Nebraska

Indiana baseball visits Nebraska for heavyweight bout

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

Indiana baseball visits Nebraska for heavyweight bout

The top six teams in the Big Ten face each other in the penultimate weekend of conference play. This weekend’s slate pits Iowa (13-8) against Illinois (13-5), Purdue (12-6) against Michigan (11-7) and Indiana (12-6) against Nebraska (12-6) at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. With six teams within 1.5 games of first place, the conference title race is still wide open.

After languishing at Purdue in the series opener May 3, Indiana rallied to take the rivalry series in dramatic fashion over the Boilermakers. The Hoosiers, with five days’ rest after a rainout Tuesday, will be tested by the Big Ten’s best pitching staff as they look for their sixth-consecutive conference series win. Nebraska’s 4.51 team ERA is top in the conference, as is its 1.27 WHIP and 2.9 walks per nine innings. In its series win over Purdue, Indiana benefited heavily from walks and other pitching miscues.

Facing Indiana southpaw Ty Bothwell (6-2, 5.46 ERA) in his first Friday start since April 12, Nebraska righty Brett Sears (7-0, 2.18 ERA) will start for the Huskers in the series opener at 7:05 p.m. Friday on Big Ten Plus. Widely regarded as the best pitcher in the Big Ten, Sears leads the conference in ERA and WHIP (0.84) and is second only to teammate Will Walsh in walks per nine innings (1.7). Bothwell is coming off a five-inning relief outing May 4 in which he allowed one unearned run in five innings, setting the table for an emphatic comeback win.

Sears was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Pitcher of the Week on April 9, following a two-hit shutout versus Ohio State. Since that dominant performance, he has shown signs of regression, with teams scoring more runs against him in each successive outing. He allowed five runs —four earned —on six hits across five innings at Minnesota on May 3, including a pair of homers.

Indiana is tied for third in the Big Ten with 64 home runs and sits alone in third with a .895 team OPS — its offense is more than capable of producing. The Hoosiers’ offensive attack is spearheaded by outfielder Devin Taylor. Since moving to the leadoff spot April 26 versus Rutgers, Taylor is 12-for-26 (.462 AVG) with four home runs, seven RBIs and nine runs scored. Most of his outs have been hit right at opposing fielders.

Fellow outfielder Nick Mitchell has been as consistent as they come, posting a 1.031 OPS and filling the cleanup role well in the absence of infielder Brock Tibbitts, who hit safely in all three games at Purdue after missing a month due to a lower-body injury. Shortstop Tyler Cerny leads Indiana with 52 RBIs and outfielder Carter Mathison and Taylor are tied for the team lead with 12 home runs. While Indiana’s offense occasionally runs into a buzzsaw, it has proven difficult to shut down for an entire weekend.

Indiana ace Connor Foley (4-1, 4.53 ERA) will face Nebraska righty Mason McConnaughey (6-3, 3.19 ERA) at 7:05 p.m. Saturday on Big Ten Network. After missing two weeks with back tightness, Foley turned in four innings of one-run ball at Purdue on May 4 while on a pitch limit. He threw just 58 pitches, well below his season average of 91.

If Foley is still limited, Indiana has plenty of bullpen options to use against one of the deepest lineups in the Big Ten. Nebraska has used 19 different players in its lineup this season, led by infielder Case Sanderson (.362 AVG) and catcher Josh Caron (8 HR, 48 RBI). Compared to other teams in the Big Ten, the Huskers are average offensively. They rank seventh in batting average (.294) and eighth in OPS (.850).

Indiana’s bullpen threw 20 1/3 of the team’s 26 innings at Purdue from May 3-5, allowing just five earned runs. Righties Drew Buhr (1-1, 3.13 ERA) and Jacob Vogel (1-0, 0.51 ERA) combined with Bothwell for 13 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. Right-handers like Aydan Decker-Petty (1-1, 5.88 ERA) and Brayden Risedorph (2-6, 7.96 ERA) will also be called upon once again this weekend.

The series finale, set for 1 p.m. Sunday on Big Ten Network, will likely be a bullpen day for both teams — starters are to be determined. Indiana has never visited Nebraska under head coach Jeff Mercer, last playing at Haymarket Park in 2018 where the Hoosiers won the Saturday and Sunday games to clinch a series where all three games were decided by three-or-fewer runs.

Indiana won two out of three when the teams squared off in Bloomington in 2022, while Nebraska won three out of four games and clinched the 2021 Big Ten title against Indiana in Bloomington.

Sitting at 60th in the RPI as of May 9, Indiana can heavily improve its chances of receiving an at-large bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament with a series win at Nebraska, which had its RPI drop nine spots after a 10-6 upset loss versus 232nd-ranked South Dakota State University on May 8. The Huskers allowed three runs in the eighth inning and five runs in the ninth to lose. Despite this gaffe, Nebraska is likely to receive an at-large bid.

Friday and Saturday’s games are slated for 7:05 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale begins at 1:05 p.m. The series opener will be streamed on Big Ten Plus and the final two games of the series will be featured on Big Ten Network.

Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Nick Rodecap (@nickrodecap) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.

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Nebraska

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

Published

10 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.

According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.

“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”

The senior ended his career as the 39th four-time state champion in Nebraska history, winning three at Wilber-Clatonia before joining the Jr. Jays.

Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.

“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.

“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.

Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.

“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.

Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.

“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”

The sophomore won his first state title after finishing as a runner-up at 126 pounds as a freshman.

Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.

“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”

The junior finished the season as a back-to-back state champion after winning a gold medal at 175 pounds as a sophomore.

Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.

“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.

Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.

“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.

“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.

—

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Nebraska

Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

Published

22 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has selected a former state senator and longtime board member to lead the chamber while it searches for a new president and CEO.

