Right-hander Hailey Nutter leaves Kentucky for transfer portal
The transfer portal announcements are flowing by the minute, and a big one came out of Lexington as freshman right-handed pitcher Hailey Nutter announced her entry on X.
Nutter was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Feb. 9 after she struck out 22 with no walks across 12.0 innings against Loyola Chicago and Minnesota, including a 14-strikeout no-hitter against Loyola.
Nutter, originally from Mont Belvieu, Texas, went on to a 7-4 record with a 4.50 ERA and struck out 68 to 40 walks in 65.1 innings pitched across 23 appearances.
Kentucky’s season was a rough go of it, finishing 26-29 with a 1-23 SEC record. The lone conference win came March 6, 8-3 at Auburn.
In conference play, the Wildcats finished at the bottom of the league, slashing .188/.244/.317. Pitching also ranked last with a 7.22 ERA, 38 home runs allowed and 194 runs on 240 hits allowed.
Prior to Kentucky, Nutter was a three-time district champion with Barbers Hill High School in Texas, where she had over 70 career wins as a pitcher. Her Alliance 18U team also won a national title with her leading the way in the circle.
The season had good moments and not-so-great moments, but Nutter has the tools to be an effective pitcher, and she should land on her feet in a good program.
