KSR Today: SEC Softball Tournament begins on Cinco de Mayo
Good morning, friends, and happy Cinco de Mayo to you. Ironically, the holiday is not that big of a deal in Mexico, just an annual celebration of the 1862 victory over France in the Battle of Puebla; however, here in the United States, it’s the Super Bowl for Mexican restaurants and people who love them. Fittingly, it lands on a Tuesday this year, making for an extra special Taco Tuesday. We should all find a patio later on and raise a margarita to that.
We could also be toasting a Kentucky softball victory. That’s where we’ll start with today’s rundown, as the University of Kentucky hosts the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament.
SEC Softball Tournament begins in Lexington
Lexington is the center of the softball world today — or at the very least, the Southeastern United States portion of it — as the SEC Softball Tournament begins. Kentucky is the No. 15 seed, facing No. 10 seed Mississippi State at 2 p.m. ET. The game was originally scheduled for later, but all three first-round games today have been moved up two hours, as inclement weather is expected to move into Lexington this evening.
Kentucky and Mississippi State did not play each other in the regular season. The Cats finished this season 26-28, just 1-23 in SEC play. The Bulldogs fared better, with an overall record of 37-17 and 9-15 in the SEC. Kentucky has undoubtedly underachieved in Rachel Lawson’s 19th season; today could be the start of one last run, or the grand finale. The winner of today’s game faces No. 7-seed Arkansas in the second round on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
Here is today’s modified schedule and the bracket. Each game will be 35 minutes after the end of the one before it. All games will be shown live on the SEC Network and the ESPN app.
Game 1 – No. 14 Missouri vs. No. 11 Auburn (11 a.m. ET)
Game 2 – No. 15 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Mississippi State (appx. 2 p.m. ET)
Game 3 – No. 13 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 South Carolina (appx. 5 p.m. ET)
Alyssa Lang is on a mission
ESPN’s Alyssa Lang is in town to cover the tournament and has embarked on quite the quest. Lang is vowing to try every steak in Lexington during her eight-day stay. She started at Jeff Ruby’s on Sunday night and dined at Malone’s last night. Tony’s may be on tap tonight. Where should she go from there, BBN?
Still quiet on the Kentucky Basketball front
Monday came and went without any news on Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster, specifically the search for a backup center. We’re still waiting to hear what Marcio Santos will do. LSU is also pursuing the Brazilian big man and may have the momentum, despite Mark Pope’s trip to Israel to see him play last week. Michael Ruzic was another name Kentucky was mentioned with, but according to Jacob Polacheck, he has higher offers on the table from teams in need of a starter.
The wait continues, especially for players testing the NBA Draft waters like Milan Momcilovic, Allen Graves, and Tounde Yessoufou. All three are participating in the NBA Draft Combine next week, so don’t expect to hear whether they’ll stay in the draft or return to college — and if so, whether Kentucky is an option they will consider — until after that. The deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft to return to school and retain their eligibility is May 27.
Joe Sloan visited an Alabama commit
A few weeks ago, Will Stein reminded us all that recruiting never stops, especially after a player verbally commits to a school. Four-star tight end Colt Lumpris committed to Alabama in December. That didn’t stop Joe Sloan from visiting him at his school in Trenton, NJ, on Monday, one month after Lumpris visited Lexington. Judging by Lumpris’ hat, the visit went well. Penn State is also trying to flip Lumpris, the No. 266 player and the No. 13 tight end in the 2027 class in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Anwar Stewart was in Houston on Monday night to visit Xavier Muhammad, a four-star defensive lineman and top 150 prospect.
Stewart, Sloan, Stein, and the rest of the staff continue to kill it on the recruiting trail. Justin Rowland had a good rundown of where Kentucky stands with its top targets on KSR+ yesterday, along with an interview with three-star offensive tackle Ian Walker. While you’re there, check out an interview Jacob Polacheck did with four-star wide receiver Ty Johnson, who is down to Kentucky, UCLA, and Arizona. Well worth the price of admission.
Kentucky Football season ticket holders got a special surprise
If you’re a Kentucky Football season ticket holder, you may have a surprise coming your way. KSR+ member Sizebros showed off this note and “Feed the Studs” decal he was sent as a thank you for renewing his tickets. Little stuff like this goes a long way.
- 1Breaking
AD Search Update
Kentucky's new AD will have 2 titles
- 2Trending
Holiday Hoops?
UK in talks for new, high-profile MTE
- 3Hot
UK-Gonzaga series
is over
- 4
Miles Brown
4-star CB picks UK
- 5
Early Exit
at SECT for Bat Cats
Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
ICYMI, Roush had a grand ole time at the Oaks
Nobody loves the Kentucky Derby like Nick Roush. This year, he let Steven Peake follow him around the infield on Kentucky Oaks Day. From Roush’s many whiffs at the betting window to their antics around the track, this is an entertaining watch worth eight minutes of your time.
While we’re sharing Derby videos, he’s a great one from America’s Best Racing on Cherie DeVaux’s big day. I can’t get enough Cherie DeVaux content right now.
Best derby video pic.twitter.com/Ag56DANtgI
— Domenic (@Domsavides) May 5, 2026
Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs rolls on
Round two of the NBA Playoffs tipped off on Monday night. The Knicks rolled in the East Semifinals, beating the 76ers 137-98. Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half, helping give the Knicks a 23-point lead at halftime. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists despite taking a scary fall early in the game. On the other side of the ball, Tyrese Maxey finished with just 13 points, not making his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter.
The second game was much closer, the Minnesota Timberwolves beating the San Antonio Spurs 104-102. Anthony Edwards scored 18 points in his first game back from injury. Eleven of those came in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves hold off the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama finished with a triple-double, 11 points, 15 rebounds, and an NBA postseason record 12 blocks. The Spurs had a chance to win it at the end, but Julian Champagnie’s three-pointer was no good:
At least the Frost Bank Center looked awesome in the color rush theme. Game 2 of both series takes place Wednesday night.
Tonight, the rest of the field gets in on the fun. Zack Geoghegan’s Cleveland Cavaliers play the Detroit Pistons in the first game, with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Lakers in the second.
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Series Record | TV / Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Cleveland Cavaliers @ Detroit Pistons | Series starts (0-0) | NBCSN, Peacock |
| 8:30 PM | Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder | Series starts (0-0) | NBC, Peacock |
A big book event in Louisville
If you’d rather keep the TV off tonight, there’s an event in Louisville you may be interested in. Matt Jones is interviewing Jordan Ritter Conn, a senior staff writer at The Ringer, about his new book, “American Men,” at 7 p.m. at Carmichael’s. The book is described as “a deeply intimate portrait of the lives of four men that examines—in profound and comprehensive ways—what it means to be a man in America.”
Back at KSBar and Grille — with Drew Franklin!
KSR the Show starts one hour from now, live from KSBar and Grille. That’s not the only good news. Drew Franklin returns to the show from his paternity leave. Drew resumed his website duties last week, but today, he’s back on the airwaves. Come on out to the bar to welcome him back, or simply tune in to hear some stories about his first few weeks of fatherhood. Avery Rose is gorgeous.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard