BASEBALL: Hague ends career with blowout weekend

Sometimes when making a really nice cake with tons of chocolate icing and some really good custard in between the layers, the chef just has to put a cherry on top to make sure the thing truly becomes a masterpiece.

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216-571, 132 R, 128 RBI, 27 HR (13 this year)

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Husky third basemen Matt Hague did just that when he went 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, two home runs and six RBI in the Huskies series against Cal over the weekend to top off his career masterpiece at the UW. The feats also earned him the honors of being Pac-10 player of the week.

"It felt good to end on a really good note," Hague said. "It's kind of sad that my Husky career's over with, but it's time to move on now and it was fun."

The biggest hit of the weekend came when Hague blasted a game-tying solo home run to lock the score at 4-4 before Washington went onto win 5-4.

"It was cool because that's when we needed it the most and that's what I had to do to tie the game," Hague said. "Also it's kind of cool because my first hit as a Husky was a home run and my last hit as a Husky was a home run."

Saturday, Hague helped the Huskies to an early 3-0 lead when he hit a three-run home run in the first inning, in which he was batting third. Washington went onto win the game 12-2.

With three years of solid play for Washington, Hague is preparing for the upcoming draft and will plan to join the professional ranks soon.

"I imagine he will get drafted pretty good and have a probably have a nice pro career," coach Ken Knutson said.

Hague's, career batting average (.378) ranks him second on the all-time Husky hitters list behind Jeb Best.

"You don't really come into the UW thinking you're going to be the second leading hitter [of] all-time ...it's a good personal accomplishment," Hague said. "I didn't even know that about that. It's kind of cool."

Hague will no doubt take his hard hitting with him in this year's draft, his coach said.

"He's just a really good hitter and good hitters hit balls hard quite often, then once you do that you have a chance to get some hits," Knutson said. "He puts a lot of balls in the play on the ground. He's a guy that will always have a good batting average."

Reach reporter James Schleicher at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.