The Nebraska baseball team has slowly but surely been getting a bit better over the last few years. This year, the team has the best chance to make some real noise than it has, basically since head coach Darin Erstad arrived. While they were a young bunch a year ago, they still managed to make a regional. Perhaps because they were young, an offense that had been inconsistent all season was downright bad and they were quickly run out of the playoffs. This time around, maturing bats and solid pitching arms should be able to carry the team further.
Nebrasking baseball making the jump to the big time
When talking about the bats that should be able to carry the Huskers in 2017, Scott Schreiber will be leaned on heavily again. The slugger was the team's hottest and most feared hitter in the second half of the season, but he suffered an injury that forced him to miss most of the postseason, and when he did play, he was clearly still banged up. Before that injury, it looked like the Junior was headed for a 20 homer season and he ended with a very impressive 16 dingers. There is also Jake Meyers, who came into his own on the mound and at the plate.
The Nebraska baseball team will still live on pitching
While the Husker offense is supposed to put up more of a fight than it has in recent years, the program is still likely going to live or die based on its pitching staff.
There's Jake Meyers, who posted a 6-1 record with a 1.42 earned run average. There's also Derek Burkamper who posted a 6-3 record with a 3.09 ERA and who pitched much better toward the end of his season than at the beginning.
The rest of the pitching staff is looking rather strong as well, and that includes the back of the bullpen.
Any good pitching staff is going to need a good closer in this day and age, and Chad Luensmann is one of the best in the game. As a freshman, Luensmann posted a 1.18 earned run average with 13 saves. It's going to be hard to improve on those numbers this year, but if he's able to do so, the Nebraska baseball pitching staff could be deadly.
