When Nebraska’s plane landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Thursday, Colin Nowaczyk, was not in the starting rotation for the weekend. He was most likely slotted to come out of the bullpen for a couple of the games. However, when Cooper Katskee came down with an illness, the coaching staff shuffled the rotation and called his number for today’s game against the Stanford Cardinal.
Unfortunately for the sophomore lefty out of Elkhorn North, the day couldn’t have started out any worse for Nebraska
in his first start of the season. Tatum Marsh smacked his second pitch for a triple and scored on the very next pitch when Charlie Bates singled. Third-hole hitter Jimmy Nati then doubled sending Bates to third. That brought Stanford’s cleanup batter to the plate, Brady Reynolds. He singled in Bates, making it 2-0.
Nowaczyk was noticeable shaken and walked Rintaro Sasaki before getting J.J. Moran to fly out, scoring Nati and sending Reynolds to third. Ethan Hott was hit by a pitch and the wheels had fallen off. Unfortunately, Tucker Timmerman had only started to get his arm loose so Nowaczyk was going to have to wear this one. He gave up another double to Nolan Stoll before he got a flyout and a ground out to end the inning. Stanford was up 6-0 on five hits and wouldn’t look back the rest of the game.
The Cardinal struck again in a big way in the third inning, roughing up reliever Tucker Timmerman for three runs on three doubles and a walk. Braxton Stewart, the third Nebraska pitcher of the game worked the last two outs, but by the time Nebraska came to bat in the bottom of the third, they were in a nine-run hole.
At that point, the Cornhuskers offense finally showed some life. Joshua Overbeek ripped a one-out double to the left-center gap and moved to third on Dylan Carey’s single up the middle. Those two scored on a Cole Kitchens double. Max Buettenback struck out, but after that, Cardinal starter Brock Ketelsen was replaced by Austin Steeves. Will Jesske gave him a rude welcome to the game blasting his second home run of the season on a 2-2 count to left. Max Moyer then got his second hit of the game with a double, but was left stranded. Nebraska got back into the game and trailed 9-4 after three innings.
For the rest of the game, Nebraska pitched by committee, and the staff kept Stanford off the board until the eighth inning. Auden Pankonin, a freshman from Wisconsin pitched a scoreless inning, and then Pryce Bender came up really big, shutting down the Cardinal offense for three innings.
Nebraska climbed within three runs in their half of the fifth inning. Pinch-hitter Drew Grego singled to start of the inning before Will Jesske almost had his second homer of the game on a flyball that was caught at the wall. That brought up Mac Moyer who doubled for the second time, scoring Grego. He scored on a sacrifice ground ball by Jeter Worthley. The Big Red were now down 9-6.
After Bender gave up a lead-off double to Bates to start off Stanford’s 8th inning, Coach Bolt called on closer Kevin Mannell. Unfortunately, he did not have control of his pitches today and ended up surrendering two runs to the Cardinal on a wild pitch, a hit batter, and a double. He got a couple of outs, but gave way to Caleb Clark who came in and closed down the inning. Stanford had increased their lead to 11-6.
The Big Red gave it a run in the bottom of the 8th inning after putting two runners on with two outs and the power part of their order up. But just as earlier in the game, they could not get the hits when they needed them most.
Ryan Harrahill became the eighth Cornhusker pitcher of the game in the ninth, sitting the Cardinal down in order. Stanford brought in their closer, Trevor Moore, who closed out the game for the boys from Palo Alto.
Nebraska leaves Arizona with a 3-1 record and overall has to feel pretty good about the start to their season. The coaching staff got to see how a number of new players performed, as well as how well their young pitchers looked after another year of working with Coach Rob Childress.
Next week, the team will take a step up in competition with games against Louisville and Florida State from the ACC and former Big 8 rival Kansas State. They have been battled tested and should have some confidence when they walk into Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas next weekend.
Notes:
- Max Moyer had a great first start as a Cornhusker getting on base five times with four hits and a walk. Two of his hits were doubles. The son of major leaguer Jamie Moyer had appeared in centerfield in previous games, and after this performance may well be the man in centerfield for now.
- Jett Buck can play defense. Recruited to play shortstop as the coaching staff thought Dylan Carey would be drafted, he plays like one at second base. He has very quick feet and an incredible arm.
- Jett Buck, Joshua Overbeek, and Dylan Carey each had two hits on the day.
- Nebraska left twelve runners on base.
