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.
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.