One of the catalysts in Nebraska baseball’s rise to national prominence in his playing days, Will Bolt returns to his alma mater as head coach. Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos named Bolt the 24th head coach of the Husker baseball program on Friday.

Bolt brings 16 years of coaching experience to the Nebraska program, including five seasons on the Husker baseball staff and four years as a head coach at Texarkana College.

Bolt served as Nebraska’s Associate Head Coach under Darin Erstad from 2012 to 2014 and also was a volunteer assistant on the 2005 Husker team that reached the College World Series. As a player or coach, Bolt has been a part of all three of Nebraska’s College World Series teams and all four Super Regional squads.

Bolt returns to Lincoln after spending the past five seasons on the Texas A&M staff where he helped the Aggies to five straight NCAA regional appearances and a trip to the 2017 College World Series.

“The opportunity to come back home to Nebraska and lead the Husker baseball program is such a blessing and honor for my family and me,” Bolt said. “It is such an exciting time in Husker athletics with the foundation laid by Bill Moos within the athletic department, and the success Coach Erstad and staff have had on the field.

“My family and I have the fondest affection for the Huskers and the city of Lincoln, and truly cannot wait to become part of the Husker family again!”

The native of Conroe, Texas, had his first association with the Nebraska program as a player for the Huskers from 1999 to 2002. A member of Dave Van Horn’s first recruiting class at Nebraska, Bolt played on four NCAA regional teams and captained the Huskers’ first two College World Series teams in 2001 and 2002. Bolt finished his Husker playing career with school records in games played (251), games started (242), at-bats (922), hits (281), doubles (56) and assists (639).

“Will Bolt has been a winner at every stop he has made as a coach and player, and I am proud to welcome him back to Lincoln as our next head baseball coach,” Moos said. “Will was a part of the most successful teams in the history of our baseball program, and he knows what it takes to win here.

“Will has proven to be an outstanding recruiter wherever he has coached. He understands the appeal of Nebraska and everything our baseball program and University has to offer to student-athletes.”

— NU Athletics —

Nebraska Head Baseball Coach Darin Erstad announced Monday afternoon that he has resigned from his position. Erstad guided the Husker program for the past eight seasons, leading the Huskers to a Big Ten Championship and four NCAA Regional appearances.

“I have made the extremely difficult decision to step away from coaching,” Erstad said. “I love this team. I love our staff and I love Nebraska. The bottom line is I do not want to miss seeing our kids grow up. I want to thank our administration and academic staff for all of their support over the last eight years. GBR forever.”

Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said Erstad was the right individual to lead the Husker program, but understands Erstad’s choice to spend more time with his family.

“Darin earned the right to lead this baseball program well into the future, and I was hopeful that would be the case,” Moos said. “Darin loved the opportunity to represent Nebraska every day and did an outstanding job. He’s a Nebraska guy who loves this program and is a proven winner. With all that said, I respect and admire that Darin’s priority now is to spend more time with his family as his children grow up.”

Erstad took over the Nebraska program in June of 2011, and finished with a record of 267-193-1. Erstad’s 2017 team captured the Big Ten regular-season title and he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for his leadership. Four of his eight teams finished second or better in the conference, and his teams reached the Big Ten tournament championship game in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Nebraska qualified for NCAA Regional play in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

The Jamestown, N.D., native is one of the top players in Nebraska baseball history. A two-sport star at Nebraska, Erstad was a first-team All-American and Big Eight Co-Player of the Year in 1995. In addition, Erstad was a two-time academic all-conference pick, and was the starting punter on Nebraska’s 1994 national championship football team. He was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in September of 2018.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Erstad spent the majority of his career playing for the Angels, where he won three Gold Gloves (2000-02-04) and was selected for the American League All-Star team in 1998 and 2000. He was part of the Angels 2002 World Series Champion team.

— NU Athletics —

Oklahoma City, Okla. – The Nebraska baseball team (32-24) fell to UConn, 16-1, in an NCAA Regional elimination game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

The Huskers, making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years, saw their 2019 season come to an end after going 1-2 at the Oklahoma City Regional. It marked Nebraska’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and 13th appearance in the last 21 years.

