KU baseball enters NCAA top 25 rankings
Kansas Baseball has entered the NCAA Top 25 rankings for the first time this season following its 11th consecutive victory.
According to the latest release from D1Baseball, the Jayhawks debuted at No. 18, marking a significant milestone as the season progresses. The rankings provide a snapshot of teams that could contend for a postseason spot and potentially make a run to Omaha for the College World Series.
Despite the recognition, players like sophomore pitcher Mason Cook say their approach will not change.
“We’re just not going to change anything,” Cook said. “We’re not going to take days off. That number by our name is just going to make us work harder.”
College baseball’s postseason includes four stages: conference tournaments, regionals, super regionals, and the College World Series. The final stage takes place at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, featuring the top eight teams in the country. Kansas reached the College World Series in 1993, the only time in program history.
Head coach Dan Fitzgerald said experienced teams are able to handle the attention that comes with a national ranking.
“I think that mature teams can look at a ranking and have an excitement about it and a confidence about it and an appreciation for how far we’ve come,” Fitzgerald said.
If the season ended today, Kansas would earn the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Winning the conference tournament would secure a championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, though teams can also qualify with at-large selections. Kansas earned an at-large bid last season but has not made back-to-back tournament appearances since 1993 and 1994.
The Jayhawks could also position themselves to host a regional for the first time in program history if their strong play continues.
“I think that they enjoy competing as much as any group I’ve been around,” Fitzgerald said.
After falling in the regional round last year, Kansas is aiming to take the next step this postseason.
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