At the bottom of the ninth inning in the Lexington Super Regional, Kentucky was just three outs away from reaching their first College World Series in the history of their program. It was at that point that Nick Mingione left it up to his players as well as a higher power.
Mingione expressed his feelings about those final pitches in his postgame press conference following the 3-2 win for Kentucky over Oregon State that earned their debut berth in Omaha. He said that he was just praying for his pitchers and players to have the moment that he so desperately wanted them to have.
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“I was just like, ‘Lord, please bless these kids!'” Mingione smiled. “That’s what I was (thinking). I really was, especially when (Robert Hogan) was out there with what all he has been through.”
“I was just like, ‘Lord, please bless these players…Please and that your will be done,'” said Mingione.
Kentucky used five pitchers on the night after starting RHP Mason Moore. He went for 3.1 innings before Cameron O’Brien went for three more and Hogan threw for 2.1. Ryan Hagenow and Johnny Hummel then both got opportunities for the save in the ninth. It was Hummel who earned it while O’Brien picked up the win.
In 28 at bats, that quintet allowed just two hits and struck out the Beavers a total of 13 times. That came after they and the defense shutout their opponent in Game 1 on Saturday.
Hogan started on the mound in that final frame and got the first two outs with strikeouts. After walking the potentially winning run, Mingione switched to Hagenow. He then gave up a single to have two on base for Oregon State. That was the only batter he would face as he’d look to the bullpen again and go with Hummel. That was the final shift of the game as he came on to throw the biggest strikeout in school history with three pitches to end the game and send them to the MCWS.
Mingione didn’t know what was going to happen next with Game 2 very much in the balance in the end. That’s why he left it up to faith and let the next chapter of their tale unravel exactly how it did.
“God already knows the beginning, the end. He already knows the whole story. This has all already been written and I just trusted him.
The post Nick Mingione reveals his mindset during final pitches of Super Regional victory appeared first on On3.