LAWRENCE — Following the Major League Baseball draft in July, KU Director of Athletics Travis Goff shared a couple of things with Dan Fitzgerald.

Goff understood Fitzgerald, Kansas baseball’s head coach, would both be happy for the Jayhawks selected and thinking about filling holes in the roster. So, for one, Goff outlined that it’s a testament to Fitzgerald and the staff to see six players drafted in the second year of Fitzgerald’s rebuild. The six picks all came before the end of the 20th round, setting a program record.

Goff, secondly, noted Fitzgerald shouldn’t lose sight of how each player improved during their time at Kansas. Some were only around for the 2024 season. It’s one of multiple reasons why Goff believes the program is ahead of schedule, and from Fitzgerald’s perspective that indicator of the team’s direction is certainly something to focus on.

Because, Fitzgerald explained, it shows the plan the coaching staff laid out for those players is achievable. Fitzgerald highlighted that they can make it to the pros through KU. Proud is just one word he can use to describe how he feels about them.

RELATED: Kansas football values chance to practice on grass in fall camp, as it prepares for season

RELATED: KU Athletics announces $10 million commitment for Gateway District from Horejsi family

“We’ve told every recruit the one thing we’re going to promise is that, ‘We’re going to get as close to your ceiling as we can get, and as a coaching staff we’re going to be obsessed with your development and try to get you to the top of your mountain,’” Fitzgerald said. “‘We’ll do everything in our power, and your obligation then is to do everything in your power and we’ll have an entire staff that’s under that umbrella of moving your needle that direction.’”

The first three selections saw redshirt-senior pitcher Hunter Cranton go to the Seattle Mariners, sophomore infielder/catcher Kodey Shojinaga go to the Philadelphia Phillies and junior pitcher Ethan Lanthier go to the New York Mets. The next three selections saw junior pitcher Tegan Cain go to the Phillies, junior catcher Ben Hartl go to the Texas Rangers and junior pitcher Evan Shaw go to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cranton was a third-round pick.

Fitzgerald anticipated those players developing substantially, so, theoretically he could have made a case for it playing out like this. But he’s also of the mind the answer tends to be somewhere between everyone getting drafted and signing, and everyone returning to school. So, there’s even more reinforcement they’re recruiting the right players because MLB organizations are identifying them as well.

Fitzgerald mentioned he met with Hartl just before the draft, and during it did the same with Lanthier and Shaw. Fitzgerald added he might have met Shojinaga, who was selected in the sixth round on day two, slipped to the third day. It was about advising them to stick to the monetary value they entered the draft seeking, and keeping the promise he’d tell them the same things he’d tell his own children.

“Obviously, in best interest of Kansas baseball, would be to have all these guys back — in the short term picture of Kansas baseball,” Fitzgerald explained. “But I also tell them, like, ‘Hey, in the big picture of Kansas baseball, this is also awesome for you to go off and play professional baseball.’”

Heading into the draft, there were three versions of plans Fitzgerald’s staff came up with. Those were what happens if no one is drafted, if everyone is drafted, and if only certain guys are drafted. So, for example, when it was clear Hartl wasn’t returning Fitzgerald said assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Jon Coyne knew which direction to go.

But regardless of those plans, Fitzgerald’s staff also kept departing players who weren’t drafted in mind. Given the draft is 20 rounds, instead of 40 as it had been not too many years ago, there were a few Fitzgerald felt didn’t end up hearing their names called. He looks to help them, too, and senior pitcher Reese Dutton is one who was able to sign an un-drafted deal with the Phillies.

“There are a lot moving parts, and ultimately you take care of the guys first and try to give them the best advice you can give, and then you see what they’re going to do and then you respond to it,” said Fitzgerald, who described Shaw, Lanthier and Hartl as question marks going into the draft. “And then you try to take care of the guys who it didn’t work out for. So — and then you sleep at some point, for about four hours, and then you get up and do the exact same thing the next day.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Inside Kansas baseball's 6 selections in this year's MLB draft