University of Washington
Minnesota
Washington Returns To Big Ten Play At Minnesota
April 09, 2026 | Baseball
All three games of the series will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus with live stats available at HuskyStats.com.
DAWG BITES
- Colton Bower recorded Washington's 12th triple of the season last week. The Huskies rank 10th in the NCAA in total triples.
- Jackson Hotchkiss launched his ninth home run of the season against Valparaiso, setting a new career-high as he leads the team in big flies.
- Hotchkiss leads the team in batting average (.265), slugging percentage (.765), on base percentage (.430), home runs (9), multi-hit games (11).
- Hotchkiss has already risen up the national ranks. He currently ranks 106th in the nation in total home runs and eighth in the Big Ten.
- The Husky pitching staff has distinguished itself among the best in the nation. The Dawgs rank 42nd in strikeout to walk ratio (2.46), 55th in walks allowed per nine innings (3.88), 63rd in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6), and 66th in WHIP (1.44).
- Washington struck out 17 batters in back-to-back games against Valparaiso on Thursday and Friday. That mark is the most strikeouts in a single game for the Huskies since April 9, 2021 (20 Ks vs. ASU). Washington recorded a total of 43 strikeouts against Valpo.
- Sam DeCarlo, Daniel Porras and Colton Bower are tied for the lead on the team with 32 hits. Hotchkiss is close behind with 31 knocks. Bower also leads the team with 26 RBIs.
- Noah Kenney had his best start as a Husky on Friday, tossing a career-high 7.0 innings with a career-high 14 strikeouts, leading the Huskies to a 6-0 shutout. Kenney has pitched at least 4.1 innings in each of his outings this season.
- Kenney was named to the Baseball America National Team of the Week for his efforts.
- Washington is unbeaten in Big Ten series played at Husky Ballpark since joining the conference in 2025.
- 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 heads to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers in a three-game series, beginning on Friday. The first pitch in the opener is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT, while Saturday's game will begin at 1 p.m. PT and Sunday will be played at 11 a.m. PT.
All three games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
PITCHING DOMINANCE
Washington pitchers mowed down 43 Valparaiso batters to earn a 2-1 series victory over the Beacons.
Tommy Brandenburg improved to 2-0 with the series-opening win after throwing 6.0 innings while allowing just three hits and one run against 11 strikeouts. It was a career day all around for the right-hander as he more than doubled his previous strikeout record (5, at Pepperdine).
Jackson Hotchkiss led the way offensively as the sophomore batted 2-4 at the plate. In the third inning, Hotchkiss tagged his ninth home run of the season, sending the ball 408 feet to deep right center.
Kenney was lethal in his third win of the season, picking apart the Valparaiso batters inning after inning to take the series against the Beacons. He never faced more than four batters in an inning on his way to a career-high 14 strikeouts and seven innings of shutout baseball.
His final line included just four hits allowed and two walks.
Gunnar Nichols closed out the game for Washington, pitching the final two frames with three strikeouts of his own with no hits or walks allowed.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Noah Kenney was named to the Baseball America Week 8 National Team of the Week, the organization announced on Tuesday. Kenney is one of four pitchers and 13 total players recognized from across the country.
Kenney diced up Valparaiso over the weekend to earn his spot on the team of the week, leading the Huskies to a 6-0 shutout win with a career-high 14 strikeouts. It's the second award recognition of the season for the Parker, Colo. native after he was named to the College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year watch list.
Kenney has had a strong campaign so far which has garnered him the national attention. He's collected three wins in his seven starts and has the most innings pitched (44.1) and strikeouts (21) of any Husky. The right-hander has eight appearances and seven starts this year, pitching more than four innings each time he's taken the mound. Among his starts, he's thrown at least five innings in each, including five frames of hitless ball in a win against LMU and a career-high seven innings and 14 strikeouts against Valpo.
BELT TO BEAVS
The Huskies demolished No. 9 Oregon State by 16 runs on Tuesday, taking down the Beavers 18-2 at Goss Stadium. It's the first win for Washington at Oregon State since 2018 and the most runs the Huskies have put up in a game his season.
