BSB Preview: at Purdue

NEBRASKA at PURDUE
May 15-17, 2025
West Lafayette, Ind. | Alexander Field

Thursday, May 15 – 5:02 p.m. CT
Pitching: RHP Tucker Timmerman (2-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. RHP Carter Doorn (4-5, 5.04 ERA)*
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App

Friday, May 16 – 5:02 p.m. CT
Pitching: RHP Ty Horn (2-4, 5.97 ERA) vs. RHP Cole Van Assen (4-3, 4.13 ERA)*
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App

Saturday, May 17 – 1:02 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Jackson Brockett (2-3, 3.76 ERA) vs. LHP Easton Storey (4-2, 5.01 ERA)*
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers.com, Huskers Radio Network, Huskers App
*- Purdue’s projected rotation based off last two weekends

Follow the Game
• All three games of this weekend's series can be seen on B1G+. 
• Fans can also listen to Ben McLaughlin call the action this weekend on the Huskers Radio Network.
• Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.

Nebraska vs. Purdue
• Through 31 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds a 20-11 advantage over Purdue in the all-time series. 
• The Huskers and Boilermakers met in the Big Ten Tournament last season, where the Big Red picked up a 6-2 win to end Purdue's season on a seven-game losing skid.
• In their last meeting in West Lafayette, Nebraska won two of three games to take the series win in 2023. 

McConnaughey to Miss Remainder of 2025 Season
• Nebraska Coach Will Bolt announced the first week in March that junior right-handed pitcher Mason McConnaughey will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an arm injury against Sam Houston at the Frisco Classic.
• McConnaughey began the season as the first Husker named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List since 2016 and earned Preseason All-American recognition from D1Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

A Look at the Weekend Rotation
• With Brett Sears taken in the 2024 MLB Draft, Drew Christo's transition to the bullpen and Mason McConnaughey's season-ending injury, it's a new-look weekend rotation for the Huskers this year.
• Sophomore Tucker Timmerman gets the nod Thursday night and holds a 2-1 record on the season with a 3.55 ERA, 23 strikeouts and opposing batting average of .221 in 25.1 innings. 
• Sophomore Ty Horn is set to take the mound in game two for the Huskers this weekend. Horn is 2-4 with a 5.97 ERA and 61 punchouts in 63.1 innings of work.
• Senior Jackson Brockett is scheduled to start the series finale, holding a 2-3 record with a 3.76 ERA and 35 strikeouts across 13 appearances, including 12 starts.

Three Walk-off Wins in 12 Days
• Nebraska recorded three walk-off wins in a span of 12 days during the Huskers' eight-game homestand in the last two weeks. 
• Gabe Swansen delivered the walk-off three-RBI double in a midweek matchup against Kansas State on April 29, before Robby Bolin and Case Sanderson came through in the clutch vs. Minnesota and Michigan in the last two weekends.
• Bolin lined an RBI single through the right side in the bottom of the ninth to even the series with the Gophers with a 5-4 victory in game two.
• Sanderson drilled a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the series vs. Michigan with a 5-2 win over the Wolverines last Saturday.

Lockdown Luke: Broderick Among Saves Leaders
• As of May 14, junior closer Luke Broderick comes into the weekend tied for 12th nationally and is one of 17 closers with at least 10 saves on the season.
• Broderick holds a 3-2 record and 10 saves with a 4.33 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27 innings across 23 appearances this season.
• Broderick is the 12th Husker reliever in program history to reach double-digit saves in a season and is one shy of tying Thom Ott (2001) in eighth with 11. 

Walsh Among Active Career Leaders in Free Passes
• Redshirt senior Will Walsh enters the weekend ranked among DI's active career leaders in fewest walks allowed per nine innings, sitting seventh with 1.64 walks per nine innings. 
• Walsh has surrendered 32 free passes in 175.2 innings in his time as a Husker and is one of two P4 pitchers ranked in the top 10.

Blachowicz Brings Stability to NU Bullpen
• Freshman Gavin Blachowicz is one of 16 freshman pitchers nationally with a sub-2.80 ERA and an opponent batting average of .225 or lower, having pitched at least 19 innings this season.
• Blachowicz is 3-0 on the season with a 2.79 ERA, 19 strikeouts and opposing batting average of .225 in 19.1 innings.
• The freshman has allowed just two earned runs in the last nine innings pitched across nine appearances.
• Blachowicz enters the weekend with a streak of seven consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Kings of the Hill in Last Five Big Ten Games
• Nebraska's starting rotation has played a large role in the Huskers' 4-1 record in the last five Big Ten games.
• Tucker Timmerman, Jackson Brockett and Ty Horn have totaled a combined 3.10 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs across 29 combined innings of work.
• The starting trio is holding opponents to a .217 batting average and has struck out 20 batters while issuing six walks.

Lucky Number Six in the Bolt Era
• Nebraska is 125-28 under head coach Will Bolt when scoring at least six runs.
• The Big Red have scored six-plus runs in 21 of the 26 victories this season, defeating No. 16 Vanderbilt (6-4), San Diego State (13-0), Louisiana (6-1), Washington (6-2), Wichita State (10-1), Pepperdine (9-6, 11-4). USC (6-5), Oregon State (7-3, 16-7), Rutgers (8-5, 10-5), No. 22 Kansas (7-5), Iowa (6-4), Creighton (6-3), Northwestern (14-4), Maryland (7-2, 21-5), Kansas State (7-6) and Minnesota (8-3).
• The Husker offense reached the six-run mark 34 times last season, compiling a 28-6 record.
• Nebraska scored six-plus runs in 33 contests (26-7) in 2023 after tallying at least six runs 23 times (19-4) in 2022, 28 times (26-2) in 2021 and seven times (5-2) in 2020.

Youth Movement on the Mound Since April
• True freshmen Blake Encarnacion, Gavin Blachowicz and Pryce Bender have put up strong numbers since the start of April for the NU bullpen.
• The trio have totaled a combined 3.15 ERA, allowing seven earned runs across 20.0 combined innings of work in 21 total appearances.
• Bender picked up the first two wins of his career in Nebraska's midweek matchups against No. 22 Kansas and Creighton, while Blachowicz improved to 3-0 on the season in NU's win vs. K-State on April 29.