Head Coach Darin Erstad and the Nebraska baseball team announced the Huskers’ 2019 schedule on Wednesday, which includes 27 home games at Hawks Field.
Nebraska’s schedule features games against seven NCAA Tournament qualifiers from last season, including three College World Series participants. In addition, the Huskers face each of the top four teams from last year’s Big Ten standings.
NU begins its 54-game schedule with trips to California, Arizona and Texas. For the third consecutive year, the Huskers open their season against UC Riverside (Feb. 15-17). Nebraska visits the Highlanders for four games in Riverside, Calif., after squaring off each of the last two seasons in Tempe, Ariz.
Nebraska enters a daunting slate of seven neutral-site games when the Huskers play at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge (Feb. 21-24) and the Frisco College Baseball Classic (March 1-3). Three of Nebraska’s four opponents during that stretch – Oregon State, Texas Tech and Mississippi State – qualified for the 2018 College World Series. NU faces the reigning national champion Beavers four times at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz., from Feb. 21-24.
The Huskers make their second appearance in three years at the Frisco Classic when NU travels to Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas to open the month of March. Nebraska battles former Big 12 foe and 2018 CWS participant Texas Tech (March 1), reigning Southland regular-season champion Sam Houston State (March 2) and 2018 CWS qualifier Mississippi State (March 3) in Frisco.
NU’s home opener is set for Tuesday, March 5 against intrastate rival Omaha at Hawks Field. The Huskers and Mavericks meet twice in 2019, including an April 17 matchup at Werner Park in Omaha. NU has three games scheduled against its other intrastate rival, Creighton. The Huskers and Bluejays square off March 26 and April 23 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, and April 9 at Hawks Field.
The Huskers host former Big 12 brethren Baylor, March 8-10, to continue a 13-game homestand. The Bears won last season’s Big 12 Tournament en route to earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskers host North Dakota State on Wednesday, March 13 before a three-game set against New Mexico State (March 15-17) and a two-game series against Air Force (March 19-20). New Mexico State won last year’s WAC Tournament to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska opens Big Ten play at home against Michigan State, March 22-24. NU also hosts conference series against Purdue (April 5-7), Illinois (April 26-28) and Michigan (May 16-18). All four opponents qualified for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament last year, including the Boilermakers, who finished second in the regular season and tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines finished third in the Big Ten last season, while the Fighting Illini took fourth place.
NU’s first Big Ten road trip is slated for March 29-31 at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers captured the 2018 Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to the Super Regionals, where they fell to eventual national champion Oregon State.
Nebraska’s other Big Ten road series are at Penn State (April 12-14), Iowa (19-21) and Northwestern (May 4-6). The last time NU visited State College, Pa., the Huskers clinched the 2017 Big Ten regular-season crown with a win in the season finale. The Hawkeyes took sixth place in the Big Ten last season to earn a spot in the conference tournament.
The Huskers face former Big 12 rival Kansas State twice in 2019, visiting Manhattan, Kan., on April 2 before hosting the Wildcats at Hawks Field on April 16.
Before its final home series against Michigan, which concludes with Senior Day on May 18, Nebraska hosts Arizona State for a three-game series, May 10-12. The series history between the Huskers and Sun Devils includes NU’s first win in a College World Series game in 2005. The two teams last met at the 2007 NCAA Tempe Regional.
The Big Ten Tournament is scheduled for May 22-26 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. The Huskers have taken runner-up honors twice at the tournament (2013, 2014) since joining the conference before the 2012 campaign. TD Ameritrade Park previously hosted the event in 2014, 2016 and 2018 in addition to the College World Series since 2011. The Big Ten Tournament returns to TD Ameritrade Park from 2020 to 2022.
