'For Sharpie': Gabe Swansen's swats lift Nebraska baseball over No. 16 Vanderbilt

The Nebraska baseball team began Saturday mourning the death of longtime broadcaster Greg Sharpe.

The Huskers ended it celebrating a ranked win the former NU radio voice would have relished.

Gabe Swansen drove in all six runs while Ty Horn and the bullpen piled up high-pressure outs as No.

24 Nebraska bested No.

16 Vanderbilt after dark at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Big Reds first top-25 win in two years doubles as its first victory of the season at the MLB Desert Invitational.

Coach Will Bolt predicted before the game the Huskers would be ready to roll despite a day when their minds were divided between baseball and Sharpe, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer after calling 17 Nebraska baseball seasons.

It came to pass with an error-free performance in which Big Red led throughout.

Its pretty emotional, Bolt said during his postgame radio interview.

That one was for Sharpie right there.

That was a big win.

A good, resilient, tough, hard-nosed win just like our guy.

Couldnt be prouder.

People are also reading...

A win over Vanderbilt which has qualified for a nation-leading 18 consecutive regionals figures to be RPI gold in May for Nebraskas NCAA tournament resume.

It also provided goosebumps moments that at times didnt seem coincidental for the situation.

Consider the initials G.S.

of the Husker hero at the plate.

The day last year the team debuted Sharpe Strong patches doubled as the game Jackson Brockett fired the programs first nine-inning individual no-hitter in 70 years against Sharpes alma mater, Kansas State, no less.

Nebraska led five batters into the evening and stayed up.

Swansen delivered the first blow, hammering a hanging 0-2 breaking pitch into the left-center gap to clear the bases after NU strung together a single and two walks.

Swansen doubled again in the third, roping a ball into the corner in left field to drive in Case Sanderson after a single.

With NU clinging to a 4-3 edge in the seventh, the senior slugger hammered a 90-mph fastball over the wall in left for a two-run homer as a partisan Nebraska crowd roared.

The six RBIs in a game by a Husker batter matches the half dozen Swansen collected against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament last May.

That was a pretty special one right there, the senior Swansen said on MLB Network.

...Obviously were kind of playing for something a little extra special today.

While Swansen provided the offense, NU turned to a variety of pitchers for high-leverage production against a physical SEC lineup.

Horn in his debut as a weekend starter struck out six across four-plus frames and left with a 4-2 advantage.

Jalen Worthley (1 2/3 innings) followed with a scoreless appearance and Tucker Timmerman added 2 1/3 strong relief frames from there.

Vanderbilt mustered a run on a double and RBI single from Rustan Rigdon to cut the Husker lead to 6-4 in the eighth.

Timmerman then took a hard one-hopper off the face the play resulted in an out at first base and soon after walked off pumping his fist with a towel covering his nose.

Closer Luke Broderick locked down his first Nebraska save and the first Big Red top-25 win since 2023.

I thought we were ready for the fight, Bolt said.

I thought our intensity was amazing.

Horn allowed three earned runs a leadoff walk in the fifth eventually scored and retired seven straight Commodores at one point mixing mid-90s velocity and multiple breaking pitches.

Vanderbilt got to the sophomore right-hander in the first with a leadoff homer to center from star outfielder RJ Austin and consecutive doubles as Vandy drew within 3-2.

Nebraska (1-1) continues its four-games-in-four-days weekend Sunday at 6 p.m.

against San Diego State.

Subscribe for the best Husker news & commentary Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!.

This article has been shared from the original article on journalstar, here is the link to the original article.