LINCOLN — The 2026 campaign for Nebraska baseball has come to a close.
Arizona State held off Nebraska 11-8 in Sunday’s elimination game at the Lincoln Regional at Haymarket Park. The Sun Devils improved to 39-20, while the Huskers finished at 43-17.
Final. pic.twitter.com/lfxfU9JbC1
— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 31, 2026
The final home record for the Big Red is 24-3, with two of those losses coming this weekend.
The Game
Arizona State, playing as the home team on the scoreboard, jumped on Nebraska right away. Second baseman Nu’u Contrades homered on a 2-1 breaking ball.
Arizona State second baseman Nu’u Contrades celebrates hitting a home run against Nebraska in the Lincoln Regional. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
After exchanging zeroes in the second, the Huskers got on the board. Joshua Overbeek blasted a leadoff home run to tie the game.
Nebraska third baseman Joshua Overbeek celebrates after hitting a home run against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
But the Sun Devils didn’t let the game stay tied for long.
A single and a walk had runners on first and second with one out for Husker starter Gavin Blachowicz. A ground ball to Rhett Stokes at second base seemed to have a double-play queued up, but he air-mailed the throw into left field and allowed a run to score. A sacrifice fly brought in one more before a two-run homer made it a 5-1 game.
While Nebraska failed to threaten in the next three innings, Arizona State added a solo home run from Dominic Smaldino in the fifth and a five-spot, including another Smaldino homer, in the sixth.
Down 11-1, the familiar fight that carried the Huskers to second in the Big Ten Conference and hosting a regional showed up.
Trey Fikes ripped a leadoff double down the right field line. Overbeek then walked. After a fly-out, Stokes singled, but a throwing error by the pitcher allowed Fikes to score.
Mac Moyer and Jeter Worthley went back-to-back doubles to add three more runs. A couple of batters later, Case Sanderson added a sacrifice fly, completing the five-run frame and closing the gap to 11-6.
Goose eggs were put up by both teams in the eighth, bringing up Nebraska’s last chance to keep the season alive.
Moyer worked a one-out walk, advancing to second on a Jeter Worthley single. Moyer then scored on a Dylan Carey single to left field.
Huskers are rallying!! 😤
📺 ESPN#B1GBaseball x @HuskerBaseball pic.twitter.com/XOkhPxuO4b
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 31, 2026
With the score now 11-7 and one out, Arizona State replaced Taylor Penn with Derek Schaefer. Schaefer was one strike away from getting his first batter out, but hit Case Sanderson to load the bases. Another run came in when Jett Buck fouled out to right field, bringing in Worthley.
Down to the last out, trailing by three, and with runners on the corners, Fikes lined out to right field to end the game and the season.
The Stats
Blachowicz took the loss, dropping his season record to 4-4. He lasted just 3.0 innings, giving up five runs, with only one earned. He also notched two strikeouts and issued one walk.
Nebraska pitcher Gavin Blachowicz delivers against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Colby Guy got the win for the Sun Devils, improving to 2-0. He allowed one earned run on four hits over 6.0 innings, striking out seven and giving up no walks.
Arizona State outhit Nebraska 13-11. The Huskers had more errors in the contest: 2-1. Both teams stranded seven runners on base.
Smaldino finished with a 2-for-4 day, including two home runs for six RBI.
Worthley led the Husker offense with his 3-for-5 effort. He also scored two runs and had one of the team’s three doubles.
Video Analysis
Ross Benes and former Husker Daniel Bruce break down the loss to Arizona State and the end of the season, looking back on the historic season and ahead to what’s next for the Big Red.
What’s Next
Nebraska’s season is officially over. The transfer portal opens June 1 and closes on June 30.
Arizona State advances to the regional final Sunday evening against Ole Miss. The Rebels won an earlier matchup between the two teams, but needed 14 innings on Friday to do so. If Ole Miss wins, then they advance to the super regionals. If Arizona State wins, a winner-take-all for the regional will be played on Monday.
On The Other Side
The Lincoln Regional is matched with the Auburn Regional for super regionals.
