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How the Kansas Jayhawks became college baseball's unlikeliest powerhouse
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/48806247/kansas-jayhawks-college-baseball-jucos-powerhouse-2026In a universe of seven-figure NIL deals, KU is the merriest band of juco bandits in college baseball. Of the team's 34 players, 23 have played junior college ball. Survivors of 10-hour bus rides, armed with stories of cricket-filled sinks and the other joys juco ball brings, the Jayhawks enter the Big 12 tournament this week (Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU) fresh off the school's first conference title since 1949, intent on hosting an NCAA regional for the first time in program history.
The turnaround coincided with the arrival of Fitzgerald and his subsequent hiring of Coyne as recruiting coordinator to modernize a dusty program. Within months of coming to Lawrence in June 2022, they had booked the No. 1-ranked juco recruiting class in the country, according to Perfect Game. They did it again in 2023. And 2024. And once more last year. And now it is manifesting itself in a way long considered impossible in Lawrence.
"All we do is get up and think about where can we find good players and how we coach them," Fitzgerald said. "So if there's anything else in life that is needed of us -- like, need me to hang something on the wall -- probably not going to happen. Certainly can't wire anything electrically. This is literally all we do."