Nebraska baseball had a heartbreaking 9-7 loss to open the series against Northwestern on Friday. The Huskers’ need for a doubleheader sweep was paramount, and they got it done, winning the first contest 14-4 and the series finale 5-2 on Saturday.
Here’s a recap of Nebraska winning two of three:
Senior lefty Will Walsh arguably posted his worst start of the season in Friday’s opener. Walsh allowed six earned runs in only three innings of work. The doubleheader was a different story for the Huskers’ starting arms. Both sophomore righty Ty Horn and senior lefty Jackson Brockett dealt, leading to each getting their first wins of the season.
Nebraska’s arms held Northwestern’s bats to a .231 average for the series. The Wildcats plated 15 runs, but nine came against Walsh in Friday’s 9-7 loss. Overall, the Huskers threw 20 strikeouts, fanning Northwestern at a 21% rate.
Nebraska’s bats smacked the ball around the ball diamond. The Huskers racked up 32 hits in 94 at-bats for a .340 average. Senior left fielder Gabe Swansen was one of the stars. Swansen went 4-for-8, racking up six RBIs, highlighted with a grand slam.
Senior third baseman Joshua Overbeek added another two dingers in the series opener. Sophomore right fielder Max Buettenback added one apiece on Friday and in game one on Saturday. The Big Red plated 26 runs over the three-game series. It was simple, the bats did their job, and it showed on the scoreboard.
Nebraska (19-21, 7-11) is tied at No. 12 in the Big Ten standings with Minnesota and Rutgers. Only the top 12 teams will make the conference tournament in Omaha. The Huskers will host Kansas at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, before heading to Maryland for a three-game series.
Schneider is a sports journalist who covers Nebraska baseball and football. Follow him on X @bschneider33 for more coverage.