Three Diamond Dawgs Named Big Ten Players To Watch
February 11, 2026 | Baseball
SEATTLE - Hayden Lewis, Casen Taggart, and Jackson Thomas have each been named Big Ten Players to Watch, the conference announced on Wednesday. The trio figures to be key pieces to Washington's success in 2026.
Hayden Lewis, the newest of the three Huskies, joins Washington after two seasons and 22 appearances with New Mexico State. The senior right-handed pitcherΒ tossed a career-high 28.2 innings last season in seven starts. He struck out 25 batters while allowing a .312 batting average.
Casen Taggart figures to again be a focal part of the Husky offense after leading the the team in batting average (.331), on base percentage (.471), and walks (46). The senior firstbaseman started in 50 games a season ago and had the longest reached-base streak on the team, totaling 31 straight games. HisΒ 0.92 walks per game had him ranked No. 33 in the nation, and he also launched six home runs, 11 doubles, and drove in 32 runs.
Jackson Thomas looks to be a key returning pitcher for the Diamond Dawgs after a strong debut on Montlake last season. Thomas threw 71.2 innings last season while making 15 appearances and 13 starts. He became the Huskies'Β Saturday starter and collected a 5-4 record while holding teams to a .276 average and 48 strikeouts. He tossed a career-best seven frames at Nebraska (March 8), allowing just four hits and two runs. In his 13 starts, Thomas allowed two or less runs on eight occasions.
The Big Ten also announced the top six selections in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA was named the No. 1 finisher by unanimous decision, following by Oregon and then USC. The full selection of the top six teams is listed below.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
Hayden Lewis, the newest of the three Huskies, joins Washington after two seasons and 22 appearances with New Mexico State. The senior right-handed pitcherΒ tossed a career-high 28.2 innings last season in seven starts. He struck out 25 batters while allowing a .312 batting average.
Casen Taggart figures to again be a focal part of the Husky offense after leading the the team in batting average (.331), on base percentage (.471), and walks (46). The senior firstbaseman started in 50 games a season ago and had the longest reached-base streak on the team, totaling 31 straight games. HisΒ 0.92 walks per game had him ranked No. 33 in the nation, and he also launched six home runs, 11 doubles, and drove in 32 runs.
Jackson Thomas looks to be a key returning pitcher for the Diamond Dawgs after a strong debut on Montlake last season. Thomas threw 71.2 innings last season while making 15 appearances and 13 starts. He became the Huskies'Β Saturday starter and collected a 5-4 record while holding teams to a .276 average and 48 strikeouts. He tossed a career-best seven frames at Nebraska (March 8), allowing just four hits and two runs. In his 13 starts, Thomas allowed two or less runs on eight occasions.
The Big Ten also announced the top six selections in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA was named the No. 1 finisher by unanimous decision, following by Oregon and then USC. The full selection of the top six teams is listed below.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
- UCLA (unanimous selection)
- Oregon
- USC
- Nebraska
- Indiana
- Iowa
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