It isn't much of a stretch to call a member of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team a rising star in the world of college softball, but it's also difficult to understate the impact that outfielder Kaycie Burdick had on the Washington Huskies in 2026.

Burdick, who also found her name on the NFCA All-Mountain Region Third Team, was nothing short of stellar in her first season on Montlake. After taking over as the leadoff hitter and full-time center fielder midway through the year, she posted a .374 batting average and 38 runs scored, both of which were good for No. 2 on coach Heather Tarr's team.

The biggest reason that Burdick found herself at the top of the order was her consistency in getting on base. She accrued 61 hits and 21 walks on the year to lift her to a .455 on-base percentage, and added a pair of home runs and 30 runs batted in.

Burdick was also extremely reliable defensively, with just a single error across 65 chances on the season, while she was credited with 3 assists.

Her 55 games played were the most of any member of Tarr's freshman class, and after the Huskies were knocked out in the NCAA Regional round for the third straight season, that experience will be valuable heading into the 2027 season for a team that is losing just one player to graduation.

As Tarr looks for her to take the next step in her development ahead of her sophomore year, Burdick may look to cut down on strikeouts next. Her 34 strikeouts were the second-most on the team, and if she can cut down on that number, her speed on the bases can put additional pressure on teams with stars Alexis DeBoer and Giselle Alvarez behind her in the lineup.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington softball boasts a rising star in OF Kaycie Burdick