Sanderson Powers Nebraska Over Michigan State with Extra-Inning Walk-Off Homer

The teams had to wait out the potential storm, and then got out just before the severe weather hit.

Case Sanderson's solo home run in the 10th inning gave Nebraska a 5-4 walk-off winner over Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference opener on Friday evening at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The Huskers improved to 8-5, while the Spartans fell to 3-9.

The Game
The Stats
What's Next
Nebraska Baseball's 2026 Schedule

The Game

Originally scheduled for a 2 p.m. CST first pitch, the game didn't get rolling until two hours later.

Nebraska struck first in the second inning. Jett Buck singled and then stole second, scoring on a Devin Nunez single to right field.

Husker pticher Ty Horn was spotless through four innings, but Michigan State broke through in the fifth. After the first two batters both flied out, a Spartan reached via a single and then stole second base on a wild pitch. Another single tied the game 1-1.

Ty Horn allowed just one run over 7.0 innings on Friday against Michigan State. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska then appeared to be stringing together enough runs to have control of the game. Buck homered in the sixth inning to retake the lead. Mac Moyer drove in Jeter Worthley in the seventh. And Rhett Stokes scored Case Sanderson in the eighth.

Leading 4-1, Kevin Mannell, who took over for Horn in the eighth inning, went back out for the ninth. A walk, a single, and a home run later, and the game was tied.

J'Shawn Unger entered to get Nebraska through the rest of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Huskers went down 1-2-3.

The 10th inning saw Michigan State get a double and that player advance to third ,but they couldn't push him across. Nebraska then opened with back-to-back outs, bringing Sanderson to the plate. He lifted a 2-1 pitch down the right field line and over the fence for the walk-off victory.

The Stats

Three Husker pitchers combined to allow four earned runs on 10 hits, walking two and striking out six.

Horn didn't factor into the decision for his 7.0 innings of work, with one walk and two strikeouts. Unger got the win, notching three strikeouts, no walks, and allowing two hits over 2.0 innings.

Sanderson's heroics gave him a 3-for-5 day with one RBI, two runs scored, and two extra-base hits. Worthley went 3-for-4 with a run scored.

Jett Buck swings smacks one of his two hits against Michigan State on Friday. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska tallied 13 hits in the game.

Both teams stranded six runners on base.

Box score

What's Next

The series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. CST. The game will be streamed on B1G+.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

Nebraska Baseball's 2026 Schedule

Feb. 13 Nebraska 12, UConn 2 [7 inn.] (MLB Desert Invitational)
Feb. 14 Nebraska 7, Northeastern 4 (MLB Desert Invitational)
Feb. 15 Nebraska 9, Grand Canyon 1 (MLB Desert Invitational)
Feb. 16 Stanford 11, Nebraska 6 (MLB Desert Invitational)
Feb. 20 Louisville 4, Nebraska 2 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
Feb. 21 Kansas State 3, Nebraska 3 FloCollege (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
Feb. 22 Nebraska 10, Florida State 1 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
Feb. 27 Nebraska 9, Auburn 8 [10 inn.]
Feb. 28 Auburn 15, Nebraska 4 [7 inn.]
Mar. 1 Auburn 12, Nebraska 3
Mar. 3 Nebraska 8, Omaha 5
Mar. 4 Nebraska 5, South Dakota State 4
Mar. 6 Nebraska 5, Michigan State 4 [10 inn.]
Mar. 7 vs. Michigan State 1 p.m.
Mar. 8 vs. Michigan State 12 p.m.
Mar. 11 North Dakota State 6 p.m.
Mar. 13 vs. Maine 6 p.m.
Mar. 14 vs. Maine 2 p.m.
Mar. 15 vs. Maine 12 p.m.
Mar. 17 at Wichita State 6 p.m.
Mar. 18 at Wichita State 2 p.m.
Mar. 20 at Michigan 3 p.m.
Mar. 21 at Michigan 1 p.m.
Mar. 22 at Michigan 12 p.m.
Mar. 24 at Kansas State 6 p.m.
Mar. 27 vs. Indiana 6 p.m.
Mar. 28 vs. Indiana 2 p.m.
Mar. 29 vs. Indiana 12 p.m.
Mar. 31 at Creighton 6 p.m.
Apr. 3 vs. Penn State 6 p.m.
Apr. 4 vs. Penn State 2 p.m.
Apr. 5 vs. Penn State 12 p.m.
Apr. 7 vs. Kansas 6 p.m.
Apr. 10 at Oregon 7 p.m.
Apr. 11 at Oregon 4 p.m.
Apr. 12 at Oregon 2 p.m.
Apr 14 vs. Creighton 6 p.m.
Apr. 17 vs. USC 6 p.m.
Apr. 18 vs. USC 2 p.m.
Apr. 19 vs. USC 12 p.m.
Apr. 21 at Kansas 6 p.m.
Apr. 24 at Illinois 6 p.m.
Apr. 25 at Illinois 3 p.m.
Apr. 26 at Illinois 1 p.m.
Apr. 28 vs. Kansas State 6 p.m.
May 1 at Ohio State 5 p.m.
May 2 at Ohio State 2 p.m.
May 3 at Ohio State 12 p.m.
May 8 vs. Iowa 6 p.m.
May 9 vs. Iowa 2 p.m.
May 10 vs. Iowa 1 p.m.
May 12 at Creighton 6 p.m.
May 14 at Minnesota 6 p.m.
May 15 at Minnesota 6 p.m.
May 16 at Minnesota 1 p.m.
May 19-24 Big Ten Tournament

Home games are bolded. All times central.