LINCOLN, Neb — Nebraska baseball is heading into the postseason with momentum and history on its side after earning the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament following one of the best regular seasons in program history.
The Huskers finished the regular season 41-14 overall and 23-7 in conference play, setting a program record for Big Ten victories in a season. Nebraska also recorded eight series sweeps during the year and enters the tournament playing some of its best baseball of the season.
Nebraska opens tournament play Friday at 5 p.m. CT in the quarterfinals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. The Huskers’ opponent had not yet been determined.
Even without knowing who his team will face, coach Will Bolt said the focus remains on continuing the strong play that helped Nebraska secure one of the top seeds in the conference tournament.
“But looking forward to the weekend, you know, and playing well on Friday and hopefully in front of a really large crowd,” Bolt said. “And staying around for the weekend and having a chance to win three straight. If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think anybody in the Big Ten’s ever done that before.”
Bolt also pointed to the program’s recent history as motivation entering the tournament.
“We’re kind of chasing some early 2000s teams that have won three straight as well,” he said.
The Huskers believe their veteran experience and confidence could be key factors during the postseason run.
“It’s nice having a home crowd behind you and just having the confidence to go into the tournament knowing that we’re playing good ball right now,” Case Sanderson said. “Just to boost that and knowing we can be calm and collected with everything we do.”
With championship aspirations, postseason experience and strong fan support expected in Omaha, Nebraska now turns its attention toward trying to add another historic accomplishment to an already memorable season.