Huskies Host Iowa For Big Ten Clash At Husky Ballpark
May 01, 2025 | Baseball
The series will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus with live stats available at Huskystats.com. First pitch is slated for 7:02 p.m. on Friday, 7:02 p.m. on Saturday, and 11:32 a.m. on Sunday.
DAWG BITES
- AJ Guerrero was named the Perfect Game Player of the Week following his massive seven-day stretch for the Huskies. It's the second award of the week for the senior slugger after taking home the Big Ten Player of the Week award on Monday. He also brought home the honor of NCBWA Hitter of the Week and earned a spot in the NCAA lineup of the week.
- Guerrero was unstoppable, slugging four home runs in his last four games, leading Washington to a 3-1 week and a fifth Big Ten series win. The Huskies put up 48 runs over the four game stretch, with 13 batted in by Guerrero.
- Guerrero's four-home run week moved him into a tie for third in the record book for career home runs. (T-1. 42, Kyle Conley, 2006-09; T-1. 42, Ed Erickson, 1997-00; T-3. 41, Zach Clem, 2003-06; T-3. 41, AJ Guerrero, 2021-25; 5. 36, Will Simpson, 2020-23).
- Washington claimed its fifth Big Ten series win over the weekend, taking two of three at Northwestern. The Huskies have won all seven of their Big Ten series opening games.
- On Monday against UIC, Tommy Brandenburg earned his third-straight win in his third-straight start pitching at least 5.0 innings.
- Braeden Terry and Casen Taggart extended their on-base streaks to 20 consecutive games at UIC.
- Washington hit four home runs in a game for the second time on Saturday at Northwestern (4/1 at Saint Joseph's). The Huskies are now 11-3 when hitting two or more home runs.
- Against Northwestern on Friday, Max Banks improved to 6-2 on the season with his seventh start of at least 6.0 IP.
- 20 Huskies have made their program debuts (Banks, Boyd, Brandenburg, Bronzini, Bujacich, Crawford, Curran, Denomme, Gilbert, Henning, Hotchkiss, Knight, Kole, Nichols, O'Neal, Sanders, Taggart, Thomas, Tims, W. Woodward).
1 - 2025 is the first season for Eddie Smith at the helm for UW. The Olympia, Wash. native comes to the Huskies after three years at Utah Valley.
41 - After a monster week with four home runs, AJ Guerrero moved into a tie for third all-time in program history with 41 home runs and just one behind the leaders in first (42).
5 - Washington is currently fifth in the Big Ten standings with an 13-8 record. The Diamond Dawgs trail Iowa (20-4), No. 14 UCLA (16-5), No. 6 Oregon (14-7), and USC (14-7).
36 - Max Banks is allowing 6.31 hits per nine innings, the 36th best mark in the NCAA and the third-best in the Big Ten conference.
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
The Huskies host Big Ten conference leader Iowa for a three-game series at Husky Ballpark beginning on Friday, May 2 at 7:02 p.m.
ACCOLADES GALORE FOR GUERRERO
AJ Guerrero was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, Perfect Game National Player of the Week, NCBWA Hitter of the Week, and a member of the NCAA Lineup of the Week after his monster four-game week for the Huskies.
He was unstoppable, slugging four home runs in his last four games, leading Washington to a 3-1 week and a fifth Big Ten series win. The Huskies put up 48 runs over the four game stretch, with 13 batted in by Guerrero. During the week, the Husky left fielder batted .706 (12-17) with one double, four home runs, 13 RBI and 25 total bases. Of those home runs, two were grand slams. His numbers across the board were impressive, including a 1.471 slugging and a .714 on base percentage. He also added a stolen base, two walks, and a hit by pitch, and didn't strike out in any of his 17 at bats.
FIFTH BIG TEN SERIES WIN
The Huskies secured another conference series win over the weekend, taking two of three at Northwestern. The Huskies have yet to drop a Big Ten series opener, with a 7-0 record on Friday's in conference play. Washington owns a 13-8 Big Ten record, sitting in fifth place and just one game outside of third.
BANKS BALLING
Max Banks collected his sixth win of the season last Friday against Northwestern, tossing 6.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs and one walk against six strikeouts. The Diamond Dawg ace improved to 6-2 on the season with his seventh start of at least 6.0 innings pitched.
He's risen in the national rankings lately, climbing to 36th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.31), 55th in WHIP (1.07), 55th in victories (6), and 104th in earned run average (3.33).
In addition to the above stats, Banks also leads the Huskies in batting average against (.199), batters struck out (49), batters struck out looking (15), least runs allowed (19), and least walks allowed (19).
