Washington baseball holds one of the nation's best-kept secrets

Coach Eddie Smith and the Washington Huskies have one of the nation's best-kept secrets in outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss.

As UW baseball has struggled during its second season in the Big Ten to the tune of a 20-24 record, going 9-12 against conference opponents, the sophomore has thrived and is beginning to find his name inside the top 50 on 2027 MLB draft boards.

After missing the start of the year, Hotchkiss has burst onto the scene and established himself as one of the best hitters in the Big Ten, which is an impressive feat given that the conference also holds the heavy favorite for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. Hotchkiss ranks in the top 15 in the conference in seven categories, including his .730 slugging percentage sitting at No. 2, 14 home runs at No. 4, and .351 batting average at No. 14.

The local product of Battle Ground, Washington, has done all that despite playing in 33 of UW's 44 games this season. He's on a five-game hitting streak, has collected multiple hits in four of the five contests, along with a pair of home runs and 8 runs batted in during the stretch.

With just ten games remaining in the regular season, the Huskies are going to need to rely on Hotchkiss as a consistent threat at the top of the lineup to pick up some momentum ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.

Currently, UW is sitting as the No. 11 team in the conference and will have an opportunity to upset its arch-rival, the Oregon Ducks, the No. 3 team in the Big Ten, over the weekend. The three-game series is set to begin on Friday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m. PT.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies are holding one of the nation's best-kept secrets