Nebraska
Nebraska Baseball Weekend Preview: Maryland
Maryland Terrapins (24-14) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (23-11)
Location: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Lincoln, NE
Dates: April 19th-21st
Times (all CDT): Friday @ 6:05 pm, Saturday @ 2:02 pm, Sunday @ 12:05 pm**Change**
Head Coaches: Matt Swope (1st season, 24-14) & Will Bolt (5th season, 120-86-1)
TV/Stream: All games streaming on B1G+, Nebraska Public Media on Saturday
Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App
Maryland is a much different team than Nebraska last faced in the Big Ten Tournament. Gone is their head coach, Rob Vaughn, off to Alabama. Gone to the draft is the best 1-2-3 top of the order combo in not only the B1G, but one of the best in the country. Gone are 2 starters including former All-American Jason Savacool, and the 3rd starter is missing 2024 with Tommy John’s. Add their closer and their top reliever being drafted, and it’s no wonder this team is rebuilding.
Matt Swope is a Maryland lifer, and has moved over one slot from Associate head coach to the head coaching position. He held that position for 1 year after being an assistant coach for 5 seasons, and the Terps direction of baseball ops before that. During his playing days, he was on what at the time was the most successful Maryland team in 2005 as a senior. His staff is full of guys coming home that are from the state, and one assistant coach and the director of player development, that are former themselves.
Though the Terps record isn’t completely far off from last year, it was built up by a fairly pedestrian non-conference slate. In B1G play, the two time defending champions have struggled more than anyone could have foreseen. They are sitting in 8th in the standings at 5-7, but have dropped the last 3 B1G series, first to Michigan (which is a bit of a surprise) then Indiana (which is no surprise), then Northwestern (which is maybe the most shocking result of the season so far). Also of those 5 conference wins, 3 have come in extra innings. So they could be in even more trouble, record-wise than they currently are.
Pitching Probables
Game 1: RHP Brett Sears (6-0, 1.32 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Koester (4-4, 5.83 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Mason McConnaughey (4-2, 2.29 ERA) vs. TBD
Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Joey McMannis (0-0, 3.41 ERA)
Nebraska boasts not only the back to back reigning pitchers of the week in Brett Sears and Mason McConnaughey, but they are #1 and #2 in the B1G in ERA at 1.32 and 2.29 respectively. This past weekend, the Huskers lost the first game that Sears started all season. This was despite him handing the game over with the lead. He had yet another quality start, going 6 innings and giving up 2 runs in the 6th inning during a whirlwind rainstorm that was wild to watch on the stream. He was then was taken out an inning too early, IMO. The star of the week was Big Mac. He held the top offense in the B1G scoreless in his 7 innings, and added a career high 9 strikeouts, hence the weekly honor.
The Huskers have not named a Sunday starter. That is partially a referendum on Drew Christo’s recent track record, and also on the bullpen failing to secure wins on following Sear’s performance on Friday night. It seems the team is throwing all hands on deck to ensure the series win on Friday and Saturday, then piece Sunday together after that. I’d still give Christo a chance at starting, along with Will Walsh. Beyond those two, Caleb Clark may get a look, after his strong last two outings.
For Maryland, George Washington transfer Logan Koester is the new Friday night starter after starting on Saturdays recently. He started the year great, going 4-0 in his first 4 starts, but in Big Ten play, hes has gone 0-4, including fairly disasterous starts in the last 3. He is not a strikeout guy, having only 24 in 46 innings pitched compared to 18 walks, so being patient with him will help NU’s offense.
The Terps haven’t named a starter for Saturday. They are scrambling trying to piece together a staff. Going into conference play, they had the 2nd best team ERA behind Nebraska, but since then the team ERA is over 9.00. So former D-III All-American Kenny Lippman may have lost his weekend spot after being the team’s Friday night guy. They may be looking for some of their young guys to get some more time. Last year’s Maryland Gatorade POY Joey McMannis is leading the young guys. He will start Sunday and has a 3.41 ERA, leading all starters.
