University of Washington
Portland
Huskies Head To Portland For Midweek Clash
March 10, 2025 | Baseball
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ย and live stats will be available at Huskystats.com.
DAWG BITES
- Washington won its first Big Ten series, taking two of three against Nebraska
- The Huskies earned their first shutout of 2025, a 3-0 win over Portland. Washington pitchers combined for a season-best three hits allowed against the Pilots
- Nine Huskies have produced 35 multiple hit games (Kole โ 6, DeCarlo โ 5, Guerrero โ 5, Taggart โ 5, Bower โ 4, Terry โ 3, Whitton โ 3, Knight โ 2, Wilson โ 2)
- Nine Huskies have generated 23 multi-RBI games, with Casen Taggart leading the way with five (Taggart โ 5, Guerrero โ 4, Kole โ 4, Knight โ 3, Bower โ 2, Whitton โ 2, DeCarlo โ 1, Terry โ 1,ย Wilson โ 1). Trevor Kole earned the second 4 RBI game of the season for Washington in the first game of the doubleheader against Nebraska. He tallied four hits in five at bats, including two doubles
- AJ Guerrero is on aย 12-game hitting streak. The senior slugger has recorded at least one hit in every game he's been active for this season and has homered three times this season
- Guerrero's home run against Texas Tech moved him into a tie for fourth in the Husky home run record book with 36 career home runs (T-1. 42, Kyle Conley, 2006-09; T-1. 42, Ed Erickson, 1997-00; 3. 41, Zach Clem, 2003-06; 4. 36, Will Simpson, 2020-23)
- The Huskies have turned 16 double plays this season, the eighth-best mark in the NCAA. Washington turned three across the doubleheader against Nebraska
- 40 of Washington's 87 RBIs have come from new transfer players (Casen Taggart - 14, Trevor Kole โ 13, Malakhi Knight โ 10, Julian Sanders โ 3)
- The top four spots of the batting order are responsible for 55 of 97 runs and 69 of 141 hits
- Five Huskies are batting .300 or better (Guerrero - .388, Taggart - .354, Kole - .308, Terry - .308, and Knight - .306)
- 18 Huskies have made their program debuts (Banks, Bronzini, Bujacich, Crawford, Curran, Denomme, Gilbert, Henning, Hotchkiss, Knight, Kole, Nichols, O'Neal, Taggart, Thomas, Tims, W. Woodward)
FIRST 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, quickly turning the Wolverines around from a Western Athletic Conference bottom dweller to one of the nation's most feared mid-major outfits.
UP NEXT
Washington heads to Portland, Oregon for a midweek road contest against Portland on Tuesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. It's the second game against the Pilots this season after the Huskies hosted Portland last Tuesday for their home-opener.
B1G SERIES WIN
Washington started its Big Ten slate with a series win against Nebraska in Lincoln. The Huskies took two of three for the series victory, winning both games in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Dawgs scored 17 runs, including three home runs in the wins.
SHUTOUT START AT HOMEย
Last week, Washington took down Portland 3-0 in the home opener, recording the first shutout of the season. Justin Tims made his first Husky start, pitching three shutout innings with three strikeouts. Jase Evangelista earned the win, tossing 3.2 innings with no hits allowed and one strikeout. And Bradley Gilbert finished the game off, collecting his first career save over the final two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. It was Washington's least hits allowed in a game this season with three total while Sam DeCarlo hit his second home run of the season and AJ Guerrero got his fourth multi-hit game of the year.
GUERRERO POWER
Senior slugger AJ Guerrero moved into a tie for fourth all-time in career home runs after hitting a home run in each game in Las Vegas, including a grand slam against No. 15 Texas. Guerrero has 36 career home runs, tied with Will Simpson (2020-23).
Guerrero has been on a tear to start the season and is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak, every game that he's been active in this season. He also owns the team's longest reached base streak with the same number.
He ranks in the top ten in the Big Ten in doubles (6 - fifth), doubles per game (0.50 - third), hits per game (1.58 - eighth), and toughest to strike out (12.3 - sixth).
RISPY BUSINESS
Four Huskies are batting .400 or better with runners in scoring position (DeCarlo - .467, Guerrero โ .429, Sanders - .429, Bower โ .400) while four Dawgs are batting .300 or better overall (Guerrero - .388, Taggart - .354, Kole -.308, Terry -.308,ย Knight - .306).
DAWG DEFENSE
Through the first stretch of the season, Washington has been one of the best defensive teams in the nation. The Huskies have turned 16 double plays, the top mark in the Big Ten and the eighth-best in the NCAA. The Huskies have also earned a 0.975 fielding percentage, the seventh-best total in the conference and 73rd nationwide.ย
TRANSFER POWER
The Huskies have hit 19 home runs this season, eight of which have come from transfer players. Casen Taggart shares the lead for Washington with three long balls. Malakhi Knight also knocked his third homer of the season against Nebraska, a three run shot to put Washington in front in the second game of the doubleheader. And Trevor Kole hit his second homer against Stanford. Washington's other home runs have come from Colton Bower (3), AJ Guerrero (3), Sam DeCarlo (2), Cooper Whitton (1), and Blake Wilson (1).
