Tulane outfielder Hudson Haskin was a Preseason All-American and is one of the premier players in college baseball.

But he wasn't an overnight sensation.

Haskin, a 6-foot-2, 198-pounder, arrived to the Big Easy with at least some fanfare. He broke George Springer's stolen base record at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut, and he was ranked as one of the nation's Top 150 high school prospects by Prep Baseball Report. However, as with most first-year players, there was a learning curve and Tulane head coach Travis Jewett wasn't sure what to expect from Haskin in his first season.

Jewett liked the tools and he certainly liked the potential. But slam dunk star from day one?

"I think it was [his immediate breakout], and with all due respect to him, a gradual progression throughout the fall and spring," Jewett said about Haskin. "I looked at Hudson and thought we had a hyper athlete on our hands, and one who I thought would eventually be a good player. How fast? I wasn't real sure.

"But he really works on it," he continued. "He's got a high, high care level. And he gets after it.:"

Everyone knows what happened what happened once the lights came on and Haskin's freshman season began. As the Green Wave took a step forward with a 32-win campaign and led the American Athletic Conference in several offensive categories, Haskin was Kody Hoese's right-hand man in the starting lineup. Though Hoese was the star and headliner, Haskin wasn't far behind.

But again, just like the fall, there was a process for Haskin.

Jewett remembers a situation a few games into the season. Haskin wasn't in the starting lineup the first few games of the 2019 campaign and approached Jewett.

"I didn't play him the first few games last year, and it was kind of like one of those "when are you going to pull your head out of your armpit" type of moments," Jewett said. "He was kind of like what do I have to do to play? I just told him to be ready when his name is called.

"Shortly after, we put him in the lineup, and the rest is history," he continued. "He's a really, really good player."

Haskin responded to that call by putting together one of the best freshman campaigns in Tulane history. He earned Freshman All-American honors and batted an impressive .372 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs, while also having a .459 OBP, .674 SLG% and a high 1.106 OPS. And oh yeah he also showed an advanced and mature offensive approach and limited his strikeouts, 29 versus 26 walks.

Quite the first impression, we'd say.

"I always tell the guys, you're only as good as the pitch you're swinging at," Jewett said. "Half the time in hitting, everyone is worried about the actual swing a lot of the time. Worry about the pitches you're trying to hit. He does a really good job of trying to stay out of the basement with his pitch selection, he likes the stuff up in the penthouse a little better. You have to have a good plan.

"Direction is big with hitters," he continued. "A majority of the pitches you see in college baseball are going to be away from you. Why look in if it's going to be away? He does a good job of controlling the strike zone. He can really run, too."

As we mentioned earlier, Hoese was a record base stealer in high school. However, he finished last season with just four stolen bases. The reason for that? Jewett pointed to Tulane's pitching woes. The Green Wave didn't want to potentially give teams 'free' outs by getting caught stealing, so he kept Haskin a little at bay last season.

That likely won't be the case this season. Haskin has yet to steal a base through four games, but with Tulane's pitching staff, so far, showing improvement, the opportunity is there for Haskin to get let loose a little bit. After all, he could be a weapon. He ran a 4.1 down the line from the right side against Louisiana on Wednesday night.

"I do think we'll see him steal more bases," he said. "We are pitching better. I was afraid to give anything away for free last season. I figured we're just going to sit right here at the plate and bang. I felt like we had to score some runs, so we were a little bit of cement shoes out there. We need to be a little more active out there and I think we will be."

Haskin is off to a solid start this season. He's hitting .333 with three RBIs through four games and he's showing a consistent, patient offensive plan of attack. He's also showing athleticism and an impressive defensive skill set out in center field.

It's a long season, but the prognosis is good with Haskin. He's done nothing but show a consistent overall approach, and with a strong season, could see his draft stock rise even more. He's currently ranked the No. 56 player in our College Top 350 prospects list as a draft-eligible sophomore, but there's more to come. In addition to continuing to improve his craft, Haskin wants to be one of those guys who helps Tulane reach the next level under Jewett.

"Hitting isn't a perfection. It's an art with a round ball and bat, foul lines, dudes with gloves, good sliders and sometimes crappy strike zones," Jewett said. "It's like trying to make sure he's glorifying the good and not overdoing the bad.

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