Nebraska opens season with 12-2 win over UConn in MLB Desert Invite

Nebraska baseball (1-0) opened up the 2026 season against UConn (0-1) at the MLB Desert Invitational. The Huskers got the win to start the season, delivering a massive 12-2 victory over the Huskies in seven innings.

Nebraska set the tone offensively in the bottom of the first, after UConn scored one run at the start. The Huskers posted four runs in the bottom of the inning before adding four more runs across the next five innings. Nebraska put the game away in the seventh, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 10-run lead and win.

Nebraska commanded the batter’s box, tallying 16 hits for 12 RBIs, while it held UConn to four hits and left eight runners on base. Dylan Carey led the Huskers at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with four RBIs and driving in the final two runs off a triple.

Cole Kitchens and Joshua Overbeek each pitched in three RBIs in the win. Kitchens hit 3-for-4, and Overbeek batted 2-for-3 with a walk. Case Sanderson and Jett Buck each earned one RBI on the night. Sanderson hit 3-for-4 with a walk, and Buck finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

Caleb Clark (1-0) got the win on the mound for Nebraska, taking over in the fifth and pitching 1.2 innings. He threw three strikeouts and allowed no hits, one earned run and two walks. Ty Horn started the game for the Huskers and tallied six strikeouts against three hits, four walks and one run across 4.2 innings. Tucker Timmerman closed out the game, allowing just one hit in the top of the seventh.

Nebraska continues the invitational on Saturday night against Northeastern. The first pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on MLB.com.

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