THOMAS ON TOP
Jackson Thomas had a dominant first start for Washington, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings while allowing three hits, two walks, and fanning seven batters. Thomas currently holds a 0.0 ERA across 9.1 IP this season.ย
He backed up his first start with another stellar performance against Nebraska in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday. He tossed a career-high 7.0 innings while collecting his team-leading second victory of the season. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 25th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (4.32) and third in the Big Ten and 34th in the NCAA in earned run average (1.08).
MAX BANKS DOMINANCE
Washington's new ace had once of the best Husky pitching debuts in recent memory. The opening day starter threw scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out nine batters. He pitched the most innings by a Husky opening day starter since 2018 when Joe Demers also tossed six innings. His strikeout total was also the most by an opening day pitcher for Washington since 2017, when Noah Bremer fanned 10 batters.
In his second start, Banks pitched six innings again, allowing two runs and striking out two batters in the series opener against Stanford. Against No. 15 Texas, Banks fanned eight batters, the second best strikeout total of all pitchers in the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic.
HUSKIES HIT THE CYCLE
As a team, Washington hit for the cycle twice while in Las Vegas. Against Illinois, Blake Wilson bagged the first Washington triple of the season while the Huskies collected four doubles and a home run from AJ Guerrero. Then, against Texas Tech, Trevor Kole hit a triple while Washington added three doubles and three home runs.
BOWER BOOMING
Colton Bower has been a force behind the plate and as a hitter so far this season. Defensively, he's caught 10 runners stealing. As a hitter, Bower's logged three home runs and has 15 hits on the season, including five doubles.ย
In the Big Ten rankings, Bower is second in hit by pitch (8) and third in hit by pitch per game (0.53). He's also eighth in the conference in sacrifice bunts (2).
WASHINGTON DEBUTS
19 Huskies have made their program debuts through four games (Banks, Brandenburg, Bronzini, Bujacich, Crawford, Curran, Denomme, Gilbert, Henning, Hotchkiss, Knight, Kole, Nichols, O'Neal, Sanders, Taggart, Thomas, Tims, W. Woodward).
IMPACT RELIEVER
Josh Emanuels collected a save in both of Washington's wins during the opening weekend. The redshirt senior currently sits fourth in the Big Ten in total saves, 57th nationally.ย
INAUGURAL BIG TEN SEASON
Washington will compete in the Big Ten for the first time in 2025. The Huskies join the new-look conference as one of 17 competitors. Washington will face Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, UCLA, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, Oregon, and USC this season.
This year'sย conference tournament will feature 12 teams and incorporate pool play with four groups consisting of three teams each. The four pool winners will meet in the single-elimination semifinals on May 24, followed by the championship game on May 25.
NEW FACES
The Huskies return 20 players while losing 21 following the 2024 season. Of the returners, four position starters come back to Montlake along with 10 pitchers.
BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Transfer pitcher Max Banks, along with returners Isaac Yeager and AJ Guerrero were each named among the Big Ten's most notable players for the 2025 season.
Banks, a native of San Francisco, pitched three seasons at Chapman before joining the Huskies. He was named to the ABCA All-Region third team his sophomore year, and also earned first team All-SCIAC honors following a season with 12 starts, 76 innings, and 84 strikeouts.
Isaac Yeager was a key pitcher for the Dawgs in 2024, as he made 21 relief appearances and posted a 6.34 ERA in 38.1 innings with 31 strikeouts.
AJ Guerrero figures to be one of the conference's best run producers in 2025. The senior slugger moved into a tie for fifth all-time in career home runs last season with 33, with a career-high 15 of them coming in 2024. He also knocked in a career-high 50 RBIs last season.
D3 DIAMONDS
For the third straight year, Washington has hit the NCAA Division III ranks to add to its pitching staff through the transfer portal. The Huskies added right-hander Max Banks who enjoyed a strong three-year career at Division III Chapman, collectively going 12-4, 3.35 in three seasons with a 185-to-67 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 150 2/3 innings. Last season, Washington signed right-hander Spencer Dessart out of Middlebury College in Vermont, who posted a 4.32 ERA with 63 strikeouts over 50 innings. And in 2023, UW brought in D3 transfer Kiefer Lord out of Minnesota's Carleton College, with Lord going on to be a third round draft choice in the 2023 MLB Draft.ย
IT CAN WAIT
For the third year in a row, a Washington commit turned down the opportunity to sign with an MLB team to join the Husky roster. Jackson Hotchkiss was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but opted to take his talents to UW first. Last season, Blake Wilson was drafted in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals but still made his way to Montlake. Former Husky Aiva Arquette was a 18th round draft choice by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 before coming to campus.
