Hit the link ->
https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/shockers-mash-again-huskers-miss-opportunities-in-loss
Updated with final thoughts on the game. In the link, or right here.
ROUNDING THE BASES
1st - Fisher hung a few too many balls.
Nebraska left-hander Nate Fisher is now one of two uninjured southpaws on the roster. While lefties are great to mix things up against a powerful lineup - or any lineup - it doesn't help if the baseballs are hung out on clothes line. Fisher was up in the zone for much of the day, and when he would get some downward angle, the velocity wasn't there.
You take a negative with a positive - no strikeouts, but no walks. But that also means he wasn't taking many chances, a stark contrast to Friday starter Luis Alvarado. Fisher has good control and is serviceable as a starter and a reliever, but against veteran teams like Wichita State that know how to be patient, a conservative approach won't always lead to ground balls. The Shockers turned on just enough swings - eight in play, to be exact - to chase Fisher off the mound in less than three innings. The Huskers got lucky with good relief, but a depleted bullpen will need more than 2.1 innings out of a bona fide Saturday starter.
2nd - The offense was dreadful after leadoff.
Nebraska got leadoff baserunners in five of the final six innings. The only hit it notched immediately following those leadoff hits was Athey's home run. If the issue is stringing hits together, the Huskers need a tailor. Nebraska pounded out 10 hits in the game and was 1-for-9 with a walk in at bats following base hits. That's unbelievable luck when it comes to clutch hitting.
That tells you the Huskers were clearly ready to come out and play Saturday, but were mentally fragile after seeing so many opposing baseballs clear the outfield wall. Leadoff hitters usually have a full two minutes or more to focus and get ready for the first at bat of the inning - staring down a pitcher one-on-one, with no baserunners or outs to worry about. For the batters following, there are always circumstances, whether it be outs, baserunners, a certain pitch the opposition is grooving with, or whatever it may be.
Nebraska needs to work on its approach to situational batting if it wants to get over the offensive hump. Clearly the hits are coming, but they haven't been in the right spots.
3rd - A few bullpen stars still remain.
Nebraska's drastically depleted pitching staff now has four hurlers down with elbow injuries. Friday saw two green freshman struggle mightily with the Wichita State bats. Saturday, two juniors showed that this team could end up being better built for a postseason schedule than weekend series.
Outside of a solo home run in the fifth, Matt Waldron and Zack Engelken were absolutely nails on the mound. Between that pair, Paul Tillotson and closer Jake Hohensee, the Huskers have proven they can lock down the late innings against very good competition. Add in Reece Eddins in a few weeks, and the Huskers have a semblance of the formidable bullpen that showed on paper in the preseason.
Nebraska can succeed in a one, two or three game set because of its bullpen, but quality starts will be imperative down the stretch.
Bringing it home - Shockers upend the "Midwestern formula."
In college baseball, there tends to be an extreme disparity between the northern and southern styles of play. Small ball is the name of the game in the Big Ten and with other colder-weather schools, while SEC teams like LSU can smack it all over the yard.
Wichita State - a northern team by all college baseball geographic accounts - rejects the status quo. Four Shockers have hit home runs in the last two days. While small ball may work in the Big Ten, Wichita State is competing at an NCAA level with an offensive approach that Nebraska hasn't considered under Darin Erstad.
All it takes is two or three superstar sluggers to bring the whole team's power up a notch. If Nebraska can get those players and highlight them with a power-premium offensive approach, baseball may get a lot more fun for the folks in red.
https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/shockers-mash-again-huskers-miss-opportunities-in-loss
Updated with final thoughts on the game. In the link, or right here.
ROUNDING THE BASES
1st - Fisher hung a few too many balls.
Nebraska left-hander Nate Fisher is now one of two uninjured southpaws on the roster. While lefties are great to mix things up against a powerful lineup - or any lineup - it doesn't help if the baseballs are hung out on clothes line. Fisher was up in the zone for much of the day, and when he would get some downward angle, the velocity wasn't there.
You take a negative with a positive - no strikeouts, but no walks. But that also means he wasn't taking many chances, a stark contrast to Friday starter Luis Alvarado. Fisher has good control and is serviceable as a starter and a reliever, but against veteran teams like Wichita State that know how to be patient, a conservative approach won't always lead to ground balls. The Shockers turned on just enough swings - eight in play, to be exact - to chase Fisher off the mound in less than three innings. The Huskers got lucky with good relief, but a depleted bullpen will need more than 2.1 innings out of a bona fide Saturday starter.
2nd - The offense was dreadful after leadoff.
Nebraska got leadoff baserunners in five of the final six innings. The only hit it notched immediately following those leadoff hits was Athey's home run. If the issue is stringing hits together, the Huskers need a tailor. Nebraska pounded out 10 hits in the game and was 1-for-9 with a walk in at bats following base hits. That's unbelievable luck when it comes to clutch hitting.
That tells you the Huskers were clearly ready to come out and play Saturday, but were mentally fragile after seeing so many opposing baseballs clear the outfield wall. Leadoff hitters usually have a full two minutes or more to focus and get ready for the first at bat of the inning - staring down a pitcher one-on-one, with no baserunners or outs to worry about. For the batters following, there are always circumstances, whether it be outs, baserunners, a certain pitch the opposition is grooving with, or whatever it may be.
Nebraska needs to work on its approach to situational batting if it wants to get over the offensive hump. Clearly the hits are coming, but they haven't been in the right spots.
3rd - A few bullpen stars still remain.
Nebraska's drastically depleted pitching staff now has four hurlers down with elbow injuries. Friday saw two green freshman struggle mightily with the Wichita State bats. Saturday, two juniors showed that this team could end up being better built for a postseason schedule than weekend series.
Outside of a solo home run in the fifth, Matt Waldron and Zack Engelken were absolutely nails on the mound. Between that pair, Paul Tillotson and closer Jake Hohensee, the Huskers have proven they can lock down the late innings against very good competition. Add in Reece Eddins in a few weeks, and the Huskers have a semblance of the formidable bullpen that showed on paper in the preseason.
Nebraska can succeed in a one, two or three game set because of its bullpen, but quality starts will be imperative down the stretch.
Bringing it home - Shockers upend the "Midwestern formula."
In college baseball, there tends to be an extreme disparity between the northern and southern styles of play. Small ball is the name of the game in the Big Ten and with other colder-weather schools, while SEC teams like LSU can smack it all over the yard.
Wichita State - a northern team by all college baseball geographic accounts - rejects the status quo. Four Shockers have hit home runs in the last two days. While small ball may work in the Big Ten, Wichita State is competing at an NCAA level with an offensive approach that Nebraska hasn't considered under Darin Erstad.
All it takes is two or three superstar sluggers to bring the whole team's power up a notch. If Nebraska can get those players and highlight them with a power-premium offensive approach, baseball may get a lot more fun for the folks in red.
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