Auburn and UCF didn’t get a single pitch in before storms delayed the contest. The winner of that game will need to beat Milwaukee to force a Game 7 on Monday. The Panthers, however, need just one win to advance to the super regionals as the 4-seed out of the Auburn Regional and still carrying a sub-.500 record.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to [email protected].
Nebraska Baseball’s 2026 Schedule
- Feb. 13 Nebraska 12, UConn 2 [7 inn.] (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 14 Nebraska 7, Northeastern 4 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 15 Nebraska 9, Grand Canyon 1 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 16 Stanford 11, Nebraska 6 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 20 Louisville 4, Nebraska 2 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 21 Kansas State 3, Nebraska 3 FloCollege (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 22 Nebraska 10, Florida State 1 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 27 Nebraska 9, Auburn 8 [10 inn.]
- Feb. 28 Auburn 15, Nebraska 4 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 1 Auburn 12, Nebraska 3
- Mar. 3 Nebraska 8, Omaha 5
- Mar. 4 Nebraska 5, South Dakota State 4
- Mar. 6 Nebraska 5, Michigan State 4 [10 inn.]
- Mar. 7 Nebraska 3, Michigan State 1
- Mar. 8 Nebraska 12, Michigan State 2 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 11 Nebraska 11, North Dakota State 1 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 13 Nebraska 6, Maine 5
- Mar. 14 Nebraska 6, Maine 3
- Mar. 14 Nebraska 8, Maine 7
- Mar. 17 Nebraska 8, Wichita State 1
- Mar. 18 Nebraska 10, Wichita State 1
- Mar. 20 Michigan 2, Nebraska 1
- Mar. 21 Nebraska 10, Michigan 0 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 22 Nebraska 9, Michigan 5
- Mar. 24 Nebraska 14, Kansas State 9
- Mar. 27 Nebraska 6, Indiana 5
- Mar. 28 Nebraska 12, Indiana 7
- Mar. 29 Nebraska 12, Indiana 4
- Mar. 31 Nebraska 6, Creighton 5
- Apr. 4 Nebraska 8, Penn State 7
- Apr. 4 Nebraska 13, Penn State 1 [7 inn.]
- Apr. 5 Nebraska 8, Penn State 6
- Apr. 7 Kansas 5, Nebraska 3
- Apr. 10 Oregon 7, Nebraska 6
- Apr. 11 Nebraska 10, Oregon 8
- Apr. 12 Oregon 5, Nebraska 4
- Apr 14 Nebraska 5, Creighton 4
- Apr. 17 Nebraska 8, USC 7 [10 inn.]
- Apr. 18 Nebraska 12, USC 2 [7 inn.]
- Apr. 19 Nebraska 16, USC 6 [8 inn.]
- Apr. 21 Kansas 9, Nebraska 7
- Apr. 24 Illinois 10, Nebraska 5
- Apr. 25 Nebraska 12, Illinois 5
- Apr. 26 Nebraska 3, Illinois 0
- Apr. 28 Nebraska 7, Kansas State 6
- May 1 Ohio State 2, Nebraska 1
- May 2 Ohio State 7, Nebraska 3
- May 3 Ohio State 10, Nebraska 1
- May 8 Nebraska 10, Iowa 0 [8 inn.]
- May 9 Nebraska 15, Iowa 11
- May 10 Nebraska 8, Iowa 6
- May 12 Nebraska 8, Creighton 4
- May 14 Nebraska 12, Minnesota 7
- May 15 Nebraska 7, Minnesota 6
- May 16 Nebraska 14, Minnesota 11
- May 22 Nebraska 6, Michigan 4 (Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals)
- May 23 Oregon 8, Nebraska 0 (Big Ten Tournament Semifinals)
- May 29 Nebraska 4, South Dakota State 1 (Lincoln Regional)
- May 30/31 Ole Miss 6, Nebraska 3 (Lincoln Regional)
- May 31 Arizona State 11, Nebraska 8 (Lincoln Regional)
Home games are bolded. All times central.
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