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Huskers Host Hoosiers to End Regular Season
BTN Moves Saturday's Game to 1 p.m. CT Start
Meyers, Schreiber, Miller Lead Huskers to Win
Randy York N-Sider
Official Blog of the Huskers
In the shadow of Nebraska sophomore Scott Schreiber's torrid hitting streak entering the Huskers’ final regular-season home baseball series against Indiana Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field is an intriguing subset that could define the Huskers’ 2016 season.
Before we analyze the possibilities, let’s ask a few questions: Can Nebraska baseball fans get on a roll like Schreiber’s on? Can they fill the seats at Hawks Field this weekend and then come out in full force when the Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament returns to Omaha beginning next Wednesday at TD Ameritrade Park?
As long as we’re posing questions, let’s ask one more: Is anyone in college baseball swinging like Scott Schreiber? Not likely because Schreiber, the 6-foot-3, 222-pound sophomore first baseman from Menasha, Wisconsin, is on such a roll that Darin Erstad said Wednesday the best thing he can do to help Schreiber is get out of his way.
Darin Erstad on Scott Schreiber: There’s Not a Park that Can Hold That Guy
Erstad emphasized that nothing Schreiber does surprises him. “I mean, he hit it out at Long Beach State at night when nobody hits homers there,” Erstad said. “There’s not a park that can hold that guy. When he hits it, everybody’s just like, ‘Yeah, it’s not like we haven’t seen that before.’ He has that kind of power.”
Schreiber also has the humility to go with that power. "God's kind of blessed me with some things I can do that some other people can't do," Schreiber said. "I go into the game and whatever happens happens. I don't really think too much about it."
Here’s the kicker for Husker fans down the stretch. Believe it or not, if Nebraska should sweep Indiana in Lincoln and if Ohio State could sweep Minnesota in Minneapolis, guess which team would win a share of the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship?
Big Ten Tournament Crowds in Omaha Could Triple Lincoln's Fan Support
Yes, Nebraska is the right answer in that longshot scenario, giving Husker fans multiple opportunities to go beyond crowds of 5,000 this week and reach numbers that could triple Big Red’s faithful in next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Omaha.
As long as you’re shaking your head, think about Schreiber’s Tuesday night outburst inside TD Ameritrade Park, one of the best pitchers’ parks in America. Schreiber, however, went a career-best 5 for 6 with two home runs and a double in NU’s 15-2 win over Creighton, giving him 9 hits in his last 10 at bats, four of which are homers.
Schreiber's power display includes 15 home runs this season, the best in the Big Ten. "It's a big park, but our approach stays the same as a hitter," Schreiber said Wednesday. "You get a hold of it, maybe it's got a chance."
Erstad: Schreiber Still in the Early Stages; It’s Exciting to See Where He Can Go
Erstad admits Schreiber is “very raw” in terms of baseball experience. "Your mind is a processor, and the more at-bats you see, the more pitches you see,” Erstad said. “You learn the ones you like and don't like, and the more information you have, the more you can recognize things. Scott's still in the early stages of that, and it's exciting to see where he can go."
Like Erstad in his high school days in North Dakota, Schreiber was a multi-sport prep athlete in Wisconsin. Erstad relies on Schreiber’s versatility, using him occasionally in right field and often as a designated hitter. A .316 hitter so far this season, Schreiber became the first Husker player in 10 years to have three multiple home run games. He also leads the team with 52 RBI.
True to his character, Erstad embraces a home series finale that carries the weight of Nebraska’s seed in the Big Ten Tournament. “We have two pretty good ball clubs going at it,” he said. “It looks like the weather will be decent and it should be a great atmosphere. This is what it’s all about. These guys have earned the right for these games to mean something, but that doesn’t get them anything more than the right to go out there and play.”
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