It’s all baseball news as we’re a baseball school now! The Jayhawks are prepping to host their first NCAA Regional after making Regionals for the 7th time as a program:
“It’s surreal,” Fitzgerald said. “To see the stuff we’re doing out at the ballpark in preparation for it is amazing, and also not surprising. It’s something if you would have asked four years ago was this something way down on the list of something we would like to do, obviously I would have said yes. The day-by-day approach has not really
allowed me to think forward to this. Then, a couple weeks ago it started becoming a reality. I’m so excited for the world to experience Hoglund when it’s packed out. It’s so fun to be back home.”
The Jayhawks drew Northeastern as their first round opponent:
The Huskies (38-20), who reeled off four straight victories after dropping their opening game to capture their second straight CAA title, are making their 12th appearance in the NCAA Regionals. In addition to the host Jayhawks (40-16), SEC power Arkansas (36-19) and Missouri State (34-19) will participate in the regional.
The KC Star asks if the success of the baseball program will lead to more funding:
In an aggressive fundraising push, Goff got the message out via social media and email: Donors were needed to provide funds for construction of a state-of-the-art indoor facility and possible improvements to Hoglund Ballpark — a facility that opened in 1958 as Quigley Field.
Arkansas will enter the Lawrence Regional with a 39-20 record. The Razorbacks went 17-13 in SEC play and they made it to the SEC Tournament championship game, where they lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas ranks 21st in RPI, just two spots behind KU in 19th. Missouri State, on the other hand, went 34-19 during the regular season and 20-10 in conference play. It went 2-6 vs. Power 4 teams during the regular season. Missouri State and Arkansas actually faced off twice, splitting the two games. Missouri State is 23rd in RPI. Arkansas and Missouri State will face off at 5 p.m. CT on Friday.
Oh yeah, since KU had to go and be good this year, KSHSAA has had to move the 1-2A, 3A, and 4A state tournaments from Lawrence to Manhattan.
Other Links!
As stated above, all baseball links today and this is one of my favorite baseball writers that’s also under the radar. He writes about little things he notices from a coach’s perspective and then tries to apply it to teaching/coaching the game of baseball.
The Next Adjustment in the Run Game:
At the same time, lead distances have crept upward over the last few seasons. That’s not accidental. It’s the natural response to an environment that rewards aggression. And now teams are starting to push back more deliberate, more creative in how they control the run game, both on the mound and at first base.
The Process Revolution: Why MLB Teams are Doubling Down on Habits, Not Hits:
Take Exit Velocity as an example. It’s not a result—it’s a process metric. And it’s highly predictive of outcomes. If a player consistently hits the ball hard, the results will follow over time. Coaches can now train toward improving this kind of metric, using it as both a benchmark and a feedback tool. It becomes less about the outcome of a single swing, and more about the habits and mechanics that produce strong contact.
Overall, Joshua Rodrigues always seems to teach me something or make me reevaluate how I’ve taught something when coaching and if you’re a nerd like me I can’t recommend him enough.
KU isn’t the only school in Kansas having a historic year, Johnson County Community College’s baseball team also had an amazing spring. The Cavaliers are 64-3. Yes, 64 wins and only 3 losses over the course of a college baseball season. The top 4 home run leaders in the Jayhawk conference all play for JCCC. The top 3 in pitching wins play for JCCC and the conference leader in strikeouts also plays there. Just an unreal season that led to this Jeff Passan piece that is worth watching.
QOTD: It’ll be posted around 9 am. Ran out of time this morning.