Scouting Report
The Maryland offense is well below where it has been recently. They are hovering around the bottom third of the league in batting average and runs scored, but of course are second in home runs, because they play in a little league field still. They work pitchers well, as they are amount the tops in both walks and strikeouts.
The offense is led by a pair of brothers. Older brother and first baseman Eddie Hacopian is leading the team with a .400 batting avg, and 1.096 OPS. He also has 6 home runs and 33 RBIs. Freshman INF Chris Hacopian is having a stellar first year. The 2022 Maryland Gatorade POY is second in the family and on the team, batting .322. He is tied for the team lead with 8 home runs and has 30 RBIs.
A familiar name in Iowa transfer second baseman Sam Hojnar is having his best season, batting ,294 and leading the team with 40 RBIs and also has 8 home runs. He also leads the team that rarely runs with 5 stolen bases on the season. However, he also has the distinction of pacing the team with 46 strikeouts on the season.
The defense is shall we say, not great, with a .967 fielding percentage. They lead the Big Ten in total errors with 46, and are led once again by the Hacopian brothers. Eddie has 8 and Chris has 7. That is a .924 fielding percentage for Chris. Yikes.
Series History
Maryland has a 11-7 record all time against the Huskers. They won the season series 2-1 last season, at their little league field. They also won both games against Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament on their way to the championship.
Husker Notes
- Josh Caron was named to the Buster Posey Award watch list. The award is given to the top catcher in the nation.
- Caron is one of 5 catchers hitting .300+, with 15 extra base hits, and 40 RBIs.
- Freshman Case Sanderson is 28th in the country in OBP, at .518.
- Riley Silva is the 10th Husker player since 2000 to steal over 20 bases, and the first since Alex Gordon in 2005.
- Ben Columbus is hitting .438 since returning from a hamstring injury. He has a double and his first 2 career home runs as a Husker in those 16 at bats.
- Tyler Stone is nursing a tweaked hamstring currently. He had the big pinch hit in the 9th inning against Creighton, but only managed to get to first base with the injury. He may be in for a similar role this weekend, especially with Columbus having a hot bat.
The New Orleans Saints made a big splash in free agency when they signed Travis Etienne Jr. to pair with Alvin Kamara in the backfield. Etienne’s addition probably means that the Saints won’t select a back with an early choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, don’t be surprised if the team adds another back with a later pick. If that’s the case, Emmett Johnson of the Nebraska Cornhuskers could be someone on their radar.
Etienne will likely be the featured back, but Kamara’s future beyond 2026 is in some doubt. Kamara turns 31 in July and is entering his 10th season with a big contract after already showing some possible decline. Behind them, Kendre Miller has proven he shouldn’t be relied on and 2025 sixth round choice Devin Neal has flashed potential but remains unproven. The Saints may be wise to add more talent to their backfield with a middle or later round pick.
Emmett Johnson bio
- Position: Running back
- College: Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Height: 5-feet, 10 inches
- Weight: 202 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.56 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.59 seconds
- 3-cone drill: 7.32 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.29 seconds
- Vertical jump: 35.5″
- Broad jump: 10′
Recipient of the 2021 Minnesota Mr. Football award at Academy of Holy Angels High School, Johnson began with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a three-star recruit. He’d take a redshirt in 2022 then rushed for 411 yards with 2 scores in 2023 as part of a backfield committee. In 2024, Johnson picked up 598 yards on the ground and caught 39 passes for 286 yards with 3 total scores.
