Michigan State (3-15) at Nebraska (8-7)
March 22-23, 2019
Hawks Field at Haymarket Park • Lincoln, Neb.

Friday, March 22 (Doubleheader Game 1) • 3:05 p.m. (CT)
Matt Waldron (2-0) vs. Mason Erla (1-3)

Friday, March 22 (Doubleheader Game 2)
Nate Fisher (2-1) vs. Mitchell Tyranski (0-3)

Saturday, March 23 • 2:05 p.m. (CT)
TBA vs. Jarret Olson (0-2)

The Nebraska baseball team (8-7) begins conference play this weekend when the Huskers host Michigan State (3-15) for a three-game series at Hawks Field. Nebraska enters the weekend ranked 22nd in the RPI, and has the No. 9 strength of schedule in the nation, according to WarrenNolan.com.

Scouting the Michigan State Spartans

• Nebraska leads the all-time series against Michigan State, 10-8, dating back to the first meeting in 1937. The two teams met last season, with the Spartans taking both games.

• Nebraska is 2-1 when facing the Spartans at home, with all three games taking place in 2017.

• This season, Michigan State is 3-15 overall and enters the weekend on a five-game losing streak. The Spartans’ midweek game against Central Michigan was postponed after MSU dropped all four games against Connecticut last weekend.

• Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. is 316-250 in his 11th season at Michigan State. He holds a career record of 341-284 in his 12th year overall. Boss is assisted by Graham Sikes, Mark Van Ameyde and Jordan Keur.

The Nebraska baseball team (8-7) led 7-0 after three innings and never looked back in a 12-3 win over Air Force at Hawks Field on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Nebraska earns a two-game sweep against the Falcons after a 7-6 win on Tuesday.

Freshman Kyle Perry, making his second start of the season, struck out a career-high nine batters in 4.0 innings to set the tone for the Big Red. He gave up only one run and one walk. NU saw relief appearances from Byron Hood, Ethan Frazier (3.0 innings), Tyler Martin (1.0) and Jaxon Hallmark (1.0).

Junior Mojo Hagge paced the Husker offense with a three-hit performance that included a career-high four RBIs. Alex Henwood, playing for the first time in nine games, tallied two hits. Freshman Cam Chick went 2-for-3 to help NU produce 11 hits as a team. Keegan Watson hit his second home run against Air Force on Wednesday after also blasting one on Tuesday.

In the top of the first, NU scratched out three runs. After back-to-back walks to open the game, Mojo Hagge singled to load the bases. Aaron Palensky drew a walk to bring in Nebraska’s first run. Angelo Altavilla scored on a double play before an error brought Hagge in.

After a scoreless second frame, the Huskers added four runs in the bottom of the third. Colby Gomes laced an RBI double after Gunner Hellstrom drew a leadoff walk. Henwood’s RBI double then scored Gomes. The next two batters walked before Hagge hit a two-RBI single up the middle.

Air Force scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning and added one run in the top of the sixth, but NU tallied three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Watson smashed a solo home run before Henwood walked and Chick singled. Altavilla doubled to bring in one run before Hagge’s groundout added another run for the Big Red.

Nebraska tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Mike Addante drew a leadoff walk before Chick singled to put runners at the corners. Altavilla’s sacrifice fly drove in one run. Hagge’s double drive in a second run for the Huskers.

The Huskers begin conference play this weekend when they host Michigan State for a three-game series at Hawks Field. The games are set for Friday (6:35 p.m.), Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and Sunday (1:05 p.m.).

The Nebraska men’s basketball team erased an early 12-point deficit and behind a big second half, the Huskers posted their first postseason victory in 11 years Wednesday night with an 80-76 win over Butler in a first-round NIT matchup at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Huskers (19-16) trailed midway through the second half before a game-changing 14-2 run turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point lead. Nebraska then made enough plays down the stretch, winning by four points after Butler cut the lead to one with 1:31 remaining.

With the win – Nebraska first postseason victory since a 67-48 win over Charlotte in the first round of the 2008 NIT – the Huskers advanced to the second round to face TCU in Fort Worth, Texas Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. (CT). Nebraska improved to 16-1 all-time at home in the NIT, and the Huskers are 3-0 against Big East teams this season. Butler, which was making its 13th postseason appearance in the last 14 years, saw its season end with a 16-17 record.

