LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -Some rain can be expected in parts the state later this week, but according to one of the 10 weekly contributors to the U.S. Drought Monitor, it won’t be enough to completely turn around the effects of current dry conditions in the region.

Curtis Riganti is a climatologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center and helps analyze data sets ranging from precipitation amount to vegetation health to publish the drought map each Thursday. He says unusually warm and windy conditions have led to significant drought conditions across the central and southern Great Plains.

The latest map from March 26 shows that majority of Nebraska is currently in at least severe drought, which Riganti says has helped create conditions perfect for stoking recent central Nebraska fires.

“As we’ve gone in to early spring now we’ve seen a continuation of those warm, windy conditions and dry weather for the most part,” he said. “That’s been particularly bad over the past few weeks. That’s unfortunately led to very favorable conditions for wildfire growth, which we’ve seen.”

Riganti added that a lack of snow in the Rocky Mountains is also contributing to drought conditions, and could result in less water running downstream into Nebraska this spring and summer.

As a reminder, you can always help out with the U.S. drought monitor by reporting conditions to their online database at go.unl.edu/cmor

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Nebraska baseball (22-6, 8-1) wrapped up its conference series with Indiana (10-17, 3-9) on Sunday. The Huskers posted 12 runs for the second-straight game, taking down the Hoosiers 12-4 to sweep the series.

After Indiana scored two runs in the top of the first and also tied the game at three in the sixth, Nebraska proceeded to outscore the Hoosiers 9-1. Many of the Huskers’ runs occurred in the seventh, where they scored eight runs to go up 12-3. The team finished with 16 hits and a walk for 11 RBIs.

Dylan Carey led the way, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs. He delivered a grand slam in the seventh, putting the game away. Carey also set the all-time record in Nebraska history for career doubles with 56.

Rhett Stokes batted 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two doubles. Mac Moyer hit 2-for-5 with two RBIs and scored twice. Jett Buck finished 2-for-4, earning two RBIs off a double and a solo home run. Joshua Overbeek ended the day 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored. Jeter Worthley batted 2-for-4 with a double and scored one run.

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) – The No. 9 Nebraska softball team hit four home runs, including three in the second inning, to down the No. 7 UCLA Bruins by a score of 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

With the win, the Huskers clinched the series over the Bruins and moved to 26-6 on the season with an 8-1 mark in Big Ten play. UCLA fell to 29-5 (10-2 Big Ten).

Hannah Camenzind accounted for three RBIs and two hits for the Big Red, as she knocked a three-run homer as part of the Huskers’ six-run second inning. Alexis Jensen and Ava Kuszak contributed the other two home runs in that inning. Jordy Frahm was 2-for-4 with a homer and Lauren Camenzind went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jesse Farrell also added two hits.

Jensen (13-2) threw six innings with four runs and six hits, along with five strikeouts, to claim the win in the circle. Frahm threw a scoreless final inning to close out the win. Brynne Nally (2-1) took the loss for UCLA.

UCLA loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but NU worked its way out of a jam and only allowed one Bruin run.

Frahm tied the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the first on a solo shot to center field.

In the bottom of the second, Farrell singled and Jensen hit a 273-foot homer to score the both of them. Frahm singled and Coor walked to set up an H. Camenzind homer and Kuszak hit a solo shot immediately after to give the Huskers a 7-1 advantage.

UCLA added a run in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 7-2.

Farrell singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a throwing error. Kacie Hoffmann singled to send Farrell to third and Farrell crossed the plate on a Lauren Camenzind RBI single to extend the lead to 8-2.

The Bruins knocked a two-run homer with no outs in the top of the fifth but the Huskers retired three of the next four batters to earn the 8-4 win.

Nebraska is set for a midweek game against the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha, Neb., on Tuesday, March 31. The contest will start at 5 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.

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