The NCAA Baseball Regionals are officially here, and the road to the College World Series runs right through Lawrence, Kansas. To break down everything our local Missouri State University Bears and the surrounding region face this weekend, we caught up with the Voice of the Kansas Jayhawks, Brian Hanni. From facility upgrades designed to handle massive crowds to the unique blueprint behind KU’s rapid turnaround, Hanni gave us a masterclass in Midwest baseball.

We kicked things off by asking Hanni how Kansas plans to hold the expected onslaught of regional baseball fans. Hoglund Ballpark is traditionally a 2,500-capacity venue, drawing immediate fire on social media from SEC powerhouses like Arkansas. However, the Jayhawks athletic department pulled off a quick expansion miracle in just a month. By knocking down the left-field wall for a transparent fence and adding a “backyard” standing area, alongside moving the bullpen for extra seating, they squeezed max capacity up to 4,000. Hanni noted it’s a temporary band-aid, but it proves the program is ready for the big stage.

Pantomime Threes: Ryan Howard’s Allen Fieldhouse Legend

One of our favorite moments of the conversation threw it back to the historic regular series between Missouri State University (back when the school names were different) and Kansas. Hanni shared a legendary story about a young Ryan Howard killing time during a historic rain delay. Unable to unlock any actual basketballs, the future MLB superstar went around the horn at the famous Fog Allen Fieldhouse, shooting imaginary pantomime threes on James Naismith Court just to say he got shots up.

The JUCO Blueprint Fueling a Big 12 Powerhouse

How did Kansas baseball engineer such a massive turnaround? While everyone else in the NIL and transfer portal era was hunting mid-major transfers, Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald decided to zag. He targeted the rich junior college ranks, landing three consecutive number-one rated JUCO recruiting classes nationally. It brought in a scrappier, hungrier roster featuring immediate stars like Tyson LeBlanc, who is currently threatening Tony Thompson’s 17-year-old school home run record.

High Winds and Hot Bats

For our Missouri State University Bears fans heading up the highway, Hanni warns that Hoglund Ballpark is heavily offensive-prone, especially when the wind howls straight out to center field. With Kansas putting up historic home run numbers and teams like Northeastern bringing elite speed, expect a wild, high-scoring weekend of baseball.