EXCLUSIVE: KU baseball's Kodey Shojinaga discusses sophomore season on K-Nation
LAWRENCE (KSNT) - In only his second year at Kansas, Kodey Shojinaga has proven to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
The Jayhawk sophomore is coming off an impressive 2023 freshman season, in which he earned the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year award after leading the conference in batting average and hits in Big 12 games.
To start 2024, he was named to the preseason All-Big 12 list, becoming one of just four Jayhawks to receive the honor in program history. In terms of his success, he says comfortability i nyear two has been a big factor.
"It's really important for me, and this team as well, to have some confidence coming into the season and show people what it's like to play at Kansas and turn this program around," Shojinaga said in a one-on-one interview with K-Nation's Caroline Soro. "Turn [the program] in the right direction."
The second baseman, who comes to Lawrence from Hawaii, committed to KU during his senior year of high school when former head coach Ritch "Skip" Price was at the helm.
However, Shojinaga says his teammates and head coach Dan Fitzgerald, who's also in year two at KU, have made Lawrence feel like his "home away from home."
"All of my teammates who are from around this area or close enough have treated me really well, treated me like family," Shojinaga said. "That's a really big deal for me."
As for Shojinaga's goals for his sophomore season, he's more worried about the welfare of the 'Hawks than his personal state. He says he wants to be the best teammate possible.
Cole Elvis, a transfer from California who played finished his final year of college at KU in 2023, was quite the mentor for Shojinaga. The young Jayhawk says he learned a lot about leadership from Elvis, and he's hoping to implement those qualities himself this season.
Shojinaga plans to lead by example, or with what he calls a contagious smile.
"I just always have a smile on my face," Shojinaga said. "It's always something I try to do. It's very contagious to have a smile. It spreads throughout the team and spreads good vibes around."
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