Courtesy Photo – Nebraska Athletics
What a day for Nebraska baseball. The No. 8-seeded Huskers took down No. 1 seed Oregon 7-3 Saturday morning, and closed out the night by taking down No. 9 seed Penn State 6-3 in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament — clinching a spot in the tournament championship on Sunday.
Nebraska has turned it around, looking like the preseason top 25 team they were expected to be.
“About 35 games into the season, we had a decision to make, and these guys decided to fight one another,” head coach Will Bolt said postgame.
Here are three takeaways from the Huskers’ semifinal victory:
Everyone wants a piece at the plate
Nebraska’s bats put together a collaborative effort at the plate — eight of the nine batters came away with at least one hit.
Sophomore first baseman Case Sanderson and junior shortstop Dylan Carey got the Big Red the bases loaded, each reaching base on bunt singles in the second frame. Senior catcher Hogan Helligso came through with two down, nailing a two-RBI single to left field to give the Huskers a 2-0 lead. The small ball was key for Nebraska, going 12-for-18 in advancement opportunities.
“That inning was very team-oriented,” Bolt said, adding, “[Helligso] just stepped up. That was a really big swing by a senior who came to Nebraska to be in these moments.”
Entering the bottom of the fourth, Nebraska faced its first deficit of the contest, but it didn’t last long. Senior third baseman Rhett Stokes and Helligso each hit base-knocks — senior center fielder Riley Silva came through with an RBI double to even it up. Junior right fielder Robby Bolin followed by recording an RBI groundout to take back the lead, making it 4-3 Huskers.
“You just got to do what it takes to play team offense,” Bolt said. “These guys that are in the lineup one through nine are willing and eager to do that.”
Nebraska failed to snag anything in the fifth and sixth innings, but senior left fielder Gabe Swansen ensured it wouldn’t carry into the seventh. Swansen crushed his second homer of the day — one against Oregon — this time to deep right-center. The Huskers’ bats showed up, hitting .343 against the Nittany Lions.
“I think it’s just a desire to win,” Swansen said postgame. “I think we just want to keep winning every day. And no matter what it takes, because especially for us this year, we know it could be our last game, every game.”
Timmerman can’t deliver
Right-hander Tucker Timmerman (5.34 ERA) got the start in Nebraska’s semifinal matchup. The sophomore pitcher retired six of the first seven Nittany Lions faced, yet Penn State figured him out in the third frame by plating one.
Timmerman got rattled in the fourth, allowing solo homers to Nittany Lion sluggers Jesse Jaconski and Matt Moloney. The Beatrice native finished his outing tossing only 3 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs off four hits.
Christo and Broderick hammer it home
Senior righty Drew Christo took over for Timmerman and delivered three strong frames. Christo allowed no earned runs off three hits and rang up three Penn State batters, recording the win from the mound.
Right-hander Luke Broderick brought it home, tossing 64 pitches. The junior reliever struck out four Nittany Lions in his 2 2/3 innings, picking up the save.
Nebraska (31-27, 15-15) will defend its 2024 Big Ten Tournament title against No. 2 seed UCLA. Sophomore right-hander Ty Horn (5.89 ERA) should get the start. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT. The championship game can be seen on the Big Ten Network or heard on the Huskers Radio Network.
“[Horn will] be right at the top of the conversation, haven’t decided yet,” Bolt said.
Schneider is a sports journalist who analyzes Nebraska baseball and football. Follow him on X @bschneider33 for more coverage.