Indiana University Athletics
Three Named to Big Ten Players to Watch List
2/11/2026 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Ahead of the beginning of the 2026 baseball season, the Big Ten released its "Players to Watch" list and its preseason coaches' poll. The Hoosiers had three players selected to the watch list and were picked fifth in the conference by a vote of the 17 managers. UCLA, the defending co-champions, were a unanimous selection to win the league.
Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley, sophomore catcher Hogan Denny and senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman were nominated by IU's coaching staff as the program's three watch list selections in the Big Ten. Each school provided three players for a total of 51 conference athletes.
Hanley is coming off one of the best freshman campaigns in program history. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year and all-conference selection hit .333 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in his debut season. He started all 56 games at first base and finished the year as a national finalist for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award. Hanley is the cornerstone of IU's offense in 2026 and will be the first name on the lineup card for head coach Jeff Mercer this year.
Denny made the Opening Day lineup in 2025 and powered his way to a .292 average over 50 appearances. He featured in the outfield and at second base but was a mainstay as the team's designated hitter. The Mooresville, Indiana native will help anchor the middle of IU's lineup and will both catch and play the outfield as a sophomore this year. He hit six home runs and provided 24 RBIs in his first season on campus.
Bergman, a towering transfer arm from Toledo, has the stuff to be a weekend regular on IU's pitching staff. Over 132.2 career innings in the MAC, Bergman worked a 4.68 earned run average and had just 48 walks in three years. The veteran from Ohio has worked into the mid-90s and impressed in the fall with great command of his pitches. IU has had great success with turning transfer arms into professional prospects in Bloomington.
As a team, Mercer's crew was picked fifth by the respective coaches. D1 Baseball had the Hoosiers sixth in the preseason poll, right on the outside looking in of the NCAA Tournament field. IU will face three of the top six teams in the preseason Big Ten projections this year. The Hoosiers open the season this weekend with a three-game set at No. 11 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch
• RHP Jackson Bergman, Sr.
• C/OF Hogan Denny, So.
• 1B Jake Hanley, So.
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. UCLA (unanimous)
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley, sophomore catcher Hogan Denny and senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman were nominated by IU's coaching staff as the program's three watch list selections in the Big Ten. Each school provided three players for a total of 51 conference athletes.
Hanley is coming off one of the best freshman campaigns in program history. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year and all-conference selection hit .333 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in his debut season. He started all 56 games at first base and finished the year as a national finalist for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award. Hanley is the cornerstone of IU's offense in 2026 and will be the first name on the lineup card for head coach Jeff Mercer this year.
Denny made the Opening Day lineup in 2025 and powered his way to a .292 average over 50 appearances. He featured in the outfield and at second base but was a mainstay as the team's designated hitter. The Mooresville, Indiana native will help anchor the middle of IU's lineup and will both catch and play the outfield as a sophomore this year. He hit six home runs and provided 24 RBIs in his first season on campus.
Bergman, a towering transfer arm from Toledo, has the stuff to be a weekend regular on IU's pitching staff. Over 132.2 career innings in the MAC, Bergman worked a 4.68 earned run average and had just 48 walks in three years. The veteran from Ohio has worked into the mid-90s and impressed in the fall with great command of his pitches. IU has had great success with turning transfer arms into professional prospects in Bloomington.
As a team, Mercer's crew was picked fifth by the respective coaches. D1 Baseball had the Hoosiers sixth in the preseason poll, right on the outside looking in of the NCAA Tournament field. IU will face three of the top six teams in the preseason Big Ten projections this year. The Hoosiers open the season this weekend with a three-game set at No. 11 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch
• RHP Jackson Bergman, Sr.
• C/OF Hogan Denny, So.
• 1B Jake Hanley, So.
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. UCLA (unanimous)
2. Oregon
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, May 21
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NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Tennessee
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NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Southern Miss
Friday, May 31