Two Northwestern baseball players are officially on the path to their sport’s highest level following this year’s MLB Draft.
Rising senior Ryan Kucherak was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round with the 455th pick, while Jack Lausch (SESP ‘25) was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 17th round with the 512th pick. Both picks came Sunday during Day 2 of the draft, marking the first NU players selected since 2021.
After spending his freshman season at LSU, Kucherak transferred to the Wildcats and made an immediate impact with his bat. The shortstop hit 18 home runs in 2025, setting a new program single-season record.
In both of his seasons at NU, the Chandler, Arizona native posted an on-base plus slugging percentage over .900, including a team-high 1.018 OPS in 2025. Kucherak claimed Third Team All-Big Ten honors in 2026 after leading the ’Cats in walks and stolen bases while also hitting 10 home runs.
Kucherak entered the transfer portal on June 30th, so should he choose to decline his offer from the Padres and return to college, he would not play for NU next season.
Lausch began his college athletics career with NU’s football team before joining the baseball team in 2025 with hopes of playing professionally. The center fielder hit 22 home runs across his two seasons, only trailing Kucherak for the most by any ’Cat in that timespan. He also committed just three errors across the two years, posting a 98.8% fielding percentage.
Lausch commanded NU’s offense in 2026, leading the team in home runs, runs batted in, hits and runs. He joined Kucherak with a Third Team All-Big Ten nod and also received the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award, given to those with distinguished behavior on and off the field.
Coach Ben Greenspan will now look to lead the ’Cats in 2027 without two of his most productive hitters.
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