WATCH: Kentucky baseball HC Nick Mingione affectionately embraces his players following program's historic achievement

Kentucky Wildcats coach Nick Mingione showed the greatest appreciation he can give to his players by hugging them moments after the team clinched their first-ever College World Series ticket in the program's history.

SEC ESPN Network posted a video on X that showed Mingione embracing the team after the Wildcats beat Oregon State 3-2 to qualify for their first-ever CWS on Sunday night.

After the game, the seven-year coach expressed gratitude to his coaching staff for helping him overcome the obstacles that came along the way. Mingione also recalled moving Nick Amirati from being a third-base coach to assistant coach in May 2022. He noted the move turned Kentucky's college baseball program around.

"One major change we made was we brought Nick Ammirati from coaching third base to the dugout to be with the players. And it put me at third base," Mingione said.

"I started coaching third base on May 15th of 2022. I started coaching third base and I put Ammo in there. You can’t make this up. I surrendered. I surrendered," he added.

The coaching change led the Wildcats to win back-to-back NCAA tournaments, back-to-back super regionals and their first-ever College World Series appearance in team history.

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Kentucky sweeps Oregon State, earns first-ever CWS appearance

Nolan McCarthy slides in safe in the seventh inning to help Kentucky claim a 3-2 lead.

Kentucky captured its College World Series berth in history, completing a 2-0 sweep of 15th-seeded Oregon State. Nolan McCarthy scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to help the No. 2 seed Wildcats claim a 3-2 lead. Kentucky held on to the victory after Johnny Hummel struck out Micah McDowell with runners on first and third base.

Relief pitcher Cameron O'Brien (3-0) took the win for the Wildcats, striking out five in three scoreless innings. Starter Mason Moore was replaced after 3 1/3 innings of hitless baseball. However, he allowed two runs on six walks.

Jacob Kmatz (7-2) took the loss for the Beavers after allowing three runs on four hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two batters.

The Wildcats followed up on its 10-0 Game 1 super regional win over the Beavers by grounding their way to victory. Ryan Nicholson gave Kentucky a 1-0 edge after scoring from first base on a McCarthy double down the left-field line.

Oregon State fell behind 2-0 before tying the game on bases-loaded walks from Wilson Weber and Brady Kasper. The Beavers failed to recover from the shutdown loss they absorbed to the Wildcats on Saturday. Worse, Oregon State continued its wait for its eighth College World Series appearance as they allowed Kentucky to secure a date with history.