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Kentucky baseball schedule for 2022 is complete. Here’s a look at Cats’ biggest tests.

The University of Kentucky baseball team will play 56 regular-season games in 2022, and 22 of those will come against teams that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats announced the non-conference portion of their schedule for the coming season on Wednesday after earlier releasing their Southeastern Conference slate.

The Wildcats will play 36 games at home at Kentucky Proud Park and 20 on the road. The schedule includes 26 non-conference games and 30 SEC contests. UK will play three-game SEC series at home against Georgia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Auburn. They’ll visit Arkansas, Texas A&M, Missouri, Florida and South Carolina.

The 2022 regular season gets underway Feb. 18-20 with a three-game series at Jacksonville (Ala.) State. It ends with a three-game series at home against Auburn May 19-21. The SEC Tournament takes place May 24-29 at Hoover, Ala.

Kentucky’s home opener is Feb. 22 against Southeast Missouri State, the start of a 14-game home stand that extends to March 13.

Kentucky’s first SEC series of the season takes place March 18-20 at Arkansas, which wound up No. 5 in last year’s final D1Baseball.com rankings.

UK’s non-conference schedule includes games against in-state rivals Louisville (April 5 here, April 19 there), Western Kentucky (March 1), Murray State (March 8), Morehead State (March 22), Eastern Kentucky (March 29) and Bellarmine (April 12).

The Wildcats also have scheduled non-conference games against Western Michigan, Evansville, Texas Christian, Ohio, High Point, Indiana, Dayton, Tennessee Martin and Tennessee Tech.

Kentucky faces eight teams that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament: Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Southeast Missouri State, College World Series participant Tennessee, Texas Christian and national runner-up Vanderbilt.

Nick Mingione is entering his sixth season as Kentucky’s head coach in 2022.
Nick Mingione is entering his sixth season as Kentucky’s head coach in 2022.

In 2022, the Wildcats avoid defending national champion Mississippi State, along with Alabama and LSU, which was No. 18 in last season’s final rankings.

UK said Wednesday that season ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks, with television assignments and game times determined closer to the season.

Kentucky finished 29-23 overall last season, coming in sixth in the seven-team SEC East Division with a 12-18 league record.

The Cats are entering their sixth season under head coach Nick Mingione and are 143-103 overall and 51-69 in SEC play under his watch with one NCAA Tournament berth (2017). The Wildcats added eight Division I-A transfers during the offseason and boast a deep pitching staff with the return of the entire weekend rotation, a proven bullpen and experienced transfers.

2022 UK baseball schedule

(Home games in all capital letters)

Feb. 18-20: At Jacksonville State

Feb. 22: SOUTHEAST MISSOURI ST.

Feb. 25-27: WESTERN MICHIGAN

March 1: WESTERN KENTUCKY

March 2: EVANSVILLE

March 4-6: TEXAS CHRISTIAN

March 8: MURRAY ST.

March 9: OHIO

March 11-13: HIGH POINT

March 15: At Indiana

March 18-20: At Arkansas

March 22: MOREHEAD ST.

March 25-27: GEORGIA

March 29: EASTERN KENTUCKY

April 1-3: OLE MISS

April 5: LOUISVILLE

April 7-9: At Texas A&M

April 12: BELLARMINE

April 14-16: At Missouri

April 19: At Louisville

April 22-24: VANDERBILT

April 26: DAYTON

April 29-May 1: At Florida

May 5-7: TENNESSEE

May 10: TENNESSEE MARTIN

May 13-15: At South Carolina

May 17: TENNESSEE TECH

May 19-21: AUBURN

May 24-29: SEC Tournament at Hoover, Ala.