As we settled into the season finale, Nebraska was looking to keep the push for a Lincoln regional alive, while Minnesota was fighting for its life, needing a win to stay ahead of Michigan State in the Big Ten standings and make it to Omaha for the Big Ten Tournament next week. The wind on the day was blowing straight out to center field, a harbinger of things to come.
Nebraska got the scoring started in the top of the first. Mac Moyer absorbed a fastball on the second pitch of the game. Thinking
this would be a nail biter like the previous day, and wanting to put pressure on the usually solid Minnesota defense, Jeter Worthley bunted Moyer over. A wild throw allowed Worthley to reach and Moyer to get to third. Case Sanderson lifted a sac fly to left to bring him in and put Nebraska up 1-0.
The Huskers added to their lead in the 2nd, as Josh Overbeek kept his strong weekend going with a 1 out single. Jett Buck bounced a hit and run over the head of the center fielder for a double, and Overbeek who was off with the pitch scored all the way from first base. Then the theme for the day began. Mac Moyer blasted a ball to right field. His two run home run bounced off the Minnesota scoreboard and gave NU a 4-0 lead.
Minnesota joined in the fun in the bottom of the inning, using a pair of doubles and a Sam Hunt home run to cut the lead to 4-3.
Nebraska answered right back. Sanderson had a double followed up by Grego getting hit by a pitch. 3 Huskers would be hit by a pitch on the day, to go along with 9 walks for 12 total free passes. Trey Fikes, who has been an offensive dynamo over the last 8 days blasted a double to left center. Sanderson scored, but Grego was thrown out at the plate. Overbeek was hit by another Gopher ball, putting 2 runners on for Jett Buck. Buck sent one up into the Jett stream (GET IT?!?!) and put Bolt’s Boys up 8-3.
With a bit of Déjà vu, the fourth started again with a Sanderson double, and Grego free pass. Another walk to Husker catcher Trey Fikes loaded the bases for Overbeek. ‘Beek lifted another sac fly to bring in Sanderson. After a long at bat, Buck worked a full count walk to re-load the bases. Second baseman Rhett Stokes poked a ball into the outfield for a single and Grego scored. An errant throw coming in to try and get Grego allowed all the runners to advance a base, and for Fikes to score an unearned run. Nebraska leads 11-3 and Minnesota seemed as dejected as you’d imagine walking off the field.
All it took was a little spark to give the Gophers a little hope. A solo shot by Jack Bello in the bottom of the 4th gave them a bit of life. The first zero by a Gopher pitcher in the top of the 5th gave them more momentum. Ty Allen then hit a 2 run bomb up into that crazy wind to finally chase Nebraska starter Gavin Blachowicz. Suddenly Minnesota was starting to become a problem again, at 11-6 after 5 innings.
Rhett Stokes got in on all the action with his third home run of the year, a solo home run, in the 6th, giving the Huskers 12 baseball points.
The Huskers’ biggest weakness recently has been left handed relievers, and that came back to bite them again in the bottom of the inning. Caleb Clark gave up a leadoff home run to Jack Bello, his second of the game. A single and a walk had the coaches turn to another lefty, Colin Nowaczyk. A 4 pitch walk loaded the bases. A single brought in 2 runs and left runners on the corners. A sac fly scored another, and don’t look now, but its a 2 run game, Nebraska up only 12-10.
To lead off the 7th, Dylan Carey, who was the lone Husker to not get into the hit parade reached on an error. Carey was 0 for 5 on the game. He did however come around to score, as Sanderson put an exclaimation point on his big day, sending a rocket to his usual left center field, but this one rode the gusts over the wall. Sanderson was 3 for 4 on the day, with 2 doubles, a home run, a walk and 3 RBIs. His big answer seemed to take the wind out of the sails of Minnesota, who had just spent all that energy climbing back into the game.
Minnesota mustered one more run, a solo home run by Davis Hamlit, before succumbing to Husker closer J’Shawn Unger. Unger pitched a scoreless 9th inning to pick jump his 11th save of the year, on a 14-11 victory for the Big Red.
With the loss, Minnesota’s chances of making it to Omaha ended, allowing Michigan State to jump in as the 12 seed. The teams of the 5-12 seed opening tournament and the top 4 teams were all set, with only a few seeds left to be determined.
As of the end of the game, Nebraska’s ever important RPI sits at 9! With only neutral site games against good teams being lined up for next week, the Lincoln Regional looks like a lock at this point.
Stay tuned to Corn Nation and the Corn Nation Twitter/X for all the previews and coverage you could ever want for the Big Ten Tournament starting on Tuesday.
