It was an encouraging start to the season for Nebraska baseball after a successful 3-1 opening weekend at Major League Baseball’s Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The combination of dominant starting pitching and timely offense answered nearly every question that nagged head coach Will Bolt throughout the offseason, and it set an expectation that should place the Huskers amongst the top contenders in the Big Ten — not that they weren’t already.
A disappointing loss to Stanford was the only negative throughout the four-game stretch, and after falling behind 9-0 in the first three innings, Nebraska made a statement to battle back and cut the lead to within three. If there was any such thing as salvaging what looked to be an embarrassing loss, Monday’s near-comeback was it.
But as positive as the takeaways may have been after defining wins against UConn, Northeastern and Grand Canyon University, the Huskers must begin anew as they prepare to take on three 2025 NCAA Tournament teams in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
A rundown on this weekend’s matchups, as Nebraska faces two top-20 programs and a Kansas State team that looks primed for a Big 12 title run:
Friday: Louisville
The Cardinals enter the Amegy Bank Series against the Huskers after opening the season with an underwhelming series loss against Michigan State.
Louisville dropped the first two games against the Spartans for several reasons, most notably due to poor situational hitting. Despite eight hits on the day and a strong start from left-hander Ethan Eberle, the Cardinals finished 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position in a 4-3 Game 1 loss.
Followed up by a 13-4 loss in Game 2, Louisville salvaged the series with a 9-1 win on Sunday. In a midweek game against Xavier on Tuesday, the offense got back on track with a 23-11 victory.
On the topic of Eberle, expect the Cardinals to throw the 2025 ACC All-Freshman Team selection against Nebraska on Friday afternoon. Eberle came off a start where he worked into the fifth inning against the Spartans, allowing one run on two hits while striking out six.
It will be a difficult matchup for Bolt’s lineup, though the Huskers’ performance against left-handed arms at the Desert Invitational set high expectations. Nebraska knocked around UConn’s Charlie West for five runs in 3.2 innings and scored six total runs off GCU’s Chase Frey and Stanford’s Brock Ketelsen against three lefties last weekend.
On the mound for Nebraska will be junior Ty Horn. The right-hander struck out six and gave up one run in 4.2 innings in his 2026 debut against UConn last Friday, but four walks tainted an otherwise impressive performance.
Horn will have his hands full against a Louisville lineup that’s boasted an .801 OPS in its first four games this season. The Cardinals’ hottest hitter is Ohio transfer outfielder Ben Slanker. In 10 at-bats this season, Slanker has accounted for 12 total bases, two home runs and a 1.815 OPS.
First pitch for the contest is set for 3 p.m. CT on Friday.
Saturday: Kansas State
When previewing this weekend’s matchups for Nebraska, it would be understandable to assume this as the Huskers’ “easiest” game of the three-game slate. But after a 4-0 start, it’s clear that this isn’t the average Kansas State team.
While the Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, they were predicted as a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team coming into 2026, especially after losing a combined 44 home runs from seniors Keegan O’Connor and Seth Dardar, along with Boston Red Sox draft pick Maximus Martin.
Early contributions from infielders Dee Kennedy and Shintaro Inoue have quickly dispelled concerns about limited offensive production, however. Kennedy is batting .500 with three home runs and a 1.286 slugging percentage, while Inoue, his middle-infield counterpart, is slashing .353/.476/.529 through 17 at-bats.
Outfielders AJ Evasco and Robby Bollin have been instrumental for Kansas State at the top of the lineup. Evasco’s nine hits lead the team, and Bollin’s .579 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot has helped the Wildcats score 57 total runs this season, a mark that puts them fourth in the country.
Both players have Nebraska connections as well. Evasco is a Lincoln East alum, where he won a Class A state championship with current NU freshman catcher Jeter Worthley. Bollin was with the Huskers last season, where he started 34 games in the outfield, hitting .278 with a .714 OPS.
Sophomore Carson Jasa will start for Nebraska. Jasa opened the season with arguably the most impressive performance of the weekend against Northeastern. The right-hander struck out nine, including a stretch of seven consecutive batters, surrendering three runs in five innings in a win against the Huskies.
Opposite Jasa will likely be Kansas State righty Donte Lewis. Lewis struggled in two innings of work against UConn, walking four and allowing three runs over 57 pitches.
The game is expected to start at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Sunday: Florida State
There are certain teams that, when anticipating a potential matchup on the schedule, it means more. Florida State is one of those teams.
Maybe it’s the history of the program, one that has made 24 College World Series appearances, ranking third all-time in NCAA history. For reference, Nebraska has appeared in just three.
And through three games this season, the Seminoles have looked good. A two-game series sweep against James Madison and a midweek win against Jacksonville on Tuesday kicked them off to a 3-0 start. However, the competition is hardly comparable to three games against Michigan, No. 9 Auburn and Nebraska this weekend.
Junior shortstop Cal Fisher highlights Florida State’s lineup. Fisher comes off a 2025 season where he established himself as one of the best middle infielders in the ACC, batting .303 with eight home runs in 53 games. It’s been a hot start for Fisher again this season, who’s provided a 6-for-11 start from the plate in the cleanup spot for the Seminoles.
Former USC transfer Brayden Dowd leads off for Florida State, and it’s been a warm welcome to the Sunshine State for the left-fielder so far. Dowd is hitting .417 with a .563 on-base percentage and seven runs scored in his first 12 at-bats of the year.
Sophomore Gavin Blachowicz will once again take the mound on Sunday, according to Bolt. The right-hander impressed in the first start of his collegiate career against GCU, giving up one run over 4.2 innings. Command was a bit of an issue for Blachowicz, who walked two and hit two more Antelopes hitters, but worked well to limit damage throughout the outing.
With Blachowicz getting the start, it was announced that Cooper Katskee will inherit more of a bullpen-type role for the Huskers this weekend. The former Miami (OH) transfer and reigning MAC Pitcher of the Year had his much-anticipated start pushed back last weekend due to illness, but is expected to be a factor going forward.
It is unclear who Blachowicz will face across the diamond. If available, Tuesday starter Payton Manca serves as a likely option for Florida State. The left-hander threw three scoreless innings against Jacksonville, totalling 50 pitches.
The Sunday finale is set to start at 2:30 p.m. CT.