The 2-0 Nebraska baseball team kept their strong offensive output to start the season going as they took on the GCU Antelopes for the 3rd straight year. After a ranked Nebraska was shocked by GCU in 2025, you could feel this team was going to take it to the Lopes early and often.
Nebraska put the pressure on in the top of the first. Getting two baserunners on, with second baseman Jett Buck singling to center field, and third baseman Josh Overbeek getting hit by and 0-2 breaking ball. They ended up not plating any runs, but put together multiple long at bats, forcing Grand Canyon starting pitcher Chase Frey have to work and throw 24 pitches. Thats a problem on the 3rd day of a weekend, especially on the opening week of a season, when pitchers aren’t stretched out to go deep into a game.
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Husker left fielder Will Jesske put the first run on the scoreboard for either team when he belted a fastball right over the middle of the plate and sent it over the left field wall to the tune of 405 feet. Not bad for a number 9 hitter in the lineup. Nebraska tried to extend the lead, keeping the pressure on with back to back singles from Case Sanderson and Overbeek, but Dylan Carey struck out to end the threat. The Big Red led 1-0 after 3 innings.
Bolt’s boys kept the pressure on in the 4th and finally broke through against Frey for a crooked number. For the second inning in a row, they got the leadoff batter on, as Max Buettenback was hit by the first pitch of the inning. Devin Nunez hits a single up the middle to put runners on the corners and chase Frey from the game. Buettenback scored on a wild pitch. Then Jesske added to his big night with and RBI single, and after another single loaded the bases, Jett Buck hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field and built the 4-0 lead.
The lone blemish on Husker starting pitcher Gavin Blachowicz came in the bottom of the 4th, as the first three batters all got on base with 2 singles and a walk. GCU left fielder Tanner Johns sent the first pitch he to deep left field for a sacrifice fly. Blachowicz would rebound and strike out the next two batters, preserving the 4-1 lead. He ended up going 4.2 innings, striking out 5, and giving up 2 hits and 2 walks.
The Husker bullpen took over in the form of redshirt freshman Chase Olson, with 2 outs in the 5th. He would qualify for his first win of his Husker career and combine with Sophomore J’Shawn Unger, and highly regarded freshman Jace Ziola to throw 5.1 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 6 and only allowing 2 hits, both by Olson in his 1.1 innings of work.
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Nebraska would tear the game open in the 8th. Mac Moyer, who had taken over center field duties half an inning earlier, led off the inning by drawing a walk. That was the third time the NU leadoff hitter had reached for an inning, and if you thought things went well the first two times, just wait.
Will Jesske collected his third hit on his big night, and on a failed pickoff attempt, both runners advanced a base. With the GCU infield drawn in to cut off the runner on third, Jett Buck poked a single right between short and third, scoring both base runners. Next, Case Sanderson found his patented left-center gap for a double. Overbeek then hit a 2-RBI single of his own. And Finally, Dylan Carey pulled a ball down the left field line, as the outfield was shaded completely to the opposite field. Carey would get a stand up double and Nebraska would own a 9-1 lead. Not only did that all happen by 4 straight batters, it took place on 4 consecutive pitches.
Nebraska is 3-0 for the first time since 2005. They finish off the weekend in Arizona with their toughest test, a talented Stanford team. Stanford beat #24 Arizona on opening day, but has lost to Michigan and #12 Oregon State over the last two days. First pitch is scheduled for 2pm CT on Monday.
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With Cooper Katzkee being sick and unable to go Sunday, Blachowicz was moved up a day from his scheduled start. Coach Will Bolt said post game that Katzkee was still looking like he won’t be well enough to start, so Sophomore left handed Colin Nowaczyk will make the start.
And for those of you keeping track (you know who you are!), Nebraska is 1-0 in their new Championship Sunday black jerseys.
