Preview: No. 16 Nebraska Baseball at Ohio State

Probable Pitchers

Friday

Nebraska: RHP Carson Jasa, R-Soph. (8-1, 3.75 ERA, 57.2 IP, 82 SO, 36 BB)
Ohio State: RHP Gavin Kuzniewski, Soph. (3-2, 5.53 ERA, 55.1 IP, 52 SO, 29 BB)

Saturday

Nebraska: RHP Gavin Blachowicz, Soph. (4-1, 2.62 ERA, 48.0 IP, 54 SO, 20 BB)
Ohio State: RHP Chris Domke, Jr. (4-5, 6.58 ERA, 52.0 IP, 47 SO, 19 BB)

Sunday

Nebraska: RHP Cooper Katskee, R-Jr. (5-1, 4.17 ERA, 49.2 IP, 54 SO, 17 BB)
Ohio State: RHP Pierce Herrenbruck, Jr. (4-3, 4.72 ERA, 55.1 IP, 43 SO, 18 BB)

Series History

Nebraska leads 21-16

• The two teams split their only two meetings before becoming Big Ten foes in 2012. Since then, Nebraska leads the series 20-15.
• The Huskers have dominated the Buckeyes since 2021 by going 9-3. However, NU dropped the last regular-season series in 2024.

Ohio State Scout

Last Season: 13-37 (5-25 B1G, 17th)
Finish: Did not qualify for the postseason
Awards: None
All-Big Ten: None

Head Coach: Justin Haire
Year at School: 2nd
Ohio State Record: 34-58 (.370)
Career Record: 351-270 (.565)
NCAA Regionals/Championships: 5x NCAA Regionals, 5x Big South regular season, 4x Big South tournament
Awards: 4x Big South Coach OTY

B1G All-Conference Returners: N/A
Big Ten Preseason Poll: Not listed in top six released
B1G Preseason Players to Watch: C Mason Eckelman, INF Lee Ellis, RHP Gavin Kuzniewski

Key Returners

• Mason Eckelman | C | Jr. | A returning starter from 2025, Ohio State's catcher is third on the team with a .297 clip while adding five homers in 40 games.
• Gavin Kuzniewski | RHP | Soph. | A freshman swing pitcher for Ohio State last year, the returning sophomore has headed up the weekend rotation in 2026 with a 5.53 ERA in 11 starts and over 55 innings.
• Maddix Simpson | INF | Soph. | A returner that saw 36 games of action as a true freshman last year, the Florida native has hit .266 in 41 games after slashing .237 last season.
• Lee Ellis | INF | Jr. | A preseason player to watch going into the 2026 campaign, Lee has seen his average go from .296 to .265, but has contributed six home runs and a team-leading 14 stolen bases in 16 tries.
• Andrew Edrington | RHP | Jr. | Limited to just 3.2 innings pitched across his college career heading into his junior season, Edrington has proven to be one of OSU's most impactful relievers with a 3.78 ERA in 16 innings, plus one save.
• Jake Michalak | RHP | Jr. | Shelled for a 12.15 ERA in 14 starts last year, the 6-foot-3 junior moved to the bullpen and has cut down his ERA by two-thirds, sporting a 4.81 mark in 17 appearances and over 33 innings.
• Luke Carrell | LHP | Gr. | A former transfer from Oklahoma and Northwest Florida State College, Carrell leads the Buckeye bullpen with 23 appearances and has racked up a 5.16 ERA in those showings with 23 strikeouts and just five walks.
• Chris Domke | RHP | Jr. | An impact reliever as a true freshman at Youngstown State, the 6-foot-4 junior transferred to Columbus, but missed all of 2025 due to injury. He returned to make the OSU weekend rotation and owns a 6.58 ERA in 11 starts.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Henry Kaczmar | INF | Sr. | The Ohio native spent his first two college seasons with the Buckeyes before transferring to South Carolina for 2025, where he batted .315 with six homers. He transferred back to Columbus for his senior campaign and leads the team with a .333 average in 42 games.
• Dane Harvey | 1B | R-Soph. | The standout transfer from Cowley County CC is hitting .313 for OSU and leads the team with 13 home runs, 47 RBIs, and a 1.091 OPS.
• Pierce Herrenbruck | RHP | Jr. | The projected Sunday starter for OSU, Herrenbruck transferred from Rend Lake College and has turned in a solid 4.72 ERA to lead the weekend rotation.
• Norah Furcht | OF | Gr. | Combined to produce a .277 average, 78 runs, 113 hits, 12 home runs, and 62 RBIs in two seasons at UNC Charlotte before transferring to Columbus, where he's hitting .285 with seven home runs.
• Alex Bemis | OF | Jr. | Comes to Ohio State after being named to the All-PSAC First Team at Gannon University in 2025; tied with Kaczmar for second on the team by clubbing eight homers.
• Miles Vandenheuvel | INF/RHP | Jr. | A two-way player who hit .297 at Eastern Arizona in 2025, the junior has only managed a .227 average as a Buckeye and has yet to appear on the mound.
• Ryan Zamora | RHP | Jr. | After recording a 3.28 ERA in two seasons at Sacramento City College, Zamora decided to take the step up to Division I and has posted a 4.45 ERA in 17 outings and 30 innings.
• Nick Sawyer | RHP | Jr. | Following Zamora from Sacramento City College, the Ohio native has appeared in 17 games this season with a 6.06 ERA, as opponents are hitting over .300 against the righty.
• Lincoln McVicker | RHP | Jr. | The 6-foot-5 transfer from Centralia College has 25 strikeouts in 19 innings while logging a 5.21 ERA across 16 appearances, including one start.

