Kentucky baseball was one of the final five teams standing in Omaha in the 2024 College World Series, marking a historic and memorable year for the program and all involved.
For the players, saying goodbye to a truly special season is so tough. The Wildcats wore their hearts on their sleeves all season long, winning over their own fans and casual viewers with nonstop dugout antics and one of the strongest team personalities in baseball.
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Nolan McCarthy, the hero of Kentucky’s super regional clincher vs. Oregon State, commented after UK’s final loss that this group was all on the same page with one focus.
“To start with, everyone was committed to our goal,” he said. “We’ve had this goal of going to Omaha, winning a national championship. We fell a little short. But from the freshmen who got 15 ABs locked in doing a chart on every pitch, just giving it their all. They emptied their tank. Everyone emptied their tank.”
The veteran outfielder continued gushing about his teammates, further emphasizing just how connected this particular group was.
“That’s what was special about this team. Everyone cared so much and they would empty the tank no matter if they were playing every day, hitting .350, or if they weren’t even on the roster, doing what they could do to make us better. Everyone bought in, unselfish. That’s what made the team special.”
Senior pitcher and the designated dugout captain, Ryan Hagenow, concurred with McCarthy.
“I agree with that. We paid attention to what we were doing the whole year and believed in ourselves no matter what was going on,” he said. For Hagenow, an end in Omaha, no matter the result, is success in his eyes.
“We knew our season was going to end here, winner or loser. Obviously we would have liked to have been winners. But we knew our season would end here in Omaha.”
To make history happen in Lexington, Hagenow says the 2024 group was a superb team from top to bottom, all parts pitching in and doing their part to produce such an exhilarating ride for everyone.
“I think just that belief that the whole team had in each other and the staff, whenever they made a call, just complete trust in every single person in our locker room. It’s been pretty awesome.”
So long to the undisputed best Kentucky baseball team in program history. What a ride for those guys.
The post Nolan McCarthy, Ryan Hagenow describe what made this Kentucky team special appeared first on On3.