2-0 The Nebraska baseball team maintains its strong offensive output to start the season as it takes on the GCU Antelopes for the third consecutive year. After ranked Nebraska was shocked by GCU in the 2025 class, you can feel this team will take it to Lopez early and often.
Nebraska applied pressure at the top of the first. Two runners loaded the bases, second baseman Jett Buck singled to center field and third baseman Josh Overbeek was hit and broke the ball, 0-2. They ended up not getting any runs and instead hitting a lot of long balls, forcing Grand Canyon starting pitcher Chase Frey to work out 24 pitches. This is a problem on the third day of the weekend, especially in the first week of the season when pitchers don’t have time to get deep into games.
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Husker left fielder Will Jesske hit a fastball over the middle of the plate and 405 feet over the left field wall to score the first run for both teams. Not bad for a No. 9 hitter in the lineup. Nebraska tried to extend its lead, keeping the pressure on with back-to-back singles from Keith Sanderson and Overbeck, but a Dylan Carey strikeout ended the threat. After three innings, the Big Red team led 1-0.
Bolt’s men kept up the pressure in the fourth, eventually beating Frey with a crooked number. For the second consecutive inning, they got the leadoff batter on the field, Max Buettenback being hit by the first pitch of the inning. Devin Nunez hit a single up the middle, putting the runner on the corner and chasing Frey. Butenbach scored on a wild pitch. Jeske then capped off his big night with an RBI single, and after another single loaded the bases, Jett Buck hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to build a 4-0 lead.
Husker starting pitcher Gavin Blachowicz’s only blemish came in the bottom half of the fourth, when the first three batters each allowed two hits and one run. GCU left fielder Tanner Johns threw the first pitch to deep left field on a sacrifice fly. Blachowicz rebounded and struck out the next two batters, maintaining a 4-1 lead. He ended up going 4.2 innings, striking out 5, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks.
The Husker bullpen was taken over by redshirt freshman Chase Olson with two outs in the fifth inning. He would pick up the Huskers’ first career win and teamed with sophomore J’Shawn Unger and highly regarded freshman Jace Ziola to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings of baseball, striking out six and allowing just two hits, both of which Olson accomplished in 1.1 innings of work.
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Nebraska would put the game away in the eighth inning. Mac Moyer took over center field duties before the half inning, earning the inning’s lead with a walk. It was the third time the NU leadoff hitter reached an inning, and if you thought the first two went well, just wait.
Will Jeske got his third hit of his big night, advancing both runners one base on a failed catch attempt. With the GCU infield closing in with a runner on third base, Jett Buck hit a righter between short and third base to score both runners. Next, Case Sanderson found his patented slot in left-center field for a double. Overbeek followed with a 2 RBI single. Finally, Dylan Carey pulled the ball down the left field line as the outfield was completely obscured by the opposite field. Carey had a standing double to put Nebraska up 9-1. This all happened not only by 4 batters in a row, but on 4 pitches in a row.
Nebraska is 3-0 for the first time since 2005. They end the weekend in Arizona facing their toughest test yet, a talented Stanford team. Stanford beat No. 24 Arizona State on opening day but lost to Michigan State and No. 12 Oregon State over the past two days. The first pitch is scheduled for Monday at 2 pm Central Time.
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Blachowicz’s departure was a day earlier than planned because Cooper Katzkee was ill and unable to go on Sunday. Coach Will Bolt said after the game that Katzky still didn’t look good enough to start, so sophomore left-hander Colin Novachik will start.
For those paying attention (you know who you are!), Nebraska wore new Championship Sunday black jerseys and won 1-0.