Lower Columbia Red Devils and Washington State Cougars alum Dakota Hawkins signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the New York Mets this past summer and got a little taste of rookie ball and Single-A before the end of 2023. Hawkins appeared in two games for the FCL Mets, throwing 2 shutout innings, before moving up to Single-A St. Lucie. There, he made 3 appearances out of the bullpen, throwing 6 innings, allowing 0 runs and striking out 7.
2023 minor league stats: 8 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
A first-team all-league and all-state selection in baseball at W.F. West High in Chehalis, Washington, Hawkins began his collegiate career at the JUCO level at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. As a freshman, he went 3-0 with 32 strikeouts in 21.2 innings, helping his team win the Northwest Athletic Conference championship. As a sophomore, he went 1-1 with 13 strikeouts and zero walks in 7.1 innings, before the season was cut short due to Covid.
He then transferred to Washington State University and in his sophomore and junior years, between 2021-2022, Hawkins made 29 appearances (8 starts) and threw 71.2 innings and striking out 65 hitters.
Hawkins had a outstanding senior season in 2023 with the Cougars, earning an All-Pac-12 honorable mention and leading the team in innings pitched (73) and strikeouts (92). Hawkins was a strikeout machine for WSU, ranking ninth in the school’s single-season history and fourth in the Pac-12 in that category. He was twice named Collegiate Baseball’s national pitcher of the week.
Hawkins had a tough decision to make after going undrafted in the MLB draft, but he chose the Mets over six other teams that offered him a contract.