In a return to Clark County, University of Washington standout Jackson Hotchkiss wowed the crowd at the first Northwest Baseball Coaches Association College Classic at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex (RORC) on Tuesday, April 21.
Hotchkiss, the Huskies’ sophomore outfielder and a Battle Ground High School graduate, led the University of Washington baseball team, going three for six at the plate, a double shy of the cycle, in the Huskies’ 8-1 win against the University of Portland Pilots. In his sophomore campaign, Hotchkiss has moved into the leadoff spot and has developed into a speedy power hitter for the Huskies.
During the College Classic, presented by the Ridgefield Raptors, more than 1,000 fans — many from local high school and youth baseball and softball teams who got in for free by wearing their jerseys — braved the elements to cheer on either the Huskies or Pilots. Intermittent rain gave way to an epic rainbow over the right field wall.
After an infield single in the first inning, the batting order flipped over to Hotchkiss in the second inning. The Battle Ground High School graduate launched a three-run home run and later added a triple in a setting that felt both routine and surreal.
“It’s weird coming back with such a big school to such a small area,” Hotchkiss said.
Hotchkiss added that, despite the change in environment with the smaller ballpark in Ridgefield, he tried to simply stay consistent.
“I definitely didn’t picture being at Ridgefield,” he said. “But it’s fun. It’s enjoyable. It’s good to see a lot of family and be so close to home. Obviously, I’m not going home, a three-hour drive back up, but that’s part of the deal.”
On Friday, April 24, the Huskies were in Michigan and back to the travel grind of a West Coast school in the Big 10 conference.
The stellar performance from the local kid on April 21 also raised his batting average to .350 on the season, which leads the Huskies. Hotchkiss also leads Washington in total home runs, runs scored, runs batted in and other offensive categories, despite missing the first month of the season with an oblique injury.
The injury allowed Hotchkiss to develop a patient mindset, which has paid off in big ways.
“I’ve just been able to step back and relax a little bit, not tense up after every at-bat and get real down on myself,” Hotchkiss said. “But that’s the biggest thing. Just step back a little, calm down, loosen up and realize I don’t have to be someone I’m not.”
Flash back to Hotchkiss’s senior year of high school, a Major League Baseball scout had told The Reflector that Hotchkiss is “too nice” of a kid, and their organization is looking for someone with an edge. But for Hotchkiss, that fiery edge has always been there.
“I feel like I’ve always had the edge … People are going to say whatever they’re going to say, that’s just kind of how it is,” he said. “But yeah, you talk to a lot of the team, I would say that they would agree that the edge has been there, especially since last year. It’s definitely been set in stone. But yeah, I’m just going to perform and I’m kind of tuning everything else out and do my thing.”
During Hotchkiss’ senior year, Battle Ground Tigers head coach Seth Johnson had high praise for his character and efforts beyond the game of baseball.
“The best part about Jackson, though, is he’s a great kid, 4.0 student, and the hardest worker on the team,” Johnson told The Reflector in 2024. “He does all the right things, does everything you’re asking for character-wise, and when your best player is your hardest worker, that’s the perfect scenario regardless of what program he’s in.”
Coming out of high school, Hotchkiss was the No. 2 high school baseball recruit in the state for the Class of 2024, according to previous reporting by The Reflector.
“Hotchkiss turned some heads with a solid performance in the Area Code Games, last year, and he added even more physicality to his 6-foot-3 frame as a senior this spring,” according to Sam Dykstra on MLB.com in 2024. “He could add even more raw power as he matures, and there’s hope that he transforms into a classic right fielder in time, though many thought entering the draft his best route was to head to Washington for college.”
Hotchkiss was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 18th of 20 rounds, but opted to stay committed to the Huskies over professional baseball. Dykstra’s 2024 analysis was correct as Over Slot, a baseball prospect-tracking website, ranks Hotchkiss 42nd in the top-100 2027 collegiate prospects when he is once again draft eligible. Over Slot’s scouting report adds, “There’s potential here for one of the more impactful bats from this class at the next level.”
