THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
College  | Story | 4/25/2018

Quick Take: Kentucky

Photo: Tristan Pompey (UK Athletics)



Quick Take: Florida | College Notebook: StanfordPerfect Game College Player Database

During the season Perfect Game scouts will be traveling to some of the top series to watch the very best players in college baseball. Those observations, captured with both written notes and video, will be shared in the College Player Database as linked above, notes that can also be accessed on the players' individual PG profile pages. Throughout the season select reports will be shared in feature format to promote the players, the teams and college baseball as a whole.

See also: Kentucky Quick Take (March 16)


Kentucky Wildcats

What Happened: Kentucky dropped two of three to No. 1 Florida, losing the first two of the series before winning game three behind an absolute gem from Justin Lewis. The Wildcats struggled to hit Florida's first two starting arms in Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar, and then after doing some damage early on in game three, were shut out for six innings. Kentucky got a solid start from Sean Hjelle and a dominant one from Justin Lewis, but other than that, the pitching was mostly an issue, especially the middle bullpen. 

Carrying Tool: Starting pitching. This was a bit of a tough choice, because not much went Kentucky's way over the weekend, but the fact of the matter that in the vacuum of last weekend, the starting pitching was solid. Sean Hjelle didn't have his best outing but still provided Kentucky with a chance to win the game. Zach Haake only went two innings in his start on a planned pen day, but was dazzling in those two frames. And, of course, Kentucky got the gem of a start from Justin Lewis on Saturday.  

Concerns: Streaky offense and suspect pitching depth. The Kentucky offense, at one point the most finely-tuned machine of college baseball, has shown a propensity for going cold at times. Granted, they went cold against two likely first rounders last weekend, but they'll see plenty of first rounders in the SEC tournament and then presumably in a Regional. The pitching depth may be the bigger concern, however, as past their starters and closer Chris Machamer, Kentucky is having some trouble at the moment.

Best Player on the Field: Justin Lewis. Lewis was clearly Kentucky's best performer over the weekend, twirling an eight inning masterpiece to secure Kentucky's only win of the weekend. Lewis went eight innings allowing only a single unearned run on one hit and three walks while striking out 11 Florida Gators. Lewis is viewed at present as a pretty safe Day 2 MLB Draft prospect, and while he won't be the first Wildcat selected, he could be one of many. 

Fearless Forecast: Still a dangerous postseason team. Kentucky got off to such a hot start that, even with their struggles in the SEC, positions them well for a postseason run, especially if they can return to form. They have solid starting pitching and the offense can be prolific, so it's still well within reason to see Kentucky winning a Regional again in 2018. 


Database Player Reports (5):

Luke Becker
Trey Dawson
Zach Haake
Sean Hjelle
• Tristan Pompey

Prospect Spotlight: Tristan Pompey, OF

Once he returned from a minor early season injury Tristan Pompey has helped set the tone for Kentucky, hitting out of the leadoff slot and having a good offensive season. As of this writing, he's slashing .331/.431/.554, leading the team in doubles and showing solid pull-side home run power. 

Pompey is a lithely built athlete who is easy to dream on, physically. He's strong now but could hold more strength on his frame, and with that physical projection comes significant power projection as well. Pompey's calling card is his offensive profile, a switch-hitter with power from both sides. He has plenty of bat speed and when he gets the ball into the air he does a very good job of driving it. There's looseness to the hands and he shows a solid approach as well, though there is some swing-and-miss to his game. If you believe in the projection, it's well within reason to see Pompey with plus raw power from both sides of the plate to go along with enough hit-ability to get to that power in game scenarios. 

Pompey is a solid athlete who is likely best suited for left field at the professional level, which is where he plays for Kentucky now. He's a solid athlete in a vacuum but doesn't seem to always read the ball well off the bat in the outfield, and is a bit slow into his jumps as a result. His arm also makes left field, or potentially even first base, his likely long-term defensive homes. 

Pompey slots into the PG draft board in the 2-3 round range right now, though his performance metrics in addition to his TrackMan metrics likely push him up a bit from that. He could hear his name called in the comp round range, though the second round seems more likely at this point.


Prospect Spotlight: Luke Becker, 2B

Kentucky's starting second baseman and likely their most consistent offensive performer this year, senior Luke Becker, originally a junior college transfer from North Iowa Area, has had a very good year and now looks like a for sure MLB Draft choice. Becker is slashing .313/.446/.507, leading the team in OBP and stolen bases while also contributing to the Kentucky power surge with 16 extra-base hits. 

There's no standout tool to Becker's profile but he's not overwhelmingly deficient in one area either. He has an idea of how to handle the bat though it's more fringy bat speed combined with an excellent approach (he has walked as much as he has struck out), and he's successful for the most part at working at-bats until he can get a pitch he can drive. He employs the whole field and has solid raw power, which he's able to get to in games to some degree. There's good balance at the plate, and while he's an average runner, he has good instincts on the basepaths and can use them to steal bases. 

Defensively, Becker is fine at second base. There's not the usual plus twitchy athleticism that comes with being a middle infield prospect, but Becker is very fundamentally sound and does a good job anticipating contact, giving him that extra split second of advanced positioning. He has solid footwork and the arm is enough for the position. It would be interesting to see if Becker could play some third base or even left field to give him that extra incentive of versatility. He's likely to be college senior sign when the draft rolls around in June, and one could see him going on Day 2 in that style.




