Notebook: 2025 schedule released, Cats pick up new commitment
Kentucky's 2025 regular season begins and ends in Nashville. Plus, the Wildcats picked up another top-200 recruit.
Kentucky baseball’s 2025 schedule was released on Friday. The slate begins and ends in Nashville, with an opening series at Lipscomb and a closing series against SEC power Vanderbilt. There’s also a third road series in the Music City against Belmont that begins on Feb. 21. The Wildcats will “play a schedule it hopes will help create a strong RPI in its quest for a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth,” according to a press release.
The 53-game schedule includes 29 home games and 24 road contests. The SEC schedule, released in September, features likely preseason top 25 teams Georgia, Texas A&M, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. In total, the Wildcats play 11 teams that made it to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Texas A&M, Tennessee and Florida joined Kentucky in Omaha, with the Wildcats playing Texas A&M and Florida in the College World Series. Tennessee was the 2024 national champion.
Full 2025 schedule
Feb. 14-16: at Lipscomb
Feb. 18: Morehead State
Feb. 21-23: at Belmont
Feb. 25: Evansville
Feb. 28-March 2: Hofstra
March 4: at EKU
March 5: EKU
March 7-9: Wofford
March 14-16: at Georgia
March 18: Murray State
March 21-23: vs. Auburn
March 25: Xavier
March 28-30: at Texas A&M
April 3-5: vs. Ole Miss
April 8: at Louisville
April 11-13: vs. Texas
April 15: Miami (Ohio)
April 18-20: at Tennessee
April 22: Louisville
April 25-27: vs. South Carolina
April 29: at WKU
May 2-4: at Mississippi State
May 9-11: vs. Oklahoma
May 13: vs. NKU
May 15-17: at Vanderbilt
May 20-25: SEC Tournament (Hoover, Alabama)
Kentucky adds to 2025 recruiting class
Conor Essenburg, a 6-2, 200-pound two-way player from Manhattan, Illinois, committed to Kentucky on Thursday. Essenburg flipped his commitment from Kansas State and is both a lefthanded pitcher and a first baseman. Essenburg played with the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team in the recent WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Florida. He was also a member of the 16U/17U National Team Development Program with USA Baseball.
On the mound, Essenburg’s fastball has topped 94 miles per hour, according to Perfect Game, and he also has a slider, curveball and changeup. He’s ranked in the top-200 by both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report, making him the Wildcats’ second-highest ranked commit according to Perfect Game, and fourth-highest according to PBR.
Kentucky’s class is likely done for 2025, though it’s always possible there could be a late development. If it’s finished, the Wildcats will end up with a strong class. Perfect Game currently ranks the class 24th nationally, with one top-100 commitment (Owen Jenkins) and six players overall in the top-500.
If PBR compiles a national team rankings list, I haven’t found it. However, PBR likes Kentucky’s class more than Perfect Game. The Wildcats have eight commitments in the top-500 of PBR’s rankings, including three players in the top 100. Jenkins, outfielder Braxton Van Cleave and righthanded pitcher Joshua Flores all rank in the top 100. Essenburg was joined by infielder Caeden Cloud in the top 150.
The fall signing period for college baseball begins on Nov. 13.