7 things to know about KU baseball before Jayhawks host NCAA regional for 1st time
The Kansas Jayhawks will host an NCAA baseball regional for the first time ever, welcoming Northeastern, Arkansas and Missouri State to Lawrence starting Friday. The historic assignment caps a Big 12 championship season that both involved some controversy over regional seeding and fueled a major fundraising push.
Here are key takeaways:
- Kansas will open the double-elimination regional against Northeastern at noon Friday at Hoglund Ballpark, with Arkansas facing Missouri State at 5 p.m. in the other first-round game.
- The Jayhawks (42-16) drew the No. 15 seed despite being ranked No. 13 nationally, marking their first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances since 1993 and 1994.
- Hoglund Ballpark’s capacity is being expanded from 2,500 to approximately 4,000 fans for the regional, with a new fan area called “The Backyard” located beyond a temporary fence in left field.
- Athletic director Travis Goff said the program has received multiple six-figure donations, with Dana and Justin Anderson committing to match the next $100,000 in gifts to fuel facility upgrades.
- Coach Dan Fitzgerald’s contract, which he signed in June 2025, now runs through 2032 after the Big 12 title triggered an additional year, with a base salary of $675,000.
- Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn questioned the committee’s decision after the Razorbacks, ranked No. 14 but 21st in RPI, were sent on the road while Mississippi State (No. 13 RPI) got a host site.
- Committee chair Michael Alford defended the selections, saying Kansas was rewarded for winning both the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament, while no team below 19th in RPI was selected to host for the second consecutive season.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Gary Bedore
The Kansas City Star