⚾ Shojinaga Named a 2023 Freshman All-American

TUCSON, Ariz. – True freshman second baseman Kodey Shojinaga was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the publication announced on Wednesday.

Shojinaga, who has already been named as the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, an All-Big 12 Second Team infielder and an unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, receives the accolade following his rookie campaign in which he set a Kansas freshman record with a .378 batting average.

“If you look at what Kodey has done as a freshman and compare it to freshman around the country, he’s clearly one of the top guys,” Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “I think that he’s a guy that you can build around. He’s a middle of the order bat as a true freshman. There is no question in my mind that he is one of the top freshman players in the country. He’s one of the top players in the country, and the fact that he happens to be a freshman is pretty special.”

The Honolulu, Hawaii, native led the team in batting average (.378), hits (74), multi-hit games (20), on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (.947). He also posted a .418 batting average and 41 hits in conference games, which were both a league best.

Shojinaga is the eighth Kansas player in program history to receive freshman All-American honors and the first since 2017. He joins James Cosentino (2017), Devin Foyle (2016), Stephen Villines (2014), Wally Marciel (2007), John Nelson (1998 honorable mention), Clint Wyrick (1998 honorable mention) and Jamie Splittorf (1993).

Originally recruited as a catcher and converted to an infielder, Shojinaga had the seventh-highest batting average in the nation amongst true freshman and the second highest in the Big 12 at the conclusion of the regular season.