BREAKING: Huskers lose to Michigan State in the last game and receive a vital star seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
With a chance to still earn a share of the Big Ten title, Nebraska couldn’t stop Michigan State from reaching base, leading to an 11-6 defeat on Saturday that concluded the regular season.
Despite being eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State’s seniors stepped up on Senior Day, amassing 14 hits, while Nebraska contributed with a couple of errors. The Huskers ended the season in second place in the Big Ten standings and will enter next week’s Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They will face Ohio State at 2 p.m. CT on Tuesday in the first round.
Michigan State quickly took control in Saturday’s finale, scoring twice before Nebraska’s starter Brockett had recorded an out, thanks to a double, a hit by pitch, and a two-run double.
A two-out single in the bottom of the second inning extended Michigan State’s lead to 3-0. Brockett’s pickoff error at first base allowed another run to score, increasing the lead. The junior left-hander lasted just two innings before being replaced by reliever Drew Christo in the third inning. Christo had a perfect third inning but allowed a run in the fourth after hitting the leadoff batter and giving up an RBI double. Michigan State added another run later in the inning with an RBI groundout. Five Spartan players had multi-hit games, led by leadoff hitter Jack Frank, who went 4-for-5 with three RBIs on Senior Day.
Nebraska’s offense finally responded against Michigan State starter Nick Powers. With the bases loaded and one out, Dylan Carey hit a two-run double to left, giving the Huskers their first runs. Pinch hitter Gabe Swansen’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch added two more runs, cutting Michigan State’s lead to 6-4. Powers pitched 6.0 innings on Senior Day, allowing five hits and four runs, striking out six and walking four.
The momentum didn’t last long, as reliever Will Walsh allowed two hitters to reach in the sixth inning, then surrendered an RBI single to put Michigan State ahead 7-4. Reliever Bobby Olsen replaced Walsh but gave up another run, making it 8-4. Nebraska narrowed the gap to 8-6 in the seventh with an RBI single by Case Sanderson and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Stone.
Michigan State responded in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three more runs to secure the win. Although Nebraska had runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings, they couldn’t score any additional runs.
Nebraska concluded the regular season with a 34-19 overall record and a 16-8 record in Big Ten play.