Jayhawks share heartfelt 'thank yous' after tough ending to special season

The season was barely over and the wounds still fresh, but nearly a dozen different Kansas baseball players made time to share their appreciation for the months of fun they just had on social media. 

The Jayhawks, you probably know, saw their season come to an end on Monday afternoon, with a 13-2, Game-2 Super Regional loss to Oklahoma at Hoglund Ballpark. 

The loss, which followed an 8-1 defeat in Game 1, left Dan Fitzgerald’s team two wins shy of a trip to this week’s College World Series in Omaha, a place the Jayhawks have not been since Dave Bingham took them there way back in 1993. 

Things were drastically different then, of course. No social media. Buzz was limited to what you felt at the ballpark or saw/read on TV and in the paper. And even the format was different, with teams having to survive one of eight 6-team regionals to earn the trip to Omaha. 

Today, almost everything is different and the game of college baseball is at an all-time high. Coaches across the country have been saying that for weeks, if not years, including Fitzgerald, who did not hide his appreciation for everything that happened to the program during the past four or five weeks. 

He showered the fans with love. He thanked and praised the KU administration and boots-on-the-ground workers who transformed Hoglund Ballpark into a venue both ready and worthy of hosting both a regional and Super Regional. He thanked his family. And, of course, he expressed his love, admiration and appreciation for the players who made it all happen. 

All the wins. All the records. All the memories. 

Magical things that make saying goodbye to this team and season an emotional challenge. 

“I’ve got months of processing now and figuring out next steps, and so there's the administrative hat, and the coaching hat that's still on, but, yeah, there's a human element to not want to say goodbye to a lot of those guys.” 

— Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald was visibly choked up when talking with the media after Monday’s loss to OU. Not because of the outcome. But because of the arrival of the end, which was complete with hugs, half-smiles and immediate reflection out in right field as the team came together for one final postgame chat. 

“That’s what I (liked), watching them — celebrate’s the wrong word — celebrate the friendships and the time spent,” Fitzgerald said during Monday’s postgame presser. “I think the fact that they care about each other the way that they do is really special.”

He continued: “I’ve got months of processing now and figuring out next steps, and so there's the administrative hat, and the coaching hat that's still on, but yeah, there's a human element to not want to say goodbye to a lot of those guys.” 

All this team wanted to do was keep battling together for another week. They took it basically as far as any Kansas team ever had and, as a result of their run, they’ll take with them a ton of bonus memories that they’ll cherish forever. 

From tied for 5th in the Big 12’s preseason coaches poll to Big 12 regular season champs, Big 12 tournament champs, NCAA Regional champs and NCAA Super Regional hosts, this team maxed out the joy on the 2026 season. 

And that was crystal clear in the way so many of them expressed their gratitude in their posts just hours after the season ended. 

Here’s a look at what a few of them had to say, including assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jon Coyne and KU AD Travis Goff...