Nebraska baseball escaped the midweek struggles it faced last season with wins against Omaha and South Dakota State earlier this week, setting up a highly anticipated Big Ten home series against Michigan State this weekend.
The three-game set opens Big Ten conference play for the Huskers at Haymarket Park and it brings in an MSU team that’s struggled to score runs this season. After opening the year 2-0 with an impressive series win against Louisville, the Spartans have since gone 1-8 and lost three straight.
Nebraska, meanwhile, enters the weekend off back-to-back home wins. Cooper Katskee highlighted an 8-5 victory over the Mavericks with a six-inning, 10-strikeout performance. While Katskee currently sits as the fourth arm in the starting rotation, expect the junior to push for a weekend start moving forward.
The Huskers used late-inning heroics from shortstop Dylan Carey to secure a 5-4 win against the Jackrabbits on Wednesday. The senior used a 5-for-5 day at the plate to push across the eventual game-winning run in the eighth inning. It was his second two-bagger of the day and it placed him into a tie for second on the all-time doubles list in program history.
The weekend sets up a prime opportunity for the rotation against a Michigan State offense that ranks last in the Big Ten in runs scored. It’s not a close margin either, as the Spartans’ 33 runs this season are well behind Ohio State, which ranks second-to-last in the conference with 52 scored.
A deep dive into this weekend:
Friday: Horn vs. Donovan
It would be hard to envision a better matchup for junior right-hander Ty Horn to rebound after a disappointing performance last Friday at No. 7 Auburn. Despite retiring six straight Tigers hitters and striking out four through two innings, a costly third got the best of Horn, whose final line included 3.2 innings and four earned runs on 78 pitches.
Horn faces a Michigan State lineup that carries a team batting average of .187, with just one hitter, outfielder Trent Rice, hitting over .300. When taking into consideration that Rice has a mere 12 at-bats in seven games this season, it’s hardly an impressive feat.Â
Opposite Horn will be Aidan Donovan. While the Spartans’ lineup is among the worst in college baseball, their starting rotation isn’t. Crowned the Opening Day starter for MSU, Donovan threw five innings against Louisville, allowing three hits against the Cardinals in a 4-3 win.
If the Huskers want success against the righty, it’s going to come from working long at-bats. In his most recent start against Illinois, the sophomore allowed 11 baserunners in 4.2 innings, though he worked through traffic and allowed one run. Carey and senior third baseman Joshua Overbeek will be key in doing damage in the middle of Nebraska’s order on Friday.
Saturday: Jasa vs. Monke
Of the three games the Huskers will play this weekend, Saturday presents the toughest matchup. Michigan State’s Carter Monke will likely take the mound against Carson Jasa.
Monke has been the Spartans’ most impressive pitcher this season. The former Illinois State product has posted a 2.35 ERA in three starts, marked by a strong outing against No. 3 Texas earlier this season. Against the Longhorns, Monke threw 6.1 innings and allowed one earned run in a 3-1 MSU loss.
If head coach Will Bolt’s lineup can get into the Michigan State bullpen early, it creates a much easier path to success against the right-hander. Outfielder Max Buettenback is a candidate to have a big game against Monke. Despite a 5-for-27 start to the season, the junior worked two walks against SDSU on Wednesday, a positive sign in his approach.
The weekend presents a big test for Jasa and one that could have bigger implications going forward. In one inning against Auburn in his last start, Jasa allowed four earned runs and three free passes.
With Katskee’s recent performance on Tuesday, a disappointing outing from Jasa could shift the sophomore to more of a bullpen and midweek-type role going forward. The good news? In 11 games this season, the Spartans are among the worst in college baseball, with nine doubles and a .289 on-base percentage.
Sunday: Blachowicz vs. Pikur
There seems to be a common theme when it comes to expectations for this weekend: getting the pitching staff right. And while it is a narrative that may be overstated, it gives sophomore Gavin Blachowicz a chance to rebound on Sunday.
Command issues and a blow-up second inning spoiled Blachowicz’s last start, where he allowed five runs (one earned) and threw 53% of his pitches for strikes against the Tigers in two innings.
Blachowicz’s biggest challenge on Sunday will come against infielders Randy Seymour and Ryan McKay. Seymour leads Michigan State with three doubles and two home runs, while McKay is second on the team with nine hits.
Right-hander Logan Pikur is expected to start against NU and is coming off an outing against James Madison, where he threw six innings of two-run baseball. Before facing the Dukes, Pikur struggled early in starts against Louisville and Texas, where he failed to make it through the fourth inning in both games.
All of Nebraska’s bullpen options should be available this weekend, with Katskee, Tuesday’s starter, expected to have a similar bullpen role as he did last weekend. Sophomore Pryce Bender threw 63 pitches in Wednesday’s start, which will likely push him back to a weekend role against the Spartans.
First pitch of Game 1 is set for 2 p.m. CT on Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. start on Saturday and a 12 p.m. series finale on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.