College Baseball Notebook: Nebraska strengthens its position to host regional with sweep of USC

While top-ranked UCLA has been the talk of Big Ten baseball, Nebraska quietly has put together one of its best regular seasons in years. The Cornhuskers (31-9, 15-3) outscored a then-top 10 Southern California 36-15 with two run-rule victories in a three-game weekend sweep in Lincoln and have put themselves in strong position to host an NCAA regional for the first time since 2008. “I think that's a pretty big statement for us,” Ty Horn said after allowing one run in five innings of relief in Sunday's 16-6 win. The Huskers went 4-0 last week, including a midweek win over in-state rival Creighton, after going 1-3 the week before with a series loss at Oregon. They've already matched their 2025 Big Ten win total with 12 conference games left, are alone in second place behind UCLA and are No. 20 in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America rankings. Nebraska is 19-1 at Hawks Field, where 21,383 turned out for the three games against USC, a program record for a Big Ten home series. The sweep was Nebraska's first against a ranked opponent since 2015. Dylan Carey was 8 for 16 with two homers and two doubles in the series and leads the Huskers with 12 home runs. Drew Grego also homered twice in the series, including a grand slam Sunday. “You have to have a group of guys who are sold out to what we're trying to do as a program,” coach Will Bolt said. “They hold each other to the highest standard. It's just uncommon what this group has done from that standpoint. We talk about toughness and togetherness. Ninety-nine percent of the country talks about the similar scenarios. We've taken it up a level this year just in terms of the belief and toughness these guys embrace. They don't just say it. It's something deep inside of them.”

In the polls

UCLA's 27-game win streak ended last Tuesday with a 4-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara at home, but the Bruins bounced back with a sweep of Minnesota and remain atop the polls. North Carolina won two of three against Georgia Tech at home over the weekend and traded places with the Yellow Jackets in the D1Baseball rankings. The Tar Heels are No. 2 and Tech is No. 3. Baseball America ranked Carolina No. 2 and moved Texas up a spot to No. 3 after the Longhorns won two of three against Alabama at home.

SEC score-fest

Georgia beat Arkansas 26-14 on Saturday in an SEC game. Yes, it was baseball, not football. The Bulldogs set an SEC and school record with nine home runs in a conference game, with Daniel Jackson going deep three times. Michael O’Shaughnessy, Ryan Wynn and Brennan Hudson hit two homers apiece. The teams combined for 35 hits, 18 walks and six errors. Georgia won two of three for its first road series win over the Razorbacks since 2008.