photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Kansas baseball team thanks fans for attending following the Jayhawks' NCAA tournament game against Northeastern on Friday, May 29, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

By virtue of its top-16 national seed, the Kansas baseball team earned the opportunity to host NCAA regional competition at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Jayhawks didn’t disappoint in their first-ever home postseason action on Friday afternoon, beating Northeastern 6-3 to earn their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2014.

KU expanded the ballpark’s seating in preparation for the event, installing bleachers and a new see-through fence to create an area called The Backyard in left field and adding standing-room-only options down the third-base line. The result was that a record 3,571 fans turned out to watch the Jayhawks’ victory. Among them were KU luminaries such as men’s basketball coach Bill Self and all-time leading rusher Devin Neal.

It was a record-setting day in general at Hoglund, as KU shortstop Tyson Le-Blanc, with a solo home run in the third inning, broke both the individual and team single-season home-run records. Pitcher Dominic Voegele also set a single-season strikeout record for the Jayhawks on a day when he went seven innings and allowed three earned runs with nine strikeouts to just one walk.

Along with LeBlanc, Augusto Mungarrieta and Dariel Osoria also homered for the Jayhawks in the early innings. Northeastern took advantage of some leadoff baserunners in the middle innings to cut KU’s lead all the way down to 4-3. But Jayhawk closer Boede Rahe kept the Huskies at bay after entering in relief of Voegele, and LeBlanc and Cade Baldridge hit RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide some breathing room before Rahe shut the door once and for all.

“I’m incredibly proud of this team,” KU coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “These guys are unbelievable teammates and they’ve been that way since August. My staff has worked so hard, literally every single day, putting this together for the past four years. Our administration. It’s really the culmination of a lot of things.”

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Fans watch the Kansas baseball team play Northeastern from The Backyard, a new viewing section that’s a mix of extra seating and standing-room only Friday, May 29, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

MORE KU BASEBALL COVERAGE:

KU beats Northeastern 6-3 for first regional victory

KU welcomes Ballinger back after injury

About that home-stealing attempt from Northeastern

More photos from the game