By 2025, Johnson was the Cornhuskers featured weapon and exploded onto the national radar. Johnson’s 1,451 rushing yards and 251 carries both led the Big Ten and were among the NCAA leaders. He also caught a team-high 46 passes and scored 15 touchdowns, as his 1,821 yards from scrimmage were second across the NCAA. Those eye-popping numbers earned him 1st Team All-American honors as well as the 2025 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
Strengths
- Hits rushing lanes with authority
- Makes sharp cuts at top speed
- Decisive north-south runner
- Good acceleration into the second level
- Legitimate receiving threat
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t have breakaway speed
- Has trouble creating yards when the hole isn’t there
- Must maintain balance better through contact
- Doesn’t break many tackles
- Only one year of high-level production
Emmett Johnson 2026 draft outlook
Johnson’s 2025 tape and production are worthy of a high pick, but teams looking for a featured back might be wary of his lack of power. Still, Johnson has a strong chance of being picked somewhere on the second day and shouldn’t last later than the fourth round. His decisive one-cut and go style and receiving ability gives him a strong chance to be an instant contributor with an incredibly high upside of a potential starter.
New Orleans has had success with late-round picks and undrafted players at running back. Emmett Johnson won’t last that long. But, if Johnson slips into Day 3, the Saints could be tempted to add him and bolster their backfield in multiple ways.
Carson Jasa pitched a strong game, earning his second complete-game of the season. Nebraska’s offense started fast and kept rolling, leading to a 12-2 run-rule win over No. 12 USC in seven innings on Saturday at Hawks Field. This marked head coach Will Bolt’s 200th career win at Nebraska.
A season-high crowd of 7,602 fans filled the ballpark, making for one of the most exciting games of the year. This attendance is the 25th largest in Hawks Field history and the second biggest since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, just behind the 7,650 fans at a 2021 doubleheader against Michigan. The fans saw Nebraska play a complete game, improving to 30-9 overall and 14-3 in the conference. USC fell to 30-10 and 13-7 in Big Ten play.
Nebraska’s offense scored 12 runs on 12 hits and made only one error. USC scored just two runs on five hits and had two defensive mistakes. Drew Grego led the way, going 3-for-4 and missing the cycle by only a triple. He hit a home run, a double, and drove in four runs. Dylan Carey also went 3-for-4 with a home run and scored three times. Case Sanderson went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Jett Buck added a double and scored three runs. Mac Moyer, Joshua Overbeek, and Trey Fikes each had a hit.
Jasa took control on the mound right from the start. He pitched all seven innings, giving up just two runs, only one earned, on five hits. He struck out seven and walked only two, moving his record to 7-1 this season.
The Huskers started strong, taking an early lead in the first inning. Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs right away. Sanderson brought in the first run with a groundout that scored Moyer. Buck hit a double to bring home Carey, Grego added an RBI double to score Buck, and Overbeek finished the inning with a single that made it 4-0.
Nebraska added to its lead in the third inning with three solo home runs.. Sanderson and Carey hit back-to-back homers, and Grego followed by sending the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. That made it 7-0 and put the game out of reach.
The Huskers continued to add on in the fifth inning, capitalizing on aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck each stole. The Huskers kept building their lead in the fifth inning by taking advantage of aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck both stole bases to get into scoring position, and Grego singled to left field to drive them both in, making it 9-0.
USC rallied briefly in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits and a Nebraska error. A solo home run gave the Trojans their first run, and a mix of hits and a defensive mistake brought in another, making it 10-2. Stokes drew walks to put runners on base, and Trey Fikes delivered an RBI single to left field. A USC fielding error on the play allowed both Buck and Stokes to score, ending the game at 12-2 and clinching the series for the Huskers.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
On the 12th day of the 2026 transfer portal cycle, Nebrasketball picked up its fourth commitment.
Boden Kapke, a 6-foot-11 forward/center out of Boston College, has committed to the Huskers. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Kapke announced his commitment on social media, captioning his post, “🔴⚪️GBR🌽”
Kapke began his college career at Butler. As a true freshman, he played in 22 games, averaging 7.0 minutes of action per contest. In limited run during his first season of collegiate action, he shot 48% from the field and made seven of his 17 attempts (41%) from three-point range.
As a sophomore, Kapke made 16 starts while appearing in 34 of the team’s 35 games. In just 13.4 minutes per game, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds. He shot 40% from the field and 27% (18-for-66) from deep.