Senior right-hander Reece Eddins, making his 13th start of the season, went 4.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts. Nebraska saw relief outings from Shay Schanaman, Max Schreiber, Mike Waldron, Ethan Frazier, Chad Luensmann, Ben Klenke and Kyle Perry.

In the opening frame, UConn scored one run on two hits and left two runners stranded to take the early lead. The Huskers went down in order in the bottom of the first inning.

The Huskies added a run in the top of the second, as Kyler Fedko hit a solo home run. UConn left one runner stranded, but took a 2-0 lead. Angelo Altavilla managed Nebraska’s first hit of the game with his single in the bottom of the second, but he was left on base.

UConn’s first two batters in the top of the third each singled and advanced to second and third via sacrifice bunt. A strikeout-throw out play ended the inning. NU was retired in order in the bottom of the third.

In the top of the fourth, Connecticut added one run to build a 3-0 advantage. The Huskies had a one-out triple before a bunt single brought in the runner from third. Nebraska scored one run in the bottom of the fourth. Aaron Palensky hit a one-out single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Spencer Schwellenbach drew a walk to put two runners on. Altavilla drove in Palensky with an RBI single before a double play ended the inning.

UConn scored one run in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. The Huskies managed two hits during the frame to extend its advantage. NU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

Connecticut tacked on another run in the top of the sixth to build a 5-1 lead. UConn left two runners on base during the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Huskers were retired in order.

The Huskies had one baserunner via walk in the top of the seventh, but left him stranded as the score remained 5-1. For the third consecutive inning, all three Husker batters were retired.

UConn added four runs on four hits in the top of the eighth to take a 9-1 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Henwood and Mojo Hagge each singled, but were left on base as each of the other three Husker batters flied out.

In the top of the ninth, the Huskies scored seven runs on six hits to extend their lead to 16-1. NU was retired in order with a strikeout and two flyouts.

— NU Athletics —

For the fourth time in six years, the Nebraska baseball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers (31-22) will travel to the Oklahoma City Regional this weekend, along with No. 9 national seed Oklahoma State, UConn and Harvard. NU will represent the No. 3 seed in the Regional.

It marks Nebraska’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and the 13th appearance in the last 21 years. Under Head Coach Darin Erstad, the Huskers previously qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

The Huskers open the tournament on Friday against UConn, starting at noon (CT) on ESPN3. Oklahoma State and Harvard face off Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN3.

— NU Athletics —

Lincoln – Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that Kevin Cross (Little Rock, Ark.) has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play basketball for the Husker program next season.

Cross, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward, played for Coach Raymond Cooper at Mills University Studies High School, earning all-state honors in Arkansas for the past two years. Cross selected Nebraska over Oklahoma State and TCU.

“We are excited to have Kevin join our program.” Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He is a skilled big who brings versatility to our frontcourt with his ability to score both inside and out. We think he is a player who will develop in our up-tempo system.”

Last year, he helped Mills to a 28-5 record and runner-up honors in Class 4A, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and two assists per game. For his efforts, he was named first-team all-state in Class 4A by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association and garnered second-team all-state (all classes) by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Cross had 24 point and nine rebounds in the state title game loss to Magnolia, and also put together a 29-point, 21-rebound effort during his senior campaign. Following the season, he earned MVP honors at the All-Metro Classic with a 32-point effort, which included six 3-pointers.

Cross was also a first-team all-state Class 5A selection by the coaches association and a second-team all-state honoree by the Democrat Gazette as a junior when he averaged 14.9 points and 6.8 caroms per contest as the team went 29-3 en route to a runner-up finish at the state tournament.

Also Wednesday, Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg continued to bolster the Huskers’ interior presence with Wednesday’s announcement that Derrick Walker (Kansas City, Mo.) will join the program for the upcoming season.

Walker, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward, spent the last two seasons at the University of Tennessee, appearing in 64 contests, as the Volunteers won 56 games and made a pair of NCAA appearances during his tenure at the school. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2019-20 season.

“Derrick is a physical player who gives us skill and versatility in the post,” Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He has played in big games over the last two years, and his experience will be an asset for us with so many newcomers on the roster.”

