Four bombs launch Nebraska baseball to another Big Ten series win over Michigan 9-5
Grit has carried Nebraska (18-6, 5-1) through the 2026 season. That stayed true in a series-clinching 9-5 win over Michigan (11-11, 1-5) on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
With the game tied in the ninth, Max Buettenback hit a home run to right field. The blast sealed the game and the series. Both teams traded blows in a back-and-forth battle but Nebraska’s tenacity fueled another late-game offensive surge.
Despite the slow offensive start, the Huskers received big swings from Dylan Carey and Rhett Stokes to get the Huskers back in the game. Stokes got the Huskers on the board with his first of the season in the sixth inning. Carey smashed his sixth long ball to lead off the seventh inning to keep the momentum going.
Gavin Blachowicz worked four innings without his best stuff. He allowed only one run while striking out four Wolverines. J’Shawn Unger excelled in relief. He worked into his fourth inning, striking out five.
Here is an instant recap of the back-and-forth rubber match….
MARCH MADNESS SPECIAL – Get 50% off HuskerOnline by signing up today!
Two-arm combo keeps the Huskers’ bats silent early
Michigan dominated early on the mound with two pitchers over four innings. The Nebraska offense remained handcuffed through four frames while facing a 1-0 deficit.
The Wolverines’ Sunday starter, Tate Carey, worked as an off-speed-first right-hander. Carey used his changeup to cause the Huskers fits through the first two innings. Nebraska gained momentum in the first when Jeter Worthley reached after a hit-by-pitch. However, a diving catch by the right fielder killed the threat.
Carey struck out two hitters in the second inning to keep the Huskers scoreless. Catcher’s interference allowed Michigan’s No. 9 hitter to reach with two outs. After a wild pitch, Drew Culbertson scored on an RBI single against Blachowicz for the game’s first run.
Michigan pulled its starter in the third as he recovers from injury. Cade Montgomery replaced him. Montgomery offered a stark contrast as a hard-throwing pitcher compared to the off-speed-heavy Carey. He retired the first eight Husker batters he faced without a strikeout. Blachowicz ended his day with an efficient fourth inning. He fielded his position to get the out on a bunt attempt. Michigan led 1-0 after four innings.
Multiple moonshots rocket the Huskers to a series win
Cooper Katskee took the mound for Nebraska in the fifth inning. He followed a strong Tuesday start against Wichita State with a quick 1-2-3 frame. Stokes immediately tied the game with a solo home run over the left-center wall. His first home run this season was only the second of his career.
The bottom of the sixth became a self-induced disaster for the Huskers. Michigan quickly put two runners on after a single and a walk. Another single loaded the bases and chased Katskee from the game. Grant Cleavinger entered and hit two batters to force in two runs. Unger then toed the rubber to escape the jam. Nebraska trailed 3-1 heading into the seventh.
- 1
NewLane Kiffin reveals what he would change about Ole Miss exit
- 2
Bryce Underwood back for Round 2
- 3
Bret Bielema backs CFP expansion amid debate
- 4
Tony Petitti maintains 'deep commitment' to 24-team CFP
- 5
Iowa State AD calls for Big Ten, SEC to leave NCAA
Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
The seventh inning began with an immediate response from Carey. The senior crushed a ball over the wall to bring the Huskers within one. Miken Miller singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Buettenback followed with a game-tying RBI single. Nebraska took the lead on a Worthley fielder’s choice. Mac Moyer avoided an inning-ending double play by returning to first base to dodge a tag which allowed the run to score.
UM quickly tied the game with a solo home run by Brenden Stressler to lead off the seventh. The back-and-forth affair continued as both offenses went down in order in the eighth when Unger fueled the defensive stand with two strikeouts in the frame.
Buettenback hit a go-ahead home run to put Nebraska up 5-4 early in the ninth. The Huskers did not slow down. They loaded the bases for Jett Buck. He launched the team’s fourth home run of the game. The grand slam secured a 9-4 lead. The Wolverines manufactured another run in the ninth but Tucker Timmerman held on to seal the 9-5 win.
Nebraska’s offensive inconsistency stands out from the weekend
The Nebraska offense fluctuated throughout the three-game weekend series. The Huskers limped through a Game 1 loss with only one run. They followed with a 10-0 run-rule victory in Game 2. Game 3 mirrored Friday’s struggles as the Huskers failed to find the two-out hit early on.
Early this season, two-out RBIs seemed automatic. Now, that clutch production has vanished. By the seventh inning Sunday, Nebraska had left seven runners on base. The Huskers stranded nine on Friday and even 11 during Saturday’s blowout win.
Latency in offensive production has raised alarm bells. Maine’s pitching did not dominate, yet Nebraska sputtered. The Huskers needed two walk-offs to beat the Black Bears bailing out weak bullpen performances. They showed the same trend against Michigan State meaning slow hitting is beginning to be the new trend for the bats. It seems at times the burden leans on the starters shoulders to keep the game close through the first-half of the game.
Nebraska finally scored Sunday in the sixth inning on a Stokes home run. Early contact consisted mostly of weak ground balls which kept UM in the lead. The Huskers welcome Indiana next weekend for a another crucial conference series. There is no doubt that this offense can score when they want and have a whole lot of grit but they cannot afford to waste time against a potent Hoosier offense.
