No. 19 Nebraska baseball takes first I-80 showdown over Creighton
No. 19 Nebraska baseball (23-6) took down Creighton (13-13) 6-5 in the first I-80 showdown of 2026 between the two in-state rivals on Tuesday at Charles Schwab Field.
The Huskers have now won 18 of their last 19 games, which includes a seven-game win streak.
Gavin Blachowicz (3-1, 2.51 ERA) tossed four shutout innings in his first midweek start of the season. But leading 6-0 in the sixth, NU’s bullpen surrendered five runs to reset the momentum.
Despite the early bullpen collapse, Chase Olson and J’Shawn Unger (SV: 4) provided composure on the mound to secure the victory with their three shutout innings.
Still, the ninth may have had a few fingernails bitten. Unger, a native of Blair, faced traffic after the lead-off Bluejay reached on second baseman Rhett Stokes’ fielding error. And by walking Teddy Deters with two down, it appeared NU may let the contest slip away. However, Unger forced a fly ball where Mac Moyer made the game-winning catch in center field.
“He just had all the belief in the world out there,” head coach Will Bolt said of Unger on the Huskers Radio Network postgame. “His presence says that, and his attack says that. And his ability to execute pitches says that.
“There were some really, really good pitches that he made there in that last inning, and none bigger than that final pop-up.”
Here is an instant recap from the I-80 showdown Husker win…
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Big Red barrels chip away to build 6-0 lead
Left fielder Jett Buck provided the offensive spark with a one-out swinging-bunt single in the second.
Out of the seventh hole, Drew Grego smacked him home with an RBI single to give Nebraska a 1-0 lead. The freshman right fielder trailed 0-2 before making it a full count and delivering.
Moments later, Creighton surrendered a walk to load the bases. With two down, Moyer extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-RBI “Mac Special” single to left field.
A pitch hit Dylan Carey in the wrist in the third to cause a scare. However, the senior shortstop remained in the game and even stole second base before Buck hit him home for his second off an RBI double to give the Big Red a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, freshman catcher Jeter Worthley lasered a lead-off double to left field. First baseman Case Sanderson advanced him to third off a 352-foot sac-fly. Following Sanderson, Carey brought Worthley home on a sac-fly to put NU up 5-0.
Nebraska tacked on its sixth run in the sixth frame. Third baseman Joshua Overbeek hit a moon-shot lead-off triple — his second of the season. Moyer picked up the RBI on a fielder’s choice.
Four shutout frames from Blachowicz
Blachowicz made his first midweek and seventh overall start of the season. The sophomore righty delivered four shutout innings on 59 pitches (38 strikes) to retire nine of the 15 Creighton batters faced.
Blachowicz’s three-pitch strikeout to start the game set the tone. In fact, the Olathe, Kansas, native faced the minimum Bluejays through three frames with two strikeouts.
In the fourth, the 6-foot-4 starting pitcher faced a jam after allowing a single and surrendering two free passes to load the bases. Pitching coach Rob Childress gave Blachowicz a pivotal mound visit. Following the chat, he forced a flyout to Moyer in center field to strand the bases loaded.
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Chronic bullpen woes ensue
As Nebraska was cruising — up 6-0 — the Husker bullpen unraveled in the sixth to make it a new ball game, once again.
Lefty Caleb Clark took the fifth and faced the minimum, thanks to a 4-6-3 double play and a diving catch from Grego. However, the senior arm surrendered three free passes (two walks, one hit by pitch) before allowing a two-RBI double to end the Husker shutout and his night on the mound.
With two on and none down, righty Pryce Bender took over in damage control mode. It appeared the sophomore utility arm may escape unscathed. However, a two-out two-RBI double and single made it a whole new game, 6-5.
“Totally ridiculous, it turned into a five-spot, to be quite frank,” Bolt said. “There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever, the way we were cruising. Clark flew five pitches the inning before, and it turns into a five-spot because we just walk, walk, hit by pitch to start the inning.
“We just can’t even get Bender ready until the bases are already loaded. So, just a lesson learned there.”
Nebraska finds a way yet again
After the Big Red’s offense went scoreless in the final three frames, two young arms weathered the storm.
Olson, a redshirt freshman lefty, provided some stability with a shutout inning in the seventh off three forced flyouts.
To shut the door, Unger, sophomore righty, delivered the final six outs with authority — including two strikeouts — solidifying himself as the clear-cut top arm out of the NU bullpen.
Nebraska returns to the ball diamond on Friday at 6 p.m. CT to host Penn State for a three-game series at Haymarket Park. Watch on Nebraska Public Media or listen on the Huskers Radio Network.
The Big Red meets the Bluejays for the second matchup of the annual three-game series on April 14 at 6 p.m. CT in Lincoln. Watch on the Big Ten Network.