Kapke transferred to Boston College for his junior season. In his lone year with the Eagles, his numbers jumped to 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds over 26.7 minutes a game. He made 17 starts in 31 appearances on the year. He shot 47% from the field and 33% on three-pointers.
Out of Victoria, Minnesota, Kapke was a finalist for his state’s 2023 Mr. Basketball. As a senior, he averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds a game, helping Holy Family Catholic to a 29-3 record and the Class AA State Tournament semifinals.
Kapke finished his prep career with 1,796 career points and 1,062 rebounds.
Nebraska lost nearly all of its frontcourt production from a 28-7 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16. Starter Rienk Mast and backup Jared Garcia have both exhausted their eligibility, while starter Berke Büyüktuncel entered the transfer portal last week.
The Huskers do have a returning frontcourt player in Leo Curtis. The 7-foot-2 native of Iceland appeared in 17 games as a true freshman.
Nebraska also picked up a likely starting four man from Belmont in Sam Orme. The full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore this past season, Orme averaged 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.8 minutes per game.
Still up in the air is the status of Central Michigan transfer Ugnius Jaruševičius. The Lithuanian big man played in just one game in 2025-26 with Nebraska and is seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. With his back issues and a waiver being needed from the NCAA, the coaching staff can’t be certain that he’ll be available next season.
As of this commitment, Kapke would slide into the starting five spot. Kapke is nearly identical to Mast in terms of size, bringing one more inch of height and five more pounds of weight. His offensive play style, however, would be more similar to what Husker fans saw from Büyüktuncel.
A final decision is still to be announced from Boise State forward/center Drew Fielder. The former Georgetown big averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this past season with the Broncos, shooting 40.9.% on three-pointers and 60.6% inside the arc. Fielder has visited Nebraska and Washington and is visiting Alabama this weekend.
On Friday, Nebraska picked up a starting ball handler in Utah Valley’s Trevan Leonhardt. This past season, he started all 35 games, averaging 11.8 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per contest. He earned first-team All-WAC and All-Defensive team honors.
Nebraska’s starting lineup right now projects to be Leonhardt, Sandfort, Frager, Orme, and Kapke. That gives the Huskers a starting lineup height of 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-9, and 6-foot-11. As for three-point shooting, that group had averages in 2025-26 of 37%, 41.6%, 35.2%, 40.4%, and 33%.
Multiple pieces from last year have confirmed they will be returning.
First-team All-Big Ten selection Pryce Sandfort will be back for his senior season. Coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed earlier this month that the first-team All-Big Ten selection had been battling a sports hernia injury. Sandfort underwent surgery after the season ended and will be rehabbing for several weeks, diminishing the potential of him leaving early for the NBA draft.
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager re-signed with Nebraska. He will slide into one of the starting spots vacated by Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence. In his redshirt freshman season, Frager hit the 20-point scoring mark six times on his way to averaging 11.8 points a game off the bench.
Curtis and main rotation piece Cale Jacobsen have also had their returns confirmed. In 2025-26, Jacobsen played in all 35 contests, averaging 4.6 points on 52 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game with a 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Along with Jaruševičius, sharpshooter Connor Essegian is also seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. However, he did get an official return post on social media. In the seven games he was on the floor this season, he averaged 5.4 points per game, making eight three-pointers.
Other players on the roster to be confirmed returning are Henry Burt and Will Cooper.
The Huskers are also adding a pair of high school signees. Colin Rice and Jacob Lanier are both four-star forward prospects and could see the floor earlier in their collegiate careers.
Besides 61-game starter Büyüktuncel, Nebraska has also seen Quentin Rhymes and Justin Bolis leave via the transfer portal.
Nebraska now has two open spots remaining on the roster. The portal remains open through April 21.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Detroit, MI38 minutes agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA50 minutes agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX56 minutes agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane
-
Boston, MA1 hour ago
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver Nuggets Altitude broadcasts now being offered in Spanish for first time ever
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoNeed to shred? Free drive-up/ride-up shredding Wednesday at Village Green West Seattle
-
San Diego, CA1 hour agoGame 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels
