Nebraska
Bucks Bow Out Quietly At 29-26…Lose Finale To Nebraska – Press Pros Magazine
Trey Lipsey concluded the 2024 season with a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs…two of the Buckeyes’ seven hits. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
On a day where the pitching was exhausted, an exhausting season came to a close with a focus on the future…and future returns to Omaha.
Omaha, NE – There’s a big sign inside the indoor hitting cages at Bill Davis Stadium that reads, The Road To Omaha. It was one of Bill Mosiello’s first commandments when he took the job, and you cannot hit without being aware of that sign.
The Sheward-Fulks agency, in Jackson, Ohio, proudly supports the Buckeyes.
Well, the Buckeyes finished their season in Omaha Friday, sure enough, albeit on the wrong end of 12-5 score, Nebraska beating five pitchers around to improve to 36-20, and advance to Saturday’s semi-final round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The goal now becomes…how to get back here on a more consistent basis. 2024 marked the first time since 2019 that the Buckeyes qualified for the post-season tournament, and had to win impressively on the season’s final weekend to do it. More about this in a few hundred words.
First, the down dirty of 12-5 loss to a team that has many of the attributes that Mosiello believes the Buckeyes will have in short order. Nebraska simply pitched better, and with better depth of pitching. “They have the arms to make a deep regional run,” said Mo in the post-game presser Friday.
Matt Graveline has to sky to pull down a throw attempting to knock off a Nebraska runner in the third.
“This is a good team with a good staff and a good baseball culture. I’ve known Will Bolt since his time at Texas A&M. And it’s taken me some time to realize what he’s done in the Big Ten, to appreciate the Big Ten, and I’ve eaten enough humble pie. Going forward we have to get better.”
Colin Purcell made the start on the mound, and immediately gave up a hit batter and a walk, preceding a home run to right by Nebraska’s Gabe Swansen…3-0, Cornhuskers.
They added single runs in the second and third, while the Buckeyes got on the board in the top of the third on a walk to Ryan Miller, a stolen base, and an RBI single by Trey Lipsey…5-1 Nebraska.
Colin Purcell would last just 2.2 innings, replaced in the third by Gavin Bruni, who finished the third and then pitched a scoreless fourth. Ohio State added another run in the fourth with a leadoff double by Tyler Pettorini, who eventually scored on a ground out by Hunter Rosson…5-2, Nebraska.
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And for a third straight inning the Buckeyes scored in the fifth when Lipsey walked ahead of Henry Kaczmar, who scored him with an RBI double, his 11th of the season…5-3, Nebraska.
Nebraska quickly got that run back off Bruni in the bottom of the fifth, who then pitched a scoreless sixth to accumulate 3.2 innings of work having given up 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 3…6-3, Nebraska.
The final game hurt…pitching Colin Purcell reacts to lasting just 2.2 innings against Nebraska.
But the Buckeyes simply could not put up a crooked number off Nebraska starter Mason McConnaghey, and never got any closer than 6-3. Zach Brown came out to work the seventh and immediately ran into trouble, giving up a run on 2 hits, replaced by Justin Eckhardt with two outs, with the game still in reach.
But Nebraska jumped all over Eckhardt, who lasted just 0.2 of an inning, surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits before giving way to Jacob Morin. Morin recorded the final out of the inning with Nebraska now leading 12-3.
A boisterous crowd of Husker fans were howling with each succeeding run, eager to see Nebraska return the favor of a run-rule finish, like the Buckeyes handed out on Tuesday. But they avoided that indignation by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the ninth off the relievers Jalen Worthley and Rans Sanders…before Joe Mershon grounded out to second for the final out of the 2024 season. A very frustrating 2024 season that saw some encouraging highs, but also some discouraging lows to remind Bill Mosiello and staff just how far they have yet to reach if they want to be like Nebraska.
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They closed with 5 runs on just 7 hits, and committed 1 error.
Nebraska moved on to play on Saturday with 12 runs on 13 hits and had 1 error.
