Photo submitted by Ryan Hagenow
The Kentucky baseball program will begin their second season under coach Nick Mingione in a few months but the UK coach and his coaching staff have been on fire on the recruiting trail. In early November, the Wildcats picked up a commitment from Ryan Hagenow, a right-handed pitcher for the 2020 class.
Hagenow, a native of Knoxville, TN., announced his commitment via his Twitter account. The 6-4, 175lb right-hander comes from a baseball family, as his brothers Brett and Jake signed collegiate scholarships. Brett was a catcher at Carson-Newman and Jake is currently a freshman catcher at Middle Tennessee State University.
Not only did Hagenow decide to be different from his brothers and be a pitcher, he also decided to take his talents outside the state of Tennessee and play for Mingione and the Wildcats.
The UK commit pitches for Farragut High School, where he is coached by Matthew Bucker. Coach Buckner spoke with Coach Mingione about Hagenow and the UK coach decided to give him a chance. Ultimately, the facility upgrades are nice but the coaching staff was what sold Hagenow on Kentucky.
“The coaching staff is very genuine and care about there guys and it’s very obvious,” said Hagenow. “The new facilities for me are just a bonus, I chose Kentucky for the coaching staff and the atmosphere.”
In addition to playing for Farragut High School, he also plays fall ball for Exposure Baseball out of Chattanooga, where Brandon Turner coaches him. The Knoxville native had a solid summer in perfect game tournaments, posting a record of 5-0 to go along with a jaw-dropping .800 ERA. Additionally, he struck out 37 batters in 27.1 innings of work, giving up 8 walks and 3 runs while owning a .915 WHIP.
Being a member of the 2020 class, Hagenow still has time to work on his game before arriving in Lexington. Knowing his strengths, he will focus on his weaknesses before taking the mound as a Wildcat.
“My strength is not budging under trash talk and being able to compete,” said Hagenow. “One weakness I know I’ll be able to change is leaving balls up in the zone.”
Growing up fifteen minutes from downtown Knoxville, Hagenow decided to leave the heart of Volunteer country for the bluegrass of Kentucky, a decision that he feels comfortable with.
“I was led to Kentucky because my high school coach told Coach Mingione about me and he was willing to give me a chance,” said Hagenow. “I chose to play there because the staff was incredible and believed in many things I value in life.”
