Baseball Official 2025 Nebraska Cardiac Beaver Slayers Baseball Thread - (33-29) - BACK TO BACK BIG TEN CHAMPIONS

[whoboppin]

I'm guilty of this. I recognize the BIG 10 prior to the additions of the West Coast teams was not a great or even a good baseball conference. However, seeing Nebraska with an average conference regular season finish of 5th isn't what I would call successful, especially after regularly dropping series to bottom feeders.

The other piece is seeing local talent leave the state. @PonyBoy had a post earlier in this thread where he dropped some knowledge about how far Nebraska is behind in spending and facilities which came as a surprise to me. Admittedly, I should be more frustrated with the AD rather than Bolt.

Is it as simple as stating the AD needs to give the elite local talent more of a reason to stay home?

The regular season was disappointing, thats just a fact. At the end of the day though they won the Big 10 tournament and went to the regionals. So season is a wash for me.

As for the Big Ten Era, I really don't think Nebraska has been that bad. They haven't dominated, but they've been consistently good. Its just unfortunate that they have had a lot of 2nd place finishes.

2 - Big Ten regular season titles - 2017, 2021
2 - Big Ten conference titles - 2024, 2025
4 - 2nd place Big Ten regular seasons - 2013, 2014, 2016, 2024
3 - 2nd place Big Ten tournament finishes - 2013, 2014, 2019

That's 11 potential titles, but they only got 4. I still think Nebraska could have been a little bit better, but I think they were pretty close to the ceiling of a Big Ten baseall program before the West Coast teams were added. That said, I do think Nebraska has a higher ceiling available in the new Big Ten with the West Coast teams.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I'm guilty of this. I recognize the BIG 10 prior to the additions of the West Coast teams was not a great or even a good baseball conference.

To be honest, I'm not even a fan of this statement.

Yes, it wasn't as good as the conference we left. Yes, it's not as good as the SEC or ACC.

BUT...when we first joined the conference it was REGULARLY ranked in the teens as far as conference RPI. Lower than the Mo Valley and tons of mid major conferences. It was a 1 or 2 bid league at most.

However, the last 4-5 years before the West Coast teams joined, it was usually in the 4-6 range. So while it wasn't great, it most definitely was good and would produce typically 3-4 bids for the postseason. That's not bad. That's a good not great conference.

I think part of our arrogance in baseball despite only a brief history of actually being really really good stems from a false idea that the B1G conference was so bad that we should never lose.

 

[Bulldog10]

I dont get it either. People have not accepted the fact that Nebraska is in a mid-major conference in baseball. Getting upset about not making the Super Regionals is like a New Mexico basketball fans being upset that the Lobos don't make the Sweet 16 every year. Its just not realistic.

Nebraska just needs to keep making regionals and they will eventually break through. With the the West Coast teams in the Big Ten, Nebraska baseball is actually in a much better place than it has been the past 15 years. We finally have other schools that give a shit about baseball along with Nebraska and a select few Big Ten teams

In the new league, they can actually get an at large bid without being perfect or even host a regional (if Nebraska has a good season). Prior to this year, they basically had to be perfect to get in to the tournament and hosting a regional was a pipe dream short of going like 50-10. Once the Big Ten and SEC split the ACC teams, the Big Ten will be even better and likely the #2 confrence in baseball.

My only complaint is that every year multiple mid majors make a super regional run. It’d be nice if that could be us once every 10-15 years. I don’t think that’s asking too much. Also I’d fire Bolt because he’s unable to build off of any kind of success. Has a really good year followed by a shit year like 3 different times in his tenure. Salvaged the really bad year this year by winning the conference tourney though.

 

[HuskerBaseball]

My only complaint is that every year multiple mid majors make a super regional run. It’d be nice if that could be us once every 10-15 years. I don’t think that’s asking too much. Also I’d fire Bolt because he’s unable to build off of any kind of success. Has a really good year followed by a shit year like 3 different times in his tenure. Salvaged the really bad year this year by winning the conference tourney though.

What's really bad in your eyes? reality vs expectation or season record. Any team over .500 isn't " really bad"

Most fans have no clue how little of resources get poured into Baseball so most of the time their " Reality" is off base.

 

[PonyBoy]

Also I’d fire Bolt because he’s unable to build off of any kind of success. Has a really good year followed by a shit year like 3 different times in his tenure. Salvaged the really bad year this year by winning the conference tourney though.

Dannen missed a window of opportunity around the California trip.

Bolt has been here 5 seasons, with 3 Regional berths...

