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Ballinger Earns Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honor
1/7/2026 1:19:00 PM | Baseball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Junior Brady Ballinger was named a Preseason Second Team All-American by Perfect Game, the organization announced on Wednesday. The award is the first of the year for Ballinger.
Ballinger highlights the group of position players returning for the 2026 season. He earned All-American status a season ago from D1Baseball, NCBWA, ABCA/Rawlings and Perfect Game. Ballinger was also an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist, on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, the Baseball America Big 12 Midseason Player of the Year and participated in training camp for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Ballinger led Kansas in numerous offensive categories in 2025, including batting average (.353), walks (56), slugging percentage (.670), on-base percentage (.495), OPS (1.165), runs scored (71), hits (79), doubles (21), total bases (150), multi-hit games (24) and multi-walk games (16).
Many of those numbers landed Ballinger in the Kansas record book. His 71 runs were second most in a season in school history, his 56 walks tied for second in program history, his 16 home runs were tied for the fifth most in a season, his 150 total bases were the sixth most ever in a season by a Jayhawk, his .495 on-base percentage was tied for the seventh best and his 21 doubles were tied for the ninth most in a season.
Ballinger's 56 walks were the most in the Big 12 and 14th best in the nation, while his 71 runs were tied for the most in the conference and set a new school record by a sophomore.
Ballinger is only the sixth Kansas player in program history to earn a spot on a preseason All-America team. Dominic Voegele (2025), Reese Dutton (2024), Jonah Ulane (2022), Tony Thompson (2010) and Ryan Baty (2004) are the other Jayhawks that were named preseason All-Americans.
Kansas has now had a preseason All-American selected by Perfect Game in back-to-back seasons after never having one prior to Dominic Voegele's second team honor in 2025.
Kansas finished the 2025 season with a 43-17 overall record and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 in one of the most historic seasons in school history. The Jayhawks will open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13 at UTRGV at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Ballinger highlights the group of position players returning for the 2026 season. He earned All-American status a season ago from D1Baseball, NCBWA, ABCA/Rawlings and Perfect Game. Ballinger was also an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist, on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, the Baseball America Big 12 Midseason Player of the Year and participated in training camp for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Ballinger led Kansas in numerous offensive categories in 2025, including batting average (.353), walks (56), slugging percentage (.670), on-base percentage (.495), OPS (1.165), runs scored (71), hits (79), doubles (21), total bases (150), multi-hit games (24) and multi-walk games (16).
Many of those numbers landed Ballinger in the Kansas record book. His 71 runs were second most in a season in school history, his 56 walks tied for second in program history, his 16 home runs were tied for the fifth most in a season, his 150 total bases were the sixth most ever in a season by a Jayhawk, his .495 on-base percentage was tied for the seventh best and his 21 doubles were tied for the ninth most in a season.
Ballinger's 56 walks were the most in the Big 12 and 14th best in the nation, while his 71 runs were tied for the most in the conference and set a new school record by a sophomore.
Ballinger is only the sixth Kansas player in program history to earn a spot on a preseason All-America team. Dominic Voegele (2025), Reese Dutton (2024), Jonah Ulane (2022), Tony Thompson (2010) and Ryan Baty (2004) are the other Jayhawks that were named preseason All-Americans.
Kansas has now had a preseason All-American selected by Perfect Game in back-to-back seasons after never having one prior to Dominic Voegele's second team honor in 2025.
Kansas finished the 2025 season with a 43-17 overall record and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 in one of the most historic seasons in school history. The Jayhawks will open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13 at UTRGV at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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