Rutgers Preview & Notes
NO. 23 NEBRASKA at RUTGERS
April 12-14, 2024
Piscataway, N.J. | Bainton Field
Friday, April 12 – 5 PM CT
Pitching: RHP Brett Sears (6-0, 1.14 ERA) vs. LHP Justin Sinibaldi (4-0, 2.68 ERA)
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Saturday, April 13 – 2 PM CT
Pitching: RHP Mason McConnaughey (3-2, 2.86 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Marshall (1-1, 4.97 ERA)
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Sunday, April 14 – 11 AM CT
Pitching: RHP Drew Christo (1-2, 4.84 ERA) vs. RHP Christian Coppola (4-3, 6.38 ERA)
TV/Streaming: BTN
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Follow the Game
• All three games of this weekend’s series at Rutgers can be seen on B1G+, while the series finale on Sunday will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, with Connor Onion and Danan Hughes on the call.
• Fans can also listen to Dave Gustafson and 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. Rutgers
• Through 21 all-time meetings, the Huskers hold a 12-9 advantage over the Scarlet Knights in the all-time series.
• The two teams last met in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament, where the Big Red came away with a 9-7 win in Omaha.
• This weekend’s trip to Piscataway is the first for the Huskers since Nebraska went 3-1 against Indiana and Rutgers at Bainton Field. The Big Red split with the Hoosiers while winning both games over the Scarlet Knights.
In the Polls
• The Huskers appeared in D1Baseball’s Top 25 for the second consecutive week, coming in at No. 23 after ranking 24th last week.
• Nebraska also earned recognition in the national rankings by Baseball America (No. 21), USA Today/Coaches (No. 21), NCBWA (No. 20) and Perfect Game (No. 25).
• The Huskers’ last appearance in the national rankings was in the preseason polls in 2022, where the Big Red found themselves ranked in the Baseball America (No. 20), Perfect Game (No. 22) and NCBWA (No. 25) preseason rankings.
Huskers Off to Best Two-Week Start in B1G Play
• With a road sweep at Northwestern and series win vs. Ohio State last weekend, Nebraska is off to a 5-1 start in conference play for the fourth time since joining the Big Ten in 2012.
• The Huskers previously won five of their first six conference games in the 2021, 2016 and 2013 seasons.
Weekend Rotation for the Big Red
• With two weekend starters taken in the 2023 MLB Draft, it’s a new-look weekend rotation for the Huskers this year.
• Brett Sears is set to toe the rubber on Friday night. Sears is 6-0 in eight starts, posting a 1.14 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, while holding opponents to a .128 hitting clip.
• Sophomore Mason McConnaughey takes the mound on Saturday afternoon for his fourth start of the season. McConnaughey is 3-2 on the season with a 2.86 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.
• Junior Drew Christo gets the nod for his eighth start in the weekend rotation on Sunday afternoon. The Elkhorn, Neb., native is 1-2 on the year with a 4.84 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.
Silva’s Speed With Stolen Bases
• Riley Silva has posted a .435 on-base percentage for Nebraska this season and is the only Husker to score 25-plus runs (30) through the team’s first 30 games.
• The Cambridge, Ontario, native has started 29 of the 30 games this season and has posted a 1.000 fielding percentage (75-for-75) in center field for the Huskers.
• Silva is one of 10 DI players to steal 19-plus bases and be caught two-or-fewer times, including the only Power Five player this season.
Sears Shines in Starting Role
• Brett Sears leads the nation in WHIP (0.60) and hits allowed/9 inn. (3.90), allowing just six of his 24 hits to go for extra bases, while ranking among the national leaders in ERA (1.14, 4th) and victories (6, T-7th).
• Nebraska is 8-0 this season in games that Sears has started, outscoring opponents 71-12 in those outings.
• In eight starts, Sears is 6-0 with a 1.14 ERA and is one of two starting pitchers in DI this season with 45-plus innings pitched, 55-plus strikeouts and seven earned runs or fewer.
Sears With Quality Starts
• The Westphalia, Iowa, native tossed a complete-game shutout last weekend against the Buckeyes, notching his seventh consecutive quality start for the Huskers.
• The seven straight quality starts are the most by a Nebraska hurler since Aaron Marsden recorded seven straight in 2002.
• The right-hander has punched out 57 batters with only nine walks, posting a 6.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio over that span, which ranks second in the conference.
• Sears has allowed four-or-fewer hits in seven of his eight outings, as opponents are hitting just .127 (24-for-189) against the senior.
8th NU Pitcher to Start 6-0 Since 1999
• Brett Sears is the eighth Nebraska pitcher since 1999 to start the season with a 6-0 record.
• Sears is the first Husker to start 6-0 since 2015, while Joba Chamberlain reached 8-0 in 2005 and Tony Watson recorded a 7-0 start in the 2006 campaign.
