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Indiana first baseman Jake Hanley named Big Ten Freshman of the Year

Browning Headshotby: Zach Browning05/20/25ZachBrowning17
Jake Hanley
Photo Credit: Indiana University Athletics

Indiana first baseman Jake Hanley was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year on Tuesday, capping off a standout debut season that saw him emerge as one of the top hitters and most reliable defenders in the conference.

The 6-foot-6 freshman from Mason, Ohio, became just the fourth player in Indiana program history to receive the honor, which was announced by the conference ahead of the Big Ten Tournament.

Hanley is the second Indiana player to win the award under head coach Jeff Mercer, joining Devin Taylor, who earned the recognition two seasons ago.

Hanley’s impact was immediate. He started all 54 regular season games, quickly establishing himself as a fixture in the middle of Indiana’s lineup.

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By season’s end, Hanley was hitting cleanup and had become one of only two Hoosiers to start every game, alongside outfielder Korbyn Dickerson.

Offensively, Hanley led all Big Ten freshmen in batting average (.338), hits (71), home runs (14), and RBIs (52). He added nine doubles, a triple, and 48 runs scored.

After a brief dip below .300 during opening weekend, Hanley maintained a batting average above .308 for the remainder of the season, peaking at .411 in March. He recorded hits in 39 of Indiana’s 54 games, with 21 multi-hit performances.

Hanley’s production surged in conference play, where he hit .331 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. His power numbers increased late in the season, highlighted by three multi-homer games during the 2025 campaign.

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Defensively, Hanley was equally impressive. Taking over at first base for three-year starter Brock Tibbitts, he posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in over 400 chances — an errorless season in his first collegiate campaign.

In addition to Freshman of the Year honors, Hanley was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

He joins former Indiana standouts Alex Dickerson (2009), Sam Travis (2012), and Devin Taylor (2023) as recipients of the conference’s top freshman award. Dickerson and Travis both went on to Major League careers, while Taylor is projected as a first-round pick in this summer’s MLB Draft.

Hanley’s breakout year positions him as one of the key players to watch as Indiana opens postseason play in the Big Ten Tournament this week.

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