Everyone is catching Bat Cat fever, including the Kentucky football coaching staff.
A day after Nick Mingione’s baseball squad swept through the Lexington Regional to punch a ticket to the Supers for a second straight season, a Kentucky baseball commit received a Kentucky football scholarship offer.
Evan Hampton is a 6-foot, 200-pound shortstop and outfielder at Owensboro Senior High School. A rising junior in the class of 2026, he committed to play for the Kentucky baseball program last March following his freshman campaign for the Red Devils. This spring he batted .470 with 39 hits and 20 RBI.
“Growing up my family on both sides have been huge UK fans and I have an uncle who played baseball there as well,” Hampton told The Owensboro Times shortly after announcing his decision.
“It’s an honor to wear your state across your chest and represent. What also separated them was the fact that they weren’t always asking about baseball. They asked about my family and other hobbies to show that they cared and wanted to know more about me.”
Hampton also has a twin brother, Elijah, who plays baseball and football for the Red Devils.
In that conversation with the local newspaper, Hampton made it clear he wants to be a two-sport athlete at Kentucky. Marrow thinks he has the chops for it after Hampton spent an afternoon in Lexington. The Owensboro running back ran a reported 4.42 40-yard dash at Monday’s camp to wow the Kentucky coaching staff.
Hampton has the production to back up the exceptional testing numbers. In his first season as the primary ball carrier for the Red Devils, he tallied 1,552 rushing yards. It was the most in 5A and tied for the 15th-most among all classes. He scored 25 touchdowns and averaged 10.7 yards per carry to help Owensboro advance to the semifinals of the 5A playoffs.
In addition to running the football Hampton also lines up in the slot. He caught 44 passes for 527 yards and two scores, highlighted by a 7-catch, 119-yard performance against Madisonville North-Hopkins.
It’s safe to say Evan Hampton is one of the best athletes in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Wildcats are the fourth football program to offer him a scholarship, joining ETSU, Illinois State, and Eastern Kentucky. It will be exciting to monitor this Western Kentucky star’s ascent throughout his prep career.
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