Huskers clinch Big Ten title with dominant win over Ohio State

The Nebraska baseball team (29-11) claimed the Big Ten title with a dominant 9-0 win over Ohio State (19-18). Will Bolt’s first full season as head coach ends with the Huskers lifting the trophy, which they hadn’t done since 2017.

From the start, NU proved to be in command with Kyle Perry putting down the first three Buckeyes in quick succession. The Big Red kept their foot on the gas, scoring five runs in the first inning off six hits and an OSU error. Nebraska added a run in the third inning and two more in the fourth off a solo home run from Jaxon Hallmark and an RBI single from Max Anderson.

Max Schreiber took over on the mound in the third inning and hung nothing but zeros on the scoreboard while his offense was adding runs. Tyler Martin and Cam Wynne pitched in the seventh inning after NU added one more run to make it 9-0. In the ninth inning, Caleb Feekin stepped up to close out the game and he struck out two batters while retiring the side.

The final strikeout from Feekin was followed by a dogpile in front of the mound as the Big Red celebrated not just their first Big Ten title since 2017, but a spot in the NCAA tournament in June.

In a year that saw a breakout season from freshman Max Anderson, he once again led the team from the batter’s box, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. The freshman has hit .351 so far this season, which after this weekend, had become the leading average on the team.

Nebraska baseball under Will Bolt this season has been nothing short of exciting, and this game was a perfect example of just that. The Huskers started fast and kept the pressure on Ohio State as they won by a convincing margin. Bolt has quickly figured out how to win games at NU and in just his first full season, is now a Big Ten champion.

“These guys are one of the most selfless groups I’ve ever been around,” Bolt said postgame on BTN. “That’s a pretty common theme with championship-winning teams.”

After a shaky 7-8 start prior to COVID-19 last year, Bolt couldn’t have asked for a better second official season.

The Big Red saw multiple players make their case for individual awards this season. Spencer Schwellenbach went 1-4 in this game with an RBI, and throughout the season he has done just about everything. The junior has averaged .294 so far this season from the batter’s box, he has pitched 24 full innings with a 0.75 ERA while recording seven saves, and he has been one of the best shortstops in the league to top it all off. He will be a strong candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year.

Freshman Max Anderson has also been in the spotlight all season leading the team in batting average. Anderson will be a strong candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year with his .351 batting average and strong defensive work at third base.

Nebraska has seen individual stars emerge, but the team as a whole has become the biggest talking point, and for good reason. They are now Big Ten champions.

The Huskers will play one final series at home next weekend against Michigan. This series now has no effect on NU, other than a possible seeding in the NCAA tournament. All three games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will start at noon.

All three games can be watched on Big Ten Network and heard on Husker Sports Network.

Tickets for all three games will go on sale starting on Tuesday at 10 am for season ticket holders, and 1 pm for the remaining general public.