How to Watch Nebraska Baseball vs. No. 12 USC with Preview, Breakdown, Streaming

The year of Nebraska in the I-80 rivalry continued for the Big Red Tuesday night at Haymarket Park.

Unlike its past few weeks, the Huskers were rocked early by the Bluejays, who were trying to avenge their near comeback loss (6-5) back on March 31 in Omaha. Behind the bat of Nate McHugh, Creighton fired out to a quick 2-0 lead after the two-run blast from the DH down the left field line. A sacrifice fly from Teddy Deters to bring in Ben North completed a three-run first inning for the Bluejays, who chased out starter Pryce Bender after just one inning of work.

With Beatrice native Tucker Timmerman in to pitch for the second, Nick Venteicher sent out an 0-1 pitch to left field for another CU home run and a 4-0 lead for the Bluejays. Fortunately for Nebraska, they were able to pull away Drew Grego from the suburbs of the Omaha-based program. The true freshman outfielder has been an instant hit in an explosive NU lineup, hammering his fifth home run of the season in the second inning to drive in two runs and cut the deficit in half with just one swing.

After a scoreless top of the third from Timmerman, Grego got back to work by driving in his third and final RBI of the night with a single up the middle. Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes followed suit as each Husker hitter posted an RBI with a single to right field to hand Nebraska a one-run lead on five unanswered runs.

Lefty Caleb Clark tossed a scoreless frame before Ty Horn — who head coach Will Bolt revealed would be pitching from the bullpen for the rest of the year — turned in three stellar innings with just one hit and two strikeouts. That bridged the gap to Husker closer J'Shawn Unger, who closed the door with two stress-free innings to give NU a thrilling 5-4 victory over its rival to clinch the season series for the first time since 2017.

After a win that should lift Nebraska spirits following a tough week, the Huskers return home to face No. 12 USC in a big-time series that will have postseason seeding implications. Here's all you need to know for the weekend.

How to Follow Along

Game 1

Matchup: Nebraska (28-9, 12-3 B1G) vs. No. 12 USC (30-8, 13-5 B1G)
When: Friday, April 17
Where: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 6 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Game 2

Matchup: Nebraska (28-9, 12-3 B1G) vs. No. 12 USC (30-8, 13-5 B1G)
When: Saturday, April 18
Where: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 2 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Game 3

Matchup: Nebraska (28-9, 12-3 B1G) vs. No. 12 USC (30-8, 13-5 B1G)
When: Sunday, April 19
Where: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 12 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

USC's Mason Edwards (30) is one of the best pitchers in the country and owns a conference-leading 1.10 ERA as a starter. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Probable Pitchers

Friday

Nebraska: RHP Carson Jasa, R-Soph. (6-1, 4.34 ERA, 45.2 IP, 70 SO, 28 BB)
USC: LHP Mason Edwards, Jr. (6-0, 1.10 ERA, 49.0 IP, 95 SO, 20 BB)

Saturday

Nebraska: RHP Cooper Katskee, R-Jr. (5-0, 3.27 ERA, 39.2 IP, 51 SO, 11 BB)
USC: RHP Grant Govel, Soph. (7-0, 2.13 ERA, 55.0 IP, 57 SO, 8 BB)

Sunday

Nebraska: RHP Gavin Blachowicz, Soph. (3-1, 2.27 ERA, 39.2 IP, 47 SO, 15 BB)
USC: RHP Andrew Johnson, Soph. (1-1, 5.10 ERA, 30.0 IP, 29 SO, 13 BB)

Series History

USC leads 4-3

The Huskers won the first two meetings between the programs in 1979 and 1984, but the Trojans have won four of the last five, starting in 2005.
USC took two of the three games in L.A. when NU visited last season.

USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz has the Trojans in the best position out of his four years directing the program. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

No. 12 USC Scout

Last Season: 37-23 (18-12 B1G, 4th)
Finish: 2-2 at Corvallis Regional
Awards: 1x Second Team All-American
All-Conference: 1x First Team, 1x Second Team, 2x Third Team, 2x All-Defensive, 2x All-Freshman

Head Coach: Andy Stankiewicz
Year at USC: 4th
USC Record: 132-82-1 (.614)
Career Record: 473-321-3
Championships: 5x WAC regular season, 1x WAC tournament
Awards: 4x WAC Coach OTY, 1x Rod Dedeaux USA Baseball Coach OTY

B1G All-Conference Returners: 2B Abbrie Covarrubias (3rd), RHP Andrew Johnson (All-Fresh), C Augie Lopez (All-Fresh)
Big Ten Preseason Poll: 3rd of top six released
B1G Preseason Players to Watch: LHP Mason Edwards, INF Adrian Lopez, RHP Adam Troy

USC's Kevin Takeuchi has been one of the few Trojans to improve this year and leads the team with a .312 average. | USC Athletics

