Kansas Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS – Kansas baseball hit five consecutive home runs to tie an NCAA record as the Jayhawks beat Minnesota 29-1 in seven innings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Kansas is only the fourth team in NCAA history to hit five consecutive home runs in a game.

After not scoring a run in the first inning, Kansas scored 29 runs over the next six innings. The 29 runs were the most in program history against a Division I opponent and the most ever on the road. The 28-run margin of victory is the program's largest since 1993 and the most ever against a Division I opponent.

Chase Diggins, Max Soliz Jr., Brady Counsell, Brady Ballinger and Jackson Hauge were the five Jayhawks to go back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Hauge and Diggins each hit two home runs and recorded seven RBIs in the game. Kansas improved to 15-2 on the year as the Jayhawks head into conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Minnesota (7-8) found the scoreboard in the bottom of the first as it scored its sole run on an RBI groundout for an early 1-0 lead.

• Kansas responded in the top of the second by scoring five runs. The scoring began with an RBI single from Counsell, followed by a two-run single from Ballinger and a two-run home run by Hauge to flip the advantage to 5-1 in favor of the Jayhawks.

• The third inning will go down in the history books. In the frame, the Jayhawks hit five-straight home runs as Diggins, Soliz, Counsell, Ballinger and Hauge each went yard to set a new school record for home runs in an inning and tying the NCAA record for most consecutive home runs. Kansas pushed across eight runs in the inning to push its lead to 13-1.

• Hauge's big day continued in the fourth inning with a bases-clearing double that drove in three more runs and brought the score to 16-1.

• Kansas scored in every following inning, including another eight runs in the top of the fifth. That inning was highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Diggins. The fifth inning ended with the score at 24-1.

• In the final two innings, Mike Koszewski had a pair of run-scoring hits with an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run single in the seventh.

• Hauge, Brooks and Soliz each finished the day going 3-for-4 at the plate. Hauge and Diggins each recorded a career-high seven RBIs in the contest, while Ballinger added four RBIs and Koszewski contributed three RBIs.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

Win: Kannon Carr (2-0)

Fine line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO

Loss: Luke Ryerse (0-1)

Fine line: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 SO

SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES

"I've never seen that. We hit three in a row earlier in the year, and of course been a part of some of those, but never five in a row. It was super cool and I love how engaged our guys were today. I thought our approach at the plate was awesome. I thought Manning West wiggled out of the first and then for the pitching staff to throw up six zeros after that on a day when the ball was flying was outstanding. The five home runs in a row, that was fun to be on the right side of it." – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

"I had never been a part of three [consecutive home runs] before a couple weeks ago so to be a part of five is really exciting. I think it's a testament to the boys. We grind every day. We practice every day. Sometimes you miss under and the ball goes out. Sometimes you hit it on the nose and you line out to center field. Five is really exciting. That was fun to watch." – Chase Diggins

"It was awesome. I don't think I've seen that done too many times. It was pretty electric to be a part of that." – Max Soliz Jr.

"I've never been a part of anything like that. I think kind of in the moment I didn't really realize that we had three and after Ballinger went deep that was four. We were kind of like 'oh my gosh what is happening' and then Jackson went deep and it was wow that's crazy." – Brady Counsell

"It's really cool. I've never personally seen anything like that. I've never watched a game and seen five straight or been a part of it before today. It's just really cool to be a part of something like that." – Brady Ballinger

"It was awesome. I actually didn't know we had four when I went up to the plate because they made a pitching change. It was Diggins, Soliz and then a pitching change. I was just going up there thinking this would be awesome to go back-to-back-to-back. When I got back in the dugout they yelled 'FIVE!', so it was pretty cool." – Jackson Hauge

• Kansas tied an NCAA record with five consecutive home runs in the third inning. It is the fourth occasion in NCAA Division I history, and the first by a Big 12 program, that a team has done so, with the last being South Carolina at Georgia in 2006.

• Kansas hit seven home runs to match the program's single-game record. The Jayhawks have now hit seven homers in a game three times in program history (Feb. 26, 2023 vs. Oakland and April 23, 1984 vs. Kansas State).

• Kansas hit five home runs in the third inning marking a new program record for the most home runs in an inning.

• Kansas scored 29 runs in the game, which is the most since March 16, 1993 vs. Northwest Missouri State (36 runs). The 29 runs are the most all-time against a Division I opponent and the most ever in a road game.

• The 28-run margin of victory is the largest ever by Kansas against a Division I opponent and largest since March 16, 1993 vs. Northwest Missouri State (W, 36-2).

• Hauge finished with two home runs and a career-high seven RBIs. The multi-homer game was the third of his career. He leads the team with nine home runs this season.

• Diggins recorded his first career multi-homer game and had a career-high seven RBIs.

• Ballinger hit his fifth home run of the season.

• Counsell connected on his fourth blast of the year.

• Soliz Jr. had his first home run of the season.

UP NEXT

Kansas will begin conference play this weekend against Baylor. All three games will be at Hoglund Ballpark, with first pitch on Friday scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

⚾ KU hits 5 consecutive home runs in thumping of Minnesota