Walsh's second Big Ten Tournament gem helps Nebraska force if-necessary game with Indiana

There’s something about Will Walsh, Nebraska and elimination games at the Big Ten Tournament.

The southpaw’s second career complete game came at a time when the Huskers needed it the most. Walsh’s Huskers had their backs against the wall on Saturday afternoon and in need of the first of two wins against Indiana required to make Sunday’s Big Ten Championship.

A year after tossing a complete-game shutout of Michigan State, he delivered yet another legendary performance. Walsh went threw a career-high 121 pitches (70% for strikes) and scattered six hits over the course of nine innings while striking out five and issuing one walk.

Fellow junior Josh Caron came in clutch with critical run support and Nebraska forced a second game with a 4-2 win.

Here’s more on the victory for Nebraska and what lies ahead as the Huskers prepare to face the Hoosiers again at 5:00 p.m. CT.

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Nebraska’s preparation for a 9:00 a.m. first pitch was run of the mill.

“Nothing different,” Walsh said postgame on the Big Ten Network. “Obviously we woke up a little bit earlier than usual. The pregame routine is the same.”

Walsh opened his outing with a strikeout of Indiana star Devin Taylor on three pitches. Then things got a bit unwieldy.

A pair of doubles quickly gave Indiana a 1-0 lead. In the second, Walsh barley escaped a bases-loaded situation on a dribbler on the first base line that hit off the bag and popped directly to Ben Columbus. A leadoff triple in the third and a sacrifice fly gave the Hoosiers their second run.

Walsh didn’t allow a hit for the next 5 1/3 innings.

Caron came up with the biggest swing of his career in the third. With two on and two out, he crushed a pitch in the middle of the zone and sent it 433 feet over the Indiana bullpen. That put the Huskers in front 3-1 but the junior catcher wasn’t finished.

Leading 3-2 in the eighth, he struck again. His 14th blast of the year traveled 432 feet to the same spot in left. Both home runs left the bat faster than 110 mph. Caron’s solo shot made it 4-2 and broke a streak of nine consecutive Huskers retired by Indiana reliever Drew Buhr. That critical insurance run gave Nebraska some much-needed breathing room after failing to score on two separate leadoff doubles.

Each of the Huskers’ four runs came off a Caron long ball.

Walsh continued to keep his pitch count low with single-digit innings in the fourth (nine) and fifth (four). The final pitch of the eighth inning was his 100th of the outing. Walsh tallied four of his five strikeouts in the seventh and ninth innings including the final out of the game.

Speed, or lack thereof, was the name of the game.

“Lotta off-speeds,” Walsh said of the keys to his success. “Lotta sliders for strikes and (changeups).”

The outing represents the most pitches by a Nebraska arm in a single outing this year. Walsh’s complete game is the Husker pitching staff’s third of the year.

The bullpen is fully stocked

If Nebraska wants to be the first team since 1995 (Ohio State) to win the Big Ten Tournament after losing its opening round game, it needs pitching performances like this one.

Following Tuesday’s 15-2 loss to Ohio State, Nebraska has used a total of six arms. Rans Sanders faced two batters and threw seven pitches. Jalen Worthley is the only arm that’s truly unavailable for the Huskers’ second game of the day.

That leaves a host of arms Nebraska could roll with for another bout with the Hoosiers. Drew Christo spent a good portion of the first game working in the bullpen. Jackson Brockett and Caleb Clark would also be available. None of those three have pitched since Wednesday.

No matter what happens, the Huskers are set up well from a pitching perspective for the final game of the day and a potential championship appearance on Sunday.

What’s next for Nebraska baseball?

Nebraska is one game away from its first Big Ten Championship appearance since 2019. The Huskers will face the Hooisers at 5 p.m. CT. Fans can watch on the Big Ten Network and listen on the Huskers Radio Network.