Around the Horn: Nebraska baseball travels to Iowa for series with Hawkeyes
After a series victory over Rutgers and a mid-week win over No. 22 Kansas, Nebraska baseball (15-18, 4-8) heads to Iowa City for a rivalry matchup with the Hawkeyes (21-10, 12-3).
Thanks to a strong two-week stretch, the Huskers have climbed up to No. 76 in the RPI, two spots ahead of Iowa. The Hawkeyes won 13 of their last 15 contests entering Friday but have played a significantly milder schedule in comparison.
Here’s more on the weekend including an opponent preview, pitching matchups, the biggest storylines and broadcast information:
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Projecting Nebraska’s pitching matchups
Friday at 6 p.m: LHP Will Walsh (4-4, 4.36 ERA, 43.1 IP, 39 K) vs. LHP Cade Obermueller (3-2, 2.51 ERA, 46.2, 65 K)
Saturday at 2 p.m: RHP Ty Horn (0-4, 7.25 ERA, 36 IP, 33 K) vs. RHP Aaron Savary (5-0, 3.43 ERA, 42 IP, 47 K)
Sunday at 1 p.m: LHP Jackson Brockett (0-3, 4.91 ERA, 29 IP, 19 K) vs. RHP Reece Beuter (4-0, 4.21 ERA, 36.1 IP, 36 K)
Weekend storylines to watch
Can Buettenback stay hot?
Max Buettenback was the spark Nebraska’s bats needed. Since returning to the starting lineup two weeks ago, the sophomore has racked up 10 hits and 10 RBIs. The Huskers have scored less than seven runs just once over that stretch.
He currently leads the team with a .317 hitting percentage average and is tied for the most home runs with five. Head coach Will Bolt has finally found a batting order that gels together, and Buettenback in the six-hole is a key feature.
“We tell guys just make it so it’s impossible for us to keep you out of the lineup, and I think [Buettenback] is doing that with just the quality of that bat,” Bolt said after Saturday’s win over Rutgers. “He’s not punching out. He’s putting the ball in play. He’s executing the offense and obviously he’s slugging for us.”
Will Walsh finding groove early
Last Friday, Walsh gave up five runs in the first two innings and looked destined for an early exit. But the veteran bounced back, retiring nine of the next 11 batters and lasting five frames.
He can’t afford another slow start this weekend, though. The Hawkeyes have scored 40 total runs in their last three series openers, including two run-rule wins.
Bolt had high praise for Walsh after the win over Rutgers, saying it was “one of the biggest” outings he’s ever had for Nebraska. But against Iowa’s offense, which ranks No. 23 nationally for batting average and No. 28 for total runs, Nebraska is going to need more than a nine-hit, 9.00 ERA day from Walsh.
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He’ll face off against one of the best pitchers in the conference, Cade Obermueller, who ranks No. 15 in the country with 65 strikeouts and has been stellar over the last month.
Know the Foe
***Player to Watch: Catcher Reese Moore
Moore leads all Hawkeye batters with nine home runs on the year and ranks No. 2 among the starting lineup with a .362 batting average. The sophomore cooled down at the plate over the last week, but in March, he was one of the best hitters in the Big Ten. He hit .453 during the month with 27 RBIs. Moore recorded two multi-home run games over that stretch, including a win over Minnesota in which he smacked four total hits and two bombs.
***Friday starter Cade Obermueller is fresh off three dominant performances in which he threw 19 consecutive shutout frames. Against Northwestern last weekend, the left-hander recorded a seven-inning complete game in a 12-1 run-rule victory. Obermueller struck out 12 Wildcat batters, a new career high, boosting his total to 65 on the year. He earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors with the performance.
Obermueller is averaging 1.4 punch-outs per inning, the most among Big Ten Pitchers, and has the second-lowest ERA in the conference. He chose to return to Iowa this season despite being selected by the Texas Rangers in the 19th Round of the 2024 MLB draft.
***The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in batting average, .317, thanks to 10 players hitting over .300 on the year. Their pitchers have taken advantage, posting the lowest ERA and most strikeouts in the conference as well.
***Shortstop Kooper Schulte earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors last week. The junior racked up seven hits and five RBIs over a four-game stretch. Schulte ranks third among starters with a .343 batting average and has only struck out 15 times this season.
***Saturday and Sunday starters, Aaron Savary and Reece Beuter, have yet to suffer a loss on the year, combining for a 9-0 record. Savary was stellar in February and March but came back down to earth against Ohio State and Minnesota. He failed to last four innings in back-to-back games and gave up nine runs in seven total frames. Beuter was pulled after just two innings last Sunday against Northwestern.
***Iowa’s weekend pitching rotation is a combined 12-2 on the year with a 3.67 ERA. Obermueller, Savary and Beuter have struck out 148 total batters while giving up 94 hits.
Big Ten Standings
| Team | Conference Record | PCT | Overall Record | PCT | Home | Away | Neutral | L10 | Streak |
| UCLA | 10-2 | .833 | 26-6 | .813 | 19-4 | 5-2 | 2-0 | 9-1 | W5 |
| Iowa | 12-3 | .800 | 21-10 | .677 | 9-1 | 10-5 | 2-4 | 8-2 | W1 |
| Oregon | 10-5 | .667 | 22-9 | .710 | 18-6 | 4-3 | 0-0 | 5-5 | L1 |
| Washington | 8-4 | .667 | 17-17 | .500 | 8-5 | 6-8 | 3-4 | 7-3 | W5 |
| Indiana | 9-6 | .600 | 19-4 | .576 | 10-5 | 4-5 | 5-4 | 6-4 | W4 |
| Penn State | 9-6 | .600 | 21-10 | .677 | 6-5 | 13-4 | 2-1 | 6-4 | W4 |
| USC | 9-6 | .600 | 21-11 | .656 | 12-6 | 9-5 | 0-0 | 8-2 | W6 |
| Illinois | 7-5 | .583 | 18-12 | .600 | 9-1 | 5-5 | 4-6 | 6-4 | L1 |
| Michigan | 8-7 | .533 | 19-14 | .576 | 6-5 | 7-5 | 6-4 | 6-4 | W3 |
| Northwestern | 6-6 | .500 | 15-15 | .500 | 4-6 | 8-8 | 3-1 | 6-4 | W2 |
| Rutgers | 5-7 | ..417 | 16-17 | .485 | 10-5 | 6-12 | 0-0 | 6-4 | W2 |
| Michigan State | 4-8 | .333 | 17-14 | .548 | 2-4 | 4-7 | 11-3 | 2-8 | L4 |
| Nebraska | 4-8 | .333 | 15-18 | .455 | 7-5 | 5-10 | 3-3 | 5-5 | W1 |
| Maryland | 3-9 | .250 | 15-19 | .441 | 6-7 | 5-10 | 3-3 | 5-5 | W1 |
| Purdue | 3-9 | .250 | 20-12 | .625 | 6-7 | 3-4 | 11-1 | 1-9 | L8 |
| Minnesota | 2-10 | .167 | 13-17 | .433 | 8-10 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 3-7 | W2 |
| Ohio State | 2-10 | .167 | 8-21 | .276 | 7-4 | 0-12 | 1-5 | 2-8 | L5 |
Broadcast Information
TV: Friday/Saturday: Big Ten Plus: HERE
TV: Sunday: Big Ten Network: HERE
Radio: Huskers Radio Network (Radio simulcast found HERE)
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