Hitting a walk-off home run to break a team’s losing streak would be a meaningful feat for any baseball player, but it might mean something extra for graduate student infielder Jacob Hand.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth inning and facing a 1-1 count against UIC Tuesday, Hand blasted a fastball over the left field wall to secure the 7-6 Northwestern victory.
“It’s a good fastball,” Hand said. “You know it’s coming, you get it, and you hammer it. That’s how you hit and do it.”
Hand earned just his seventh start of the season against the Flames, slotting in at second base. The graduate student’s workload has increased recently during his first season as a Wildcat.
In the ’Cats’ most recent conference series against Nebraska, Hand started all three games, going 2-for-7 with one RBI and a double over the course of the weekend. On Saturday, Hand notched his first two Division I hits and his first D-I extra-base hit.
Hand joined NU after playing Division III undergraduate baseball at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Hand was a mainstay in the Engineers’ lineup — starting every game in 2023 and 2024 — capping last season off with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs.
Tuesday’s start against UIC marked his fourth in a row. Hand’s game-winning home run highlight reflects his growth throughout the campaign.
“You just gotta take your opportunities,” Hand said. “We’ve had a lot of guys this year that have taken their opportunities and done the same thing, so it’s awesome.”
NU’s tilt with the Flames on Tuesday was the third matchup of the season between the squads. Coming into the day, both teams were looking to secure the win that would declare the victor of the series.
Hand’s home run secured the coveted in-state series and provided some momentum for the ’Cats’ team that entered Rocky and Berenice Miller Park on a two-game losing streak.
“It’s good to win that series,” Hand said. “It’s good for clubhouse morale, and we will be taking that into the weekend against Washington.”
Most notably, though, Hand’s clutch moment continues the trend of NU coming with victories late in games.
During the ’Cats’ last matchup against UIC on April 1, junior infielder Trent Liolios delivered a solo home run down the right field line to take the lead in the top of the tenth inning
Additionally, senior catcher Bennett Markinson singled to right field in a game tied in the top of the ninth, putting NU ahead by two runs and securing a victory over Nebraska on Friday.
For Hand, grinding out another win late just plays into the team’s attitude.
“Gritty ’Cats. That’s what (coach Ben Greenspan) says. It’s what we all say,” Hand said. “Find a way to win, no matter what it is. It counts as a win in the scorebooks.”
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