Walker played in 30 games as a sophomore, as Tennessee reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished with a 31-6 record in 2018-19. He came off the bench and averaged 0.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in just over five minutes per contest. He shot 53 percent from the floor, including 6-of-7 from the field in SEC play. He had five points, two boards and a pair of assists in a win over Georgia.

As a freshman, he was an integral member of the Volunteers’ 2017-18 SEC title team, appearing in 34 of the Vols’ 35 contests and averaging 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game. He was efficient on the offensive end, shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor, including 68 percent (19-of-28) in SEC section. He totaled five or more points six times, including career bests in points (10), field goals (five) and minutes (25) at South Carolina when he hit all five field goal attempts. He set personal bests in both rebounds (seven) and blocks (two) at Alabama and also grabbed seven board against Ole Miss. In all, he reached double-figures in minutes 11 times, including seven games against SEC competition.

He spent his senior and postgrad years at Sunrise (Kan.) Christian Academy, where he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds per game in 2016-17. He was a four-star prospect by ESPN.com and three-star choice by Rivals and 247Sports, which rated him as the No. 2 prospect in Missouri in 2017. Walker played for the MoKan Elite in the summer of 2016, helping the team win the Nike Peach Jam championship. On that team, he played with 2018 first-round NBA picks Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. He spent three seasons at Raytown High School, helping the school to a conference title and earning second-team all-conference honors. Walker, who attended the same high school as former Husker legend Tyronn Lue, also played three years of football at the school.

And Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg added his third recruit of the day on Wednesday evening when Samari Curtis (Xenia, Ohio) signed to play basketball for the Huskers beginning this fall.

Curtis, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard, was Ohio Mr. Basketball in 2019, averaging 33.8 points and 5.2 assists per game for Coach Kent Anderson at Xenia High School. He shot 51 percent from the field as a senior, including 34 percent from 3-point range. His senior year was highlighted by a 52-point performance, his second career 50-point game. Curtis also finished eighth in state history with 224 free throws, as Xenia went 13-11 despite replacing four starters from the previous season.

He finished his career with a school-record 2,109 points, breaking the previous mark by nearly 500 points. He led the Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) in scoring each of the past three seasons, averaging more than 30 points per game in each of his final two seasons at the school.

“Samari is an elite guard,” Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He gives us size and length at the guard position and his skillset blends well with the other guards currently on our roster.”

Curtis, who originally signed with Cincinnati last fall, is a four-star selection by ESPN.com, while he also ranks among the top-200 recruits nationally by 247Sports.

As a junior, he averaged 30.4 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field en route to third-team All-Ohio accolades by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. A three-time All-GWOC selection and District 9 honoree, Curtis also garnered honorable-mention honors as a sophomore when he averaged 24.1 points per game.

Curtis becomes the 11th scholarship player to sign or re-affirm his commitment since Hoiberg took over the Husker basketball program on March 30. The Huskers lose four starters from a year ago while junior forward Isaiah Roby is testing the waters of the NBA process. Curtis joins fellow freshmen Yvan Ouedraogo, Akol Arop and Kevin Cross while the rest of the class includes graduate transfers Matej Kavas and Haanif Cheatham, junior college transfers Jervay Green and Cam Mack and transfers Dalano Banton, Shamiel Stevenson and Derrick Walker.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Fred Hoiberg, the former NBA player who coached Iowa State and the Chicago Bulls, was hired Saturday to coach a Nebraska team that had big hopes this season but finished with a 19-17 record and out of the NCAA Tournament yet again.

Hoiberg has strong ties to the school, which announced his hiring four days after seventh-year coach Tim Miles was fired.

Hoiberg, dismissed by the Bulls in in December, agreed to a seven-year contract paying a total of $25 million.

The 46-year-old Hoiberg was born in Lincoln and maternal grandfather Jerry Bush was the Cornhuskers coach from 1954 to 1963. His paternal grandfather was a professor at Nebraska and his parents are graduates of the school.

“I can’t express how excited I am to be back on the sidelines and to be coaching at a university that means a lot to my family and me,” Hoiberg said. “Nebraska has always felt like a second home.”