Key Returners

Mason Edwards | LHP | Jr. | A high-impact arm that's shown strikeout stuff the last two years, Edwards has put it all together to become one of the best pitchers in the country by owning a Big Ten-leading 1.35 ERA and 95 strikeouts.
Andrew Johnson | RHP | Soph. | Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team as a swing starter in 2025, the sophomore has made his way into the rotation and owns a 3.66 ERA in nine starts.
Kevin Takeuchi | INF/OF | Jr. | A year after slashing .241 in 29 games, the returning junior leads the Trojans with a .312 batting average with a team-high 10 doubles and nine stolen bases.
Jack Basseer | OF | Sr. | A former TCU transfer that was part of the All-Corvallis regional team last season, the senior is one of only two players on the roster hitting above .300.
Grant Govel | RHP | Soph. | After making just four of his 20 appearances last year as a starter, the California native has thrived in the Saturday rotation spot for the Trojans with a 2.13 ERA in a team-high 55 innings pitched.
Adrian Lopez | INF | Jr. | The 6-foot-4 infielder was hit .329 last year with 52 RBIs, but his production has fallen off as a junior with a .294 clip, nine doubles, four homers, and 27 RBIs.
Augie Lopez | C | Soph. | A Big Ten All-Freshman selection at catcher last season, he has improved his power stroke with a team-high 11 homers and 33 RBIs while hitting .277 and a 1.002 OPS in 112 at-bats.
Abbrie Covarrubias | INF | Jr. | A slasher that was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team last season, the junior's average has fallen from over .300 to .266, but is one stolen base shy of his career-high 15 from last season.
Maximo Martinez | RHP/UTL | Soph. | The two-way returner has made 11 more starts than last year already and is tied for second on the team with nine doubles to pair with a couple of home runs.
Andrew Lamb | INF/OF | A utility man that USC can throw at catcher, first base, and the outfield, the returning junior had his average drop from over .300 to .253 this season in 91 at-bats and 31 games.
Sax Matson | LHP | Jr. | The left-handed reliever is the workhorse of the bullpen with a team-high 23 appearances alongside a 4.00 ERA in 27 innings.
Ben Cushnie | LHP | Soph. | Despite a limited workload with just 11.2 innings pitched, the in-state native leads the bullpen with a 1.54 ERA while having as many walks (5) as strikeouts (5).

Last year's Big Ten All-Freshman pick Augie Lopez has found more power as a sophomore with a team-high 11 homers. | USC Athletics

Impact Newcomers/Transfers

Isaac Cadena | C | Jr. | A two-time transfer from TCU and Ohio State, the 5-foot-10 junior has clubbed 31 hits and eight doubles in starting 34 of his 36 appearances this year.
Chase Herrell | RHP | The 6-foot-3 transfer from Ohio State made just five starts before missing all of last season due to injury; he has logged a 5.17 ERA while making starts in seven of his 13 appearances this year.
Gavin Lauridsen | RHP | Fr. | A top-50 prospect within California, the 6-foot-5 newcomer has churned out a 3.81 ERA after 16 appearances and over 28 innings.
Adam Troy | RHP | R-Jr. | An in-state transfer from Pepperdine, the USC closer sports a 3.92 ERA after 19 appearances and 10 saves.
Henry Chabot | RHP | Gr. | A grad student transfer from Chapman, the one-year rental has provided positive value with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings pitched this year.

Outlook

After 11 seasons in charge of Grand Canyon and with the final two resulting in NCAA Tournament berths for the WAC members, head coach Andy Stankiewicz was pulled away to USC starting in the 2023 season. After three solid campaigns, including a finals appearance in the Corvallis Regional last year, Stankiewicz has the Trojans out to their best start under his watch at 30-8.

Joined by No. 19 Oregon and No. 1 UCLA in the elite tier of Big Ten pitching, the Trojans are second in the conference with a 3.39 team ERA. Left-handed starter Mason Edwards has become one of the best starters in the country with a 1.35 ERA and 95 strikeouts while pitching in front of Grant Govel (2.13 ERA) and Andrew Johnson (3.66 ERA) to complete a weekend rotation that's top-15 in the nation.

Pepperdine transfer Adam Troy has taken over as the team's closer with 10 saves this season, with a 3.92 ERA across 19 appearances and over 20 innings. Freshman standout Gavin Lauridsen (3.81 ERA), graduate transfer Henry Chabot (2.25 ERA), and returner Sax Matson (4.00 ERA) are a solid trio that has combined to eat up nearly 80 innings of work.

The offense isn't as flashy. With only two hitters slashing above .300, the Trojans lag behind the Huskers in most offensive categories. Power is about the same, but NU has over 80 more hits and 20 more runs scored than the USC offense. Hitting .262 as a team this year, the Trojans do a good job of putting the ball in play as they rank inside the top five in most walks and the fewest number of strikeouts in the Big Ten.

USC closer Adam Troy transferred from Pepperdine and has earned 10 saves with a 3.92 ERA in his first year with the Trojans. | USC Athletics

Returning Kevin Takeuchi has improved his batting average by more than 60 points, up to .312, in leading the team. He's flanked by last year's all-regional pick Jack Basseer, who joins Takeuchi in posting an average above .300. A freshman All-Big Ten pick last year as a catcher, Augie Lopez is the lone Trojan to have double-digit home runs with 11 as a true sophomore.

The USC pitching is dominant, but this matchup isn't a nightmare as you would think from the No. 12 team in the country. The Nebraska offense has proven to be good enough to hang with the Big Ten's best, and aside from Mason Edwards, there's nothing USC will throw out that NU didn't face at Oregon last week. I envision this to be a three-game grind at Haymarket Park, and I like Nebraska a lot more than I anticipated. I'm going with my gut here and calling for a Nebraska series win by taking two of the three contests.

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