photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas outfielder Jackson Hauge, right, slaps hands with assistant coach Tyler Hancock after hitting a home run on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.

Whatever Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald and his staff did last season to plan for KU’s potential losses to the MLB Draft clearly worked.

Despite losing a significant chunk of its projected 2025 roster as six players who had remaining eligibility signed professional deals, KU went on to engineer the best season in its recent history just a few short months later.

Even with that past experience under its belt, the coaching staff can never be truly sure which Jayhawks have a good chance of getting drafted and/or signing with MLB organizations. This year’s draft is set for July 13-14 in Cumberland, Georgia.

“There are a ton of question marks,” Fitzgerald said on Wednesday. “I think we have guessed on some guys and just said ‘He’s probably signing,’ ‘Good chance he’s back.'”

One positive for the staff this year is that some of the intrigue has been alleviated by its most pro-ready players having already exhausted their eligibility.

“The fun part is we’ve got a bunch of seniors that had unbelievable years that I think are really deserving of getting an opportunity,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s been fun. Some of those guys are still here working out, some of them just went out to summer ball to get some reps before the draft.”

He said he believes right fielder Jackson Hauge, a third-team All-American from the National College Baseball Writers Association who overcame a severe concussion and rose from the Division II level to hit 20 home runs with 70 RBIs, will get a professional shot. Fitzgerald also listed longtime KU infielder Michael Brooks, Gold Glove-winning third baseman Brady Counsell, transfer outfielder Tommy Barth and catcher Ian Francis as potential pros, while adding that he hopes shortstop Sawyer Smith gets an opportunity.

The complexity, of course, arises with draft-eligible players who could still theoretically return to KU. One who apparently will not rejoin the Jayhawks regardless is second-team All-Big 12 pitcher Cooper Moore, a draft-eligible sophomore who officially entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, right as it closed.

“My guess is that just based off of what scouts are telling us, he’s going to go in a pretty good spot,” Fitzgerald said. “Certainly thankful for his contributions, and he was obviously a big part of our rotation for a good chunk of the year.”

There also remains plenty of uncertainty with a variety of juniors who contributed to the Jayhawks’ historic 2025 season. Fitzgerald first mentioned Derek Cerda, a talented defensive center fielder, as well as designated hitter Dariel Osoria.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior Derek Cerda makes an acrobatic catch over the shoulder against Cincinnati at Hoglund Ballpark Saturday, May 3, 2025.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Dariel Osoria connects for a hit against BYU on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Hoglund Ballpark.

“(Closer Alex) Breckheimer is certainly a guy that has drawn some attention,” he added. “Dalton Smith, Kannon Carr. You know, it’s always interesting what different organizations look at and then how many of them are analytically based and how many are really just old-school scout assessment.”

There’s little consistency from one team to the next as to how they view the draft-eligible Jayhawks, Fitzgerald said.

“If you talk to 30 scouts, 10 love a guy, 10 don’t like a guy and 10 are somewhere in the middle,” Fitzgerald said. “I think that’s true of everyone in the draft with the exception of your top 10 picks. I think all of our guys are on a list somewhere.”

Those who do get selected will have to make challenging decisions about whether to sign with pro teams or come back for another year of college baseball. Fitzgerald said he wants players to view themselves as professionals already, even before they get picked by an organization, and advises them “to let the draft tell them where they’re valued and what the organization thinks of them and then to make a professional decision.”

He also wants them to enjoy the experience of being a pro prospect.

“I think it can be stressful,” he said, “but the flip side of it is that you’re not even considered and no one’s looking at you and that’s a little bit harder to swallow.”