Jack Lausch hit 16 home runs at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park this spring. Two years ago, he was Northwestern's starting quarterback. Now he's eyeing the MLB Draft.
The senior outfielder, who committed full time to Wildcats baseball in 2025 after leading the football team with 1,714 passing yards and seven touchdowns, is pursuing a professional baseball career with the 2026 MLB Draft set for Friday, July 11 through Saturday, July 12 in Philadelphia. The Daily Northwestern reported Monday, July 7 that Lausch has his sights on pro ball after a breakout season.
From prospect to quarterback and back
Lausch arrived at Northwestern as a decorated high school baseball prospect, ranked in the top 100 by scout Kiley McDaniel and in Baseball America's top 250 in 2022. He chose football instead, wearing No. 12 and starting at quarterback. His final game under center came at Wrigley Field on Saturday, November 30, 2024, against Illinois.
Then he walked away from football for good.
A record-setting bat
In his first full baseball season in 2025, Lausch hit .338 with a .448 on-base percentage, a .605 slugging percentage, and six home runs. D1Baseball named him one of its top prospects.
The 2026 season was better. Lausch's 16 home runs and 132 total bases both rank second in Northwestern program history, according to NU Athletics. He became the first Wildcat to lead the team in batting average and home runs in the same season, according to the program's All-Big Ten announcement.
He closed the regular season with two home runs in the finale on Saturday, May 17, then earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors and the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award when they were announced Monday, May 19. Earlier in the season, he drove in three runs on a triple against St. Thomas-Minnesota on Tuesday, April 22 at Miller Park.
Evanston connection
Lausch played his home games in Evanston under head coach Ben Greenspan, who led the program to its best win percentage since 2005 in 2025. Teammate Ryan Kucherak was also invited to the MLB Draft Combine in June, giving the Wildcats two players on professional scouts' radar heading into draft week.
The draft begins Friday, July 11 in Philadelphia. Lausch's 16 home runs and program-historic totals put him back on the radar of professional scouts who first noticed him as a high schooler four years ago.
