Preview: Nebraska Baseball vs. Maine with Breakdown

Probable Pitchers

Friday

Nebraska: RHP Ty Horn, Jr. (0-0, 3.10 ERA, 20.1 IP, 18 SO, 9 BB)
Maine: RHP Gianni Gambardella, Sr. (1-3, 9.16 ERA, 18.2 IP, 10 SO, 9 BB)

Saturday

Nebraska: RHP Carson Jasa, R-Soph. (2-1, 5.40 ERA, 16.2 IP, 27 SO, 13 BB)
Maine: RHP Jason Krieger, R-Jr. (0-3, 8.85 ERA, 20.1 IP, 14 SO, 10 BB)

Sunday

Nebraska: RHP Gavin Blachowicz, Soph. (2-1, 2.41 ERA, 18.2 IP, 24 SO, 7 BB)
Maine: TBD

Series History

• First meeting

Maine Scout

Last Season: 20-31 (13-11 America East, T-3rd)
Finish: Did not qualify for the postseason
Awards: America East Pitcher of the Year (Caleb Leys)
All-Conference: 2x First Team, 3x Second Team, 2x All-Rookie

Head Coach: Nick Derba
Year at School: 9th
Maine & Career Record: 176-255 (.408)
Postseason: 1x NCAA Regional
Championships: 1x America East tournament, 1x America East regular season
Awards: 2x America East Coach OTY

All-Conference Returners: OF Brody Rasmussen (1st), RHP Gianni Gambardella (2nd), UTL Aidan Bardi (All-Rookie)
America East Preseason Poll: 5th of 8
Preseason All-Conference: SS Chris Bear, OF Brody Rasmussen, SP Gianni Gambardella, RP Sabastian Holt

Key Returners

• Gianni Gambardella | RHP | Sr. | Tallied his third-straight all-conference selection last year, but has been rocked to start his senior season with a 9.16 ERA in over 18 innings after a 4.88 ERA last year.
• Jason Krieger | RHP | R-Jr. | Missed all of the 2025 season after leading Maine in ERA (5.26) and strikeouts (54) as a true freshman to earn America East All-Rookie honors.
• Vaun Larisa | RHP | Sr. | The Rhode Island veteran has compiled a 5.23 ERA in 10.1 innings as both a bullpen arm and starter.
• Quinn Murphy | OF | Soph. | Slashed .229 last season in 39 appearances before breaking out for a .324 average and .924 OPS in his first 12 games of the 2026 season.
• Albert De La Rosa | INF | R-Jr. | Missed all of last season due to injury and has returned to hit .250 and rank second on the team with 15 hits across 15 games.
• Jack Donlin | RHP | Soph. | After making 11 appearances as a freshman in 2025, the 6-foot-2 New York native leads the team in ERA (3.52) through nearly eight innings out of the bullpen with 13 strikeouts compared to six walks.
• Sebastian Holt | RHP | R-Sr. | Another Black Bear to earn preseason accolades, Holt turned in a 2.93 ERA last year in over 30 innings, but has seen his ERA increase to 4.15 in just 4.1 innings pitched.
• Owen Wheeler | RHP | Jr. | The returning junior has seen the most appearances of any Maine pitcher with nine, but they've been limited outings with just 5.1 innings pitched to his name.
• Brody Rasmussen | OF | Sr. | A former JUCO All-American and First Team All-America East pick last season, the outfielder has struggled to start his senior campaign with a .182 average in 55 at-bats, including a team-high 17 strikeouts.
• Chris Bear | SS | Sr. | Preseason All-America East selection that's struggled to see the field with just three appearances and four at-bats, but it may be due to the emerging trio of freshman standouts.
• Aidan Bardi | C | Soph. | Another returning Black Bear with high expectations after making the conference All-Rookie team last year, the sophomore has hit just .167 in 24 at-bats after slashing .310 last year.

