Jayhawks draw No. 15 national seed for this weekend's regional at KU

Say what you will about the Kansas baseball team landing at No. 15 of 16 national seeds and regional hosts when the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament bracket was revealed on Monday morning. 

And there certainly is an argument to be made that Kansas deserved to be seeded a few slots higher. 

But you’re not going to hear even the slightest bit of complaining from KU coach Dan Fitzgerald or his players as the Jayhawks get into a week that will make history. 

“Globally, it’s an unbelievable first-world problem to be worried about what seed you are in the NCAA Tournament as a host site,” Fitzgerald said Monday morning after watching the unveiling of the complete bracket with his team inside Allen Fieldhouse’s Crimson Club. “It’s surreal, it’s exciting, I’m so excited for the world to experience Hoglund when it’s packed out and it’s so fun to be back home.” 

The specifics of KU’s historic feat, though critical when the games get going on Friday, hardly matter when you’re talking about what this Kansas team has accomplished.

For the first time ever, KU will be hosting a baseball regional on campus. I dare you to try to wipe the smiles off of the Jayhawks’ faces when they hear you say that.

“I mean, hey; it’s tough to be a top-16 seed,” said KU ace Dom Voegele on Monday. “So, just getting to host a regional and for it to be our first one ever, I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m excited for it.” 

Added shortstop Tyson LeBlanc: “It’s awesome. I don’t know much about the teams that we’re playing, but it’s gonna be an awesome experience to be able to play at Hoglund Ballpark in front of the home crowd and give our fans what they’ve been waiting for for many years.” 

Top-seeded Kansas (42-16), which won both the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles, will be joined by No. 2 seed Arkansas, a program that many thought might host, No. 3 seed Missouri State, a power-hitting program from just down the road, and No. 4 seed Northeastern, which some people in college baseball believe is the toughest of all 16 No. 4 seeds in the bracket. 

The Jayhawks will open the double-elimination regional at Noon on Friday against Northeastern (38-20). Arkansas (39-20) and Missouri State (34-19) will play later that night, and all four will get after it again on Saturday, with the two winners playing the late game and the two losers facing off in an elimination game. 

The Lawrence regional features the Nos. 19 (KU), 21 (Arkansas) and 23 (Missouri State)-ranked teams in the latest RPI rankings and is tied for the lowest average RPI ranking per team of all 16 regionals at 37.75, just ahead of the Southern Miss regional, which has four teams that average an RPI ranking of 38. 

“When you look at the entire field, you can look through the 2 seeds, the 3 seeds, and make a case that a lot of those should be bumped up, which, again, points to the level of competitiveness and the level of talent that college baseball has right now,” Fitzgerald said. “I don't think college baseball has ever been better than it is right now.”

“I think, at this point, it’s 64 unbelievable teams that have all played really good baseball,” Fitzgerald added. “And so it doesn’t really matter who you play. I think where you play certainly matters in this case, but it’s a super-challenging draw.” 

The where in this case is massive. And it’s something KU has been eyeing for the better part of a month. 

GAME SCHEDULE

Friday, May 29
Game 1: Northeastern vs. Kansas – 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: Missouri State vs. Arkansas – 5 p.m. CT (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 30
Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 12 p.m. CT
Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 5 p.m. CT

Sunday, May 31
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser – 12 p.m. CT
Game 6: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner – 5 p.m. CT

Monday, June 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: TBD

The Jayhawks, who went 18-5 at home this season in front of what Fitzgerald has called "the greatest student section in the history of college baseball," had to submit their bid to host by the end of April, that meant making a significant financial commitment to the cause long before it was a lock that KU would be selected to host a regional. 

Winning the Big 12 and backing it up by taking the Big 12 tourney title, too, essentially locked Kansas in as one of the host schools and that instantly made the work that KU had done — both in terms of planning and manual labor — time well spent. 

“It required a leap of faith,” KU AD Travis Goff said Monday. “And what I love is like I didn't tell the staff to do it, they just did it. Somebody said, 'Hey, we're taking down the wall.’ I'm like, ‘OK. Why, what does that even mean?’ We're going to put bodies in the outfield, and that's one of the great things that Fitz and this baseball program has done, is it's helped our department be better in proactively looking at ways to make a difference.” 

Goff made sure to point out on Monday, though, that the tweaks to Hoglund are still not all the way done and likely won’t be until sometime Thursday. 

They’re creating a new viewing area in left field called “The Backyard” to add to Hoglund Ballpark’s capacity and they’re also extending and expanding the amenities around the stadium, allowing for more room to roam and grab concessions and use restrooms, including bringing food trucks into the parking lots around the stadium and opening up the Crimson Club inside Allen Fieldhouse for fans to use on game days. 

“We are gonna be prepared,” Goff said. “There's nothing that will prevent us from having the best regional experience in the country, and I'm really proud of it. … I think this thing this weekend will rival any sporting event that's happened here in Lawrence at the University of Kansas.”

More of our coverage of the 2026 Kansas baseball team...

• Jayhawks win outright Big 12 title - Putting KU's first ever Big 12 crown in the proper context and perspective

• Stop us if you've heard this one... - Jayhawks validate regular season title by winning school's second ever Big 12 tourney trophy

• The man behind the mask - What catcher Augie Mungarrieta has meant to KU

• From France to Friday nights - The story of KU pitcher Mathis Nayral

• Coming out of his shell - This season has been so much fun even normally-reserved KU ace Dom Voegele has allowed his emotions to show

• All he does is win - KU shortstop Tyson LeBlanc has done nothing but win in the game of baseball since he started playing and he hasn't slowed down in Lawrence

• Ready and willing - How KU's starting infield set the tone for this team's incredible work ethic

• Red-hot Jayhawks working magic recipe for another memorable run - Juco recruiting, hard work, being incredible teammates, it's all part of the magic that KU coach Dan Fitzgerald has brought to Lawrence

— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com