The Nebraska baseball team has charged through the spring, determined to rewrite its story. Last week, the Huskers delivered a statement, sweeping the Iowa Hawkeyes and sealing a season sweep of the Creighton Blue Jays. Although the Big Ten title remains elusive with UCLA steamrolling ahead, the Huskers still have everything to play for in an electric regular-season finale.
As the Huskers begin a series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the mission is clear: secure another sweep to lock in a regional host site. After the win over Creighton rocketed the Cornhuskers up to No. 14 in RPI ratings. The top 16 teams in the country will host a regional. Will Bolt’s squad is in the running, despite a three-game sweep loss to Ohio State two weeks ago.
Will Bolt put Nebraska baseball in position to chase hosting entering the Minnesota series
If Nebraska can take care of business, especially on the road against its Big Ten rival and sweep the series, there’s a very real chance a regional will be set in Lincoln. Of course, the Huskers still don’t control their own destiny in that regard. Whether Haymarket gets a chance to hose or not is entirely up to the selection committee, even if NU finishes inside the Top 16 in the RPI rankings.
Where the Huskers can control their own destiny is what seed they get in the Big Ten Tournament. While they’re six games behind UCLA for first place, the battle for the No. 2 seed is very much on.
Nebraska, USC, Purdue, and Oregon are all separated in the standings by two games. Should things go horribly wrong this weekend, the Huskers could drop all the way to fifth place. If that happens, not only is any chance for hosting a regional out of the question, but a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament isn’t a given.
On the other hand, should the Cornhuskers take care of business and get the sweep, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the conference does; they’ll get the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. An easier path to a third straight tournament title would be welcome. And once again, if NU can go well over 40 wins by the time selection night rolls around, the better the chance Haymarket Park gets into the postseason for the first time since 2008.
Will Bolt needs Nebraska baseball to finish strong and seize the No. 2 Big Ten seed
The good news is that with USC and Oregon doing battle this weekend, Nebraska doesn’t have to sweep Minnesota in order to solidify the No. 2 seed. However, it would be nice for everyone’s blood pressure if NU controlled its own destiny and wasn’t waiting, watching, and hoping on Sunday evening for the right team to win.
The season has already been a magical one for a Nebraska baseball team that proved time and time again it can hold its own against the best teams in the country. Unfortunately, Ohio State showed some serious cracks in the façade, and since that sweep, the Huskers have diminished in the eyes of national analysts. Finishing the regular season 7-0 might help them regroup and regain their previous stature while securing the easiest path to another title to boot.
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