Isaiah Roby paced the Huskers with a career-high 28 points, and he just missed a double-double after grabbing a game-high eight rebounds. James Palmer added 23 points, while Glynn Watson Jr. scored 17 points, as Nebraska’s big three combined for 68 of NU’s 80 points. Tanner Borchardt and Johnny Trueblood added six points each to account for Nebraska’s other 12 points. The Huskers’ 80 points were their most in eight postseason games, dating back to the 2004 NIT, when Nebraska scored 83 points in a one-point loss at Hawa! ii.

Sean McDermott had 14 points for Butler, which had four players in double figures. Paul Jorgensen chipped in 12 points, while Jordan Tucker and Aaron Thompson each scored 11 points, with Thompson adding a career-high 12 assists for his first career double-double.

Butler scored 14 of the game’s first 16 points to jump out to a 12-point lead less than five minutes into the contest. But Nebraska responded with an immediate 7-0 run of its own. Roby scored all seven points during the spurt, as the junior scored Nebraska’s first 11 points of the game.

Watson became the first Husker other than Roby to score when he knocked down a 3-pointer at the 9:02 mark to pull Nebraska within five. The 3-pointer ignited a 6-0 Husker run that trimmed the lead to two. A 5-0 Nebraska run two minutes later tied the game at 22-all, before Butler came right back with five straight points. But Palmer scored seven straight points to give Nebraska its first lead at 29-27 with one minute left in the half, and the Huskers took a one-point lead into the locker room.

Roby scored 17 points in the first half on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, while the rest of the Husker lineup was just 4-for-21 from the floor. Butler shot 44 percent in the first half, and the Bulldogs were 8-of-16 from the 3-point line.

Both teams came out on fire to start the second half, which saw eight lead changes in the first four minutes. Nebraska made its first six shots from the floor and used a 7-0 run to build a four-point lead. Butler answered with its own 7-0 run to regain the lead at 50-49 with 11:14 remaining, but the Bulldog’s would only lead once more.

Nebraska erased the Butler advantage with a 14-2 run, capped by a string of 10 consecutive points that put the Huskers up 64-53 with 6:26 to play. The Bulldogs pulled to within six two minutes later on back-to-back 3-pointers from McDermott. Butler continued to chip away and used an 8-2 run to pull within one at 71-70 with 1:31 remaining. But Nebraska scored seven of the next nine points and the Huskers hit all four of their free throws in the final minute, finishing 17-of-20 from the line in the second half.

The Huskers were 15-of-23 from the field in the second half, shooting a blistering 65.2 percent. Palmer (15), Watson (11) and Roby (11) each scored in double figures in the second half, while Trueblood had all six of his career-high six points in the final 20 minutes.

The Huskers will take on TCU, an 82-69 win over Sam Houston State, in the second round Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised on the Husker Sports Network and carried on ESPNU.

After a rare weekend off, the Nebraska baseball team (7-7) won its long-awaited home opener, 7-6, over Air Force at Hawks Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Newcomers Spencer Schwellenbach and Aaron Palensky each recorded three-hit performances, while Keegan Watson bashed his second career home run and tallied three RBIs. Freshman Colby Gomes and junior Mojo Hagge each had one hit apiece.

The Huskers and Falcons played a scoreless first three innings before NU plated four runs in the fourth inning. Palensky hit a leadoff single and then stole second after a flyout. Joe Acker walked to put two runners on. Gomes singled up the middle to drive in one run before Watson smashed a three-run home run.

Air Force responded with two runs in the top of the fifth, but NU tallied one run of its own in the bottom half to take a 5-2 lead. After Palensky hit a two-out triple, Roskam’s pop-up was dropped to add one run for the Big Red.

The Falcons plated three runs in the top of the sixth and added one run in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Nebraska took the lead for good with two runs.

Schwellenbach hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Roskam was hit-by-pitch to bring in one run before Acker’s sacrifice fly brought in Hagge.

Nebraska used seven pitchers during the game, with Reece Eddins making his second start of the season and 50th career appearance. He went 3.0 scoreless innings. Robbie Palkert earned his first win of the season and Gomes tallied his team-high third save of the season when he threw the final 1.0 inning.

The Huskers and Falcons complete their two-game series on Wednesday at 1:35 p.m. (CT) at Hawks Field.