“Just had to make up for basketball” — College baseball fans rejoice as Kentucky wins 2nd SEC regular-season title

Fans reacted as the Kentucky Wildcats ran faster than the Tennessee Volunteers and the Arkansas Razorbacks to become the SEC regular season champions, topping the Eastern division with a record 22 victories and seven defeats.

Their closest pursuers were the Tennessee Volunteers (21-8) and the champions of the Western division the Arkansas Razorbacks (20-9). This is just the second time in program history that the Kentucky Wildcats won the baseball regular season title in their conference.

Fans reacted to the news, with some having a bittersweet feeling for 2024:

"Just had to make up for basketball"

Others were more ecstatic:

"Lets fricken go. Absolutely pumped"

Others were looking to the upcoming SEC tournament:

"Let's get the whole damn thing tomorrow! Great accomplishment"

In general, the reactions were celebratory but wary about the future of the season:

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Kentucky Wildcats players react to winning the SEC regular season pennant

It wasn't just fans who reacted to the achievement, as players also spoke in the aftermath of their 17-7 victory over Vanderbilt on Friday night.

Outfielder Nolan McCarthy said of the development of the group over the last two years:

“This program has been through a lot, it goes back to my freshman year when the fifth-year guys like T.J. Collett and Jaren Shelby, they showed us all the ropes and what it’s supposed to look like.

"And that 2022 team was really special with that run at the end of the year. It all culminated together and just came through this year. It’s awesome, this feeling right now.”

Reliever Ryan Hagenow, who picked up the win on Friday by throwing a scoreless relief of two innings, said about the win:

"It’s pretty surreal to me, I haven’t quite soaked everything in. I’m going to try to do that tonight and not leave this field until I’ve taken this moment in.”

Coach Nick Mingione had some congratulatory words for his team on the momentous occasion:

“What a team. Just relentless. Just non-stop, keep coming and coming on both sides, really proud of our guys for so many reasons. This team deserves it.

"From everything they do and the way they go about their business, this is a group of guys that absolutely deserve this and they’ve earned it.”

Now the Wildcats will chase the full SEC title in the tournament to be played in Nashville, Tennessee, later this month. Why not think about a national title run later in the year at the NCAA tournament in Omaha?