GOING, GOING, GUERRERO
Senior slugger AJ Guerrero moved into a tie for third all-time in career home runs at Washington after his four-home run week (41). He's now just one shy of tying the program. (T-1. 42, Kyle Conley, 2006-09; T-1. 42, Ed Erickson, 1997-00; T-3. 41, Zach Clem, 2003-06; T-3. 41, AJ Guerrero, 2022-25; 5. 36, Will Simpson, 2020-23).
The Fife, Wash. native leads Washington in multi-hit games (19), hits (60), doubles (14), total bases (98), slugging percentage (.560), home runs (8), is second in batting average (.362), runs scored (39), on base percentage (.442), and Walks (28).
BIG PLAY YEAGER
Isaac Yeager has become one of the most dependable relief arms on the team and added his fifth and sixth saves of the season last week against Illinois on Friday and Saturday to clinch the series. He ranks fifth in the conference and 46th in the NCAA in total saves and is second on the team in total strikeouts (45). He also has a team-high 19 appearances on the season.
SLAMMIN' SAMMY
Sam DeCarlo, the Diamond Dawgs' joint-home run leader, slugged his eighth home run of the season against Northwestern on Saturday. DeCarlo leads the Huskies in runs scored (40), is second in hits (54), second in multiple hit games (14), second in total bases (83), and third in walks (27). He's been far more than just a power hitter, however. The shortstop has been a beacon of consistency for Washington this season, serving as the only Husky to start every game this and leads the team with 106 assists. He's also second on the team in fielding double plays (22). DeCarlo was also named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, making him one of the top-100 shortstops in the nation.
TIMS TIME
Freshman hurler Justin Tims has become a consistent Sunday pitcher for the Huskies, earning nine starts including his last six as a weekend starter. In his most recent outing against Northwestern, he tossed the opening 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and four runs with a walk and a strikeout.
His best performance this season came against Purdue, helping Washington to a sweep of the Boilermakers. The freshman pitched a career-best 6.0 innings and eight strikeouts against zero walks. He's brought his ERA down to 5.60 on the season and owns a 1-3 record. Batters are hitting .287 against him with four or less hits allowed in seven of his nine starts.
RISPY BUSINESS
Three Huskies are batting .350 or better with runners in scoring position (Taggart - .417, DeCarlo - .400, Bower - .353). Casen Taggart leads the team in batting average (.362) and on base percentage (.514).
WALKING THE WALK
Casen Taggart has shown his patience at the plate, earning 42 walks this season. He's among the best in taking bases on balls in the country, sitting 24th in the NCAA in total walks and third in the Big Ten. On a per game basis, Taggart has the 10th-highest mark in the country and leads the Big Ten (1.08). He's collected four walks on two occasions this season, most recently against Purdue (4/6).
Taggart also shares the longest on base streak this season, currently sitting at 20 straight games. Braeden Terry has reached base safely in 20 games as well.
DOUBLE PLAY DAWG DEFENSE
Washington has been efficient defensively throughout the season. The Huskies have turned 35 double plays, the fifth-best mark in the Big Ten and the 53rd-best in the NCAA.
The Huskies fielding percentage sits at .977, the fifth-best in the conference and 39th in the NCAA.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Over the weekend in Illinois, the Huskies homered four times against Northwestern on Saturday and three times against UIC on Monday. The Diamond Dawgs have been largely successful when hitting more than one home run in a game, owning a 11-3 record in such games. When Washington hits zero or one home run, the Huskies are 14-18.
THOMAS ON TOP
Jackson Thomas has been a consistent starter for the Huskies since making his first start against San Francisco earlier this season. He's turned in nine total starts, eight of which he's gone for at least 5.0 innings. In six of those starts, he's allowed two or less runs, including on Saturday against Northwestern.
Among pitchers reaching the minimum of 1.0 IP per game, he leads the team in innings pitched (52.1), he's second on the team in earned run average (4.13), opposing batting average (.256), runs allowed (24), walks allowed (20), doubles allowed (6), and home runs allowed (5).
Thomas previously played under Head Coach Eddie Smith at Utah Valley. While there, the right-hander amassed a 3-1 record in 38.1 innings pitched. He played in 12 games and made five starts, with opponents batting .271 against him.
BOWER BOOMING
Colton Bower has been a force behind the plate and as a hitter this season. Defensively, he's caught 12 runners stealing. As a batter, Bower's logged five home runs and has 30 hits on the season, including seven doubles.
In the Big Ten rankings, Bower is second in hit by pitch (19) and first in hit by pitch per game (0.49). Bower is also in the top-25 in both hit by pitch statistics nationally, coming in at 26th in total HBP and 17th in per game.
His 19 pitches worn this season are tied for the third-most in a season in program history.
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.
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.
