Huskers fall to Michigan State in finale, head to Big Ten Tournament as No. 2 seed

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Nebraska baseball falls to Michigan State in Saturday's regular season finale.

With a chance to still earn a share of the Big Ten title, Nebraska couldn't keep Michigan State off the basepaths in an 11-6 loss on Saturday to end the regular season. 

Having already been eliminated from a Big Ten Tournament berth, Michigan State's veterans still showed up on Senior Day to play, pounding out 14 hits and the Huskers did their part with a pair of errors. Nebraska finishes the season second in the Big Ten standings and will enter next week's Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Huskers will face off with Ohio State at 2 p.m. CT on Tuesday in their first round matchup. 

Michigan State jumped on Nebraska early in Saturday's finale getting a double, hit by pitch and two-run double to take a 2-0 lead before Brockett had recorded his first out. 

A two-out single by Michigan State in the bottom of the second extended the Spartan lead to 3-0. Brockett allowed another run to score when his pickoff attempt at first base went into right field allowing another run to score. 

The junior left-hander lasted just two innings, and gave way to reliever Drew Christo in the third, as the Huskers used eight pitches in the series finale. Christo worked a 1-2-3 third, but in the fourth, hit the leadoff batter and gave up an RBI double. Michigan State tacked on its sixth run of the game later in the inning on an RBI ground out. Five Spartan players recorded multi-hit games on Saturday, led by leadoff hitter Jack Frank, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI on senior day. 

Nebraskas's offense finally broke through against Michigan State starter Nick Powers. Nebraska loaded the bases with one out for Dylan Carey, who lined a two-run double to left for the team's first runs. Pinch hitter Gabe Swansen flew out to right to bring in another run on a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch scored the Huskers' fourth run of the inning, cutting Michigan State's lead to 6-4. Powers, pitching on senior day, threw 6.0 innings, allowing five hits, four runs, while striking out six and walking four. 

The momentum was short-lived, however, as reliever Will Walsh allowed the first two hitters in the sixth inning to reach, then surrendered an RBI single to put Michigan State back on top 7-4. Nebraska reliever Bobby Olsen relieved Walsh, but gave up another run, putting Michigan State on top 8-4. Nebraska cut Michigan State's lead to 8-6 in the seventh on an RBI single by Case Sanderson — one of three hits for the freshman on the day — and a Tyler Stone sacrifice fly. 

Michigan State answered once again in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs to put the game out of reach. The Huskers had runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't scratch across any runs. 

Nebraska finishes the regular season 34-19 overall and 16-8 in Big Ten play.