Hoiberg went 115-155 from 2010-15 with the Bulls. Before that, he had a successful five-year run as Iowa State’s coach with an up-tempo, spread-the-floor offense. He went 115-56 and led the Cyclones to four straight NCAA Tournaments and two Big 12 tournament titles.

“When you look at him, you see an individual who has had success as a player and a coach,” athletic director Bill Moos said. “Fred’s background will sell itself on the recruiting trail, and help us bring in the type of student-athletes needed to compete at the highest level. His style of play not only will be appealing to prospective recruits but will also provide our great fans an entertaining brand of basketball.”

Hoiberg takes over a program that has never been able to win consistently. Nebraska’s most recent regular-season conference championship came in 1950. The Huskers remain the only Power Five conference program to have never won an NCAA Tournament game.

As a star player for Iowa State, Hoiberg became known as “The Mayor” because of his popularity in Ames. He competed twice a year against the Huskers from 1991-95 — when Nebraska enjoyed its most sustained success, with four straight NCAA appearances. In the 25 years since, the Huskers have gone to the tournament just twice (1998, 2014).

Nebraska had reason to be encouraged this season. The Huskers started 13-4 and were in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2014. Then the Huskers lost 11 of the next 13 and finished 13th in the Big Ten, the fifth time in seven years they’ve been 10th or worse. A brief run in the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t enough to earn an NCAA bid.

The Huskers will lose seniors James Palmer Jr., Glynn Watson Jr. and Isaac Copeland, and junior Isaiah Roby has said he didn’t know if he would return if there were a coaching change.

Hoiberg had said shortly after his dismissal by the Bulls that he wanted to coach again, but the speculation was that it would be in the NBA.

Nebraska has had a history of hiring hot mid-major coaches — Danny Nee in 1986, Barry Collier in 2000, Doc Sadler in 2006 and Miles in 2012.

The school built a new practice facility in 2011 and a new arena in 2013. With the infrastructure in place, Moos and the university administration were looking to make a splash hire.

“I had the opportunity to coach (an exhibition) at Pinnacle Bank Arena with the Bulls, and I have seen first-hand that the facilities are as nice as any in the country,” Hoiberg said. “When you couple that with a loyal and passionate fan base, you can see there is great potential for the future of Nebraska basketball.”

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Isaiah Roby had a career-high 28 points as Nebraska edged past Butler 80-76 in the NIT first round on Wednesday night. James Palmer Jr. added 23 points for the Cornhuskers.

Roby shot 9 for 12 from the floor and converted 9 of 10 foul shots. He added eight rebounds.

Glynn Watson Jr. had 17 points for Nebraska (19-16). Johnny Trueblood added seven rebounds.

Sean McDermott had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs (16-17). Paul Jorgensen added 12 points. Jordan Tucker had 11 points.

— Associated Press —

Lincoln – The Nebraska men’s basketball program will make its second straight postseason appearance, as the Huskers were selected for the 2019 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) Sunday evening.

Nebraska, which enters the postseason with an 18-16 record, is the No. 4 seed and will take on No. 5 seed Butler (16-16), on Wednesday, March 20 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised on ESPN2 and carried on the Husker Sports Network.

“We are excited to have our season continue, especially for our seniors who wanted to return to postseason play,” Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said. “We had our share of struggles at times, but I think the way we have played over the final two weeks of the season is a testament to our players and the character they have. I believe that our performance at the Big Ten Tournament is a good momentum boost heading into the postseason, and showed a team that wanted to keep playing.

“We have been tested against a schedule that is in the top five nationally in Kenpom, including 25 games against the top two quadrants in the NET, and we are looking forward to the postseason challenge.”

Butler tied for eighth in the Big East with a 7-11 mark and features guard Kamar Baldwin, who was a second-team All-Big East selection this season. Baldwin averaged 17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 rebounds per game.

The 2019 NIT is the 26th postseason appearance in school history and 19th time NU has been selected for the NIT. The Huskers are 23-17 all-time in the NIT, including a championship in the 1996 NIT and semifinal appearances in 1983 and 1987.

— KU Athletics —

CHICAGO (AP) — Nate Reuvers scored 14 points, D’Mitrik Trice hit a clutch 3-pointer with 58 seconds left and No. 19 Wisconsin beat pesky Nebraska 66-62 on Friday to advance to the Big Ten tournament semifinals.