2021 = 34-14, B1G regular season title, Regional championship game (hasn't happened since 2005)
2022 = 23-30, dog shit, but understandable (loses from 2021 team, covid recruiting restrictions)
2023 = 33-23, season ended in B1G tournament
2024 = 40-22, B1G regular season #2, B1G tournament champs, Regional berth
2025 = 33-29, B1G regular season disappointment, B1G tournament champs, Regional berth

2005 <--- last time Nebraska won a conference tournament title
2017 <--- last time Nebraska won a regular season title (2005 before that)

Some folks act like Husker baseball is a blueblood. It's mind numbing the expectations people have.

 

[Bulldog10]

What's really bad in your eyes? reality vs expectation or season record. Any team over .500 isn't " really bad"

Most fans have no clue how little of resources get poured into Baseball so most of the time their " Reality" is off base.

In a your words a “mid major” conference, we shouldn’t ever finish under .500 imo, or atleast very rarely. This year was super disappointing, the year we had 3 dudes hit like 20 home runs and didn’t even make the post season was very disappointing. Bolt won the conference and followed it up by going 23-30 and then last year finished runner up and brought basically everyone back and finished 32-27. Both failure to build off success.

 

[Bulldog10]

Dannen missed a window of opportunity around the California trip.

Bolt has been here 5 seasons, with 3 Regional berths...

2021 = 34-14, B1G regular season title, Regional championship game (hasn't happened since 2005)
2022 = 23-30, dog shit, but understandable (loses from 2021 team, covid recruiting restrictions)
2023 = 33-23, season ended in B1G tournament
2024 = 40-22, B1G regular season #2, B1G tournament champs, Regional berth
2025 = 33-29, B1G regular season disappointment, B1G tournament champs, Regional berth

2005 <--- last time Nebraska won a conference tournament title
2017 <--- last time Nebraska won a regular season title (2005 before that)

Some folks act like Husker baseball is a blueblood. It's mind numbing the expectations people have.

is it easier to make a super at UTSA, Murray St. or West Virginia than it is here? I’m not saying we need to go every year but a super regional appearance once every 10-15 years seems reasonable.

 

[PonyBoy]

is it easier to make a super at UTSA, Murray St. or West Virginia than it is here? I’m not saying we need to go every year but a super regional appearance once every 10-15 years seems reasonable.

UTSA Coach didn't make regionals in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. By your standards, he's fired before the 2025 season. Rinse & repeat with dang near every small school.

Murray State given.

West Virginia coach has been with their program since 2016 (assistant till this season). You really want to compare that to Bolt in his 5th season? lulz they were in SR's in 2024 with their now retired head coach.

Did any of them lose their pre-season All American Friday night guy? Did any of them lose 2 of their top 4 leverage arms for 20+ games each? Did any of them loses 2 starters heading in to Regionals?

I'm all for discussion, but it has to be an honest one.

 

[Bulldog10]

UTSA Coach didn't make regionals in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. By your standards, he's fired before the 2025 season. Rinse & repeat with dang near every small school.

Murray State given.

West Virginia coach has been with their program since 2016 (assistant till this season). You really want to compare that to Bolt in his 5th season? lulz they were in SR's in 2024 with their now retired head coach.

Did any of them lose their pre-season All American Friday night guy? Did any of them lose 2 of their top 4 leverage arms for 20+ games each? Did any of them loses 2 starters heading in to Regionals?

I'm all for discussion, but it has to be an honest one.

I wasn’t saying it was easier to win at those schools, I was legitimately asking because I didn’t know. What about UConn or Evansville or K State that made it to supers last year? I’m not as much arguing that we should fire bolt as I am that having the expectations of making it to a super regional every now and then shouldn’t be unrealistic.

 

[DrinkItIn]

The regular season was a disappointment, falling short of expectations. However, their fun run through the Big Ten Tournament gave us fans something to cheer about. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without a monumental error by Michigan State—but man, that’s just baseball.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I wasn’t saying it was easier to win at those schools, I was legitimately asking because I didn’t know. What about UConn or Evansville or K State that made it to supers last year? I’m not as much arguing that we should fire bolt as I am that having the expectations of making it to a super regional every now and then shouldn’t be unrealistic.

How are you defining every now and then?

 

[PonyBoy]

I wasn’t saying it was easier to win at those schools, I was legitimately asking because I didn’t know. What about UConn or Evansville or K State that made it to supers last year? I’m not as much arguing that we should fire bolt as I am that having the expectations of making it to a super regional every now and then shouldn’t be unrealistic.

