Saturday’s games at the 2024 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska were nothing short of thrilling, starting with a walk-off win in extra innings in the first game of the day. The excitement continued as No. 2 seed Kentucky faced off against No. 10 NC State in the opening game.
The game was tightly contested, with Kentucky’s Mitchell Daly hitting a home run with two outs in the 10th inning off Derrick Smith to secure a 5-4 walk-off win for the Wildcats. This marked the third walk-off finish in the first three games at Charles Schwab Field.
Daly’s clutch home run was his seventh of the season, showcasing his skill as a senior third baseman. Throughout the regular season, he maintained a .302 batting average with a .691 OPS.
Key stats from the game included Kentucky’s first baseman, Ryan Nicholson, who went 3-for-4 and hit the game-tying home run in the ninth inning. Nicholson, a grad transfer, led the Wildcats in the regular season with 21 home runs, 61 RBI, a .299 batting average, and a 1.080 OPS.
The play of the game came in