Returning player spotlight: Carson Hansen

The returning player spotlight series rolls on with senior outfielder Carson Hansen.

Previous player spotlights:

• Hudson Brown
• Ben Cleaver
• Ethan Hindle
• Nate Harris

Background

An accomplished athlete at Pewaukee High School in Wisconsin, Hansen was a First-Team All-State baseball player and set his school record by hitting .520 with 18 doubles as a junior. He signed with UW-Milwaukee out of high school and became a Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection after slashing .298/.369/.351 but had just two extra base hits. But as a sophomore, Hansen had a fantastic season and saw a huge increase in his extra-base hits.

He hit 25 doubles, which tied for seventh most in the country and also went from no homers as a freshman to 11 as a sophomore. Hansen finished the year with 63 RBI and slashed .315/.404/.601 and an OPS of 1.005, earning Horizon League First-Team honors. He was a coveted transfer target once he entered the portal and was originally slated to attend Arkansas before switching his commitment to Kentucky following the 2024 MLB Draft.

Hansen was a backup to begin the 2025 season at Kentucky and didn't make an appearance until the fourth game of the season. Against Belmont, in his first at-bat of the year, Hansen hit a grand slam to help propel the Wildcats to a 12-0 victory. He was in the lineup the following day and went 3 for 4 with another home run and six total bases.

Hansen remained in the lineup consistently through the next few weeks, but following a pinch-hit appearance against NIU on March 11, Hansen did not record another plate appearance the rest of the month. He did not have multiple at-bats in a game until April 15 against Miami (Ohio) – marking 38 days between games with at least two at-bats – but he more or less became a regular for the rest of the season after that. Against Tennessee on April 20, Hansen went 2 for 3 with a double. He followed that up by drilling a three-run homer against Louisville during a 17-5 midweek victory.