BSB Preview: vs. Michigan

NEBRASKA vs. MICHIGAN
May 9-11, 2025
Lincoln, Neb. | Hawks Field at Haymarket Park

Friday, May 9 – 6:02 p.m.
Pitching: RHP Tucker Timmerman (1-1, 4.42 ERA) vs. RHP Kurt Barr (6-3, 3.39 ERA)
TV/Streaming: Nebraska Public Media/B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App

Saturday, May 10 – 2:02 p.m.
Pitching: RHP Ty Horn (2-4, 6.28 ERA) vs. TBA
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App

Sunday, May 11 – 12:02 p.m.
Pitching: LHP Jackson Brockett (2-3, 3.99 ERA) vs. TBA
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App

Follow the Game
• Friday's series opener against Michigan can be seen on Nebraska Public Media, with Larry Punteney and Jeff Leise on the call. The final two games of this weekend's series on Saturday and Sunday can be seen on B1G+.
• Fans can also listen to Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley call the action this weekend 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.

Nebraska vs. Michigan
• Through 35 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds a 19-16 advantage over Michigan in the all-time series.
• The Huskers and Wolverines last met in a three-game series in Ann Arbor in 2023, where the Big Red won two of three games to claim the series win.
• In their last meeting in Lincoln, Michigan won two of three games to take the series win in 2022.

McConnaughey to Miss Remainder of 2025 Season
• Nebraska Coach Will Bolt announced the first week in March that junior right-handed pitcher Mason McConnaughey will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an arm injury against Sam Houston at the Frisco Classic.
• McConnaughey began the season as the first Husker named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List since 2016 and earned Preseason All-American recognition from D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

A Look at the Weekend Rotation
• With Brett Sears taken in the 2024 MLB Draft, Drew Christo's transition to the bullpen and Mason McConnaughey's season-ending injury, it's a new-look weekend rotation for the Huskers this year.
• Sophomore Tucker Timmerman gets the nod Friday night and holds a 1-1 record on the season with a 4.42 ERA, 18 strikeouts and opposing batting average of .225 in 18.1 innings.
• Sophomore Ty Horn is set to take the mound in game two for the Huskers this weekend. Horn is 2-4 with a 6.28 ERA and 57 punchouts in 57.1 innings of work.
• Senior Jackson Brockett is scheduled to start the series finale, holding a 2-3 record with a 3.99 ERA and 32 strikeouts across 12 appearances, including 11 starts.

Walsh Among Active Career Leaders in Free Passes
• Redshirt senior Will Walsh enters the weekend ranked among DI's active career leaders in fewest walks allowed per nine innings, sitting sixth with 1.66 walks per nine innings. 
• Walsh has surrendered 32 free passes in 173.1 innings in his time as a Husker and is one of three P4 pitchers ranked in the top 10.

Blachowicz Brings Stability to NU Bullpen
• Freshman Gavin Blachowicz is one of 15 freshman pitchers nationally with a sub-2.80 ERA and an opponent batting average of .225 or lower, having pitched at least 19 innings this season.
• Blachowicz is 3-0 on the season with a 2.79 ERA, 19 strikeouts and opposing batting average of .225 in 19.1 innings.
• The freshman has allowed just two earned runs in the last nine innings pitched across nine appearances.
• Blachowicz enters the weekend with a streak of seven consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Swansen Stands out Nationally w/ 10 2B's & 5 HR's
• Senior Gabe Swansen is one of 12 players nationally with at least 10 doubles and five homers in 115 at-bats or lower this season.
• The outfielder is batting .261 at the plate with 10 doubles, five home runs and a team-high 36 RBI in 39 games, including 29 starts this season.
• The freshman has allowed just two earned runs in the last nine innings pitched across nine appearances.
• Blachowicz enters the weekend with a streak of seven consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Overbeek, Swansen Fuel NU's Surge in Last 15 games
• Gabe Swansen and Joshua Overbeek have combined for 17 extra-base hits and 38 RBI in the last 15 games, leading the Huskers to a 9-6 mark over that stretch. 
• Overbeek has been Nebraska's most consistent hitter, batting .386 with a team-best 22 hits, six home runs, 19 RBI and a 1.183 OPS in the last 15 games.
• Swansen has paced the Husker offense over the last 15 games, hitting .364 with five doubles, three home runs and a team-high 19 RBI while posting a 1.105 OPS.

Swansen's Career Surge in the Month of May
• Since the 2023 campaign, Gabe Swansen has been a key contributor for the NU offense in the month of May the last three seasons.
• The senior has hit .365 at the plate with a combined 21 runs, nine doubles, 10 home runs and 34 RBI in the month of May the last three seasons.
 • Swansen batted .514 at the plate with an OPS of 1.538 and nine extra-base hits in Nebraska's run to the Big Ten Tournament title and matchup with Florida in the Stillwater Regional last season.
• In 2023, Swansen had five homers, drove in 17 runs and scored 12 times across 15 games in May.

Lucky Number Six in the Bolt Era
• Nebraska is 125-28 under head coach Will Bolt when scoring at least six runs.
• The Big Red have scored six-plus runs in 21 of the 24 victories this season, defeating No. 16 Vanderbilt (6-4), San Diego State (13-0), Louisiana (6-1), Washington (6-2), Wichita State (10-1), Pepperdine (9-6, 11-4). USC (6-5), Oregon State (7-3, 16-7), Rutgers (8-5, 10-5), No. 22 Kansas (7-5), Iowa (6-4), Creighton (6-3), Northwestern (14-4), Maryland (7-2, 21-5), Kansas State (7-6) and Minnesota (8-3).
• 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.

Youth Movement on the Mound Since April
• True freshmen Blake Encarnacion, Gavin Blachowicz and Pryce Bender have put up strong numbers since the start of April for the NU bullpen.
• The trio have totaled a combined 3.15 ERA, allowing seven earned runs across 20.0 combined innings of work in 21 total appearances.
• Bender picked up the first two wins of his career in Nebraska's midweek matchups against No. 22 Kansas and Creighton, while Blachowicz improved to 3-0 on the season in NU's win vs. K-State last week.