Nebraska
Sears, Brumbaugh leads Nebraska baseball team in series opener
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) – Brett Sears tossed seven strong innings, and Cayden Brumbaugh had a three-hit night with a pair of RBI in Nebraska’s 6-3 win vs. Maryland on Friday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska (24-11, 7-3 B1G) totaled six runs on 13 hits and two errors, while Maryland (24-15, 5-8 B1G) tallied three runs, seven hits and an error.
Brumbaugh was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Ben Columbus continued to swing at hot bat, going 3-for-3 with a solo home run. Cole Evans had two hits with a double, while Joshua Overbeek picked up his second homer of the season with a solo shot. Riley Silva, Garrett Anglim, Josh Caron and Clay Bradford recorded one hit apiece for the Big Red.
Sears improved to 7-0 on the season, becoming the first NU pitcher since Tony Watson in 2006 to start 7-0 on the year. The senior collected his ninth consecutive quality start after allowing three runs on seven hits, while striking out eight Terrapins and issuing a pair of walks.
The Westphalia, Iowa, native is the only pitcher nationally with an active nine-game streak of quality starts after Dallas Baptist’s Ryan Johnson had his streak end at eight tonight.
Jalen Worthley tossed the final two innings to record his third save of the season. The sophomore sat down all six Terrapins he faced in the two frames, recording three strikeouts along the way.
The Husker offense went to work early, but double plays in the first two innings kept the Big Red off the board.
Maryland plated the game’s first run of the night with Chris Hacopian’s two-out solo homer into left-center berm in the third inning.
Nebraska responded immediately with two runs on a pair of hits in the bottom half of the inning to grab a 2-1 lead. Overbeek led off the inning with a 449-foot solo homer to right-center that nearly left the entire ballpark.
Brumbaugh drew a four-pitch walk, while Silva ripped a single back up the middle to put runners on first and third with no outs. The Huskers drew a 2-1 advantage after a balk plated Brumbaugh to give the Big Red the lead through three innings.
The Terrapins answered with two more runs in the fourth to take the lead back at 3-2. With two outs and a runner on second, Jacob Orr’s RBI single to left tied the game at three. Orr moved to second on the play after a fielding error in left, before scoring in the next at-bat after Michael Iannazzo blooped an RBI double to right-center to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
A four-run fourth inning from the NU offense gave the Huskers a three-run lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. Columbus began the inning with a 407-foot solo homer that landed in the party porch in right field to the game at three.
Bradford singled and stole second, while Overbeek drew a full-count walk to place runners on first and second with one out. The Huskers perfectly executed a hit-and-run play, as Brumbaugh smacked a two-RBI double down the right-field line to give the Big Red a 5-3 lead. Brumbaugh moved to third on a groundout and later jogged on home after Evans lined a double down the left-field line to make it a 6-3 game through four innings.
Sears retired the Terrapins in order in the fifth and worked around a single and an error the sixth to maintain the three-run lead. The senior induced an inning-ending double play in an 11-pitch seventh inning to end his night with a seven-inning outing.
Worthley struck out a pair of Terrapins in the eighth, before adding one more in the ninth to preserve Nebraska’s 6-3 win in the series opener.
Nebraska and Maryland continue the weekend series tomorrow at 2:02 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Saturday’s matchup can be seen on Nebraska Public Media/B1G+, while fans can listen to Dave Gustafson and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.
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Copyright 2024 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection
LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.
On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.
During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.
After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.
Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
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.”
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.”
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.”
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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Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
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.”
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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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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