Kentucky outfielder Jayce Tharnish announced on Sunday that he is returning for his senior season.
Tharnish led Kentucky in hitting with a .356 batting average last season.
Here is a message from UK Athletics:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky outfielder Jayce Tharnish is returning to Lexington for his senior season, he announced.
He is the second Wildcat expected to be selected in the 2026 MLB Draft to commit to playing for the Cats in 2027, joining first baseman Hudson Brown.
Tharnish, from Devon, Pennsylvania, served as UK’s centerfielder last spring and was one of its best players both at the plate and in the field. He also put his game-changing speed on display on the bases.
In his first season in the rigorous Southeastern Conference he led the Wildcats in batting at .351 while starting all 56 games. He added 64 runs, 13 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 38 RBI and tied for the team lead with 121 total bases. He generated a .918 OPS, stole 32 bases in 34 attempts had the fourth-most hits by a player in UK coach Nick Mingione’s 10 seasons with 84. Tharnish’s defense also was nearly flawless and he had a .993 fielding percentage with no shortage of highlight plays. He had a hit in 26 of his final 29 games and 26 multi-hit games.
For his career Tharnish has 200 hits and has stolen 68 bases in 71 attempts.