It was a stinging loss for a group of Buckeyes who had played through that frustration, and those like Mitch Okuley, who had played through Covid, along with losing baseball.
“But there’s a good core of young players here,” said Okuley in the post-game presser. “And the staff has recruited more good young players. I think Buckeye baseball will be good for years to come.”
There were, in fact, a lot of hugs and more than a few moist eyes…a reminder of the brotherhood that comes with baseball, as well as the realization for some, like Justin Eckhardt, that Friday probably marked his last day in organized baseball as a player.
“It’s a hard reality,” said Mosiello. “Baseball is a tough game, to be played by tough people, and we have had great kids – wonderful kids – who are great students and never give you any trouble.
It was tough for the umps, too. Umpire Jim Schaly watches the scoreboard video as his call on a third inning steal was reversed by replay.
“But we have to get tougher. We need to improve, and we’ve done a better job as the season went on. We beat a great Nebraska team in Omaha, and beat them once early in the year. And toughness is always a staple with Nebraska. I challenged our kids with that after the game. Our culture is great – great kids, great workers, and we’re doing a lot of great things. But we have to become better baseball players, and we have to get tougher.”
The young core that Okuley talked about will include incombants Henry Kaczmar, Matt Graveline, and Tyler Pettorini in 2025, as well as developing bright lights like Isaac Cadena, Chase Herrell, Gavin DeVooght and Zach Brown.
“But our priority between now and then will be pitching…pitching…pitching…and more pitching,” added Mosiello. “We got to do a lot of recruiting and we’re going to be all over the place. We’re limited with portal spots because we were so aggressive in bringing in high school talent early on, but we have to use the spots we have to find more pitching, and pitching that can help us immediately.”
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Translation: There’s a lot of opportunity at Ohio State if you can throw experienced strikes and get people out.
“If you look at all the teams in this league we’re by far the youngest group. All the teams that are really playing well are older groups,” he added. “I’ve always been a believer in developing young players, but things have changed and I kinda’ have to change my mind a little bit with that…because we see in all that sports what’s happening.
Justin Eckhardt and Ryan Miller react to the final game of the 2024 Buckeyes’ season.
“But we’re in a tough spot in terms of position spots for portal talent because of all the guys we’ll have coming back.”
Statistically, there was some marginal improvement in team batting average, and the fact that they finished with six bats that finished with an average of .280 or better. And overall, as a team they improved from .265 to .280.
But pitching was another matter. Forced to lean too much on those young freshman arms, the composite earned run average was up nearly a run at 6.37. And this cardinal sin…they walked the leadoff hitter 54 times in 2024, an increase of 13 over 2023.
But those young arms, as well as players like Ike Cadena and Zach Fjelstad will be in summer baseball leagues, taking their own next steps toward 2024. Steels sharpens steel, they say, and they need to play.
So how to get back to Omaha?
Development of existing talent, of course. And the man makes no bones about recruiting, and with a priority on pitching.
Pitching…pitching…pitching…and more pitching!
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As we watch Indiana football destroy whatever is in its path, several Nebraska-related questions.
* Are there lessons Nebraska can learn from Indiana?
* Where does Nebraska stand in this rapidly changing, new-world Big Ten?
Indiana’s football program continues to be one of the great comeback stories in Big Ten history. That’s in football and probably in any sport.
Where did Indiana come from? In two seasons under coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are 26-2, a remarkable .929 winning percentage. Plus a Big Ten championship.
And one game away from a national championship.
Trying to learn from the Hoosiers
Nebraska and many other college teams should study Indiana’s program in great detail. Teams undoubtedly probe the Hoosiers, watch their tapes, try to glean whatever they can from IU’s amazing success.
When you watch the Hoosiers, they look like a championship team. Their body language exudes confidence, fueled by their accomplishments. In the Hoosiers’ 56-22 CFP semifinal win over Oregon, they looked faster, stronger, more intense.
