In a magical season for Kentucky baseball, perhaps the most memorable moment was supplied by Wildcats outfielder Nolan McCarthy. His diving slide across home plate on a passed ball ignited the fanbase, and sent Kentucky to its first ever College World Series.
With the season over, change is inevitable, and the 2025 Wildcats baseball team won’t have one of its heroes of this season after McCarthy entered the transfer portal.
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On Tuesday, it was announced that coach Nick Ammirati was leaving Kentucky for the Georgia Bulldogs, and shortly after, McCarthy announced his decision to transfer. The now former Wildcat apparently made the decision at least in part because of the departure of Ammirati.
The 2025 Wildcats baseball team will look much different from this season’s. They’re losing a large part of the team for various reasons, leaving coach Nick Mingione and his staff a lot of work to do to rebuild. They made the College World Series, and fans won’t accept a slide back to irrelevancy.