Who is Mitchell Daly, Kentucky baseball’s game one College World Series hero?

Kentucky baseball’s College World Series game one hero is the only Wildcat to play in Omaha previously.

Third baseman Mitchell Daly arrived at UK as a transfer from Texas where he played in the College World Series as a freshman and sophomore. On Saturday in Nebraska, he sent the Wildcats to a 5-4 win with a walk-off home run in the bottom of 10th inning against N.C. State.

“I was just trying to back the ball up,” Daly told reporters in Omaha after the game. “I was just trying to see the slider up. And (assistant Austin Cousino) said he leaves it up sometimes. I saw it up, and I just went for it.”

The home run was just Daly’s seventh of the season, but he has filled an important role for Kentucky on offense and defense throughout the season.

After playing second base and shortstop at Texas, Daly has proven to be a stellar defender at third base for UK. He made a diving stop down the third-base line in the bottom of the ninth inning of the super-regional clincher to help send the Wildcats to Omaha.

Hitting fifth for the Wildcats, Daly leads Kentucky with nine sacrifice hits on the season. He originally was instructed to hit-and-run in the 10th inning against N.C. State but was unable to convert the play. Catcher Devin Burkes was thrown out trying to steal second base, appearing to end the scoring threat.

Facing a 1-2 count, Daly launched a home run into the left-field bullpen.

The son of a U.S. Army four-star general, Daly has raved about the culture built by Kentucky coach Nick Mingione since arriving in Lexington.

“This place is something that I’ve never really experienced before, not only in my time in college but just my time growing up,” Daly said before the super regional in Lexington. “The environment that Coach has set, talking about serving others and making that such a priority, about how can you help your teammate today, how can you help the person next to you, how can you make someone feel appreciated in your life, like a family member or a friend. I think that truly sets you up just to grow as yourself as a person, even before a player. To grow in your faith, to become a better man, to become a better friend. I think it’s been huge on how that translates to the field, as well, because when you grow as a person. It’s really interesting, you just start finding yourself more as a player, too.

“So it’s been an awesome experience here. … I didn’t really know who I was for the past couple years. If anybody is struggling like that and trying to become more theirself, then this is the place for you.”

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