Khalil Iverson also scored 14 points as the Badgers (23-9) won for the sixth time in seven games despite a shaky performance by Ethan Happ. The 6-foot-10 forward, who was averaging 17.8 points and 10.4 rebounds coming into the tourney, had a season-low four points and committed seven of the team’s 17 turnovers.

Reuvers, Iverson, Aleem Ford and Brad Davison stepped up to help make up for Happ’s tough day. Ford and Davison each had 11 points.

Next up for the Badgers is No. 6 Michigan State. The top-seeded Spartans advanced with a 77-70 victory over Ohio State.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Once James Palmer Jr. pulled on his crisp red Nebraska jersey, it was mostly smooth sailing for the Cornhuskers.

Palmer scored 24 points after a late wardrobe change, and Nebraska shut down No. 21 Maryland 69-61 on Thursday for the first big surprise of the Big Ten Tournament.

Using a seven-man rotation because of injuries and backup guard Nana Akenten’s suspension, the Cornhuskers harassed the Terrapins into 36 percent (18 for 50) shooting and 11 turnovers. Glynn Watson Jr. added 19 points, and Isaiah Roby finished with 15.

“We believe in each other. That’s the main thing,” Watson said.

Palmer went 8 for 13 from the field after he matched a career high with 34 points in Wednesday’s tournament-opening victory over Rutgers. He played 40 minutes for the second straight day after realizing right before tip-off that he wasn’t wearing his game jersey.

“Oh man. I was shocked because I’ve never done that before,” Palmer said. “First time for everything. Lucky for me our manager Pat (Norris) got it to me in time.”

Nebraska (18-15) earned a second win in the Big Ten tourney for the first time since 2016 and will face fourth-seeded Wisconsin on Friday afternoon. The Cornhuskers lost 62-51 to the Badgers on Jan. 29 in their only meeting of the season.

“A lot of teams would just say, we’ve got seven guys, there’s no way, and they’d quit,” coach Tim Miles said. “Not just say I quit, but they just wouldn’t do those things. So I think that is probably that mentality is the thing I’m most proud of.”

Maryland (22-10) swept Nebraska during the regular season, including a 60-45 win in Lincoln on Feb. 6. But the Terrapins — one of the youngest teams in the country — struggled offensively in their third loss in their last four games.

Bruno Fernando, who entered with averages of 14 points and 10.5 rebounds, was held to three points and eight boards. Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 17 of his 18 points in the second half, and Darryl Morsell finished with 14.

“I knew they were gonna double team me the whole time,” Fernando said. “I just think they did a really good job of that and we got stagnant. I think we could have moved a lot more.”

The Terrapins trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, but they closed to 35-30 on Morsell’s jam with 14:49 left. The Cornhuskers responded with a 9-0 run, capped by Watson’s 3-pointer with 11:59 to go.

Coach Mark Turgeon was whistled for a technical foul with 8:25 left after no foul was called as Morsell drove up the court on a fast break. Watson then made two foul shots and Roby converted a three-point play, extending Nebraska’s lead to 51-37 with 8:12 left.

“We’ve overcome a lot. We’ll overcome this,” Turgeon said. “We just didn’t play well today. We’ll get ourselves ready to go and hopefully play better in the NCAA Tournament.”

ON THE GLASS

Nebraska’s Tanner Borchardt had nine rebounds as the Cornhuskers matched Maryland on the glass at 33 apiece. The Terrapins entered with one of the best rebounding margins in the nation at plus-8.8 per game.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: A third game in three days is one tough order for the Cornhuskers, but they feel a lot better about themselves than they did a week ago. They have won three in a row since a stretch of 11 losses in 13 games.

Maryland: The Terrapins showed some fight in the second half, but they had to chase the Cornhuskers after a shaky start. They had just 20 points in the first half on 29 percent shooting.

UP NEXT

Nebraska struggled offensively in its January loss to Wisconsin, shooting 28.3 percent from the field. The Badgers have won three in a row.

Maryland waits to see where it’s going in the NCAA Tournament.

— Associated Press —