QUINIX Sport News: BSB Preview: Nebraska vs. Creighton Round 3

Nebraska baseball will get its crack at capturing the I-80 series vs. Creighton tonight in Lincoln.

The Huskers (24-24 overall, 11-13 Big Ten) will host Creighton (31-13, 12-3 Big East) at 6 p.m. at Haymarket Park in the rubber match of a series that began with a 9-5 Bluejays win (April 1) and a 6-3 Huskers win (April 15).

The road team won in each of those previous matchups, so we will find out if something gives for the home Huskers this time around. As a hot Nebraska team – which has won five of its last six games to hit the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 28 – gears up for the ‘Jays, here is a preview of the latest I-80 tilt with information provided by Nebraska Athletics.

Time: 6 p.m. CT

TV/Streaming: B1G+

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

Pitching: LHP Will Walsh (4-6, 5.37 ERA) vs. RHP Ian Koosman (5-3, 5.40 ERA)

Stadium: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln

>> Tuesday night’s midweek matchup against Creighton can be seen on B1G+.

>> Fans can also listen to Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley call the action on Tuesday night 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 152 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds an 87-63-2 advantage over Creighton in the all-time series.

>> The Huskers and Bluejays meet for the third time this season after splitting the first two games in Lincoln and Omaha.

>> Redshirt senior Will Walsh enters Tuesday night ranked among DI’s active career leaders in fewest walks allowed per nine innings, sitting sixth with 1.69 walks per nine innings.

>> Walsh has surrendered 32 free passes in 170.2 innings in his time as a Husker and is one of three P4 pitchers ranked in the top 10.

>> Nebraska has seen improved production on the mound and at the plate since sophomore Tucker Timmerman returned from an opening-weekend facial injury on April 13.

>> The Big Red are 9-4 since Timmerman’s return to the mound in the series finale at Iowa on April 13, including 7-3 in Big Ten contests.

>> In the 13-game span, Timmerman has logged the third-most innings (16.0) while striking out 16 and holding opposing batters to .226 hitting across six appearances, including two starts.

>> On the mound, the NU pitching staff has lowered its ERA nearly half a run, seen a dip in the hits and runs allowed/9 inn. and held opponents to a .246 hitting clip since April 13.

>> At the plate, the Husker offense has raised its batting average 13 points on the season while averaging 7.3 runs and 4.1 extra-base hits per game since Timmerman’s return.

>> 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 .364 at the plate with a combined 20 runs, nine doubles, nine home runs and 33 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.

>> Nebraska is 125-27 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.

>> Led by three everyday-starters hitting .350 or better in the last 10 games, the Husker offense holds a .316 batting average with 35 extra-base hits in Nebraska’s last 10 games.

>> Gabe Swansen has powered the Huskers with a .394 batting average, hitting four doubles and two homers with a team-high 18 RBI while recording the second-highest OPS of 1.147.

>> Cayden Brumbaugh has been a spark plug in the second spot of the lineup, batting .371 with 13 hits and team-high totals of 14 runs, 10 walks and a 1.150 OPS.

>> Dylan Carey has provided production in the bottom-half of the lineup, batting .353 with four doubles, a home run, three RBI and 10 runs scored with a 1.009 OPS.

>> 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 3.46 ERA, allowing seven earned runs across 18.2 combined innings of work in 19 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.

All stats & info provided by Nebraska Athletics