Spring balls starts for Nebraska football, plus more Cornhuskers news

It was a tough weekend for fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The basketball teams didn’t advance and there were some disappointments on the wrestling mat. It wasn’t all bad though. The Nebraska baseball team went 2-0 against New Mexico State and on Monday, Nebraska football takes the field for spring ball.

Matt Rhule is entering his second season as Nebraska football head coach and it’s a critical time. After losing four straight games to end last season, the Huskers need to make a bowl game. Rhule has built a roster capable of doing that and much more, especially with five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola being added.

Raiola will take part in spring practice. So will Daniel Kaelin and Heinrich Haarberg. The QB competition will be watched closely by all Nebraska football fans but there are also position battles to watch at running back, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, and in the secondary.

There will be competition everywhere and that’s a really good thing for the Huskers. The depth wasn’t where it needed to be under Mike Riley or Scott Frost. It’s getting there under Rhule and this spring will be an important step in that process for the Nebraska football team. The Huskers will practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, with Thursday open to the media.

Nebraska women’s basketball loses out

The Nebraska women’s basketball team was knocked out of the NCAA tournament after a 61-51 loss to Oregon State. It was the final game for Jaz Shelley who was emotional after talking about her experience at Nebraska.

Phew.

“I really found who I was. I’ve benefited so much from being at this university.” — Jaz Shelley

pic.twitter.com/KRjsGiu84Y

— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) March 24, 2024

Darian White also played her last game for Nebraska after transferring from Montana State. Shelley had a rough outing and connected on just 3-of-10 shots from the field. She was 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 1-of-11 in the NCAA tournament. Nebraska shot 4-of-20 from deep. Alexis Markowski made just 4-of-17 shot attempts inside.

It was still a historic run. The women won their first NCAA tournament game in a decade and the future is bright, especially with Britt Prince joining the program. But it’s still hard to say goodbye to the seniors, especially Jaz Shelley.

Nebraska baseball is still not ranked

Despite winning 13 of its last 15 games, the Nebraska Cornhuskers still aren’t ranked in the baseball top 25. They are 17-5 on the season and won two games over New Mexico State this weekend.

However, a big chance awaits on Tuesday as Kansas State, the No. 23 team, will host the Cornhuskers in Manhattan. Big Ten play opens this weekend and in terms of non-conference games, with the NCAA tournament in mind, this is as big as it gets.

The first pitch will go out at 6 PM CST. You can watch on ESPN+ or listen at Huskers.com.

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