Kansas Baseball: Starting Pitchers & 2026 Season Preview vs. UTRGV

EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Kansas baseball team begins its 136th season and the fourth under head coach Dan Fitzgerald on Friday with a three-game series against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). This marks the fifth consecutive year Kansas has opened its season in the state of Texas.

Fitzgerald expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, “It feels like yesterday that we were wrapping up our season. This offseason went really fast. We put together what we suppose is a really nice roster. We really like the new pieces and we really like the guys that have returned. My staff did a great job in putting this roster together and a great schedule. It should be a great challenge and we can’t wait to get going.”

The Jayhawks are coming off a historic 2025 season, finishing with a 43-17 overall record and a 20-10 mark in Big 12 play. The team secured a berth in the NCAA Tournament, marking their first regional appearance since 2014. Kansas achieved the second-most wins in program history and the most under Fitzgerald’s leadership. They set program records in regular season wins (42), conference series wins (seven), conference series sweeps (five), road wins (20), come-from-behind victories (26), home runs (104), and walks (363).

Following the 2025 season, nine Jayhawks players transitioned to professional baseball, including three selected in the 2025 MLB Draft: Brady Counsell, Alex Breckheimer, and Derek Cerda. Fitzgerald’s coaching staff has now produced 19 professional players in three seasons – two in 2023, eight in 2024, and nine in 2025.

UTRGV enters the 2026 season after a 36-18 campaign in 2025, narrowly missing an NCAA Tournament bid. The Vaqueros return a core group of 10 position players, eight of whom were regular starters, and boast a defense that ranked in the top 20 nationally in fielding percentage (.979), double plays (47), and double plays per game (0.87). Their pitching staff also returns five pitchers who made multiple starts last season.

Junior Brady Ballinger is expected to accept on a larger role in left field for the Jayhawks. He earned numerous preseason accolades, including recognition on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List and as a Preseason All-American by D1Baseball, Baseball America, the NCBWA, and Perfect Game, as well as being named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Last season, Ballinger led the team with a .353 batting average, 56 walks, a .670 slugging percentage, a .495 on-base percentage, a 1.165 OPS, 71 runs scored, 79 hits, 21 doubles, 150 total bases, 24 multi-hit games, and 16 multi-walk games.

Junior Dominic Voegele, the only Kansas player entering his third season in Lawrence, is poised to lead the pitching staff. He finished 2025 ranked second in the Big 12 in innings pitched (96.1), tied for fifth in wins (7), and ninth in strikeouts (89). Voegele was also named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team and is considered the top starter on the Kansas pitching staff, being listed as the No. 6 MLB Draft prospect for 2026 in the Big 12 by D1Baseball.

Senior Dariel Osoria returns to the Jayhawks and is anticipated to play a more prominent defensive role at second base. In 2025, Osoria was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, starting 52 games, primarily as a designated hitter, and hitting .324 with 13 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 47 RBIs, 44 runs, and 30 walks.

The series between Kansas and UTRGV has been dominated by the Vaqueros, who hold a 21-9 all-time record. The last meeting between the two teams occurred in 2004, with UTRGV winning the last three matchups. However, Kansas had won the four previous games before that. The vast majority of the series games – 27 of 30 – have been played in Edinburg.

Following the series at UTRGV, Kansas will continue its 12-day road trip with a midweek game at Lamar on February 18 and a three-game weekend series at McNeese State from February 20-22.

Probable Starting Pitchers