Washington will begin a three-game baseball series against Valparaiso on April 2, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The games are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m., with all matches set to be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
The upcoming series comes after Washington’s decisive victory over No. 9 Oregon State, where the Huskies won 18-2 for their first win over a ranked opponent this season. This win was also their first in Corvallis since 2018 and marked the largest margin of defeat for Oregon State at home since April 1973.
Key players have contributed to Washington’s recent success. Colton Bower recorded the team’s twelfth triple of the season, helping the Huskies rank fourth nationally in total triples. Jackson Hotchkiss leads the team in several offensive categories including batting average (.409), slugging percentage (.864), home runs (8), and is currently on a sixteen-game reached base streak. The pitching staff has also performed well, ranking among national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per nine innings.
Eddie Smith is now in his second season as head coach after being named to lead University of Washington baseball on July 9, 2024. Smith joined from Utah Valley following three seasons there.
After facing Valparaiso, Washington will host Gonzaga for two games to close out a five-game homestand. The Huskies remain unbeaten in Big Ten series played at Husky Ballpark since joining the conference last year and have won or split each of their home series over the past calendar year.
