Five position players who impressed during Kentucky's fall practices

These five position players stood out in the times I saw them this fall.

Kentucky freshman Tyler Bell. Photo by Caleb Bowlin of UK Athletics

The Kentucky baseball team began fall practice in early September, concluding on Oct. 27 with a 14-inning scrimmage against Morehead State at Kentucky Proud Park. The Wildcats also scrimmaged against Wright State in early October, combining to win the 28-inning scrimmage sessions 54-12.

Now that fall practice is over, I wanted to look at some position players who performed well in the fall. I attended the scrimmages against Morehead State and Wright State and saw several other practices or intrasquads at Kentucky Proud Park. Discussions with multiple sources helped fill in some gaps when I wasn’t there, but I primarily wanted to focus on things that I saw for myself.

Will Marcy, outfielder

Marcy began his career at North Carolina State and slashed .301/.399/.500 in 159 plate appearances with 12 doubles and five home runs as a sophomore in 2023. He transferred to Memphis in 2024 and once again posted an average above .300, finishing with a slash line of .303/.398/.406 with 13 doubles but just one home run. However, he stole 13 bases at Memphis, suggesting he could be an excellent stylistic fit for Kentucky’s offense.

According to my unofficial stats, Marcy went 4-5 with four doubles, walked once and was hit three times in his combined at-bats against Morehead State and Wright State.

“One thing about Will is he has a track record of hitting everywhere he’s been, whether it be NC State or Memphis,” Kentucky coach Nick Mingione said. “His ability to use the whole field, his ability to get extra base hits. He can play a high, high level defense.”

There will be a story on Friday that projects where I think things stand with the roster post-fall, but Marcy seems like a safe bet — as of now — to be a starting outfielder for the Wildcats this spring, likely in center field.

Kyuss Gargett, infielder