For the first time since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the Huskers have one the conference baseball tournament.
Behind a pitching gem from Jackson Brockett, and clutch hits from Josh Caron and Gabe Swansen, the Huskers are the first team to win the Big Ten Tournament Championship after losing its opening game since 1995.
Will Bolt’s squad denied Penn State’s upset bid with a 2-1 comeback win scoring a pair of runs over the final three innings. Brockett earned the win pitching eight innings with five strikeouts. Brett Sears came in from the bullpen for the save.
Josh Caron tied the game in the seventh with his record-setting sixth home run of the week and Gabe Swansen drove in the winning run with two outs in the top of the ninth.
More on the Huskers’ second Big Ten crown in the Bolt era.
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Penn State made the most of several Nebraska miscues in the first.
A leadoff walk and two singles with two outs loaded the bases against Jackson Brockett. The southpaw turned and fired for second on a pickoff throw that went under the glove of Dylan Carey and scooted into the outfield. With one run in, Brockett coaxed a groundout and escaped the frame without any further damage.
Josh Overbeek represented the Huskers’ first base runner when he reached on an error in the fourth inning. A single from Case Sanderson, his first in his previous 11 at-bats, put runners on the corners from Josh Caron.
But, Nittany Lion starter Travis Luensmann coaxed a popout from Caron and Ben Columbus lined into a double play on a bunt to end the threat.
After his shaky first, Brockett settled in and went blow for blow with Luensmann. He retired 14 straight from the end of the opening frame until a Adam Cecere double with one away in the sixth. The southpaw bounced back with a pair of groundouts to hang a fifth-consecutive zero.
Luensmann continued his dominance into the seventh. Caron’s third crack at the Nittany Lion starter changed the game. The catcher blasted the right-hander’s 67th pitch to deep right and tied the game on a 403-foot, 109 mph home run. Caron’s record-breaking sixth home run of the tournament evened the ledger at 1-1.
Jaden Henline relieved Luensmann in the eighth and logged the first two outs of the ninth before Ben Columbus drove a single into centerfield.
He was replaced by Cayden Brumbaugh on the bases and Swansen stepped quickly found himself in a two-strike hole. The speedy Brumbaugh swiped second and then after a run of foul balls, Swansen drove a ball into the right-center gap to give the Huskers the lead.
Sears entered from the pen for the final frame. His second appearance of the tournament one strikeout and on 13 pitches, he retired the side for the win.
Nebraska pitching allowed one base runner after the first inning.
What’s next for Nebraska baseball?
The Huskers will await their NCAA Regional destination tomorrow. ESPN2 will host the NCAA selection show at 11:00 a.m. CT on Monday. Nebraska will make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2021 when the Huskers traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to a regional hosted by No. 1 overall seed Arkansas.
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