Indiana was helped by Oregon’s early turnovers but the Hoosiers’ lines looked dominant. Indiana’s defense took apart Oregon, sacking Dante Moore three times and putting relentless pressure on him. It was almost unfair how the normally potent Ducks offense could do so little against the Hoosiers.
Once, that sounded like Ohio State, which might be trying to figure out Indiana this offseason, too.
Let’s face it: Until Cignetti arrived at Indiana, he largely was unknown. He was a career assistant coach until landing head-coaching jobs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2011-16), Elon (2017-18) and James Madison (2019-23).
He had two outstanding seasons as a head coach at James Madison, going 19-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. There was little indication he would jump into the Big Ten and turn into Knute Rockne.
What in the name of Bobby Knight is going on?
What’s next for Huskers?
If there were a sure-fire formula for Indiana’s level of success, everyone would try it. How to start for the Huskers? Recruiting, transfer-portal prosperity and luck, and the most important factors, both lines and the uncertain quarterback position.
Nebraska allowed 33 sacks this season and with Dylan Raiola at quarterback for eight-plus games, his lack of mobility was glaring. Sacks are drive-killers.
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was sacked 21 times this season but generally, it was a case of him trying to extend plays, not sitting in the pocket holding the ball too long, which was a valid criticism of Raiola.
Nebraska must improve against the rush — emphasize “must”. The Huskers allowed an average of 175.4 yards per game on the ground, 98th in the nation. What in the name of Tom Osborne was going on?
Teams gashed the Huskers on the ground and while Nebraska’s pass defense finished third in the nation at 154.1 yards per game, the run defense at times was brutal.
Another Nebraska problem, and a major one at that: Its red-zone defense ranked next to last in the nation. Opponents has 38 red-zone trips and scored on 37 of them. Incredible, if not impossible. The breakdown: 24 opponent rushing touchdowns, six passing touchdowns and seven field goals.
Look at 2025. Nebraska’s portal players made important contributions but they weren’t season-changing. The Huskers needed players who could influence a game’s outcome, or grab a game by the throat and win it.
Quarterback is an area of great uncertainty for Nebraska. Is TJ Lateef the answer? Someone from the transfer portal?
Look at Indiana. When the Hoosiers brought in Mendoza, who knew he would win the Heisman? He came from the University of California, where he had two nice seasons but gave no indication he would turn into the sport’s best player.
Mendoza stepped in and the Hoosiers followed, knowing what they had in their new quarterback and what it could mean.
Big Ten bullies and where Huskers fit in
The last two national champions are from the Big Ten — Michigan, Ohio State. Indiana is warming up in the bullpen, a win over Miami away from the title.
Skip past Indiana for a second and you have Ohio State — the biggest of the Big Ten bullies. Yet, the Buckeyes haven’t won the Big Ten championship since 2020. Ohio State hasn’t had a losing season since 2011. The Buckeyes’ record since 2011: 165-21 with national titles in 2014 and 2024.
Eight Big Ten teams won at least nine games in 2025. A ninth team, Minnesota, won eight games. Minnesota, which beat up Nebraska in Minneapolis and dropped the Huskers to 5-2, maybe changed the trajectory of Nebraska’s season.
Nebraska (7-6 for the second consecutive season) is one of three B1G teams that won seven games. That’s 11 other Big Ten teams on the same level or having better a better record than the Huskers. And that doesn’t include two four-win teams — Wisconsin and Michigan State — with a history of success. The Badgers and Spartans won’t be dormant for long.
Ohio State and Indiana are the monsters of the midway. Big Ten teams have to deal with these two teams, and Oregon, if they ever hope to rise to the top of the conference. Michigan, Penn State and USC probably will be better next season — they aren’t going away.
That leaves Nebraska slugging it out with Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington for a place at the Big Ten big-boy table. And there’s an enormous step up to the elite teams.
Yep, the Big Ten has changed, as has college football itself.
