnhart’s leadership, UK Athlet- ics placed in the top 20 of the NACDA Direc- tors’ Cup all-sports standings from 2017–23 (excluding 2020). The program’s nine best finishes have all come during his tenure, including a school-record ninth place in 2021–22, driven by a national title in rifle, an NCAA runner-up finish in men’s tennis, and third-place finishes in women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. UK has earned six NCAA championships under Barnhart: men’s basketball (2012), volleyball (2020), and rifle (2011, 2018, 2021, 2022). The Wildcats also have won 60 reg- ular-season and tournament conference titles, including first-time championships in baseball, women’s tennis, men’s golf, STUNT, and women’s swimming and diving. Since 2020, five Wildcats have been named National Athlete of the Year in their sport. Asia Seidt of swimming and diving re- ceived the NCAA Woman of the Year award for her excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. Numerous other Wildcats have earned national honors for their achievements on the field, in the class- room, and in the community. UK athletes have also been recognized as SEC Male and Female Athlete of the Year, SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and SEC Male and Female Community Service Leaders of the Year. On the international stage, UK athletes made a major impact at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Eleven Wildcats earned 13 med- als—including nine golds—tying for third among colleges for most medals won by Team USA athletes. Barnhart’s success has earned him per- sonal accolades. In 2022, he was inducted into the (State of) Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and received the John L. Toner Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for excellence in ath- letics administration. These honors add to a growing list of ac- colades, including being named the 2019 Division I AD of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal. Since arriving at UK in 2002, Barnhart has emphasized academic achievement and community engagement. The depart- ment first reached a 3.0 GPA in spring 2010 and has maintained that standard for 26 consecutive semesters. Wildcats con- tribute up to 4,000 hours of community service annually, with outreach extending to Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Barnhart’s personal life reflects his com- mitment to growth and service. He is an avid mountain climber, has completed tandem parachute jumps with the Army Golden Knights, participated in mission trips, and serves on the national advisory board of K-Love Radio. A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Barnhart and his wife, Connie, have three children and seven grandchildren. Mitch Barnhart n Director of Athletics n University of Kentucky 76 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLNext >