Nebraska Baseball Opts for Carson Jasa, Not Overlooking South Dakota State

Will Bolt and Nebraska baseball are not interested in overlooking South Dakota State on Friday afternoon.

Even after earning the program’s first regional host bid since 2008, the Huskers made it clear Thursday that advancing is top of mind. Home-field advantage inside Haymarket Park should help, but taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them remains the goal.

Nebraska players take batting practice on Thursday ahead of play beginning for the Lincoln Regional. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

With the Big Red preparing to begin what it hopes becomes a deep postseason run, Bolt and several players addressed the media following Thursday’s open practice. Here’s everything they had to say.

Electing to Throw Carson Jasa in Regional Opener

Nebraska's ace is getting the nod, despite the fan base raising somewhat of a concern over the decision. For Bolt and his team, it comes based on respecting their opponent on Friday afternoon.

“He’s been our most consistent pitcher all year long,” Bolt said. “We feel like he gives us the best chance to set the tone for the weekend. No matter who you’re playing this time of year, it’s three wins to win the tournament. And we feel like he gives us a really good chance tomorrow to set a great tone for the entire weekend”.

Nebraska is hosting a regional for the first time since 2008. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Bolt continued by saying the decision was made far before the Huskers found out they'd host. About a month before postseason play began, Nebraska switched up its pitching rotation. Now, even after exceeding expectations, they'll stick with the plan.

“We feel like sending Jasa out there is our only option,” Bolt said. “At the end of the day, respect your opponent. South Dakota State’s coming in here to beat us. So, our best bet to win the game tomorrow, in our opinion, is to throw Carson Jasa”.

Tucker TImmerman pitched a scoreless top of the eighth. | Amarillo Mullen

Timmerman's Confidence in Huskers Pitching Decision

NU's players fully understand the decision made by the coaching staff, especially knowing the kind of challenge South Dakota State is expected to present. The two programs met back in early March, when the Huskers narrowly escaped with a victory. Entering Friday, Nebraska expects a similar battle.

“No matter who's on the mound, everyone in the dugout, everyone in the bullpen has the utmost confidence in each and every person,” Tucker Timmerman said. “But, Carson, especially, we all love going out and watching him throw. His stuff’s electric. He gets everybody going in the dugout. He’s everyone's No. 1 fan. So it's great to have a guy on the mound like that to start us off on a weekend”.

The decision to start Jasa has the full backing of the locker room. With Omaha serving as the ultimate goal, nobody inside Nebraska’s program is under the impression that getting there will come easily. That much is clear.

National Attention Set on Lincoln

Senior infielder Rhett Stokes enters his third postseason run with Nebraska, understanding just how different this year feels. After spending the last tw,o NCAA Tournament appearances traveling on the road, the Huskers now have the opportunity to play on their home field. Something they've been very successful at defending this spring.

Nebraska baseball players practice ahead of the Lincoln Regional at Haymarket Park. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

“This year's a lot different than the last two years,” Stokes said. “We’re obviously hosting this year, which is a big advantage to us and gives us the best chance to move on to the next round”.

As the top seed in the Lincoln Regional, the Huskers enter Friday with clear advantages on paper. Even so, NU understands how difficult advancing through the postseason is sure to be. While respecting the challenge South Dakota State presents, NU knows it'll be expected to win.

The Huskers' Resiliency Could Be a Factor

Nebraska has built its season on resilience. Time and time again, the Huskers have found ways to battle back, keeping themselves alive in games that at times appeared out of reach. That mentality could become a critical characteristic of the team as postseason play begins this weekend.

“We’re a team that’s never out of the fight,” Timmerman said. “That’s a huge thing when you’re in postseason play. Even though we could be down a couple runs, up a couple runs, we’re still going to be playing as hard as we can for as long as the game is going on”.

The Lincoln Regional is the only regional in the country featuring three ranked teams, underscoring just how difficult the path ahead could be for the Big Red. With Nebraska posting a 23-1 record at home this season, continuing that level of play inside Haymarket Park will likely determine whether they make it to the supers.

Why Nebraska Can't Afford to Overlook SDSU

Despite the Huskers having already beaten SDSU earlier in the year, the Big Red can't afford to go into the matchup overconfident. They know that early March is much different than late May, and they'll need their play on the field to reflect that.

“It’s postseason baseball,” Stokes said. “Anything can happen; that’s the nature of it. You can’t treat any one opponent differently. They’ve made it here for a reason. They’re a good team, and they’re hot. I mean, they won the Summit League, so there’s no difference in how we prepare for tomorrow”.

NU will prepare as if the Jackrabbits are a great team. Because, to this point in their season, they've proved to be. They won't sleepwalk their way to a victory, and they know it. That mentality will need to be carried with them through every one of their remaining games.

Expected Attendance at Haymarket Park

Postseason ticket demand has become a serious topic of discussion in recent weeks, but Nebraska’s focus remains centered on the games themselves. Even so, the Huskers fully expect Haymarket Park to provide one of the best atmospheres the venue has ever seen this upcoming weekend.

“I haven’t thought a ton about the number,” Bolt said. “I know that tickets sold out pretty quickly. There’s going to be standing room only everywhere you look. It’s going to be a great environment. I’m not sure how many they’re going to let in the doors; I guess as many as the fire marshal allows, is what I’ve been told. [We’re] excited to play in front of our fans, and to treat them to postseason baseball here in Lincoln”.

Excitement around the program has reached its highest since the move to the Big Ten. Now, the challenge becomes matching that energy on the field and rewarding the fans in attendance who cheer them on.

Nebraska's game against South Dakota State is set for 3:00 PM CDT on ESPN+. The second game between Arizona State and Ole Miss will follow at 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN2.

The full schedule is below. All times are central.

Friday, May 29

Game 1: #1 Nebraska (home) vs. #4 South Dakota State (away) 3 p.m.
Game 2: #2 Ole Miss (home) vs. #3 Arizona State (away) 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 30

Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser 2 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 31

Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser 2 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner 7 p.m.

Monday, June 1

Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary) TBA

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