Dan Fitzgerald, several players earn Big 12 awards
Kansas baseball’s historic season continued adding awards with head coach Dan Fitzgerald earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season while seven Jayhawks collected all-conference recognition.
The awards came after Kansas captured the outright Big 12 regular season championship with a 39-16 overall record and a 22-8 mark in conference play. Fitzgerald became the first coach to win back-to-back Big 12 Coach of the Year honors since Augie Garrido accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2011.
[KU wins first conference title since 1949]
The Jayhawks also placed Tyson LeBlanc and Boede Rahe on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Cade Baldridge, Josh Dykhoff and Dominic Voegele earned second-team honors. Brady Ballinger and Mason Cook were named honorable mention selections.
Fitzgerald has transformed the program in a short amount of time. After taking over before the 2023 season, Fitzgerald helped guide the Jayhawks from the bottom of the Big 12 standings to conference champions in four seasons.
“The coach of the year award reflects the entire work of the staff, team and administration,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m proud of our guys for their hard work and commitment to doing things right on and off the field. I’m thankful and proud of my staff and our incredible administration for their commitment to moving our program forward. Rock Chalk!”
Kansas became the first team in school history to win eight conference series in a season while also setting a program record with 22 Big 12 victories. The pitching staff broke the school’s single-season strikeout record.
Fitzgerald also became the first coach in program history to earn coach of the year honors in multiple seasons. The Jayhawks have now posted at least 39 wins in consecutive years for the first time since the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
LeBlanc was one of the league’s most dangerous hitters throughout the spring. The Louisiana native leads Kansas in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, total bases and stolen bases.
Rahe became one of the most trusted closers in the conference. The 6-foot-6 right-hander leads the Big 12 with nine saves.
“I’m really happy for Tyson and Boede,” Fitzgerald said. “Being named to the All-Big 12 First Team is an incredible honor in such a talent-rich conference. They are great players and even better men.”
Baldridge moved from center field to second base during the season. He leads Kansas with 74 hits and 25 multi-hit games while finishing second on the team in batting average.
Dykhoff has provided power in the middle of the lineup and finished with the longest hitting streak by a Jayhawk this season at 14 games. He also ranks near the team lead in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.
Voegele has a team-high 78.1 innings and 100 strikeouts. He closed the regular season strong with quality starts in five of his final six outings.
Ballinger continued producing after moving to left field this season. He reached base safely in 25 consecutive games.
Cook helped lock down the starting rotation during the second half of the season and helped Kansas clinch the conference title at BYU with one of his best performances.
“Josh, Cade, Dom, Brady and Mason are all very deserving of their recognition and played huge parts in our team’s regular season championship,” Fitzgerald said. “The strength of our team has been our consistency over the entirety of the season. These guys exemplify that really well.”
