Nebraska baseball MLB Draft tracker: Matthews, Anderson, Olson off the board
A year after Nebraska baseball did not see a player or prospect taken in the MLB Draft, the Huskers achieved the highest drafted duo of prospects since Darin Erstad and Alvie Shepherd in 1995.
Nebraska middle infielders Brice Matthews and Max Anderson were drafted 28th and 45th overall respectively. The duo outperformed projections as Matthews was rated the No. 57 prospect in the pool and Anderson was No. 91 according to MLB.com. Meanwhile, ESPN placed Matthews as the No. 37 player in the class while Anderson was No. 113.
It didn’t take long for Emmett Olson to come off the board on Monday at No. 110. Along with Matthews and Anderson, Olson makes the trio the first in program history to go within the first four rounds.
“Me, Emmett (Olson) and Brice (Matthews) we pretty much went through everything together,” Anderson said. “Freshman year was COVID and it was really weird. We had to only hangout with freshmen for like two months. So, we grew really close. Being able to see us three almost grow up together and now this, it’s awesome. I’m almost happier for them than I am for myself.”
Later the other top arm in NU’s rotation, Jace Kaminska followed suit by beating the projections to go in the 10th round 292nd overall.
The draft concludes Tuesday starting at 1 p.m. CT with rounds 11-20. All 2023 MLB Draft selections can be found HERE.
Throughout the draft, HuskerOnline will provide updates on which Huskers are heading where through this content item. Here is the latest…
Brice Matthews, Shortstop
Nebraska shortstop Brice Matthews was selected by the Houston Astros with the 28th pick in the first round. His slot value is $2,880,700. The selection is Nebraska’s highest drafted player since Alex Gordon in 2005.
Throughout three years in Lincoln, the Humble, Texas, native posted a .305 career average with 32 home runs and 131 RBIs. Most of Matthews’ production came during the 2023 season in which he hit .359 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs. Additionally, he stole 20 bases making him the first Husker to total 20 swiped backs and 20 jacks in the same year.
Those weren’t Matthews’ only accolades.
He earned All-Big Ten Freshman team honors and All-Fayetteville Regional recognition during his first season in Lincoln. Matthews’ 2023 showing brought four All-American designations from Perfect Game, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, American Baseball Coaches Association and Collegiate Baseball.
A striking rebound from a disastrous sophomore slump, combined with strong defensive tools and a powerful bat made Matthews a favorable option for the Astros. The Huskers’ star said on a Zoom that he hopes to sign with his new organization soon and doesn’t know where he’ll be headed defensively but would like to play shortstop still.
“It’s crazy to see the jump that I made,” Matthews said of his career in Lincoln. “I always thought I had the capability of doing what I did, it’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together. I definetly wouldn’t be here without my support system and my friends and family. They’ve been the backbone for me, keep encouraging me and it helped me take the stress off myself and not make it more than what it should be. I think that was the most important thing to help my growth.”
Max Anderson, Second Base
The Detroit Tigers selected Max Anderson in the second round with the 45th overall pick. His slot is valued at $1,906,200.
“It was a dream come true to come to Nebraska,” Anderson said on a Zoom hosted by the Tigers. “A child living out his dream playing in front of family and friends. I mean, they could come to almost every game so it was perfect.”
Anderson racked up plenty of accolades during his time as a Husker. He was the Big Ten Freshman of the year following a 2021 season in which he hit .332 and tallied 61 hits. Both numbers were good for second on the team. Additionally, Anderson hit seven homers and drove in 32 runs.
The Millard West product shared a little bit about the origin of his signature goggles which took place a year before arriving in Lincoln.
“I was trying to put my contacts in before a game senior year,” he said. “I couldn’t get them in. Just struggling at it and so I just went and played with my glasses. I hit two home runs and I never looked back. Wore ’em ever since.”
His sophomore season with the Huskers saw a slight dip in the numbers. Anderson’s average fell to .299 with a team-leading 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBIs.
In 2023, Anderson logged career highs in seven major categories including home runs (21), hits (101), RBIs (70), batting average (.414), doubles (20), walks (20) and slugging (.770). Unsurprisingly, his numbers led to six All-American honors and he finished as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes award.
Anderson parlayed an excellent individual season into his landing spot with Detroit. He said Nebraska’s draft success is a sign of the work of head coach Will Bolt and his staff.
“I think it shows what we’re doing with everything is working,” Anderson said. “Our coaches know what they’re doing. They’re teaching us, they’re developing us and it’s showing now. The spotlight’s on Nebraska with how we’ve done in the draft.”
Emmett Olson, Left-Handed Pitcher
With the 110th overall pick, the Miami Marlins selected left-handed pitcher Emmett Olson in the fourth round. The junior is the third Husker to come off the board in the MLB Draft and his slot is valued at $610,000. A native of Des Plaines, Illinois, Olson was rated the 228th overall prospect according to MLB.com but like his two teammates taken before him, Olson outperformed expectations.
Olson began his time in Lincoln as a reliever. He saw his first action in 2021 pitching 12 innings with a 4.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts. As a sophomore, Olson began as a reliever once again before moving into a starting weekend role on April 9. His 2022 season featured a 2.86 ERA in 66 innings of work, 65 strikeouts and a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
The southpaw’s development was one of the highlights of a dismal campaign.
In 2023, Olson took the Friday role in the starting rotation. He was one of the Huskers’ most dependable arms and performed his best in a start against Michigan in which he went 7 ⅔ innings allowing two hits and one earned run with eight strikeouts.
Struggles with a proclivity to surrender home runs and a rough patch in April brought down Olsen’s numbers from his sophomore season, but he finished the year with a 4.50 ERA, a 6-3 record and 80 strikeouts.
Jace Kaminska, Right-Handed Pitcher
When Kaminska came to Lincoln, he made it clear he wanted to spend a year in Lincoln before performing well enough to be selected in the MLB Draft.
He achieved his goal on Monday afternoon.
The big right-hander went to the Colorado Rockies in the 10th round with the 292nd overall pick. His slot is valued just below $170,000 and he is the fourth Husker selected and 21st player from the Big Ten.
A former First-Team Freshman All-American (D1Baseball, Perfect Game), Kaminska started his career as a Wichita State Shocker. Following a step back in his sophomore season, he elected to hit the transfer portal and chose Nebraska. Kaminska posted a 4.13 ERA in his junior campaign along with a 7-3 record and 57 strikeouts.
Kaminska is the seventh 10th-round selection in Nebraska’s history. It’s the fourth time in program history that four Huskers were picked in the first 10 rounds the last being in 2005.