I don't think it's easy for anyone to win a Regional. It's tough af and the breaks have to go your way for at least 3 games, if not 4. I thought 2024 was a shot, and draw Florida. Teams way more talented than us fail (not advance to SR) every year or don't even make it in the tournament. Teams way less talented than us succeed (SR's) every year. That's college baseball at its finest.

UCONN's head coach has been there since 2004. He didn't make a Regional till his 7th season (give or take?), and closely after made it to SR's. Evansville is no different than the prior teams. Head Coach in place since circa 2010 and made Regionals one time. By the standards laid out ITT, and on social media, he's fired several years ago & is never given a chance in 2024.

Kansas State, Hughes has been there since 2019 and missed Regionals his first 4 or 5 seasons. Again, he's fired by the standards presented. Coincidentally, go look at their faculties and see what they did. And what they have planned. It's not a coincidence their success is hitting at/around the same time as their commitment to baseball increases.

There is next to 0 pressure at these small schools that pop-up and win a Regional. Win some games, keep the kids out of trouble, have them show up in the classroom & you can be a college coach for 20 years at most schools. At Nebraska, you're fired after 5 seasons after winning 1 regular season title, 2 conference tournament titles, 3 regional berths, 1 regional championship game that hasn't happened in (then) 16 years. It's mind numbing.

 

[Bulldog10]

How are you defining every now and then?

I’ve said multiple times every 10-15 years.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I’ve said multiple times every 10-15 years.

So you're still good with Bolt then? Giving him more time to get to a Super?

 

[Bulldog10]

So you're still good with Bolt then? Giving him more time to get to a Super?

Yeah, my argument wasn’t ever super anti Bolt. He’s done a pretty good job, I just wish he good stack a few good years together rather than sandwiching them between bad years but overall, he’s been alright!

 

[Kaladin]

Yeah, my argument wasn’t ever super anti Bolt. He’s done a pretty good job, I just wish he good stack a few good years together rather than sandwiching them between bad years but overall, he’s been alright!

He’s really only had one bad year - 2022

2023 was a letdown but he won 33 games

 

[PonyBoy]

Curiosity got the cat, so here's the top 7 B1G teams since Bolt became NU's head coach...

2021-2024 overall record (B1G)

1. Maryland 152-73 (73-42), 2 regular season titles, 1 conference tourney title, 3 regionals, 0 supers
2. Ioa 137-76 (72-43), 0 regular season titles, 0 conference tourney titles, 1 regional, 0 supers
3. Nebraska 130-89 (72-43), 1 regular season title, 2 conference tourney titles, 3 regionals, 0 supers
4. Indiana 129-96 (67-49), 0 regular season titles, 0 conference tourney titles, 2 regionals, 0 supers
5. Rutgers 126-86 (58-58), 0 regular season titles, 0 conference tourney titles, 0 regionals, 0 supers
6. Michigan 121-103 (66-50), 0 regular season titles, 1 conference tourney title, 2 regionals, 0 supers
7. Illinois 113-92 (69-47), 1 regular season title, 0 conference tourney titles, 1 regional, 0 supers

Ioa is 10-1 in this time-frame v D3, D2 and/or NAIA teams, and yes, that's included in their record.

Purdue, Michigan State & Ohio State can fight over the 8-10 spots. Penn State is one I expect to take a leap under Gambino. Northwestern & Minnesota suck asshole.

(1) Vaughn left and took over Bama after the 2023 season
(6) Bakich left and took over Clemson after the 2022 season

 

[HuskerBaseball]

Says enough

 

[Bulldog10]

He’s really only had one bad year - 2022

2023 was a letdown but he won 33 games

I’d consider 2023 and this year a bad year because we had pretty high expectations and didn’t meet them but those teams did have some good players.

 

[Dawgsauce]

I'll be honest I think Bolt is doing pretty well all things considered in college baseball in 2025.

We have those fans as well, that think if you don't win it all then you are trash. No history taken into consideration, nothing but "because it's my team we should be winning every game." UGA has been trash for awhile in baseball and forever trash in basketball. We have a coach for each sport now that are setting program win records and getting us to post seasons that never happened before. Actual fans calling for their heads. 2 titles in football and perennial top teams under Kirby and because we haven't won it all since 2022 (lol) doubt is creeping in with some. I'll never understand it, especially when it comes from fans who don't watch regular season baseball or basketball. That shit has been fun in Athens.