Intro (3 paragraphs)
The Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team has a chance to prove that they’re going to be a Big Ten contender this year despite being picked to finish fifth in the conference by the media. They took a step on Friday in a win over Baylor, they missed an opportunity to do the same on Saturday.
The Huskers went toe-to-toe against the 21st ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in an afternoon tilt, against a team that was basically staging a “bullpen game” against them. Will Bolt’s new-look squad was able to chase starter Zane Petty after two innings but in hindsight, didn’t do enough with four walks in those two frames.
It was the Nebraska Cornhuskers bullpen, which had been so impressive in the win over Baylor, that ultimately faltered in the ninth inning as they allowed three runs to score to break a 3-3 tie and NU eventually fell 6-3. That result means that the Huskers missed a golden opportunity to get a big win over a Top 25 program.
Key moment
The best chance for the Huskers to take control of the game was in the bottom of the sixth after consecutive singles from Josh Caron and Tyler Stone. Gabe Swansen moved the pair over with a sacrifice bunt, but the Red Raiders retired the next two Huskers via a strikeout and flyout to maintain the tie at three.
Why the Nebraska Cornhuskers lost
A lack of big hits in key situations has been a problem for Bolt’s squad the last few years. And this season, they don’t have Brice Matthews and Max Anderson to give the team instant offense. On Saturday, there were more opportunities to score than just the sixth inning and they missed far too many of them.
Stats That Matter
- After going 0-for-4 in the season opener, Joshua Overbeek went 4-for-5 against Texas Tech. Nebraska will need that kind of production at the top of the order.
- Jalen Worthy had about as bad a 2024 debut as a reliever can. He faced four batters, allowed two hits and walked two. This comes after posting an 8.10 ERA in 2023.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Bottom Line
The Nebraska baseball team has a lot of new faces trying to fill in the gaps so it’s hard to get too down on a 1–1 start to the season and a loss to a Top 25 team. However, this was a game that was in their grasp. After missing the postseason last year, they can’t afford to lose too many winnable games.
Up Next
The Nebraska Cornhuskers will take on the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday morning. OU is also 1-1 having lost 4-2 to Oregon in its season opener and then beating Tennessee 5-1 on Saturday.