Huskers Drop Big Ten Tournament Opener 5-1

In front of a large crowd, Nebraska was unable to come away with a victory in the opening round of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament. After dropping a 5-1 decision to the Michigan State Spartans, Nebraska will have to turn around and play the Indiana Hoosiers for the fourth time in the past week in an elimination contest schedule for 9 AM Thursday morning.

Nebraska's Derek Burkamper and the Spartans Cam Vieaux matched each other with zero's on the scoreboard through the first five innings before the Spartans broke through in the fifth.

In the fifth, Michigan State would send eleven batters to the plate, with five scoring. A double, bunt single, and an error would help Sparty take the lead. A walk and a double ended Burkamper's day, with Reece Eddins coming in in relief. Eddins got a groundball with the infield in, but Jake Schleppenbach commited the second error of the inning. After a sacrifice fly and two more singles, the Huskers would be down 5-0.

Nebraska got a single tally back in the bottom half of the inning when Jake Placzek walked, and Ben Miller doubled. The Huskers would get no more as Vieaux was spectacular in 8.2 innings of work. Nebraska will head to the elimination bracket where they get Indiana, who lost 5-3 to Maryland.

Matt Waldron will get the start for the Huskers, while Calab Baragar is the probable starter for the Hoosiers. First pitch is scheduled for 9:03 and the game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.