University of Washington
San Diego State
Huskies To Host San Diego State For Four-Game Set At Husky Ballpark
February 26, 2026 | Baseball
All the games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus with live stats available at Huskystats.com.
DAWG BITES
- Washington plated 11 runs on Tuesday, the most the team has scored this season
- Casen Taggart launched the first home run inside Husky Ballpark this year, a 419-foot bomb to centerfieldΒ
- Mic Paul, Casen Taggart, and Braeden Terry each had three hits against Seattle U
- Mic Paul leads the team in batting average at .368
- Three Huskies have recorded a triple this season (Paul, Taggart, Terry)
- In five appearances and two starts, Ian Draper has a .364 batting average
- Four Huskies are above a .300 batting average (Paul - .368, Draper - .364, Terry - .320, and Porras - .304)
- The Huskies are comprised of 13 returners from last year and 23 incomers. Of those new players, 16 are transfers and seven are freshmen.
- Three players were named Big Ten Players to Watch ahead of the 2026 season. Hayden Lewis, Jackson Thomas, and Casen Taggart were each named.
- Three Diamond Dawgs were named to the D1Baseball Preseason Player Rankings. Sam DeCarlo was named a top-50 shortstop, Casen Taggart came in as a top-50 first baseman, and Jackson Thomas was named a top-200 starting pitcher in the nation.
- Washington welcomed four new staff members to Montlake ahead of the 2026 season. Kade Kryzsko joins as an assistant coach, Justin Jacobs is the new recruiting coordinator, Scott Junck serves as the director of baseball operations, and Jake Rook is the director of baseball analytics.
- The Huskies were picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten conference by D1Baseball.
SECOND SEASON UNDER SMITH
On July 9, 2024, Eddie Smith was named the 25th head coach of University of Washington baseball, announced by UW Director of Athletics Pat Chun. Smith, a native of Olympia, Washington, comes to Montlake after three seasons at Utah Valley. Smith begins his second season at the helm of the Huskies in 2026.
UP NEXT
Washington hosts San Diego State for the first series of the season at Husky Ballpark. The two teams will square off in a four-game set, starting on Friday evening and ending Monday afternoon.
Washington is scheduled to start Noah Kenney on Friday, Jackson Thomas on Saturday, and Gunnar Nichols on Sunday. Monday is currently a TBD.
KENNEY COOKING
Noah Kenney has been the most efficient pitcher for the Huskies this season. Most recently, he made his first start for Washington against LMU on Feb. 20, earning a win while throwing 5.0 innings. Kenney didn't allow a single hit against the Lions while striking out eight batters and walking three.
Kenney currently ranks 46th in the NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings (2.89) and 79th nationally in total strikeouts (14). Both those marks have him in the top eight in the Big Ten Conference as well.
TAGGED BY TAGGART
Casen Taggart sent out the first home run of the season from Husky Ballpark on Tuesday against Seattle U. His home run went 419 feet to dead center field. The first baseman also recorded a single and a triple in the game, putting him one double away from the cycle. Taggart was responsible for bringing in three of Washington's nine runs against the Redhawks, his best production in a game this season.
OFFENSIVE EFFORT
Washington tallied 11 runs on Tuesday, the most scored in a game this season. The Huskies used six extra base hits (Taggart HR and 3B, Paul 3B and 2B, DeCarlo 2B, Draper 2B). Taggart led the way with three RBIs while Terry and Paul each drove in two.
FIRST WIN OF 2026
The Huskies earned their first win of the season on Friday against the LMU Lions. Washington used a strong pitching performance from Noah Kenney and a balanced offense to secure the 8-3 victory. Noah Kenney had the best start of any Husky pitcher this season, throwing five scoreless and hitless innings with eight strikeouts. Through his two appearances, Kenney has a 0.96 ERA with batters hitting .103 against him.
Daniel Porras hit the third home run of the season for the Huskies while Braeden Terry went 3-4 with a triple.
Washington also earned 10 walks on Friday while allowing just four walks for the Lions.