Outlook

A program builder that led Campbell to five NCAA Regionals in a span of six seasons, Justin Haire is on that same journey with Ohio State in his second season. Limited in their interest to support baseball at the highest level, Haire was tasked with a rebuild of the Buckeyes, as the program hasn't reached the postseason since three NCAA Regional appearances in four years from 2016-2019.

As expected, Haire's first season was rough with a 13-37 record, including a 5-25 conference finish that ranked them 17th in the Big Ten. With an influx of transfers from the lower levels, the Buckeyes have already experienced an eight-win improvement and have the ability for more in the final weeks of the 2026 season.

Ranked middle of the pack in run production, the Ohio State offense relies on the long ball as the team is in a tie for fifth in the Big Ten with 57 home runs. First baseman and Cowley County CC transfer Dane Harvey leads that effort with a team-high 13 homers and 47 RBIs while being the only Buckeye with an OPS over 1.000. He's aided by the return of Henry Kaczmar. The Ohio native was a standout player at OSU for his first two seasons before transferring to South Carolina for his junior campaign. He slashed .315 with the Gamecocks, but returned to Columbus after a coaching change and leads the team with a .333 average and ranks second with eight home runs.

A returning starter from behind the dish, catcher Mason Eckelman is hitting .297 on the season and tied for the team lead in walks with 27. A pair of outfield transfers has provided some pop for Ohio State. Formerly of Gannon University, Alex Bemis has hit eight home runs to tie Kaczmar, while UNC Charlotte transfer Norah Furcht has added seven.

After being a swing man for the OSU pitching staff last year, sophomore Gavin Kuzniewski has stepped in to headline the weekend rotation in 2026 for the Buckeyes. Coming off an injury that made him miss all of 2025, Chris Domke has been the weakest link statistically with a 6.58 ERA in 11 starts. Sunday starter and Rend Lake College transfer Pierce Herrenbruck has proven to be a solid addition, sporting a 4.72 ERA in over 55 innings.

After a horrid year that saw him post an ERA north of 12 as a starter, Jake Michalak has made the shift to the bullpen, where he's thrived for the Buckeyes. He's cut down his ERA to 4.81 in over 33 innings. Andrew Edrington (3.78 ERA in 16.2 IP) and transfer Ryan Zamora (4.45 ERA in 30.1 IP) give the OSU bullpen some decent options, but the lack of a true difference maker limits the impact they can have.

Overall, the Buckeyes have shown a nice jump in the second year of Haire, who will look to build on the momentum into future seasons. For this weekend, Ohio State may be able to take one game, but Nebraska should take care of business and come away with another conference series win.