More Coal Into The Baseball Hype Train

With the College Baseball season just over two months away, opening Friday, February 16th, I’m finding it difficult to contain my excitement. So I’ve decided to go down the roster and pick out some names I’m excited to see this season.

BoltBall has consistently found itself fraught with questions before every season. Baseball is somewhat unique in the world of college athletics, as good players don’t typically stick around long. As such, rosters tend to turn over at a faster pace than any other sport. It seems every year, about half the team is brand new, and this season is no different. So here, I’ll be sticking to the names I know. I’ll be adding a little information why I’m excited to see them play. Let’s get to it:

Will Walsh (Redshirt Junior) (Utility/Pitcher)

Walsh found himself filling in the gaps many times last season. No moment was bigger for him than Michigan State during the B1G tournament, however. Walsh threw 9 scoreless innings as the Huskers beat the Spartans 4-0. Afterwards, Walsh gave all the credit to the rest of the team.
Humble but capable, look for Walsh to find more time on the mound. The Huskers need to find more reliable arms not just starting, but in relief as well. Knowing Walsh could fill either of those roles is an exciting prospect.

Jalen Worthley (Sophomore) (LHP)

While appearing in just 10 innings last season to a hefty ERA of 8.10, Worthley recorded 8 strikeouts. Worthley seems to have a lot of smoke behind his arm, and is quite confident. Worthley looks to be a young arm with a ton of potential. Personally, he seems to be a player that I feel we didn’t see enough of last season.
Look for a jump in appearance and a dive in ERA in 2024 with some middle relief pitching. Worthley could also be a good left handed situational pitcher and maybe an arm brought in for 3 outs worth of work. Worthley certainly has a chance to make an impact with an off-season worth of development.

Brett Sears (Senior) (RHP)

Some fans may remember Sears struggling heavily last season, and I won’t deny some anxiety with him on the mound. Sears got beat up early and often, and found himself riding the pine for some time last year. However, with Nebraska up big on Northwestern during their 3 game series, Sears was given an opportunity to throw some innings in middle relief. Finally, after struggling almost all season, Sears found himself in game 2. He had found his command, and simply couldn’t give the coaches a reason to pull him. I was extremely happy to cheer him on after all he had struggled with. Honestly, in my opinion, one of the warm and fuzzy moments of the season.
Sears has a 4 pitch mix, and is in the starting rotation conversation for that reason. Recently during an interview for Sports Nightly coach Will Bolt had mentioned they may have misused Sears last season, and had put him in situations he wasn’t best suited for. If Sears can find his command this season, he could easily soak up a ton of innings in a starting role.

Keep in mind: Much of this pitching staff optimism is predicated on the addition of Childress as pitching coach. Childress is one of the most tenured coaches is College Baseball, and might be one of the best when it comes to the mound. As a fan, I am certainly optistic that the weakest portion of Nebraska’s baseball team may take a major leap in 2024. If the pitching staff does take a step forward, the Huskers should certainly be a highly competitive team.

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