Big Ten: Nebraska Baseball Forces Final Matchup With Arkansas for Regional Title
Nebraska and Arkansas are slated to face off for the third time this postseason on Monday, with the Fayetteville Regional championship on the line.
The Cornhuskers earned a 5-3 comeback victory over the Razorbacks on Sunday while facing elimination. Now, both teams are pitted against each other with the loser being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
In the opening weekend of the regional, Arkansas earned a 5-1 win over Nebraska on Saturday. But the Cornhuskers earned a dominant 18-4 victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology to force a rematch with the Razorbacks.
Until Sunday, Arkansas was undefeated in the regional event. Nebraska struck first by taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning of play. But the Razorbacks piled on three runs in the third inning to take the lead.
It would be all they could muster as the Nebraska pitching staff only allowed four hits, while the offense registered 10. The barrage fueled another run in the bottom of the third inning before a three-run fifth frame to secure the win.
Now, the Cornhuskers will look to become the fourth team to knock of the No. 1 seed in regional play since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999. The first pitch of Monday's game between Nebraska and Arkansas is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Of the previous three teams to eliminate the No. 1 national seed in regionals, two have been from the Big Ten. That includes Michigan in 2007 and Maryland in 2015.
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