Indiana baseball proved it could compete with one of the Big Ten’s top teams this weekend. The Hoosiers were tied or within one run of No. 24 Nebraska in the seventh inning of all three contests.
However, Indiana struggled closing out victories as it was swept by the Cornhuskers over the weekend, continuing a season-long trend. Indiana fell 6-5 in Friday’s opener, a one-run loss that dropped the Hoosiers to 0-6 in such contests this season. The Cornhuskers went on to win 12-7 on Saturday and 12-4 on Sunday.
In the first game, Indiana nearly completed a late comeback.
After falling behind 5-0, the Hoosiers rallied in the sixth inning behind RBI singles from freshman catcher Owen ten Oever and sophomore catcher/outfielder Hogan Denny, along with a run scored on a wild pitch. Indiana added another run in the seventh to cut the deficit to one and put pressure on Nebraska late.
But the tying run never crossed.
Indiana left eight runners on base and went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position, unable to deliver the final hit needed to complete the comeback, falling in yet another one-run contest 6-5.
That pattern continued the next day, but in a more dramatic fashion.
In Game 2, Indiana once again dug itself into an early hole, falling behind 5-0 before mounting its strongest push of the weekend. After being held quiet through five innings, the Hoosiers broke through in the sixth when ten Oever launched a three-run home run to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
Indiana kept the pressure on Nebraska in the seventh without recording a hit. Sophomore third baseman Will Moore and sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley both reached base via walks before another free pass for redshirt-freshman designated hitter Brayden Ricketts loaded the bases. Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Indiana within one at 5-4.
For a second straight game, Indiana had positioned itself to take control late. But again, the breakthrough never came.
Aside from Malamazian’s bases-loaded walk, the Hoosiers did no further damage, leaving all three runners stranded and missing a chance to complete the comeback.
Nebraska responded in the bottom of the seventh with a seven-run inning, capitalizing on free passes, a defensive error and a three-run home run to swing momentum for good.
The series finale played out much the same.
Indiana struck early in the third contest, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning behind an RBI double from Denny and an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie.
Indiana looked like it had finally figured out a Nebraska starting pitcher early for the first time in the series, scoring two runs in the first inning against former Hoosier right-hand pitcher redshirt-junior Cooper Katskee. The early runs were a rarity for a Hoosiers team that had been held scoreless through the first five innings of the first two games of the series.
However, Katskee settled in while Nebraska answered with a run in the second, fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-2 lead before Indiana freshman second baseman Landen Fry tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth.
The Cornhuskers regained the lead later in the inning after an error by Indiana junior right-fielder Ayden Crouse let the go ahead run score, giving Nebraska a 4-3 advantage.
Once again, Nebraska responded with yet another two-out rally in the seventh inning, scoring eight runs to break the game open and put the contest out of the Hoosiers’ reach. The inning began with senior infielder Dylan Carey doubling into left-center field, setting Nebraska’s all-time career doubles record with his 57th double.
The two-out rally ended with him doing even more damage as Nebraska bat through the lineup.
Carey capped the rally with a grand slam to left-center field, driving in four runs and punctuating an eight-run inning that mirrored Nebraska’s game deciding surge in Game 2 with yet another seven-run rally with two outs, both rallies came in the seventh inning.
The late push carried Nebraska to a 12-4 victory, completing the series sweep.
Across all three games, the difference came down to execution in key moments. Indiana generated opportunities, cutting deficits to one run in back-to-back games and jumping out to an early lead in the finale, and its execution early on was solid. But those efforts unraveled when it mattered most, as the Hoosiers were unable to sustain that level of play late. Nebraska, by contrast, consistently delivered with two outs, turning late innings into decisive swings.
Indiana now takes on another in-state opponent in a midweek matchup against the University of Evansville. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