The Huskies jumped in front immediately, scoring four runs in the first, punctuated by a Daniel Porras two run homer. It was his sixth bomb of the year and the start of a massive night at the plate for the freshman. Porras finished his day going 3-4 with two runs batted in and a walk. He was one of two Huskies to close the day with three hits, joined by Colton Bower who went 3-5 with a double and a triple.
Liam Lierman made his first career start and diced up the Beavers, forcing grounders and fly outs along with three strikeouts in his career-high 5.1 innings pitched. In total, the freshman faced 22 batters and forced eight fly outs, four ground outs, and one double play while allowing just three hits and one run.
The Huskies were slugging up and down the lineup, with all but one starter recording at least one hit or RBI. In addition to Bower's and Porras's three hit nights, Jackson Hotchkiss, Braeden Terry, Mic Paul, and Alex Pearson each added two-hit performances in Corvallis. Landon Young, who pinch hit for Sam DeCarlo in the eighth inning, launched the second home run of his career to conclude the scoring on the night. He brought home Bower and Terry to make it a three-run shot.
Washington tied a season-high 17 hits in the win (March 8, at Indiana). It's also Washington's first win over a top-10 opponent since a 5-2 win at No. 10 UCLA (April 11, 2025), and the largest margin of defeat at home for the Beavers since April 23, 1973 (6-26 loss to Washington State).
THE HOME OF THE HUSKIES
Washington has won every Big Ten series played at Husky Ballpark since joining the conference last season.
HOTCHKISS ON A HEATER
Jackson Hotchkiss has started the season on an absolute tear. After missing the month of February due to injury, he's made 21 starts in March and April and been the best offensive output for Washington. He's tallied a .365 batting average while scoring 26 runs on 31 hits. He has the most home runs on the team (9) and is second in doubles (7) while pacing the Huskies in slugging percentage (.765) and on base percentage (.430). Despite playing in only two-thirds of the games this season, he ranks 106th nationally in total home runs.
B1G-TIME BOWER
Colton Bower has been one of the best offense drivers for the Huskies as of late. He claimed his first Big Ten Player of the Week award (March 9) after a massive week at the plate.
Since the beginning of March, the catcher leads the team in batting average (.422), slugging percentage (.891), and on base percentage (.493), is second on the team in total hits (27), extra base hits (14) and home runs (7).
This season, he's contributed 22 runs, 32 hits, seven doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 26 RBIs. Defensively, he's also added 154 plate outs and chipped in 10 assists.
HUSKY HURLERS
The Husky pitching staff has been on fire since the start of March. The Dawgs rank 42nd in strikeout to walk ratio (2.46), 55th in walks allowed per nine innings (3.88), 63rd in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6), and 66th in WHIP (1.44).
Washington had a massively productive series last weekend. The Huskies struck out 17 batters in back-to-back games against Valparaiso on Thursday and Friday. That mark is the most strikeouts in a single game for the Huskies since April 9, 2021 (20 Ks vs. ASU). In total, the Dawgs recorded a total of 43 strikeouts against Valpo.
TRIPLE THREAT
The Huskies have knocked 12 triples this season, the most in the Big Ten and the 10th-most in the NCAA. Braeden Terry leads the way with three, Sam DeCarlo, Mic Paul, Blake Wilson, and Colton Bower each have two, and Casen Taggart has one. The Huskies are averaging .43 triples per game, the seventh-most in the nation.
HOME RUN HUSKIES
Washington has brought the boom this season to the tune of 35 homers, the eighth-most in the Big Ten and the 93rd most in the NCAA. Jackson Hotchkiss leads the way with nine, Colton Bower has eight, Daniel Porras has six, and Sam DeCarlo and Ethan Swidler each have three.
Bower is fifth in the conference in slugging percentage (.689) and eighth in home runs per game (.30) while Hotchkiss is eighth in the league in total home runs (9).
DAWG DEBUTS
18 Diamond Dawgs made their first career appearance so far this season. Position player debuts included Ian Draper, Ty Cowan, Aidan Dougherty, Drew Johnson, Mic Paul, Alexander Pearson, Daniel Porras, Kevin Spear, Ethan Swidler, and Landon Young. Pitching debuts include Carson Boesel, Bryce Johnson, Noah Kenney, Hayden Lewis, Liam Lierman, Jay Miller, Jack Wade, and Tyler Walker.
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. UCLA
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UW_Baseball on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
