Louisiana Preview & Notes
NO. 23 NEBRASKA at LOUISIANA
Feb. 21-23, 2025
Lafayette, La. | M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park
Friday, Feb. 21 – 6 p.m. CT
Pitching: RHP Mason McConnaughey (0-1, 14.73 ERA) vs. LHP Chase Morgan (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Saturday, Feb. 22 – 2 p.m. CT
Pitching: RHP Ty Horn (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP Blake McGehee (0-1, 12.00 ERA)
TV/Streaming: None
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Sunday, Feb. 23 – 1 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Will Walsh (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. TBD
TV/Streaming: None
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Follow the Game
• Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Ragin’ Cajuns can be seen on ESPN+, with Dan McDonald and Brennan Breaux on the call. There is no stream available for the two games on Saturday and Sunday.
• Fans can also listen to Nick Handley and David Gustafson call the action this weekend 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.
Nebraska vs. Louisiana
• Through 10 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds a 6-3-1 advantage in the all-time series against Louisiana.
• The Huskers are 3-1-1 in five games against the Cajuns in Lafayette after opening the 2009 campaign with a four-game set, where the Big Red went 2-1-1 in the season-opening series.
• Nebraska picked up a 6-3 win at Louisiana in the Mardi Gras Ball in the second weekend of the 2001 season.
Familiar Faces in the Dugout
• Despite not having met on the diamond since 2009, there will be some familiar faces in the Husker and Cajun dugouts this weekend.
• Louisiana head coach Matt Deggs has worked multiple seasons on the same staff has head coach Will Bolt and assistant coaches Rob Childress and Lance Harvell.
• Deggs and Bolt worked together under Rob Childress at Texas A&M during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, where Bolt served as a volunteer assistant.
• Childress coached Deggs at Northwood in 1993 and later worked on the same coaching staff as Deggs at Northwestern State under Dave Van Horn in 1996 and 1997. The two later reunited in College Station, where Deggs worked as an assistant coach on Childress’ coaching staff at Texas A&M in 2006-10.
• Harvell worked with Deggs at three different stops in his coaching career. Harvell was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 2008-09 when Deggs was an assistant coach. Harvell and Deggs were assistant coaches on the Louisiana coaching staff in 2013-14, before Deggs went on to be the head coach at Sam Houston. Prior to arriving in Lincoln, Harvell was an assistant on Deggs’ staff at Sam Houston in 2015-19.
In the Polls
• Nebraska appeared at No. 24 in the D1Baseball and NCBWA preseason rankings and received votes in the USA Today/Coaches preseason poll.
• The Big Red moved up to No. 23 in the D1Baseball rankings and rose to No. 22 in the NCBWA rankings after going 2-1 last weekend in the MLB Desert Invitational.
• The Huskers are one of three Big Ten teams to appear in the rankings after opening weekend, with Oregon appearing in four polls (11th/D1Baseball, 11th/NCBWA, 14th/Perfect Game, 19th/Baseball America) and Michigan tabbed No. 25 in Baseball America’s rankings.
First Ranked Win on Opening Weekend Since 2006
• With a 6-4 win against No. 16 Vanderbilt at the MLB Desert Invitational, Nebraska picked up its first ranked win on opening weekend since the Big Red recorded a 4-3 win against No. 24 NC State in 2006.
• The Huskers have played nine games against eight ranked teams on opening weekend since the 2001 campaign.
• Since the win over No. 24 NC State in 2006, the Big Red suffered opening weekend losses to No. 22 Cal State Fullerton (DH) in 2013, No. 2 Oregon State in 2014 and No. 21 Texas Tech in 2024 before picking up last weekend’s win against the No. 16 Commodores.
A Look at the Weekend Rotation
•With Brett Sears taken in the 2024 MLB Draft and Drew Christo’s transition to the bullpen, it’ll be a new-look weekend rotation for the Huskers this year.
