Nebraska Cornhuskers Baseball: 3 Questions facing the pitching staff
With the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball season just 11 days away, it’s time to look at what to expect, including what we don’t know about the pitchers yet.
At this point, there are quite a few more questions than answers regarding the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team. It would seem that head coach Will Bolt understands that, considering that he’s talked openly about wanting trendsetters to establish a tone for NU early for this edition of his squad.
Bolt and the Huskers are the Huskers are entering uncharted territory thanks to his first season being canceled by COVID, his second season being the exception and his third season being abysmal. A ton of new faces, especially on the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team’s pitching staff as well as some veterans looking for better performances in 2023, lead to three big questions ahead of the season opener against San Diego.
Can Emmett Olson be the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team’s ace?
While the Huskers’ pitching staff mostly struggled in 2022 (team ERA ballooned to 4.70 from a 3.81 earned run average in 2021) Emmett Olson was the exception to the rule.
As a freshman lefty, he eased into his role as the best starting pitcher on the staff last year, but will be expected to be “the man” to lead the weekend rotation this time around. His 3-3 record belies a dominant performance once he started opening games and he led the team with a 2.86 ERA. he also had 65 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 66 innings.
Olson is expected to be good enough this year that D1baseball believes he’s one of the top 2023 draft prospects in the Big Ten, though a bit more seasoning will likely be helpful. If he can come out and be solid or even dominant on Fridays, the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team has a chance to challenge for the Big Ten crown again.
Can new faces gel quickly?
The rest of the Huskers rotation hasn’t been laid out in ink just yet but it’s safe to assume that Wichita State transfer Jace Kaminska and freshman hurler Caleb Clark will get the first shots at rounding out the top 3.
Kaminska has had a bit of an up and down career so far and the Huskers are going to hope that he can recapture the magic of his freshman season. That year he went 8-1 with a 2.32 ERA and two complete games. However he struggled in his sophomore season for the Shockers going 3-9 with a 5.49 ERA. Interestingly, his strikeout rate went way up in 2022 compared to 2021.
Caleb Clark is a lefty freshman from Orillia, Ontario, who was considered among the top players in Canada after his final year in secondary school. It’s entirely possible that Clark will get the same kind of treatment as Olson did in 2022 and won’t be relied on in the rotation right away, but it’s probably been a disappointing season if he isn’t getting at least mid-week starts by the end of 2023.
Lockdown Closer for Nebraska baseball?
One Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball player that has predominantly been in the rotation during his career in Lincoln is likely headed for a new role this year. Shay Schanaman is expected to take over the closer’s duties after being decent but far from dominant as a starter in 2021 and 2022.
One reason Nebraska baseball fans should get excited about the possibility of Schanaman in the backend of the bullpen is because he has shown glimpses of great stuff. He had two complete games and a shutout las year. Over the course of his Husker career he’s struck out 181 batters in 177.1 innings pitched.
If Shay Schanaman doesn’t need to try and space out his stuff for 5, 6, 7 or even 9 innings, he could be a bit more electric for the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team.