Nebraska at Pepperdine midweek series preview

Nebraska baseball is once again limping its way into a midweek series.

The Huskers (7-11, 1-5 Big Ten) got somewhat back on track two weeks ago when it won the Game 3 home series finale against Washington to halt a four-game losing streak. Then, they rattled off a pair of midweek home wins over Wichita State to get things rolling.

The momentum was short lived.

Nebraska traveled to California and was promptly swept by UCLA over the weekend, giving the Huskers five losses in their first six conference games.

The Huskers remain on a West Coast swing, now traveling to face Pepperdine (4-14, 0-0 WCC) for a two-game midweek series on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here is a look at the two-game set as Nebraska hopes to get back on the winning side of things ahead of a three-game series at USC over the upcoming weekend.

TUESDAY

Time: 5 p.m. CT

Pitching: RHP Carson Jasa (1-1, 4.00 ERA) vs. TBA

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App

**********

WEDNESDAY

Time: 5 p.m. CT

Pitching: RHP TJ Coats (0-0, 8.31 ERA) vs. TBA

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App

>> Both games will be played at Eddy D. Field in Malibu, Calif.

>> Both of the midweek contests at Pepperdine can be seen on ESPN+.

>> Fans can also listen to Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley call the action this week in Malibu on the Huskers Radio Network.

>> Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.

>> Through four all-time meetings, the Huskers and Waves are deadlocked at two victories each.

>> Nebraska and Pepperdine last met on the diamond in the 1985 NCAA Western 1 Regional in Palo Alto, Calif., where they split two games against each other.

>> Nebraska is 1-0 all-time in Malibu against the Waves after picking up a 3-2 win at Pepperdine on March 18, 1979.

>> Carson Jasa is set to make his second career collegiate start at Pepperdine on Tuesday afternoon, while TJ Coats is set to make his second start at Nebraska against the Waves on Wednesday afternoon.

>> Jasa fired five shutout innings and allowed just two hits and a walk with a career-high eight strikeouts in Nebraska’s 10-1 win against Wichita State last week.

>> Coats has made three appearances on the season, including his first start with the Huskers last week against Wichita State. The sophomore pitched a season-high two innings and struck out a season-high three batters against the Shockers.

>> Nebraska is 110-23 under head coach Will Bolt when scoring at least six runs.

>> The Big Red have scored six-plus runs in six of the seven victories this season, defeating No. 16 Vanderbilt (6-4), San Diego State (13-0), Louisiana (6-1), Washington (6-2) and Wichita State (10-1).

>> The Husker offense reached the six-run mark 34 times last season, compiling a 28-6 record.

>> Nebraska scored six-plus runs in 33 contests (26-7) in 2023 after tallying at least six runs 23 times (19-4) in 2022, 28 times (26-2) in 2021 and seven times (5-2) in 2020.

>> Devin Nunez is slashing .348/.400/.543 with a team-leading three homers, 10 RBI and eight runs scored in 14 games, including 10 starts this season.

>> Cayden Brumbaugh has scored a team-high 15 runs and is second on the team with a .324 batting average while tallying a team-high seven multi-hit contests this season.

>> Case Sanderson is hitting .250 with a pair of doubles and has drawn a team-leading 12 walks this season, while Will Jesske is batting .250 with two doubles, a triple and six runs scored on the year.

>> Dylan Carey has a team-high five doubles and is second on the team with seven extra-base hits this season, followed by Gabe Swansen with three doubles, five extra-base hits and a team-leading 14 RBI.

>> Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes have split time in the lineup this season. Overbeek has doubled three times and scored seven runs, while Stokes has pieced together a pair of multi-hit performances this year.

>> Max Buettenback is one of six Huskers with multiple homers on the year, homering twice this season and scoring nine runs in 35 at-bats.

>> Cael Frost has appeared in 16 games, making 14 starts, and has reached base safely in 15 of 16 games.

>> Luke Broderick has appeared in five games for the NU bullpen, picking up three saves against No. 16 Vanderbilt, Washington and Wichita State.

>> Drew Christo has appeared in a team-high eight relief appearances and struck out a season-high six hitters in three one-run innings against Washington earlier this season.

>> Jalen Worthley and Caleb Clark are tied for second on the team with seven appearances. Worthley is 1-0 in eight innings of work, while Clark has pitched 5.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs across seven appearances.

>> Casey Daiss has dealt three scoreless frames across two appearances this season, while Ryan Harrahill has toed the rubber four times this season, pitching three innings for the Big Red on the year.

>> Freshmen Pryce Bender, Colin Nowaczyk, Gavin Blachowicz and Blake Encarnacion have combined to allow just three runs in 18.1 innings in their debut season at Nebraska.

>> Grant Cleavinger tallied a season-high four punchouts in 1.2 innings of action in last week’s matchup vs. Wichita State in Lincoln.

All stats & info provided by Nebraska Athletics