Kansas baseball 2025 season preview: 3 biggest games, key players, and predictions
Kansas baseball finished seventh in the 2024 Big 12 regular season with a 15-15 conference record. Although they made the semifinals of the Big 12 championship, they failed to make the postseason with their at-large bid.
Their recent season might be far from perfect, but the Jayhawks enjoyed success in this year's MLB draft as six players were selected from their program—the most among the top 20 rounds of the draft in program history.
Jayhawks' coach Dan Fitzgerald will be keen to turn things around as he enters his third season leading the charge in 2025. Fitzgerald and his staff have made some sound moves in the offseason to solve one piece of the puzzle: their roster. That said, let's preview the Jayhawks ahead of the 2025 NCAA baseball season.
3 key games for Kansas baseball in the 2025 season
3. West Virginia Mountaineers
The Mountaineers finished third in the Big 12 regular season with a 19-11 conference record, and enjoyed a run to the NCAA super regionals. During the regular season, they swept the Jayhawks in a three-game away series.
With the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns heading to the SEC, the Mountaineers are likely to be frontrunners for the Big 12 title. Although they lost top hitter JJ Wetherholt in this year's draft, the Mountaineers are likely to pose the biggest threat to the Jayhawks in 2025.
2. Missouri Tigers
Although Missouri is in the SEC, the Border War series is an annual tradition in the regular season. Both teams won one game each, but ultimately missed out on the postseason following disappointing performances.
With their eyes set on a postseason berth, the Tigers and the Jayhawks will be keen to get one up on each other.
1. Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats finished with an identical conference record to the Jayhawks in the regular season, but the acceptance of their at-large bid saw them make the postseason. They made the most of the opportunity, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks en route to winning the Fayetteville Regional.
The Wildcats also beat the Jayhawks in a three-game home series in this year's regular season. Their series could play a telling role in how next year will pan out and the Jayhawks will hope to get revenge on the Wildcats.
Key players for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2025
3. Tommy Barth, OF
The Jayhawks picked up some top players from the transfer portal, and one of them was Barth. He was one of East Tennessee State Buccaneers' most reliable outfielders, hitting six home runs and 32 RBIs with an average of .319 in 47 starts. He was struck out just 12 times, making him one of the most difficult batters to strike out in the country during the 2024 season.
Entering his junior year in 2025, Barth will hope to impress for the Jayhawks and increase his stock for next year's MLB draft.
2. Sawyer Smith, INF/RHP
Smith is another smart pickup from the portal by the Jayhawks. He emerged as an ambidextrous two-way prospect this year, excelling as a left-handed hitter and a right-handed pitcher for the St. Cloud State Huskies.
This year, he hit 11 home runs and 58 RBIs with an average of .376 in 51 starts. As a relief pitcher, he had two saves while striking out 22 batters with an ERA of 3.86 in 21.0 innings pitched across 14 appearances. Entering his senior season, Smith could play a huge role for the Jayhawks in 2025.
1. Connor Maggi, RHP
Maggi is arguably the Jayhawks' top pickup from the portal this offseason. He starred on the mound for the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs this year, finishing 2-0 while striking out 73 hitters and recording two saves with an ERA of 3.00 in 29 appearances.
He was ranked 95th among all players who entered the portal, and he could be one of the leading arms in the Jayhawks' bullpen in 2025.
Predicting Kansas Jayhawks' 2025 season
The Jayhawks' transfer portal class currently ranks 9th according to 64Analytics. With the offseason far from over, the Jayhawks still have time to further strengthen their roster, which should see them produce a strong regular season.
The Jayhawks last won an NCAA regional in 1993 and went on to make their only appearance in the College World Series that same year. However, their wait to return to Omaha looks likely to continue given the tough competition they are likely to face from teams in the SEC and the ACC.