Nebraska baseball's roster revamp underway
Nebraska baseball’s roster revamp continued earlier this week when catcher Elliot Peterson announced on social media he’d be transferring to Nebraska.
It’s a homecoming for Peterson, who played his high school ball at Creighton Prep in Omaha. Peterson spent the 2025 season in the SEC at Arkansas, but didn’t play in a game and redshirted.
It’s been an offseason of roster movement for Nebraska, the Big Ten Tournament champs who finished the 2025 season with a 33-29 overall record and 15-15 mark in Big Ten play.
There have reportedly been 12 Nebraska players who have transferred out of the program with remaining eligibility, including notable players like outfielders Robby Bolin (transferred to Kansas State), Cael Frost (Western Kentucky) and Riley Silva and second baseman Cayden Brumbaugh (Oklahoma).
Here’s a quick look at the eight known new additions so far, which includes four pitchers and four infielders:
Pitchers
| Lynden Bruegman | LHP | Missouri Western | Senior |
Bruegman is a Lincoln native who will get a shot to play for his hometown team. A graduate of North Star High School in Lincoln, Bruegman spent the past three seasons at Division II Missouri Western. He’ll have one season of eligibility.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Bruegman appeared in 29 career games at Missouri Western with 23 starts. For his career, he has a 4-9 record with a 6.11 earned-run average. He also has 115 strikeouts against 105 walks.
In 2025, Bruegman started 11 games, went 3-5 and held an ERA of 4.26 in 50.2 innings of work. He struck out 68 batters and issued 44 walks.
| J.D. Hennen | RHP | Augustana | Senior |
In three seasons at Division II Augustana (S.D.), Hennen played in 28 games with 20 starts. For his career he went 13-3 with an ERA of 4.37 and had 146 strikeouts against 67 walks.
In 2025, Hennen was a first-team All-NSIC selection after going 7-2 with a career-best ERA of 4.29. In 56.2 innings, he struck out 74 with 41 walks.
Hennen will have one season of eligibility remaining.
| Cooper Katskee | RHP | Miami (OH) | Junior |
Katskee was a third-team All-American and the MAC Pitcher of the Year in 2025 at Miami (OH). In 84.2 innings of work in 2025 he recorded an 11-2 record, a 3.08 ERA and held batters to a .196 average while striking out 70 against 30 walks.
The 6-4, 215-pound Katskee spent just one season at Miami (OH) after starting his college baseball career at Indiana, where he played in 2023 and 2024. His 2024 season was cut short with an injury. During his career as a Hoosier, he made a total of 13 appearances out of the bullpen and held an 8.22 ERA in 15.1 innings.
Katskee, who’s originally from Colorado, has family in the Omaha area and even started at quarterback at Omaha Burke during his senior year.
Katskee will have two seasons of eligibility remaining and is a strong pick to land in the weekend starting rotation.
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello is a fan of Katskee:
| Kevin Mannell | RHP | Mississippi State | Senior |
Mannell comes to Nebraska from the SEC, where he spent 2025 as a bullpen arm at Mississippi State. In 11 appearances and 14.2 innings, he had a 4.30 ERA with 19 strikeouts against five walks.
A 6-4, 210-pounder out of Topeka, Kan., Mannell began his college baseball career at Kansas State, where he spent two seasons but never played in a game. He then transferred to Cloud County Community College in Kansas, where became the second player at the program to earn the KJCCC West Pitcher of the Year and NJCAA All-American honors.
In his lone season at Cloud County CC, Mannell had a 1.91 ERA in 75.1 innings while striking out 92 batters. Mannell will have one season of eligibility remaining.
Infielders
| Jett Buck | SS | Washburn | Senior |
Buck was a Division II All-American at Washburn (Kan.) University this spring. He played in 58 games and batted .365 while recording 81 hits, 21 home runs and 68 RBI.
The 6-foot, 175-pounder spent the past two seasons at Washburn. In total, he played in 99 games, held a .347 average at the plate and hit 35 homers with 120 RBI.
Before Washburn, Buck spent two seasons at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Buck played his high school ball at Liberty North High School and will have one season of eligibility remaining.
| Cole Kitchens | INF | Southern Indiana | Senior |
The 6-3, 215-pound Kitchens was a first-team All-OVC pick after leading the conference and his Southern Indiana team in batting average (.371), hits (82), and RBI (60) in 2025.
Kitchens began his career at Crowder College, a junior college program in Neosho, Missouri. In his two seasons with the Roughriders, Kitchens hit .349 with 116 RBI and 13 home runs. Kitchens reports he has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
| Nico Newhan | INF | Grossmont College | Sophomore |
Newhan began his career two seasons ago at Arizona, but didn’t play in a game and redshirted. He then transferred to Grossmont College, a junior college in California, and broke out.
In 43 games, the 6-foot, 195-pound Newhan hit .380 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI. In his lone season with the Griffins he was the PCAC Player of the Year and an ABCA & Rawlings All American.
Newhan will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
| Elliott Peterson | C | Arkansas | Junior |
Peterson signed with Southeast Community College out of high school and spent two seasons, 2023 and 2024, with the Bobcats.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Peterson was a first-team NJCAA All-American in 2024 after batting a NJCAA Division I-leading .517 with 15 home runs and 91 RBI.
Peterson has two seasons of eligibility remaining.