'No comment': Nick Mingione refuses to reveal if Jaxon Jelkin was available to pitch

Kentucky turned to staff ace Jaxon Jelkin for a six-out save against Arkansas in need of one more SEC win to help secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in the regular season series finale. No. 0 delivered for his team. A similar situation arrived on Sunday night in Morgantown at Kendrick Family Ballpark. UK once again sent Jelkin down to the bullpen where he was seen stretching out.

A move was never made.

Nile Adcock was pulled after giving up a walk and a single that loaded the bases for West Virginia in the ninth with Kentucky holding a 9-6 lead. Jackson Soucie came in after recording a three-out save in a one-run game against Wake Forest on Friday afternoon. The lefty immediately walked in a run. Kentucky then turned to Oliver Boone who gave up a sac fly and a balk that allowed West Virginia to tie the ballgame. Then Paul Schoenfield played hero in front of 4,276 fans.

MORGANTOWN MADNESS‼️

After a balk tied it, a HR gives West Virginia the lead over UK in a 5-run 9th! pic.twitter.com/ut1pBcrTN0

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 1, 2026

Jaxon Jelkin went six innings and threw 98 pitches in Kentucky’s Friday win over Wake Forest. The right-handed pitcher had just one day off before Sunday’s ninth inning madness. Was he available to pitch? Will he be available on Monday if another save situation arises? Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione was asked this to end his postgame press conference. His answer was of the refusal variety.

“No comment,” Mingione told KSR.

Kentucky snatched defeat fro the jaw of victory on Sunday night in the 11-9 defeat. The Cats blew a chance to win another regional title and potentially bring a super regional back to Kentucky Proud Park for the the second time in three years. Instead, Kentucky will have to play West Virginia in a rubber match on Monday night. Rubber matches have not treated this baseball team well.

Big Blue Nation has no clarity on what was going on with Jelkin on Sunday night. Mingione and his Kentucky team now have to move on and flush this brutal result that was another college baseball classic against West Virginia.

The Cats and Mountaineers will meet again on Monday night at 6 p.m. ET.