Jun 19, 2025 – 7:53am
photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas senior Brady Counsell catches a pop fly against Cincinnati at Hoglund Ballpark Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Outgoing Kansas senior Brady Counsell on Wednesday afternoon became the first Jayhawk ever to receive a Gold Glove award from the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods.
The honor, which in Counsell’s case recognizes his defensive play at third base, is only given to one player at each position in all of Division I. Counsell, who transferred to KU from Minnesota for his final year of eligibility and was the only player to start every single game for the Jayhawks, is not only the first KU player to receive a Gold Glove but the first Big 12 position player to get one since 2018.
The native of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, who is the son of Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, was one of the team’s top pickups from the transfer portal during the 2024 offseason. He committed just one error, way back on March 8 against Milwaukee, in 121 fielding chances during the 2025 season, making for a 99.2% fielding percentage. Counsell tallied 69 putouts and 51 assists and was involved in eight double plays.
Along with his exemplary work at third base, Counsell was also known to rotate over to second or into left field when KU made occasional adjustments to its lineup.
On the offensive side, Counsell’s average slid to .259 due to a late-season slump, but he still had 12 home runs and 57 RBIs, with the latter the second-highest total on the team. He hit one of the five consecutive home runs in KU’s memorable 29-1 victory against his former team on March 12.
He was named an All-Big 12 honorable mention following the conclusion of the regular season, one of five players to receive all-conference honors along with head coach Dan Fitzgerald’s coach of the year award, along with Brady Ballinger, Jackson Hauge, Cooper Moore and Dariel Osoria.
Like many of KU’s outgoing seniors, Counsell may now hope to hear his name called in the MLB Draft, which takes place from July 13-14 in Atlanta.
Also on Wednesday, incoming KU freshman signee Cru Huenfeld — who is, in fact, the only known high school signee in the Jayhawks’ class at this point — received a Gold Glove of his own from Rawlings for his work as a high school infielder.
Huenfeld, an Overland Park native from St. Thomas Aquinas, is a lefty who plays first base and pitches who will join the Jayhawks next season. Hitting coach Tyler Hancock has called him a power bat with a “really bright future.” A two-sport standout, he was also at one point a selection to the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
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Counsell becomes KU’s first-ever Gold Glove winner – Lawrence Journal-World
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