Around the Horn: Nebraska baseball hosts one final home series this season against Penn State
The Nebraska baseball team (26-20-1) hosts their final home series of the season this weekend as they welcome Penn State (24-19) into Haymarket Park. The Huskers completed a suspended game against Creighton on Tuesday, losing 6-5. However, the Big Red bounced back, beating the Bluejays 7-4 in the previously scheduled game later that night.
The Nittany Lions come into this series off a midweek loss to Omaha where they were handled 16-3 in seven innings. Penn State was also swept last weekend by Rutgers in three games.
Projecting the pitching
Note: These are projections and will be updated once starting rotations are officially announced.
Friday, 6:05 p.m., LHP Emmett Olson (5-3, 4.34 ERA, 66.1 IP, 66 K) vs. TBA
Saturday, 6:02 p.m., RHP Jace Kaminska (6-3, 4.77 ERA, 54.2 IP, 38 K) vs. TBA
Sunday, 11:02 a.m., TBA vs. TBA
What to watch for the Huskers
Senior Sunday
This Sunday will be the final game at Haymarket Park for a number of seniors. The Huskers will have ten players that will be honored, however it is unclear how set in stone that list is for NU.
Of those ten players, eight of them are fifth-year seniors or graduate students. Below will be a list of those 10 players that, as of this moment, plan to be honored.
| Player | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Fischer | Graduate Student | Utility |
| Michael Garza | Graduate Student | RHP |
| Shay Schanaman | Graduate Student | RHP |
| Casey Burnham | Graduate Student | Outfielder |
| Jake Bunz | Fifth Year | LHP |
| Kyle Perry | Fifth Year | LHP |
| Griffin Everitt | Fifth Year | Catcher |
| Efry Cervantes | Fifth Year | Infield |
| Mason Ornelas | Senior | RHP |
| Luke Sartori | Senior | Outfielder |
Mason Ornelas and Luke Sartori have another year of eligibility, but will be honored anyways. It is also unclear as to if Max Anderson and Brice Matthews will be honored, as they have a likelihood of being drafted after their junior year, which is this season.
Nearing the 20 home run mark
Both Brice Matthews and Max Anderson are sitting on 19 home runs on the season. That race has been one to watch this season as we will now see who is the first to 20 home runs with six games remaining.
The last time NU had two players hit at least 20 home runs was in 2000 when both Dan Johnson and Matt Hopper hit 21 homers.
However, home runs is not the only category that the two are near the top in. The pair are two of just 10 players in the nation who are hitting at least .380, have hit 17 or more home runs, and have at least 58 RBIs.
This series and the following is a chance for the juniors to send themselves into elite categories.
Olson recovering from injury
During Friday’s game against Maryland last weekend, Emmett Olson had to leave the game with an apparent foot injury. A line drive was hit and impacted the lefty’s foot right on the top of his laces. The junior seemed in bad shape as he hobbled off the field.
During Thursday’s press conference, Olson told the media about how he was on crutches the day following the injury. He said the he is near 100 percent, and plans to be fully 100 percent by the game Friday.
Head coach Will Bolt also talked about how important it is that Olson feels ready to go and has full trust that he can put his full weight on that foot.
Below you can watch the full interview with Olson, but a lingering injury is certainly something to keep an eye out for in the series opener.
Nebraska baseball notes
***Nebraska have won eight straight games against the Nittany Lions.
***Brice Matthews is one of just two players in the country that have at least 19 home runs and 19 stolen bases. The other is North Carolina’s Mac Horvath who has 20 homers and 21 stolen bases.
***Both Max Anderson sits tied for eighth in the all-time home run list at Nebraska. He is five home runs behind the Darin Erstad who sits in seventh with 41.
Know the foe: Penn State
***Penn State has hit 15 triples this season. That is five more than the Huskers.
***This is the Nittany Lions first trip to Lincoln since 2016. NU won that series 2-1 after dropping the Friday opener.
***PSU have won just one of their last seven games. That was a win over Iowa, 8-4.
Around the Big Ten
Here are a few Big Ten series to keep tabs on this weekend:
Purdue (23-24, 10-8 Big Ten) @ Indiana (35-14, 12-6 Big Ten)
Minnesota (14-31, 7-11 Big Ten) @ Maryland (33-17, 13-5 Big Ten)
Michigan State (29-16, 10-8 Big Ten) @ Iowa (34-12, 10-7 Big Ten)
Illinois (22-22, 11-10 Big Ten) @ Rutgers (30-18, 11-7 Big Ten)
Conference Standings
| SCHOOL | CONF | PCT | HOME | ROAD | OVERALL | PCT | HOME | ROAD | NEUTRAL | LAST 10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 13-5 | .722 | 6-3 | 7-2 | 33-17 | .660 | 16-8 | 17-6 | 0-3 | 8-2 | L1 |
| Indiana | 12-6 | .667 | 5-4 | 7-2 | 35-14 | .714 | 22-4 | 12-9 | 1-1 | 7-3 | W4 |
| Rutgers | 11-7 | .611 | 6-3 | 5-4 | 30-18 | .625 | 14-3 | 15-13 | 1-2 | 8-2 | W5 |
| Iowa | 10-7 | .588 | 6-3 | 4-4 | 34-12 | .739 | 19-3 | 7-8 | 8-1 | 8-2 | L1 |
| Michigan State | 10-8 | .556 | 7-2 | 3-6 | 29-16 | .644 | 14-3 | 10-10 | 5-3 | 6-4 | W1 |
| Nebraska | 10-8 | .556 | 7-2 | 3-6 | 26-20-1 | .564 | 12-7 | 9-11-1 | 5-2 | 5-5 | W1 |
| Michigan | 10-8 | .556 | 6-3 | 4-5 | 23-22 | .511 | 12-9 | 7-8 | 4-5 | 4-5 | W1 |
| Purdue | 10-8 | .556 | 6-3 | 4-5 | 23-24 | .489 | 11-8 | 4-12 | 8-4 | 4-6 | L1 |
| Illinois | 11-10 | .524 | 8-4 | 3-6 | 22-22 | .500 | 9-7 | 9-13 | 4-2 | 6-4 | W3 |
| Minnesota | 7-11 | .389 | 4-5 | 3-6 | 14-31 | .311 | 9-14 | 5-10 | 0-7 | 4-6 | L1 |
| Penn State | 6-11 | .353 | 5-3 | 1-8 | 24-19 | .558 | 14-4 | 2-13 | 8-2 | 4-6 | L4 |
| Ohio State | 6-15 | .286 | 4-5 | 2-10 | 25-25 | .500 | 13-7 | 7-14 | 5-4 | 5-5 | W3 |
| Northwestern | 3-15 | .167 | 2-7 | 1-8 | 8-35 | .186 | 4-8 | 4-25 | 0-2 | 2-8 | L4 |
Broadcast information
TV: Big Ten Plus (FRIDAY): LINK HERE; Big Ten Network (SATURDAY): LINK HERE; ESPN 2 (SUNDAY): LINK HERE
Radio: Huskers Radio Network (Radio simulcast found LINK HERE)
Stations: Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM)
