Kansas State Baseball enters 2026 with one of the hottest players in college baseball anchoring its roster in junior shortstop Dee Kennedy.
The Wildcats opened the season with a school-record four wins in four days at the MLB Desert Invitational, defeating Iowa, UConn, Penn State and Air Force to move to 4-0.
Kennedy was at the center of the surge, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with five extra-base hits, including three home runs and two grand slams, while producing a 1.857 OPS. He drove in 15 runs, scored 10 times and went 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
Kennedy ranks among the national leaders in RBI, runs, steals, home runs and slugging percentage. His performance earned Golden Spikes Award x D1Baseball Player of the Week honors, Big 12 Player of the Week recognition, the Brooks Wallace Award Player of the Week and NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy Co-National Hitter of the Week accolades.
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With back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances, Kansas State’s 2026 prospects begin with Kennedy’s dynamic bat, speed and defensive growth at shortstop.
Here are the best MLB Draft Prospects for Kansas State Baseball at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 2.
Kansas State MLB Draft Prospects
The Wildcats are led by two players getting interest, Donte Lewis, who is eligible for the 2027 draft Dee Kennedy, eligible this year.
Donte Lewis, OF/RHP, Kansas State Baseball
Donte Lewis, a 6-foot-1, 183-pound two-way standout at Kansas State, impacts the game both at the plate and on the mound. He hit .299/.378/.448 with 15 stolen bases and seven extra-base hits, while posting a 4.63 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. Lewis profiles as a center fielder with speed and a plus arm, and his fastball has touched 97 mph to complement a swing-and-miss slider.
Dee Kennedy, SS, Kansas State
Kennedy vaulted into the national spotlight with a dominant opening weekend at the MLB Desert Invitational.
The junior shortstop went 7-for-13 with three home runs — including two grand slams — two doubles, 13 RBIs and four stolen bases. He scored nine runs and drew three walks against one strikeout, delivering one of the most impactful early-season performances in the country.
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 2Feb. 20, 2026Feb. 21, 2026Feb. 22, 2026How To Watch College Baseball At The Amegy Bank College Baseball Series 2026
D1 Baseball Rankings After Week 1UCLA (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 1LSU (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 2Texas (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 3Mississippi State (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 4Georgia Tech (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 5Coastal Carolina (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 6TCU (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 10Arkansas (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 7Auburn (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 9North Carolina (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 11Oregon State (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 12Florida (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 13Tennessee (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 14Georgia (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 15Louisville (1-2, 1-2 last week), Previous Ranking: 8Florida State (2-0, 2-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 16NC State (2-0, 2-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 17Kentucky (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 18Clemson (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 19Southern Miss (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 20Oklahoma (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: NRWake Forest (2-1, 2-1 last week), Previous Ranking: 21Miami (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 22Texas A&M (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: 25West Virginia (3-0, 3-0 last week), Previous Ranking: NR
Dropped Out
Vanderbilt (1-2, 1-2 last week), Previous Ranking: 23Arizona (0-3, 0-3 last week), Previous Ranking: 242026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 RankingsUCLA (48-18)LSU (53-15)Texas (44-14)Mississippi State (36-23)Georgia Tech (41-19)Coastal Carolina (56-13)Arkansas (50-15)Louisville (42-24)Auburn (41-20)TCU (39-20)North Carolina (46-15)Oregon State (48-16-1)Florida (39-22)Tennessee (46-19)Georgia (43-17)Florida State (42-16)NC State (35-21)Kentucky (31-26)Clemson (45-18)Southern Miss (47-16)Wake Forest (39-22)Miami (35-27)Vanderbilt (43-18)Arizona (44-21)Texas A&M (30-26)Teams At Globe Life Field College Baseball SeriesOklahomaTexas TechTCUVanderbiltOklahoma StateArkansasMichiganFlorida StateNebraskaLouisvilleAuburnKansas StateArizona StateMississippi StateUCLATennesseeVirginia TechTexas A&MFloBaseball Archived Footage
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