Rhule’s changes
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule did what coaches of underachieving teams normally do — he made significant changes to his coaching staff. He fired offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and replaced him with Geep Wade from Georgia Tech.
He hired a new defensive coordinator. San Diego State’s Rob Aurich replaced John Butler, who was fired. Butler arrived in Lincoln with a ton of NFL experience. Either Butler’s message didn’t get through, or he didn’t have the talent to play his system at this level.
Nebraska also hired Roy Manning to work with the edge rushers. Got to go get the other guys’ quarterbacks.
The lines, more than anything else, are the quickest road to success —some think the only road to success — whether it’s the Big Ten or high school ball. When teams lose the line battles, they usually can kiss the game goodbye. Having a quality quarterback is a given for success but without a strong offensive line, a quarterback is limited.
Savvy football people and fans know this. Glamour positions and skill-position players get the attention. Think about this a second: Nebraska had one of the best running backs in the nation in Emmett Johnson, who gained 1,451 yards on the ground. That total was fourth in the nation and Johnson didn’t play in the bowl game.
And still, the Huskers didn’t dominate many Big Ten defenses. Nebraska was 4-5 in the conference and didn’t beat a Big Ten team with a regular-season winning record — Michigan State (4-8), Maryland (4-8), Northwestern (6-6) and UCLA (3-9).
Nebraska’s final three games looked like a program either in decline, or simply outmanned on the field and on the sideline. Penn State scored 37 points, Iowa scored 40 points, and Utah scored 44 points. In those three games, Nebraska was outscored, 121-48.
These were hugely important games for Nebraska. Going against reeling Penn State looked like an opportunity. Nebraska was long overdue for some payback against rival Iowa. You always want to win a bowl game, and the Las Vegas Bowl offered Nebraska a chance for an improved record over 2024, and the opportunity for a less stressful offseason and a jump start for 2026.
In his postgame news conference after losing to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, Rhule looked ahead, as he should. He talked about the coaching changes. He sounded upbeat about the portal. He talked about all of the young guys who played against Utah. To his credit, he didn’t make excuses.
All in all, Rhule talked with some level of optimism about 2026. Did he have any other choice?
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It was a very exciting and high-scoring Saturday in Big Ten basketball. Michigan’s flaws finally caught up to the Wolverines. Their loss to Wisconsin became a source of hope for everyone else in the Big Ten. Nebraska keeps rolling, and the Huskers now look like the top team in the conference, with star Lamar Wilkerson going off in yet another game.
Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Saturday night in Big Ten basketball:
No. 10 Nebraska 83-77 vs Indiana
Jamarques Lawrence and Lamar Wilkerson battled in a shootout as both players had career nights. Indiana has been hot this season, almost as hot as Nebraska. Ultimately, the Cornhuskers proved to be battle-tested once more, and Lawrence led the Cornhuskers to overcome a 16-point deficit to secure a big victory. The Cornhuskers continue to be one of the best stories in college basketball, as their win streak moves to 5 in a row in the Big Ten. They are 16-0 overall.
Wisconsin 91-88 vs No. 2 Michigan
Down goes Goliath. Just like I said in one of the last Big Ten reports, no game is a layup. Michigan almost lost its last game to Penn State. Every team the Wolverines face will give them their best, and all they have to do is upset them. The Badgers did exactly that. Nick Boyd and John Blackwell both had 20-point showings and looked like stars. The Badgers entered the second half down 14 points, and just like last game for the Wolverines, another lead was lost. Michigan missed 8 of their last 9 shots, to end the game, which was one of the biggest reasons for the loss of the lead. The Wolverines were not on their game, and for the first time this season, and it cost them big time.
No. 5 Purdue 93-85 vs Penn State
Braden Smith puts together a complete game, flashing his scoring ability and his elite decision-making. The Boilermakers took care of business and handled Penn State exactly like Michigan should have. Penn State’s hot three-point shooting start kept them in this game, but it was the Boilermakers’ insane crowd, insane defense, and stars stepping up that propelled them to an 8-point win.