Board of Directors Chair Pat Keenan said Thursday that Matt Williams of Gothenburg agreed to serve as interim president.

ALSO READ: Nebraska Chamber president and CEO resigns after less than a year

“The Board is grateful to Matt for stepping into this role during a very active and productive time for the Nebraska Chamber,” Keenan said. “He has steady leadership, strong relationships and trust from his many years of advocacy for economic development, and decades of experience working with the legislature and state government on tax policy and economic development incentives.”

Matt Williams(NE Chamber)

Williams represented District 36 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015 to 2023.

The chamber said Williams has had a lifelong career in banking and serves as chairman of Flatwater Bank. He previously served as chair of the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.

His long involvement with the chamber includes membership on the Board of Directors; he currently serves as director for District 6. In 2025, he was named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.

“The Nebraska Chamber is on rock-solid footing, with the clear vision of the Board, and talented and hard-working staff hitting its stride in legislative policy and advocacy, technology, manufacturing, leadership-development, fund-raising and membership. The success of cutting-edge initiatives like 6 Regions, One Nebraska, the launch of the Go Big Future series, and the strong member engagement across the state demonstrate the success and strength of this organization. I’m excited to lend my support in whatever way I can for the Chamber. I know how strong businesses and communities make for a stronger Nebraska, and I’m glad to be part of that.”

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Nebraska

Maryland men’s basketball silenced late by No. 12 Nebraska, 74-61

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Maryland men’s basketball silenced late by No. 12 Nebraska, 74-61

Maryland men’s basketball has found itself in plenty of close games over the past few weeks. Four of its last five were decided by seven points or less, and the Terps won three of them.

Head coach Buzz Williams had ostensibly found a winning recipe in crunch time. That is, until Wednesday’s clash with No. 12 Nebraska.

Down by five with just over six minutes to play, the key ingredients for a comeback were nowhere to be found. Andre Mills, who had been superb over Maryland’s past few matches, turned the ball over to star forward Pryce Sandfort on an errant pass. Just seconds later, Sandfort splashed a 3-pointer, and Pinnacle Bank Arena went wild.

That sequence was the cap of a 9-0 run and the middle of an 0-of-4 shooting stretch for Maryland. What was largely a competitive contest soon became lopsided, and the Terps fell, 74-61.

Williams used his coach’s challenge just a minute and a half into Wednesday’s contest. The reversed call didn’t result in points right away — the Terps turned it over the very next possession — but it undoubtedly sent a crystal clear, no-nonsense message to the sideline.

And Maryland’s defense was ready for the rowdy away game occasion. The Terps notched just five points in the opening five minutes — two coming on a thunderous Solomon Washington slam — but didn’t allow Nebraska on the scoresheet. In fact, Maryland turned the Cornhuskers over twice in that span, and Guillermo Del Pino rejected a Jamarques Lawrence layup.

Nebraska started the game 0-of-6 from the field before finding the net. Sandfort channeled his shooting prowess, sinking a 3-pointer to give the Cornhuskers their first advantage of the match six-and-a-half minutes in.

Forward Braden Frager was the true catalyst for Nebraska’s sudden surge, logging seven of the team’s first 10 points and operating well in transition. His quick-hit offense didn’t allow Maryland to set up its effective half-court defense.

The Terps’ offense remained relatively cold as the midway point of the half approached. They embarked on a 1-of-8 shooting stretch, with Nebraska consistently switching on Maryland’s perimeter looks and forcing Washington into some perimeter shots.

Interestingly enough, it was Washington and his frontcourt counterpart — Elijah Saunders — that offered the team a surge from beyond the arc. The two combined for four of the squad’s first five 3-pointers — two of Saunders’ makes came in the last five minutes of the half to keep Maryland within striking distance.

The Cornhuskers took a six point advantage into the halftime locker room, up 33-27.

Rienk Mast finally got into a bit of rhythm to open the second half, burying a 3-pointer in an attempt to keep the Terps at bay. But Maryland’s offense wasn’t rattled. It didn’t revert to the same isolation playbook that it has sometimes found itself running; it instead was gritty on the glass and earned multiple second-chance opportunities.

Nebraska was being worn down on defense, and its crowd was becoming less intense. Maryland just needed to establish some prolonged momentum.

But the game remained deadlocked for the ensuing minutes. Andre Mills began to display some of the athletic lane-driving traits he’s exhibited over the past 10 contests. But he also drilled a pair of long-range jumpers, quickly becoming the team’s leading second-half scorer.

As the clock ticked below 10 minutes left with the game decided by just a matter of points, the Terps’ offense hit a stagnant stretch. Coit took four consecutive shots — and made only one — while the team’s ball movement came to a screeching halt.

After Nebraska’s 9-0 run, things didn’t realign on the attack for Maryland. Coit continued to struggle, going 2-of-6 from three in the second half. Mills also missed back-to-back looks, and from there, the result was all but decided.

1. Elijah Saunders’ big day. With Mills struggling in the first half Wednesday, Saunders picked up some of the slack. The 40% 3-point shooter made half of his looks, resulting in a season-high five 3-pointers against the Cornhuskers. That comes just one game after he set his previous season-high of four 3-pointers against Washington.

2. Paint production erased. Maryland’s frontcourt did some damage Wednesday night, but much of it came from deep. The Terps finished with just 14 points in the paint compared to Nebraska’s 26. Despite both teams grabbing seven offensive rebounds, Maryland didn’t make much of the second chance opportunities in the restricted area.

3. More Del Pino minutes. After playing 27 minutes and securing the win with an alley-oop lob against Washington, Del Pino was on the court for 15 minutes Wednesday. Though he finished without any points, he seems to have earned Williams’ trust and continues to operate the floor well from a distribution perspective.

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