The Kansas baseball team continued to bolster its 2024 transfer class by adding an experienced infielder from the Big Ten Conference for his final year of eligibility.
Brady Counsell, the son of longtime Milwaukee Brewers and current Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, announced his commitment to KU on X Wednesday morning.
Counsell has started all of a possible 100 games at Minnesota over the last two seasons, and as a junior in 2024 his hitting took a considerable step forward. He slashed .287/.386/.520 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs, after combining for five and 37 across the prior two seasons.
His addition at second base helps KU add to what could be a new-look middle infield after the graduation of shortstop Collier Cranford and a potential professional opportunity for Kodey Shojinaga, who is currently participating in the MLB Draft Combine and who primarily played second base for much of last season. Shojinaga eventually moved over to third after an injury to Michael Brooks, who does have one more year of eligibility; Chase Diggins, who will also be a senior next year, replaced him at second base.
The Jayhawks have already added Sawyer Smith, a shortstop transfer from St. Cloud State, to help shore up that group of positions. TJ Williams, an incoming JUCO transfer from Heartland Community College who Fitzgerald said could potentially be “the fastest guy I’ve ever coached,” played some shortstop and some center field last season.
Much remains to be determined about the KU roster with plenty of time remaining in the transfer portal and the draft set to begin July 14.
Besides his well-known father, who before moving to the coaching ranks played in 16 MLB seasons, Counsell also has a younger brother, Jack, who previously played baseball at Michigan and has since transferred to Northwestern.
Counsell is currently playing summer baseball for the Lakeshore Chinooks for the second year in a row, which makes him a teammate of current Jayhawk Ty Wisdom.
AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King