UCLA 67-55 vs Maryland
Another day, another game where the Terps get outmatched. The Bruins were coming off two losses heading into this game, and they got the exact bounce-back game they needed. While the Bruins were amazing defensively, the Terps still dominated the glass. That makes for trouble for the Bruins against the competent Big Ten teams. Had the Terps been able to buy a bucket, they fairly well could have stolen this game. Instead, the Terps move to 0-5 in the Big Ten. The Terps can’t catch a break early in this season, while the Bruins get the exact break they needed to move forward.
Overview
Michigan does not learn from its last game, and they suffer their first loss of the season. The Badgers get a huge scoring outburst from their two guards, as another guard, Braden Smith, is dominant in an impressive win by Purdue over Penn State. As the Big Ten is continuing to ramp up the dominant newcomer, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are now the leader of the sole undefeated team in the conference.
What’s next
Illinois and Iowa highlight the day with a big-time matchup to start the Sunday slate. Big implications in this game, and whoever wins can really consider themselves a legitimate Big Ten contender. Northwestern and Rutgers will match up after that one, and both teams could desperately use a win to get back on track and build some type of momentum. The final game will be Ohio State and Washington squaring off. The Buckeyes will look to build some consistency before their matchup against Michigan. Bruce Thornton getting hot again would definitely help with that.
New Husker offensive line coach Geep Wade has stayed busy in his first few weeks on the recruiting trail for Nebraska football.
Nebraska extended a scholarship offer Saturday to in-state offensive lineman Barrett Kitrell. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Class of 2027 interior lineman from Ashland confirmed the offer on social media. Iowa offered him earlier in the week, and he has other Division I offers from South Dakota State, Kansas and Iowa State.
Kitrell has visited a number of schools through his junior season, stopping at South Dakota State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
God is so good! After a great conversation with coach @GeepWade I am blessed to receive my 6th D1 offer from Nebraska! @HuskerFootball @AGBluejayFball pic.twitter.com/h3ciXeG727
— Barrett Kitrell (@BarrettK54) January 10, 2026
Kitrell has family ties to Nebraska football across two generations. His father, Barry, was a fullback for the Huskers from 1984-88. His brother Bo was a Husker fullback and tight end 2014 to 2018.
In addition, Barrett’s brother Blake was a Tulsa wide receiver, while brothers Brett and Bryce played at Ohio, having been recruited by Frank Solich.
Barrett Kitrell is a three-sport athlete for Ashland-Greenwood, competing in football, basketball, and track and field for the Bluejays. He has seen varsity action in all three seasons of his football career, playing in 33 games. The Bluejays have won a playoff game each of the past three seasons, advancing to the Class C1 semifinals this past year.
Kitrell becomes the third offensive line prospect offered by Wade and the Huskers this week, joining Grinnell, Iowa, prospect Will Slagle and 2028 prospect Wyatt VanBoening from Mundelein, Illinois. VanBoening also is the son of a former Husker, Simon VanBoening, a linebacker on the Huskers’ 1997 roster.
The Huskers are aiming for a massive overhaul of their offensive line, starting with replacing Donovan Raiola as the position coach. Wade, who came to Nebraska from Georgia Tech, has been retooling his line in early 2026 with transfer portal additions, bringing in Iowa State’s Brendan Black and South Carolina’s Tree Babalade. Nebraska has seen three linemen choose to exit via the portal: Brian Tapu, Houston Kaahaaina-Torres and Jason Maciejczak.
Kitrell could add athleticism to the offensive line, as he finished second in the Class B discus as a sophomore with a personal-best throw of 172’2 while finishing fourth in the shot put. Kitrell averaged four points and four rebounds per game for the Ashland-Greenwood basketball program as the Bluejays claimed the Class C1 championship in 2025.
Kitrell becomes the 16th interior offensive line offer for Nebraska’s 2027 class. The class is headlined by four-star quarterback Trae Taylor and in-state rising stars Tory Pittman III and Matt Erickson.
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