KU baseball in midst of historic season

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) — The Kansas baseball team is off to its best start in the program’s 135-year history.

The team, made up of 27 newcomers and just 12 returners, is quickly building something special in Lawrence.

“This is probably one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on,” junior Alex Breckheimer said. “I think a big part of that is that we’re all new.”

“We’re definitely a super close-knit group,” senior Brady Counsell said. “We’re all best friends. I think as the season goes on, we’re gonna keep building that chemistry being around each other more and more.”

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That off-field chemistry has translated to on-field success. The team is currently in first place in the Big 12 for the first time since 2009. Their 74 home runs mark the fourth-most by any team in the country.

“Our thing, it’s pretty simple,” third-year head coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “Be an incredible teammate, play incredibly hard.”

As the Jayhawks head down the backstretch of the season, they eye their first NCAA Regional appearance in more than a decade.

“I don’t think anyone enjoys it more than we do,” Fitzgerald said. “A one-run game, a tie game, down two runs in the ninth, whatever it is, there’s a true joy of being in that situation and a gratitude for being in that moment. I think what makes these guys different is how much they love to compete together.”