Morehead State Upsets Kentucky in Home Opener

Eagles take down No. 18 Wildcats 8-6 at Kentucky Proud Park

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Morehead State's strong bullpen performance and timely hitting helped the Eagles upset No. 18 Kentucky 8-6 in the Wildcats' home opener at Kentucky Proud Park. The Morehead relievers combined to hold UK to just two runs over the final 6.2 innings, with junior right-hander Alex Miller tossing three scoreless frames and striking out four. Morehead was led at the plate by third baseman Aubrey Kearns and shortstop Jaden Correa, who each had three hits and a home run.

Why it matters

This is a big upset win for Morehead State, an in-state rival of Kentucky, over the highly ranked Wildcats. It shows the Eagles can compete with a top SEC program and raises questions about Kentucky's pitching and defense, which struggled at times in the loss.

The details

Morehead State put constant pressure on Kentucky, putting the leadoff man on base in six of the last seven innings and collecting 11 hits. After UK took a 6-5 lead in the sixth, the Morehead bullpen shut down the Wildcats the rest of the way. Starter Chase Alderman struggled for Kentucky, allowing four earned runs in 3.2 innings. The Wildcats also committed two errors after having just one in their opening series.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, February 18, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky.

The players

Morehead State

The Morehead State Eagles are the athletic teams of Morehead State University, a public university located in Morehead, Kentucky.

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the athletic teams of the University of Kentucky, a public research university in Lexington, Kentucky.

Alex Miller

A junior right-handed pitcher for Morehead State who tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four.

Aubrey Kearns

The third baseman for Morehead State who had three hits, including a home run, in the upset win.

Jaden Correa

The shortstop for Morehead State who also had three hits, including a home run, in the victory over Kentucky.

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What they’re saying

“We had some easy outs that we probably need to clean up, and we didn't get the big hit. When we had 'em on the ropes (bases loaded in the fifth inning) with 3-2 (count) and two outs, we had an opportunity to really just blow the thing open, and we didn't get it. That's going to happen, but we competed.”

— Nick Mingione, Kentucky head coach

What’s next

Kentucky will look to bounce back this weekend with a three-game series at Evansville, while Morehead State will try to build on this upset victory.

The takeaway

This game highlights the parity in college baseball, as an in-state rival was able to come into Kentucky's home park and pull off a surprising upset over the highly ranked Wildcats. It shows the importance of strong bullpen work and timely hitting, which Morehead State displayed in this victory.