• Mason McConnaughey takes the mound on Friday’s series opener at Louisiana. The junior is 0-1 on the season after allowing six runs on five hits and striking out nine in 3.2 innings of work in Nebraska’s season opener vs. UC Irvine last weekend.
• Sophomore Ty Horn gets the nod on Saturday after dealing four strong innings in a no-decision vs. No. 16 Vanderbilt last weekend. Horn surrendered three runs across four hits and tallied six punchouts with a pair of walks in four frames against the Commodores.
• Redshirt senior Will Walsh is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale after tossing seven scoreless innings against San Diego State last weekend. Walsh allowed five hits and struck out six in his fourth career start of at least seven innings.
Big-Game Gabe Pacing Big Red Offense
• Senior Gabe Swansen picked up where he left off from Nebraska’s postseason run in 2024, driving in all six runs in the Huskers’ 6-4 win over No. 16 Vanderbilt at the MLB Desert Invitational last weekend.
• Swansen totaled a career-high six RBI for the third time in his career after hitting 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a home run in the win against the Commodores.
• Going back to the Big Ten Tournament in 2024, Swansen is hitting .426 at the plate with eight doubles, eight homers, 25 RBI and 12 runs scored in NU’s last 13 games.
Lucky Number Six in the Bolt Era
• Nebraska is 106-21 under head coach Will Bolt when scoring at least six runs.
• The Big Red scored six-plus runs in both wins on opening weekend, defeating No. 16 Vanderbilt (6-4) and San Diego State (13-0).
• 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.
Flashing the Leather
• As of Feb. 20, Nebraska is one of five teams nationally—and one of just two Power 4 teams—that has not committed an error this season.
Youth Movement on the Mound
• The NU pitching staff saw three freshmen put up strong outings in their Husker debut on the mound last weekend.
• Redshirt freshman Carson Jasa and true freshmen Pryce Bender and Colin Nowaczyk combined to deal 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing four combined hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
• Bender and Nowaczyk made their collegiate debut in Nebraska’s season opener vs. UC Irvine, Jasa took the mound for the final two innings in the Huskers’ shutout win against San Diego State.
Bats in the Nebraska Lineup
• Leadoff hitter Cayden Brumbaugh has a team-best two multi-hit games for the NU offense, picking up a pair of two-hit performances last the MLB Desert Invitational.
• Max Buettenback leads the Huskers with six runs scored and drove in a career-high four RBI against San Diego State.
• Dylan Carey is batting .286 through four games, while Case Sanderson holds a .308 batting average and has reached base in nine consecutive games going back to last season.
• Gabe Swansen is 19th nationally with nine runs driven in through four games and is one of two Huskers with three extra-base hits on the year.
• Cael Frost is one of two Huskers to reach base in all four games this season, while Joshua Overbeek has tallied a .375 batting average and .545 on-base percentage in three starts.
• Hogan Helligso recorded NU’s first hit of the year and has made three starts in the lineup behind the dish.
• Riley Silva is hitting .300 and has stolen one base in three starts, while Rhett Stokes is 2-for-5 for two games, including a start on Opening Day against UC Irvine.
• Will Jesske went 2-for-4 in his first career start at catcher against San Diego State, and Robby Bolin has totaled two hits and a pair of runs while seeing action in all four of NU’s games.
Huskers in the Pen
• Luke Broderick has appeared in two games for the NU bullpen, including a one-inning save in 6-4 win against No. 16 Vanderbilt.
• Jalen Worthley is 1-0 on the season after dealing 1.2 scoreless innings in the Big Red’s win over the Commodores last weekend.
• Jackson Brockett is available out of the bullpen this weekend after making the start at Grand Canyon on Monday. The southpaw holds a 1.50 ERA and three strikeouts in six innings this season.
• Grant Cleavinger and Caleb Clark have combined for one inning and two punchouts, while Drew Christo is one of two NU relievers with two appearances through the first four games.
• Carson Jasa, Pryce Bender and Colin Nowaczyk made their collegiate debut last weekend on the mound and combined for 5.2 shutout innings with four strikeouts.