Where UK Stands in Field of 64 Projections; Cats Announce Starter for SEC Tournament Opener

The Cats are on the verge of locking up a hosting spot with a win on Tuesday in Hoover.

HOOVER, Ala. — It's SEC Tournament time. 

The No. 8-seeded Kentucky Wildcats will face No. 9 Alabama in the third of four games on Tuesday evening, with first pitch set for 5:30 p.m. EST at the Hoover Met Complex. 

The SEC Tournament bracket can be found HERE.

Looking back at UK's series win over Alabama back in March HERE.

Where Kentucky stands in the rankings entering the postseason HERE.

Two Wildcats earn All-SEC honors. More HERE.

Kentucky shouldn't look at this game as an absolute must-win, because it will be in the NCAA Tournament field regardless. It's earning the right to host that's on the line this week. 

Owning a top-three RPI and the top strength of schedule in the nation, UK's résumé carries some weight. The 36-17 Cats have taken a rather unprecedented route to get to where they are at the conclusion of the regular season. 

Coach Nick Mingione's Cats have been projected to be Regional hosts for the last few weeks, following the big sweep over South Carolina at home. Hovering around the back end of the top-eight national seeds, having the opportunity to host not only a Regional, but also a Super Regional would be an unfathomable deal for a team that wasn't picked to make the Big Dance in the preseason. 

On Monday, D1Baseball released its final pre-postseason Field of 64 projections, placing UK as the No. 9 overall seed:

Via D1Baseball

UK is projected as one of seven SEC hosts:

• No. 2 Florida
• No. 3 Arkansas
• No. 4 LSU
• No. 7 Vanderbilt
• No. 9 Kentucky
• No. 12 Auburn
• No. 14 Alabama

A group consisting of Indiana State — which was swept by UK in a weekend series at the beginning of the season — Notre Dame and Morehead State would be favorable for the Cats, who would of course also have the backing of what would be a rambunctious Kentucky Proud Park. 

Kentucky being so close to a national seed suggests that a one-and-done performance in Hoover perhaps won't axe hosting from the cards. The Selection Committee has often used things like RPI as a crutch, which would play into the hands of the Cats. 

Winning a couple of games could catapult UK into top-eight territory, however. As a result, Mingione is sending one of, if not his best arm to the mound to start the single-elimination matchup against the Crimson Tide (38-17, 16-14 SEC) on Tuesday. 

Seventh-year senior Darren Williams will toe the slab for the Cats. The 6-foot-6 right-hander is enjoying a terrific final season of college baseball, owning a 4-1 record and 3.96 ERA in 13 outings, four of which were starts. 

He already has one successful outing against Alabama this season, as he fired 5.0 innings of relief on March 24, allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out four while walking none. 

More on the unique career of Williams HERE. 

Williams will face off against Hunter Furtado, who will take the ball to start for the Tide. The left-hander is a reliever who has an 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA in 15 appearances. He's thrown 28.1 innings, one of which came against UK on March 25, when he allowed three runs on two hits and two hit batsmen.

With Alabama on the hosting bubble, Tuesday's showdown will be of the utmost importance for both teams. Postseason baseball is once again meaningful to a pair of programs that have exceeded expectations moving into the end of May. 

How a scrimmage helped Kentucky renew its identity

How UK needs to finish to make the NCAA Tournament

Two Wildcats named 2024 MLB Draft Prospects

Hunter Gilliam: From Longwood Walk-On to Kentucky's Captain

Shortstop Grant Smith named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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