The Kansas baseball coaches know all too well that an MLB Draft can unexpectedly deplete a pitching staff.
Two summers ago, head coach Dan Fitzgerald remarked at one point that KU surely wouldn’t either keep or lose everyone who was eligible for the draft, and then the Jayhawks proceeded to lose everyone as six players with remaining college eligibility opted to sign and turn pro.
The future prospects of this year’s group of eligible Jayhawks will become clear soon, as the draft begins on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. And while shortstop Tyson LeBlanc (MLB ranking No. 113, ESPN No. 134, Perfect Game No. 258), pitcher Dominic Voegele (MLB No. 205, ESPN No. 228, Perfect Game No. 296) and left fielder/first baseman Brady Ballinger (MLB unranked, ESPN unranked, Perfect Game No. 181) all seem likely to get drafted and sign, it’s less clear what might happen to some other high-caliber Jayhawks who could potentially receive professional opportunities.
In any event, KU will likely have to react to some draft-day developments with additional personnel acquisitions later in July and even into August, as it generally does. But in recent days the Jayhawks have already been loading up on pitching talent in advance of the draft.
Here’s a look at three pitchers who recently announced they will join KU. Other previously known newcomers on the mound include Keaton Fenn (Southeastern Community College), Logan Harrell (Trevecca Nazarene University), Aiden Lieser (Iowa Western Community College), Grey Sanders (Mulvane High School), Collin Smith (Cochise College) and Ian Swanson (Gulf Coast State College).
GRADY HOKE
Hoke and Lile will join their catcher, Holden Groebl, at KU next season. All three were freshmen at Cowley during the 2026 season, when the Tigers went 37-23 and were eliminated from the 2026 NJCAA Division 1 Baseball Plains District Tournament by eventual national champion Johnson County Community College (which they also beat at one point in the same competition, ending a 41-game win streak). Under the new eligibility model, they will be able to play as many as four more collegiate seasons.
Hoke is a 6-foot righty from Yukon, Oklahoma, who served as a starter for the Tigers, opening 13 of the 15 games in which he appeared. He went 8-5 with a 4.21 ERA and 70 strikeouts to just 20 walks, with his best performances including seven shutout innings in an 8-0 win over Labette on April 4 and seven innings of one-run ball in an 8-2 victory against Dodge City in the district tournament.
He was the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference’s pitcher of the year as a high school senior in Yukon.
RILEY LILE
Hoke announced his commitment to KU on Monday. Just one week earlier, he had celebrated his teammate Lile’s with a social media post declaring him the best closer in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
Indeed, Lile, another righty who stands 6-foot-2 and comes from Sterling, Oklahoma, worked exclusively in relief for the Tigers and tied for the team lead with 20 appearances. His 2.32 ERA was the best on the squad, and he allowed just 18 hits and 13 walks in 31 innings for a 1.00 WHIP. Known for his slider, Lile also recorded 46 strikeouts.
He earned a second-team all-region selection, just one of two Tigers to receive all-region honors. Lile at one point had a streak of nine consecutive scoreless appearances. He generally went one or two innings outside of pitching 5 2/3 in an early-season victory over Panola College.
CHASE RHODES
Rhodes is an interesting case, not only because he’s a rare high school player to pick KU (just the third in the class at the moment alongside Sanders and California outfielder Logan Honikel) but also because he had previously been committed to John A. Logan College since November before announcing on Tuesday that he would instead join the Jayhawks.
“I also want to thank Coach Dan Fitzgerald and his staff for the opportunity to join the Big 12 champion Kansas Jayhawks,” he wrote in part in a social media post. “I am truly honored and blessed that they believe I can help them win and be part of the Jayhawk culture.”
Rhodes, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, was a first-team all-conference honoree and an all-state selection by Prep Baseball Illinois while pitching at Tremont High School. His team won the 1A state championship. According to a post by a local baseball organization, Rhino K’s Academy, Rhodes’ velocity has reached 96 mph, though most accounts have his fastball typically sitting somewhere in the low to mid-90s.
Per his all-state writeup for Prep Baseball, Rhodes allowed just four earned runs during the season for a 0.52 ERA, and also made use of a sweeping slider and a changeup.
Chase Rhodes pitches for Tremont High School in this undated photo.
Cowley College’s Grady Hoke pitches against Allen County Community College on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Arkansas City.
Tremont High School
Cowley College