Nebraska baseball earns No. 13 overall seed, sets up loaded Lincoln Regional
Nebraska baseball (42-15, 23-7) found out it will host its first NCAA Regional since 2008 on Sunday, and just received word it will officially check in as the No. 13 overall seed for the college baseball tournament.
For the Lincoln Regional, the No. 1-seeded Huskers will welcome No. 2 seed Ole Miss (36-21, 15-15 SEC), No. 3 Arizona State (37-19, 19-11 Big 12) and No. 4 South Dakota State (24-31, 12-15 Summit League).
This marks NU’s third straight postseason appearance under head coach Will Bolt. Bolt has a 212-141-1 record over his seven seasons at the helm.
Nebraska will open against SDSU on Friday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Jackrabbits notched their NCAA Tournament bid after winning the Summit League Tournament.
Ole Miss will take on Arizona State in the first round at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Rebels were upset in the first round of the SEC Tournament last week, while the Sun Devils reached the Big 12 semifinals but lost to No. 16 overall seed and Big 12 runner-up West Virginia.
The winner of the Lincoln Regional will face the winner of the Auburn Regional.
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Bolt weighs in on the loaded regional
When Bolt took the Nebraska job to return to his alma mater in June of 2019, there was one goal that stood firm. However, Bolt, who played in two Husker-hosted regionals, has his team eyeing the next level.
“We’ve talked (hosting) a lot, obviously,” Bolt said. “In my opening press conference, I talked about hosting a regional. So, the standards have been high. To see that come to fruition is pretty awesome, but it’s also not done.
“It’s not the final goal, either. It’s just a goal.”
Nebraska has already had a glimpse of what a regional may look like after filling up Haymarket Park with 7,000+ in red for the USC and Iowa series. While the Sea of Red during those weekends was the most in two decades, this year’s Lincoln Regional may shatter those numbers.
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“We have been in the top 10 in attendance every year, but to have actually 7,000 people in the stands for USC games and the Iowa games late in the season… I think will prepare (us) for the moment,” the Nebraska head coach said.
“Now, can we fit 10,000? I think we’re going to try to find out. But they have played in front of 15,000 at (Charles) Schwab (Field). A lot of these upperclassmen have seen these type of crowds before.”
Many Gen-Z Big Red baseball fans have never witnessed the upcoming atmosphere on Lincoln soil. But the former player during the prime Husker dynasty has a bit of a glimpse to share.
“The thing I always remember as a player is the look of when they open the center-field gates,” Bolt said. There’s people on the pedestrian bridge out there waiting to come into the ballpark, and racing to get on the berms for GA (general admission).”
The Husker skipper later added, “It’s going to open a lot of eyes nationally.”
Without a doubt, Nebraska must bring its A-game if it wants to advance to a Super Regional. NU beat SDSU 5-4 during the regular season, and the Jackrabbits are coming to town riding high on a conference title.
“A lot of name brands in college baseball,” Bolt said of the teams heading to the 402. “South Dakota State has our full attention on Friday, I can assure you of that.”
