Kansas baseball sophomore Kodey Shojinaga off to stellar 2024 season start

Kansas sophomore Kodey Shojinaga is picking up right where he left off from last season.

The right-handed infielder from Honolulu, Hawaii, was recently named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week along with TCU’s Anthony Silva as part of the first awards given of the 2024 season. It was Shojinaga’s first Big 12 weekly honor of his career and the first for a Jayhawk since May 2022.

Shojinaga was incredible during KU’s season-opening series this past weekend against Illinois-Chicago.

In the season opener alone, he had 4 hits, 2 home runs, and 5 RBIs – all of which were the most in a KU baseball season opener since at least 2003. One of those home runs ended up being his first career grand slam as well.

In the series (which the Jayhawks lost 1-2), Shojinaga hit .462/.533/1.077 and went 6-for-13 at the plate. He also scored 4 runs and had 14 total bases.

In a 13-7 win against Texas A&M Corpus Cristi on Tuesday night, Shojinaga continued his hot streak with 3 hits (including one home run), 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.

Last year, Shojinaga was named Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team after leading the Big 12 in batting average (.418). He also led the Jayhawks with a .378 batting average (a KU freshman record), 74 hits, and a .421 on-base percentage.

If the opening weekend is any indication, Shojinaga appears poised to build upon his wildly successful freshman campaign and perhaps earn his way into the 2024 MLB Draft this July.