Impact Newcomers/Transfers

• Juju Stevens | OF | Gr. | Transfer from Georgie Southern and Missouri that leads the Black Bears in nearly every offensive category, including hits (19), home runs (6), OPS (1.218), average (.358), doubles (5), and total bases (42) in 53 at-bats.
• Rex Hauser | RHP/UTL | Fr. | 6-foot-6 first-year player that's gone 6-for-20 from the plate with three home runs and pitched five innings, including last Saturday's start against Dayton when he allowed two runs in three innings.
• Troy Carpenter | INF | Fr. | Another impact freshman that's second on the team with five home runs and a team-leading 15 RBIs in 54 at-bats; Georgia native that competed in high school at IMG Academy.
• Hunter St. Denis | INF | Fr. | The 6-foot-5 Maryland native has earned a spot in the starting lineup, hitting .250 with three homers, 12. RBIs and a pair of doubles early on in his college career.
• Thomas Stabley | RHP | Fr. | Another massive true freshman at 6-foot-5, Stabley has been hammered for 11 earned runs in 13 innings for a 7.62 ERA while starting in three of his four appearances.

Outlook

Following an astounding three-year run that saw Maine combine for 81 wins, two America East regular-season titles, one conference tournament championship, and the school's first NCAA Regional appearance in more than a decade, head coach Nick Berba and the Black Bears are continuing to rebuild in hopes of matching that success.

A miserable 12-37 campaign in 2024 followed with a slight improvement to 20-31 in 2025, but after losing Pitcher of the Year Caleb Leys and three other all-conference performers, Maine was predicted for another sub-par season with a fifth-place voting in the America East preseason poll. At just 2-13 entering the weekend, the Black Bears walk into Lincoln riding a 10-game losing streak and aiming for their first win since Feb. 20 when they topped High Point in the series opener.

The offense hasn't been the issue. Graduate student and outfielder Juju Stevens has been a massive hit out of the transfer portal. Having spent time at both Georgia Southern and Missouri, Stevens leads the team in most offensive categories, including a .358 average, six home runs, five doubles, 16 runs, and a 1.218 OPS. However, Maine hasn't seen the type of production from its expected stars as its three returning all-conference standouts, Brody Rasmussen, Aidan Bardi, and Chris Bear, have combined to hit .169 with just 14 hits in 83 plate appearances.

Fortunately for the Bears, sophomore Quinn Murphy has stepped up with a .324 average alongside true freshman Rex Hauser (.300, 3 HRs), Troy Carpenter (5 HR, 15 RBIs), and Hunter St. Denis (3 HR, 12 RBIs). Plus, the return of veteran infielder Albert De La Rosa has helped fill the leadership gap.

What's problematic is the Black Bears' pitching staff, which has been rocked for an 8.73 ERA in over 120 innings across 15 games. Friday starter Gianni Gambardella was named to his third-straight all-conference honor last year, but he's nearly doubled his ERA from last season (9.16) with almost as many walks (9) as strikeouts (10). Jason Krieger will see the start on Saturday and is still working out the kinks as he returns from missing all of last year, but he owns a good pedigree, having led Maine in both ERA (5.26) and strikeouts (54) as a freshman in 2024.

Sophomore Jack Donlin leads the bullpen with a team-leading 3.52 ERA, while preseason All-America East reliever Sebastian Holt (4.15 ERA) has allowed two runs in his first 4.1 innings pitched in 2026. Vaun Larisa has churned out over 10 innings with a 5.23 ERA, and Owen Wheeler has put up similar numbers (5.06), but with only half as many innings (5.1 IP).

The batting lineup is actually okay on paper, and aside from a lowly eight runs in four games against Duke to begin the season, Maine has posted nearly six runs per game. Nebraska starters will need to compete hard, but I could see head coach Will Bolt and his staff lean heavily on the Horn, Jasa, and Blachowicz trio, considering how hit-and-miss the NU bullpen has been. The Husker offense should be licking its chops with this matchup setting up well for a Nebraska runfest. It should be a clean series win for the Cornhuskers, who should be expected to take the whole three-game slate.