Nebraska Wins Big Ten Baseball Tournament Championship

Photo by Mac Johnson

OMAHA, Neb. — Fueled by a sea of red in the stands, Nebraska edged Penn State, 2-1, in the championship game of the 2024 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai.  Sunday’s final drew 13,300 fans to Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

The second-seeded Cornhuskers (39-30), who became the first team since 2009 to lose a first round game and capture the championship, won five games over five days to secure their first Big Ten Tournament. Nebraska also receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will air at Noon ET Monday on ESPN2.

A pitchers’ duel produced the lowest scoring Big Ten Championship in 34 years as Penn State’s Travis Luensmann and Nebraska’s Jackson Brockett allowed only four hits and one run each over seven- and eight innings respectively.

Gabe Swansen stroked an RBI double in the top ninth to drive in the winning run. Earlier in the game, Nebraska catcher Josh Caron hit his record-setting sixth home run of the tournament to earn the Most Outstanding Player Award. Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Brett Sears entered in the ninth to nail down the win.

The eighth-seeded Nittany Lions (29-24), under first-year head coach Mike Gambino, made their first appearance in the final and placed four players on the all-tournament team.

Most Outstanding Player
Josh Caron, Nebraska

All-Tournament Team
P – Will Rogers, Michigan
P – Will Walsh, Nebraska
P – Travis Luensmann, Penn State
C – Josh Caron, Nebraska
1B – Mitch Voit, Michigan
2B – Rhett Stokes, Nebraska
SS – Michael Seegers, Iowa
3B – Bryce Molinaro, Penn State
OF – Carter Mathison, Indiana
OF – Gabe Swansen, Nebraska
OF – Adam Cecere, Penn State
DH – J.T. Marr, Penn State