TRIPLE THREAT
The Diamond Dawgs have recorded three triples this season, the 31st most in the NCAA and third in the Big Ten. Casen Taggart, Braeden Terry, and Mic Paul have each connected for a three-bagger. The Huskies currently rank 49th in the NCAA in triples per game at a 0.38 clip.
OPENING WEEKEND
The Diamond Dawgs opened the season at the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge, facing stiff competition in their four contests in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The Huskies faced two ranked teams in No. 17 NC State and No. 21 Wake Forest before facing Boston College and finally Houston. The Huskies bats came alive against Houston with two home runs, seven total runs and 11 total hits, eight more than their opponent. Washington will look to build on the offensive momentum in Los Angeles.
BOMBS AWAY
The Huskies recorded their first multi-home run game of the season on Monday against Houston. Mic Paul sent out a solo shot to get things started before Ethan Swidler tagged a two-run homer later in the contest. It was Paul's first career home run and the 19th of Swidler's career. Both players recorded multi-hit games on Monday as well.
NEW DAWGS ON THE BLOCK
The first-year Huskies have been impactful on offense so far. The four top Dawgs in batting average are all newcomers (Daniel Porras, Mic Paul, Ethan Swidler, Ty Cowan). 29 of the 47 hits for the Huskies have come fromΒ freshmen players and transfers, a .617 mark.
STREAKY DAWGS
Four Dawgs currently own a five-game or better reached safely streak. Mic Paul leads the team with a six-game streak, dating back to the matchup with Boston College. Braeden Terry, Daniel Porras, and Ethan Swidler have all reached safely in the last five games.
Mic Paul's six game streak is the longest of any Husky this season.
BRYCE JOHNSON DEBUT START
Bryce Johnson made his first appearance for Washington, starting the game against Houston. It was also his first career start. The sophomore performed well, throwing 5.0 frames, the most of any Husky starter over the opening weekend. He fanned three batters while allowing four hits and two runs.Β
He took the mound again on Saturday at LMU, throwing 4.2 innings with six hits, four runs, two walks, and three strikeouts.
DAWG DEBUTS
17 Diamond Dawgs made their first career appearance over the first two weekends of the season. Position player debuts included Ian Draper, Ty Cowan, Aidan Dougherty, Drew Johnson, Mic Paul, Daniel Porras, Kevin Spear, Ethan Swidler, and Landon Young. Pitching debuts include Carson Boesel,Β Bryce Johnson, Noah Kenney, Hayden Lewis, Liam Lierman, Jay Miller, Jack Wade, and Tyler Walker.
FRESH FACES
Washington features a new-look team in 2026, including 23 newcomers, 16 of whom are transfer players. The Huskies return 13 letterwinners from a season ago, including nine position player starters.
FOUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS
The Huskies welcome four new members to the Diamond Dawg staff. Kade Kryzsko has joined as an assistant coach, Justin Jacobs is the team's new recruiting coordinator, Scott Junck is the Director of Baseball Operations, and Jake Rook is the director of baseball analytics.
THREE DAWGS NAMED CONFERENCE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hayden Lewis, Casen Taggart, and Jackson Thomas have each been named Big Ten Players to Watch, the conference announced on Wednesday.Β
Hayden Lewis, the newest of the three Huskies, joins Washington after two seasons and 22 appearances with New Mexico State. The senior right-handed pitcher 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. His 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' 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.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
Despite Washington's rise from 17th place in last season's poll to a fifth place finish, the Huskies have been left out of this season's Big Ten Preseason Poll. This year, the conference announced the voted top-six finishing programs.
1. Β Β UCLA
2. Β Β Oregon
3. Β Β USC
4. Β Β Nebraska
5. Β Β Indiana
6. Β Β Iowa
PRESEASON PLAYER RANKINGS
Sam DeCarlo, Casen Taggart, and Jackson Thomas were each named in the D1Baseball Preseason Player Rankings.Β
DeCarlo was named a top-50 shortstop, Taggart was tabbed a top-50 first baseman, and Thomas was named a top-200 starting pitcher.
