The fifth annual Jimmy Disch Sport Analytics Award has been presented to Jacob Hahn ‘25. The Disch Award is voted on by professors and given to the graduating senior who has shown a strong commitment to academic excellence, while also earning exceptional practical experience in the Sport Analytics field throughout their time at Rice University.
This award is named after Dr. James "Jimmy" Disch, who retired in 2021 after 48 years teaching at Rice. The Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management had a love and passion for sports and data that led him to create the Sport Analytics program within the Department of Sport Management.
While it is an individual award, Hahn said he largely sees it as a recognition of the success of the Rice Baseball Analytics Team (RBAT), which he has been a part of since his freshman year.
“Our success wouldn't be possible without the hundreds and hundreds of hours of work by all of the student analysts who volunteer their time and effort on top of their coursework,” Hahn said. “I also am extremely grateful to Adam Gurin and all of the other RBAT alumni who passed the program down to me in such a stable state with strong, well-established processes.”
Hahn started as a baseball analytics intern for Rice's baseball team where he spent two and a half years before taking over as the Coordinator of Analytics as a senior. In that role, Hahn supervised a team of 16 other students and was in charge of all video, data, scouting, and research projects done by the baseball team.
“I worked closely with the coaching staff on a daily basis to help provide useful information in any format that helps the team and players improve,” Hahn said.
On top of his work with RBAT, Hahn has competed in national baseball analytics conventions and presented academic research across the country. During his sophomore and junior years, Hahn also competed in the SABR Diamond Dollars competition where his team of himself and four other students was given one week to build analytical models to solve baseball-related problems and present their solutions to MLB employees.
Both years he competed, Hahn’s team was named the winner of the room they competed against and runners-up in the overall competition.
"What sets Jacob apart is his exceptional ability to translate classroom knowledge into high-quality research, an impressive skill for an undergraduate," said Hua Gong, Assistant Professor of Sport Analytics. "His analytical rigor and dedication to advancing sport analytics, particularly in baseball, distinguish him as a standout student in the program."
During his junior year, Hahn worked with Scott Powers, an Assistant Professor of Sport Analytics, on a research project looking at the “pickoff rule,” one of the new rules MLB implemented during the 2023 season limiting the number of times a pitcher can step off the mound and the number of times they can attempt to pick off a baserunner.
His project was called “The Two Foot Rule - A Game Theoretic Analysis of the Pickoff Limit in Major League Baseball,” and he presented it at the Saberseminar conference in Chicago in August 2024 and the CASSIS conference in Vancouver that September.
“All of these presentations were amazing opportunities to display my work to professionals in the sport analytics industry and show my capabilities,” Hahn said.
However, it wasn’t just during the school year when Hahn succeeded. Over the summers he also worked in baseball. After his sophomore year, he worked as a Baseball Operations and Analytics Intern for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League. There he helped scout opposing teams and manage the Hawks’ team's roster for a college summer baseball league.
After his junior year, Hahn worked for the Seattle Mariners as a Baseball Projects Intern. In Seattle, Hahn assisted the team with the amateur draft while also completing projects involving web app development and the free agency period.
“Learning how to write a professional resume and cover letter and construct a web portfolio of my work have been crucial skills that have helped me find success in interviews and job applications,” Hahn said. “Dr. Powers and Dr. Gong's analytics classes have all taught me useful skills and enabled me to think about sports in creative ways that have allowed me to bring new ideas to everywhere I've been.”
All of the work he put in as an underclassmen, led to a big payout for Hahn.
“I've spent my senior year traveling around the country with Rice's baseball team, building strong relationships with players, coaches and my fellow student analysts,” Hahn said. “I don't know how many other schools have opportunities like this for students, but I'll forever be grateful to Rice for making this experience possible.”
Now Hahn looks forward to returning to his hometown of Chicago and joining the Cubs full-time as a Baseball Operations Analyst, Hahn said that Rice has given him an “excellent foundation to build upon” for his work experiences.
As a Baseball Operations Analyst, Hahn will be helping the Cubs with advance scouting, game strategy, player evaluation and analytical projects. For others who see his future plans and the recognition he has received and want to emulate it, Hahn says to not be afraid, but instead to be hungry for success.
“If there's a job or responsibility you want that you don't already have, don't hesitate to ask what it would take for you to be given that role,” Hahn said. “If you sit back and wait for opportunities to be handed to you, you'll be passed over by ambitious people who are hungry for success, so be one of those hungry people trying to create opportunities for themself.”
"There is no doubt that Jacob will be an excellent professional in baseball and sport analytics," Gong said. "His drive, intelligence, and passion for the fields will undoubtedly lead him to great success in his career. I look forward to following his achievements and contributions to the industry in the years ahead."
Kathleen Ortiz, a junior from Kingwood, Texas, is studying Social Policy Analysis and Sport Management with a concentration in Sport Law.