Nebraska Baseball: Drew Mackie has potential to be versatile for Huskers

Nebraska Baseball might have something special on their hands.

By now, most of you have probably heard the news that 2019 outfielder Drew Mackie has committed to Nebraska Baseball. This is been a successful week of commitments for the program, as Will Bolt and his coaching staff try to establish their own identity in the program.

In reading several of the interviews with players who have committed to the program, I get the sense that they feel like something special is happening. There is no doubt that this coaching staff is capable of leading the Nebraska Baseball program in the right direction. Just Bolt alone has enough experience for an impressive resume, and when you combine that with his coaching hires, the staff looks better and better every day.

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Mackie is a very intriguing player. Once committed to Texas Tech, he decommitted and found a home at Nebraska. There is no doubt he has skill. According to a report from Michael Bruntz of 247Sports, Mackie was a certified stud at Liberty High School. He ranks second all-time in program history with 124 hits, fourth in stolen bases with 33, and was an efficient hitter with a .392 batting average.

It sounds like he is your classic multi-tool player. That is certainly something Nebraska is going to need. My guess is that throughout the rest of the recruiting process, they will look for specific categories at each position.

For pitchers, they probably want a good mix of pitchers who rely on power, versus others who rely on location. For hitters, they probably want both solid contact hitters and power hitters. It is good to have a mix on your team. Mackie sounds like he can do it all, and that is certainly exciting to think about. Having a weapon like that in your lineup probably makes your life a lot easier as a coach.

Mackie told Bruntz on Thursday that he believes he can do a little bit of everything. I certainly like what he has to say, and if he can do as much as he is promising, that will certainly be a tremendous development for Nebraska Baseball.

"“I’m not a huge home run guy. I’m not going to hit 30, but I’m a doubles guy, gap to gap, line drives up the middle, and use my speed to get on base and steal bases,” Mackie said. “I can run into a few home runs, too.”"

That sounds good to me. If Mackie can truly do everything he says, my guess is that he will be slotted into the fourth spot in the lineup at some point during his career. Having a player that can put the ball in play and drive it to different parts of the field is crucial. With his speed, him getting on-base will only frustrate the pitcher even more. He truly sounds like a nightmare to gameplan for.

I can’t wait to see him in Lincoln, and I think this is a great get for the Nebraska Baseball program. That will put them in a position to have continued success not only in the immediate future but down the road as well.

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