Nebraska’s challenge, Greg Sharpe and more baseball thoughts

Will Bolt didn’t see it coming.

The fifth-year Nebraska skipper was in the middle of his postgame Big Ten Network interview. He was mid-sentence, thanking Husker fans for packing the Chuck despite them having to change their plans with little advance notice thanks to the threat of impending weather forcing the conference to move the Big Ten Championship game up several hours.

“Short notice, showing up,” Bolt said before pausing.

The pause came for a good reason, as seniors Cole Evans and Ben Columbus snuck up behind their coach to give him a frigid, ice-filled Gatorade bucket bath.

Bolt took it like a champ, almost instantaneously raising his arms in celebration before hugging the two.

“As I was saying, thanks Husker Nation for showing up today,” Bolt continued. “It was the difference in the baseball game. Appreciate you guys.”

The on-field celebration was a special one. The first conference tournament victory for Nebraska since 2005. Ah, yes, 2005. We all remember 2005. We won’t compare this to that. But, man, this was sure special, too.

To go from being run-ruled in the first game of the tournament to fighting through the elimination bracket to win the whole dang thing? Doesn’t happen much. Not since Ohio State in 1995 for the Big Ten’s tourney.

What a run. What a magical, magical run.

But it isn’t stopping here.

Nebraska (39-20) learned Monday that it’ll be traveling to Stillwater this weekend to face Florida (28-27) in the first game of the Regionals.

How does Nebraska turn the page? Especially after an emotional week like last week?

Well, they’ve had practice.

Winning an extra-innings game against Northwestern to sweep on a Sunday. Lose to Creighton on a Tuesday. Beat Ohio State on a Friday. Or, lose to Creighton on a Tuesday. Beat Kansas State the next day. Or, lose to South Dakota State on a Wednesday. Win an extra-innings game against Indiana on Saturday. Or, get run-ruled by Ohio State to kick off the Big Ten Tournament and then win the next five games to win the tourney.

“We’ve really challenged our guys to not be emotionally driven,” Bolt said after the NCAA selection show. “It’s intentional. It’s not easy to do, but if you do it day after day, it gives you a better chance to do it. And this team’s been doing it for almost 10 months now. So it’s been impressive.”

Some other thoughts connected to Nebraska’s postseason:

Florida, somehow, snuck into the field after going 13-17 in SEC play.

But again, remember… the Gators are in the SEC. The schedule they had was brutal, and led to 13 Quad 1 victories.

The Gators are No. 30 in RPI compared to Nebraska’s No. 28. 

Despite Florida’s on-paper record, the Gators have some star power that could create some magic if left unchecked in Jac Caglianone.

The senior two-way lefty’s resume is long. He once again earned first-team SEC honors for his efforts at first base, on the mound and at the dish. 

Before Florida’s early exit in the SEC tournament, Caglianone ranked third nationally in home runs, fifth in slugging percentage, eighth in batting average and 11th in on-base percentage. Not too shabby.

Curious to see how Nebraska game plans for one of the top college prospects for this year’s MLB draft.

It was hard not to get misty-eyed listening to the final out call on the Husker Radio Network on Sunday.

Greg Sharpe sounded sharp as ever, despite his ongoing cancer treatment.

“Gabe Swansen is there. He squeezes it. And your Huskers are Big Ten champions. After losing game one Tuesday night, they come back and win five straight and capture the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since joining the league.”

Typing it out gave me chills. For so many reasons. But primarily because it’s Sharpe’s voice delivering that moment. If you haven’t gone back and listened to it, you should.

How the baseball team has rallied around him this season since his diagnosis has been special to see. The patches on the hats. The jersey they presented him with a few weeks back. Then for him to be there yesterday when Nebraska won it? Yeah, tears were shed by many who took in that moment.

“That was emotional,” Bolt said. “After the game, he came down. He had some tears and I did as well. I’ve gotten to grow pretty close with Greg for the last few years. He’s fighting a fight that, it’s a battle. It’s tough. It’s taken a toll on him and I’m sure his family. When we found out and told the team about it, we said, ‘Let’s dedicate the rest of the season to Sharpie.’”

Love it. Wouldn’t expect anything less.

Unlike football coach Matt Rhule and basketball coaches Fred Hoiberg and Amy Williams, the bonuses Bolt has earned are based on his base salary rather than a fixed number.

Bolt, who makes $400,000 annually, earned two bonuses with Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament championship and the postseason berth.

Winning a Big Ten championship — in either the regular season or the tournament, but not both — comes with a 15% bonus. In Bolt’s case, that equates to $60,000.

As far as the postseason is concerned, Bolt earns a minimum bonus of 5% — or $20,000 — for making the postseason. But if Nebraska advances farther, Bolt could earn more.

If Nebraska baseball makes the “top 16” — aka Super Regionals — Bolt would earn a 10% bonus. That’s $40,000. If Nebraska baseball advances to the “top 8” — aka the College World Series — Bolt would earn a 20% bonus. That’s $80,000. And in the event Nebraska baseball were to win the CWS for the first time in program history, that’s a 25% bonus. For Bolt, that would be $100,000.

Bolt is owed those bonuses “no later than 90 days following the last possible event which is the basis for the award.”

Nebraska played five of the other teams in the NCAA Tournament field and went 11-3 in those games.

Nebraska lost to Oklahoma in the second game of the season, losing 7-6 at Globe Life Field.

Nebraska went 3-1 against Grand Canyon back in February. The results of those games: a 7-2 win, an 11-1 win, a 7-5 loss and a 10-8 win.

Nebraska swept Nicholls State with wins of 7-6, 16-0 and 11-4.

Nebraska’s first game against Kansas State was scrapped due to weather, but Nebraska won the second matchup on May Day, 8-0.

Nebraska won the series against Indiana two weeks ago, dropping the first one 10-5 before bouncing back to win the second game, 5-2, in extra innings and the rubber match, 4-2. Nebraska played Indiana again on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament, winning twice, 4-2 and 10-4.