Tyler Bell, Braxton Van Cleave earn SEC honors after Kentucky's big weekend

Kentucky had a big weekend at the ballpark when the Bat Cats claimed the series against ranked Tennessee. Those two wins allowed this baseball team to go from the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble to the right side. There is still more work to be done but this team has some momentum right now. That happened because of some outstanding individual performances.

Some strong starting pitching from Ben Cleaver and Jaxon Jelkin led the way against the Volunteers. But the weekend was just as much about the offense. Kentucky scored 30 runs over three games and got some big individual performances at the plate. Two Wildcats were honored for their weekend production on Monday.

Tyler Bell and Braxton Van Cleave received recognition from the SEC on Monday.

DOUBLE DIP!@BellTyler28 and @Braxton_VC earn @SEC weekly honors!

TJ – Co-Player of the Week
BVC – Freshman of the Week pic.twitter.com/laqKG0bmxz

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 4, 2026

Tyler Bell earned Co-SEC Player of the Week after he finished the weekend with three doubles and two home runs. Bell also drew a pair of free passes and hit 7-13. The sophomore was a force in the No. 2 spot on the lineup card. The likely first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft is now slashing .374/556/.626 with seven doubles, six home runs, 26 RBI, and 10 stolen bases this season.

Braxton Van Cleave earned Freshman of the Week honors. The left-handed slugger finished the Tennessee series batting 7-14 with one double, two home runs, and six RBI. Van Cleave is now riding a 10-game hitting streak since become a full-time starter in the Vanderbilt series. The Lone State State native is hitting 15-40 (.375) during this stretch with three doubles, five home runs, and 15 RBI. Van Cleave just had his best series of the season and has produced some clutch moments in the late innings against Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Some of Kentucky’s star power showed up against Tennessee. The Wildcats are hopeful that this offensive production will continue over the last two weeks of the season.

On Deck: Florida

Kentucky will not play a midweek game against this week. That means another mini-bye before another critical SEC series. The Bat Cats are hitting the road for the final time in the regular season to play No. 21 Florida in Gainesville.

The Gators just took a road series against Oklahoma but have lost three consecutive SEC series at home. Florida has 15 Quad 1 wins this season and is fighting to host as the season comes down the stretch. This will be one of Kentucky’s toughest tests of the season.

Date	Opponent	Venue	Time
May 8 (Friday)	Florida	Condron Ballpark	6:30 p.m. ET
May 9 (Saturday)	Florida	Condron Ballpark	4 p.m. ET
May 10 (Sunday)	Florida	Condron Ballpark	Noon ET