College | Recruiting | 2/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: Feb. 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
A few weeks into the season and the shape of the national picture is starting to emerge (slightly, let’s get too silly about early results). Some preseason favorites are humming exactly as advertised, a few dark horses are pawing at the gate, and a handful of early contenders are discovering that February optimism and March reality are not always the same thing. Across DII, DIII and the NAIA, pitching staffs are setting the tone, offenses are either detonating or recalibrating, and the Top 25 is already beginning to feel less theoretical and more earned.   DII UT Tyler is performing as predicted with a 12-2 start that includes a series win at Angelo State. The Patriots’ offense has not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but the pitching staff has been stingy, holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  They have not faced a ranked opponent yet, but...
High School | General | 2/27/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview ‘27 1B Frank Thomas (FL) goes liftoff once again for 2nd HR, again in the L on L. Leveraging w/ such easy juice. #PGShowdown @IMGABaseball @Florida_PG https://t.co/BgWiDyMiMo pic.twitter.com/IC6sdAkhmT — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 26, 2026 Frank Thomas III (2027, Sarasota, Fl.) was all over a breaking ball in the first inning of an IMG Academy offensive explosion, making it back-to-back-to-back homers to start the game. He did not turn back from there, homering on two more occasions. The ball explodes off the barrel with low effort strength and he showed the ability to manipulate the barrel to lift with authority. Thomas III is built strong and physical and he is just beginning to tap into that huge power upside. He showed no issues handling left on left matchups, with his first two homers coming...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
Article Image
Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
High School | General | 2/27/2026

SoCal High School Notebook: Feb. 27

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
5 K's over 4 hitless innings of work for Jared Grindlinger (2026), making first start as member of the 2026 class. 92-94 t95 w/ the FB, SL 80-83, CH 81-83, CB 77/78. Efficient outing, 50 pitches, 39 strikes. #PGHS @PG_scouting @PG_Draft @HBHS_basebll @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/y7jwX1oPyB — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 25, 2026 Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach High School (2026) Gringlinger’s first start as a member of the 2026 class was a good one… 4 innings of no hit ball with 5 strikeouts.  Ran the fastball to 95, lived 92-94, throwing a ton of strikes.  50 pitches on the day, 39 strikes, pretty much landing all four pitches in the zone.  Went to the slider early and often, quadrupling up on the slide piece to the first hitter of the game. The slider shows late lateral action with some vert, living 80-83.  Used...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
Juco | Rankings | 2/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: February 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week for many of the top teams in junior college baseball. Walters State put together another undefeated weak and sticks in the top spot for the 3rd consecutive ranking. Chipola on the strength of a 20-1 start has established themselves early as one of top teams in the country. Johnson County put together a 2nd consecutive undefeated week and moves into the top 5 with a 15-1 overall record. They will play 4 games against #22 Iowa Western this week who is also coming off an undefeated week. Fresno City (15-0) and Midland (13-0) are two undefeated programs to begin 2026. They have gone from not in the preseason top 25 to the top 15 in our rankings in less than a month. And welcome to the PG Juco Top 25 Cloud County (KS) who debuts at #23 and is coming off a huge 3 game sweep on the road in Texas of a previous top 10 program in our rankings. Plenty of good matchups ahead this...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/24/2026

Perfect Game Softball February Frenzy

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game February Frenzy, February 20-22, 2026.  Twenty-two teams, representing five states, rolled into town for the opportunity to compete in this pool play, then into bracket play, with four games guaranteed,  in both a 14u and 18u division. Taking home top honors in the 14u division was Midwest Sluggers 11, who held off a late charge by the Black Dragons , winning 7-5. In the 18u division, it was Nebraska Gold 319 Berning topping Iowa Gold Prospects 4-0, avenging a pool play opening, 1-0 loss. Below are some of the players that played their way onto our Top Performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from the championship bracket in each age division. 14U Division Earning the 14u division MVP award was Presley Perkins (2030 Taylor Ridge, IL) who although is listed as a switch hitting OF, was only observed hitting from the left side for tournament...
High School | General | 2/25/2026

High School Showdown Preview

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
We’re only about 24 hours away from the 14th PG High School Showdown and as we get closer to one of the premier events on the high school schedule, we look ahead to what we’ll see in Hoover. The teams and players are what make this event special along with the environment with scouts packing the stands for this event. As with every year we’ve run this event, there are sure to be names called in the upcoming MLB Draft along with big time contributors at the college level. This year’s field is loaded with five teams ranked inside the Preseason High School Top-50, headlined by a trio of top-10 teams in No. 8 South Walton (FL), No. 9 Blessed Trinity (GA), and No. 10 IMG Academy (FL). Rounding out the list of top-50 teams are No. 34 Parkview (GA) and No. 43 Hoover (AL), along with plenty of other teams that will challenge for state championships in their respective...
Juco | Story | 2/27/2026

JUCO Notebook: February 27

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
An extended look at Carson Bailey (@mccbaseball1 )…. https://t.co/TltEl9M31H pic.twitter.com/24Lv8q73Yb — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 7, 2026 Carson Bailey (2024, Richardson, Texas) worked up to 97 with his fastball out the gate and lived 95-96 throughout his short burst outing. Fastball got up to 2500 RPM showing subtle tail at times. It plays firm and gets in on hitters quick. Locates fastball well at times. He went to a change in the 85-88 range as his bread and butter secondary killing spin with good dive. Change produced 5 whiffs. He also mixed in a slider in the 80-85 getting upwards of 2500 RPM with it. Slider tight and sharp when around it. Also flashed a curve at 79. Bailey stands in at 6-foot-3 from a deceptive delivery that creates tough angles for hitters. He should be a big follow throughout the Spring with plenty of draft buzz surrounding him. He is...
Loading more articles...