When it comes to the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team, it’s hard to claim that Will Bolt’s squad did anything right throughout their opening weekend series.
Yes, there were things here and there that can be built on. However, there’s a reason baseball is played in a series of games instead of just one-offs like in football and basketball. One good game or bad game isn’t much to go on. Four bad games, or four good games are at least worth looking at when they are the only sample size available.
On that note, San Diego has to be ecstatic. The team is coming off a 37-20 2022 season and is expected to win the WCC this year. Most people believed that despite the talent it has on the roster compared to other mid-major programs, the Nebraska baseball team would be able to at least split this opening series.
Instead, the Huskers looked disjointed on offense for the first two games and appallingly bad on the pitching end on Saturday and Sunday. More specifically, the bullpen looks as though it doesn’t have a single arm it can depend on to close the door at this point in the season.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Baseball: Disastrous opening weekend all over
One thing is clear after the first weekend of real play for the Nebraska baseball team. There’s more than one thing to worry about right now.
Two big patterns emerged over the four-game set where they lost 7-3 on Friday, 5-3 on Saturday, 10-9 on Sunday and tied 16-16 on Monday. The offense is simply not making enough contact. Even in a game where they scored 16 runs, the Huskers struck out 11 times. On Friday, they struck out 9 times. Saturday they struck out 12 times. Sunday they had another dozen strikeouts.
It’s going to be hard for the team to be consistent on offense at all if they don’t cutting down on the swings and misses.
And then of course, there’s the bullpen. What was a big issue for the Nebraska Cornhuskers last year appears to be shaping up to be a big one this year as well. The Bolt’s team led on Sunday 8-2 before allowing San Diego to tie it in the 5th and 6th inning. The Toreros then won in the bottom of the 9th.
On Monday, Nebraska led 4-1 before allowing 9 in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Huskers then went on a scoring rampage and took a 16-10 lead into the final frame of a game that was shortened by a time limit on when the next inning could begin. In the bottom of seventh of Monday’s game, Nebraska baseball allowed 6 runs. That was enough for San Diego to tie and rob the Huskers their last chance of a win in the season opening series.
Next up for Bolt and his beaten-down squad is a trip to South Alabama. Not only did the Jaguars post 31 wins a year ago, but they’re off to a solid 3-1 start to this campaign. That means if the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team is going to “get right” they’re going to have to do it fast.