Kansas Jayhawks 2023 Baseball: Full Schedule and Highlights
The Kansas Jayhawks 2023 baseball schedule was released, which includes 55 games. First-year head coach Dan Fitzgerald will make his debut on February 17th as the Jayhawks head to Corpus Christi, Texas to take on Valparaiso. Of the games scheduled, there are some notable games against some talented baseball programs.
| Series Dates | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
February 17-19 | Valparaiso | Corpus Christi, TX |
February 24-27 | Oakland | Cleburne, TX |
March 3-5 | Belmont | Nashville, TN |
March 8 | Wichita State | Lawrence, KS |
March 10 | Western Carolina | Greenville, SC |
March 11-12 | Michigan State | Greenville, SC |
March 14-15 | Charleston Southern | Charleston, SC |
March 17-19 | The Citadel | Charleston, SC |
March 22 | Missouri | Kansas City, MO |
March 24-26 | TCU | Fort Worth, TX |
March 29 | Creighton | Lawrence, KS |
March 31 - April 2 | Baylor | Lawrence, KS |
April 4 | Missouri State | Lawrence, KS |
April 7-9 | West Virginia | Morgantown, WV |
April 11-12 | Texas Southern | Lawrence, KS |
April 14-16 | Kansas State | Lawrence, KS |
April 18-19 | Air Force | Lawrence, KS |
April 21-23 | Oklahoma State | Lawrence, KS |
April 26 | Wichita State | Wichita, KS |
April 28-30 | Oklahoma | Norman, OK |
May 2 | Missouri | Columbia, MO |
May 5-7 | Texas | Lawrence, KS |
May 11-13 | Samford | Birmingham, AL |
May 18-20 | Texas Tech | Lubbock, TX |
May 24-28 | Big 12 Championship | Arlington, TX |
Home Schedule Highlights
The Kansas Jayhawks play their home games at Hoglund Ballpark, with the home opener being played on March 8th against the Wichita State Shockers. Kansas will host 18 games inside Hoglund Ballpark in the 2023 season. The Jayhawks welcome four Big 12 opponents with those being Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas.
The other opponents at home include Creighton, Missouri State, Texas Southern, and Air Force.
Oklahoma State
The Big 12 is loaded with talented baseball teams, and one of those is the Oklahoma State Cowboys. OSU is currently ranked in the preseason poll at No. 12 and will arrive in Lawrence, Kansas on April 21st for a three-game series. The Cowboys have a potent roster with numerous players returning and one of those players is Marcus Brown. Brown was an honorable mention All-Big 12 infielder starting 61 games for the Cowboys (53 at shortstop and eight at third base). In his sophomore season, Brown hit .316 with a slugging % of .441, and only committed two errors in the field. His skillset translates well to pro ball as a shortstop.
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns come to Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas for a three-game series starting May 5th to May 7th. This is always a big series for the Jayhawks as the Longhorns are ranked 25th in Collegiate Baseball's 2023 DI pre-season baseball rankings. Although Texas lost the Golden Spikes Award winner, first basemen Ivan Melendez to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Longhorns will still have a very talented roster, specifically the pitching staff. One player to keep an eye on is right-handed pitcher Tanner Witt. Witt stands 6'5" and commands a heavy downhill four-seam fastball touching as high as 96 mph.
Road Highlights
College baseball starts in February, and with the Jayhawks being located in Lawrence, Kansas the weather is often a mystery. For that reason, it would explain why the first 18-out-19 games are on the road. During their road games, they will play four series against Big 12 opponents TCU, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks will also have the privilege of playing at some significant neutral sites. The first game will be held at Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals. This game will be played on March 22nd against border rival the Missouri Tigers. The second game will be played at Legends Field home to the Kansas City Monarchs. This game will be played on April 11th against Texas Southern.
The other road opponents include Valparaiso, Oakland, Belmont, Wichita State, Western Carolina, Michigan State, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Missouri, and Samford.
Texas Tech
The road games will be tough for the Jayhawks, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will not be an easy series that takes place at the very end of the season, starting on May 18th. The Red Raiders are currently ranked 17th in Collegiate Baseball's 2023 DI pre-season baseball rankings. The state of Texas loves its baseball, and Dan Lawn Field at Rip Griffin Park will be packed when the Jayhawks come to play. One name to remember is Ty Coleman. Coleman can hit the baseball earning Big 12 Honorable Mention. In 2022, Coleman hit .318 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, and 59 RBIs. He was ranked 2nd in the Big 12 in RBIs per game with 1.07, and he ranked seventh in the Big 12 with 59 RBIs.
TCU
I was not kidding when I said the Big 12 is loaded, and yet another team from Texas, the TCU Horned Frogs. Texas Christian University is currently ranked 15th in Collegiate Baseball's 2023 DI pre-season baseball rankings. Another stadium that draws a crowd is Charlie and Marie Lupton Stadium at Williams-Reilly Field. The Jayhawks will play the Horned Frogs in a three-game series starting March 24th. One player to keep your eye on is third basemen, Brayden Taylor. Taylor is coming off of a monster 2022 season where he earned numerous accolades one being 2nd-team All-Big 12. He was ranked second on the team with a .314 batting average and led the team with a .454 on-base percentage. His ability to hit the long ball is prevalent as he hit 13 home runs in 2022.
New head coach Dan Fitzgerald talked about the upcoming season, saying, "We are really looking forward to the 2023 season after a productive and intense fall practice season. I’m encouraged by the progress that we’ve made since August. We still have a long way to go, but we’re excited to take the field in 2023 and showcase our program to the fans and community.”
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