It will be a trip away from the West as Arizona State (34-12, 14-10 Pac-12) ventures to Lincoln, NE this weekend for a non-conference, three-game set against Nebraska (24-18, 13-8 Big Ten).
The Cornhuskers are coached by former MLB All-Star Darin Erstad, and he is in his seventh year as the skipper of the program.
This weekend’s three games will be the first non-conference series that the Sun Devils have taken part in since early March when they swept Xavier, and head coach Tracy Smith will return to the Midwest to take on a program he is familiar with after coaching in the Big Ten at Indiana from 2006-14.
With a chance to enhance their resume heading toward the latter part of the season, here is a little more to know about the series, and Erstad’s ball club in Lincoln.
Game Times/Where to Watch:
Being in Nebraska, all three games will be played in the central time zone and can be viewed with a subscription or login for Big Ten Network 2 Go or Big Ten Network Plus. If you are unable to watch or don’t have a login, the games can be heard on NBC Sports 1060 AM.
Game one: 4:35 p.m. MST/Big Ten Network Plus
Game Two: 12:05 p.m. MST/Big Ten Network Plus
Game Three: 11:05 a.m. MST/Big Ten Network Plus
A Look at the Cornhuskers
Nebraska currently sits at third place in the Big Ten, although they have fallen upon tough times in a recent stretch of games.
The Cornhuskers are 3-7 in their last 10 games. They dropped two out of three in their last series at Northwestern, although the last time they took the field, they came away victorious.
As a unit, Nebraska is hitting .255 and the team’s ERA is at a mark of 4.17. Offensively, their leaders come in the form of sophomore outfielder Aaron Palensky and junior outfielder Joe Acker.
The two players are currently the only hitters at a clip above .300, and Palensky has started and appeared in every game this season.
On the mound, senior starters Matt Waldron and Nate Fisher have hauled the most innings. Waldron holds a 2.64 ERA while striking out 63 batters and walking just four for a potent strikeout/walk ratio.
Fisher holds a 3.47 ERA in nearly 60 innings of work.
On paper, ASU would seem to hold the upper hand in regards to numbers. However, that’s no reason to take Nebraska lightly, as the Devils have already dropped a few series’ in conference play to opponents with sub.-500 records.
With a chance to build off a midweek win against rival Arizona, the Sun Devils look to bring their best efforts to the heart of the country.