photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas pitcher Boede Rahe celebrates after closing out the Jayhawks’ 5-3 win over Arkansas on Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Lawrence.
The Kansas baseball team is one win away from the first super regional appearance in program history.
The Jayhawks rallied with four unanswered runs to take down second-seeded Arkansas 5-3 at Hoglund Ballpark on Saturday night.
“I thought they competed at a super high level and they were poised and they were prepared and they loved the moment,” KU coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “It was really fun. Proud of these guys.”
The Razorbacks’ starter Hunter Dietz, a left-hander who is a potential first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, struck out a career-best 14 batters and kept KU at bay for much of his 6 1/3 innings.
But he gave up a two-run home run to Jayhawk shortstop Tyson LeBlanc that tied the game in the fifth, and Arkansas’ bullpen allowed a bases-loaded walk by Tyson Owens and a solo shot by Augusto Mungarrieta in the later innings as KU was able to creep ahead.
“That guy was great on the other side, but any day of the week, I’m riding with our guys,” LeBlanc said.
Sophomore right-hander Mason Cook started for the Jayhawks and allowed two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings before Riane Ritter and Boede Rahe combined to go the remaining 4 1/3 without even giving up a hit.
“I did my part, kind of got a little tired at the end there,” Cook said, “but I mean, the bullpen just comes right around and does the job. It was awesome.”
The Jayhawks will play again at 5 p.m. on Sunday against either Arkansas or Northeastern with a chance to advance to the regional final. If KU wins, it will move on to face the winner of Georgia Tech’s Atlanta Regional; if it loses, there will be a rematch with its opponent on Monday.
“I think it’s a combo of we’ve got the scout on them and we’ve got to pay attention to what’s happened in the game, because it’ll probably be telling about who we might face, what relievers they’ll be able to bring back,” Fitzgerald said.
Cook got a gift for the third out of the first inning when Mungarrieta threw out Camden Kozeal trying to advance to second. In the bottom of the first, Owens made it to second base with two outs on a wild pitch, but Josh Dykhoff struck out.
Cook’s defense let him down a bit in the second inning, as an error by Dylan Schlotterback allowed Zack Stewart to reach second base, at which point consecutive groundouts put Arkansas on the board.
Dietz continued to mow down Jayhawks with five strikeouts through the first two innings. In the third, though, he conceded a triple as a line drive from Schlotterback bounced past Maika Niu into center field, and LeBlanc grounded out to even the score.
“Whenever that ball got past the center fielder that Dylan hit, it’s a massive momentum (shift),” Cook said. “I couldn’t imagine what they felt like. It’s just like the weight of the world is on their shoulders when that ball passed him.”
Owens hit a ball into the gap and advanced to second with some opportunistic baserunning, but Cade Baldridge struck out looking to strand him.
Cook got into a bit of trouble in the fifth inning when he allowed a full-count walk to Carter Rutenbar, followed by a two-run homer by Reese Robinett over the center-field wall, just Arkansas’ second hit of the game, that put the Razorbacks back ahead 3-1.
After Cook hit Damian Ruiz and allowed a double to Kozeal, he exited for Ritter. Ritter got Ryder Helfrick to fly out in foul territory and end the inning at last.
Brady Ballinger drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth. Dietz was one strike from escaping a battle against LeBlanc, but the junior shortstop extended his single-season record for homers with a two-run shot to left field to tie it up. Dietz referred to the pitch postgame as “the only bad cutter I threw all day.”
“I was just trying to capitalize on any mistake that he hung over the plate,” LeBlanc said. “I spoiled a few good fastballs, had a good idea that he was going to try to get me with his wipe-out breaking ball that he got a lot of us on today.”
Ritter retired six straight Razorbacks as Dietz regained his prior form despite a steadily climbing pitch count. But he walked Dariel Osoria and allowed a one-out single to Schlotterback in the seventh before giving way to righty James DeCremer.
“We needed to get him out of the game,” Fitzgerald said. “I was hoping we did it long before that … He was so efficient in the sixth that I thought we could get him out there. But yeah, he was electric, and to keep it close I think in those games is the key.”
DeCremer immediately allowed both runners to advance on a wild pitch, prompting him to intentionally walk LeBlanc.
He then walked Owens, quite unintentionally, to concede a run and was swiftly replaced by lefty Cole Gibler. Gibler was able to strike out Baldridge looking before Dykhoff flied out to the warning track to leave the bases loaded.
Rahe entered looking for his second six-out save in as many days. He got off to a shaky start with a four-pitch walk to Ruiz, who eventually reached second on a wild pitch, but he was able to escape the eighth inning.
Gibler didn’t start his half of the eighth well, immediately giving up a solo homer to Mungarrieta. He recovered to get through the rest of the inning scoreless, but Rahe slammed the door against the remainder of Arkansas’ lineup.
Box score
