Alright so today I got curious about Nebraska baseball for next year. Heard people talking big about their 2025 season, wanted to see if the hype was real or just smoke. Here’s how I dug into it, step by step.
Starting with the rumors
First thing I did? Straight up Googled “Nebraska baseball 2025 predictions.” Man, the stuff popping up was wild. Forum posts screaming “National Champs incoming!” and fan blogs claiming this is the best squad Lincoln’s ever seen. Felt like everyone was chuggin’ the Big Red Kool-Aid. Needed to see some actual meat on those bones.
So I scoured the usual sports news sites next. A couple decent articles talked about returning players – that big hitter, Josh Caron, and their ace pitcher, Brett Sears, both coming back. Yeah, those two are solid, no doubt. But then? Stopped right there. Like they figured naming two guys means the whole team’s stacked. Weak.
Hitting the stats wall
Time to check cold, hard numbers. Jumped onto the college baseball stats websites. Looked at 2024 season stats for the key guys – batting averages, ERAs, fielding percentages. Tried comparing it to other top Big Ten teams like Indiana and Iowa.
- Hitting: Found some decent power numbers, sure. But the on-base percentage? Middling. Guys swinging for the fences way too much.
- Pitching: Sears is a stud, ERA under 3.00 is legit. But after him? Scary drop-off. Relievers looked shaky as heck late last season.
- Defense: Errors? Way too high. Double plays turned? Bottom half of the conference. Gritty teams make those plays.
Honest take? Stats showed a good team, maybe even a very good team in 2024. But 2025 champs material? Naaah. The numbers didn’t back up the hype train. Needed more.
Talking to people who know
Stats only get you so far. Called up a buddy who follows Big Ten baseball religiously. We chewed the fat for like an hour. His take?
“Pitching depth is the killer, man.”
They lost two solid weekend starters to the draft. Replacements? Freshmen with big arms but zero college innings. Can you lean on rookies in a tough conference series? Big gamble. And the bullpen? He just laughed. Said they needed at least two impact transfers just to hold leads.
Later, bumped into a guy at the coffee shop who used to scout college ball. Asked him point-blank about Nebraska 2025. He just sighed. Said the position players were strong, especially with Caron returning and a couple of those speedy outfielders. Coaching was good. But…
“College baseball titles ride on pitching, every single time. They ain’t got enough proven arms. Not yet.”
Looking at the real experts
Finally found some articles from people who actually cover college baseball for a living, not just fan sites. National writers. Their predictions started trickling in. Consensus?
- Top 25 team? Absolutely. Talent there.
- Win the Big Ten? Possible, but it’s a dogfight league.
- Make a deep Omaha run? Slow down. Needed everything clicking perfectly and those young pitchers panning out instantly. Huge ifs.
One analyst nailed it: “Ceiling is high, floor is lower than people think.” That felt dead-on.
So, my own verdict?
After digging into rumors, crunching the numbers, and talking to folks who know the game? Nebraska’s got a damn good core coming back. Fun team to watch? Bet on it. A team good enough to make the tournament and win a regional? Definitely in the cards.
But all this “National Champs 2025” talk plastered online? Pure corn-fed hopium right now. Until they prove they have arms after Sears, and cut down those errors? They’re a dangerous team, but not THE team. The predictions got the hype part loud and clear. The reality? Still got some proving to do. Let’s see how those freshmen arms hold up come February.