Mason McConnaughey, the Nebraska baseball team’s Friday starter, has been lost for the season, Coach Will Bolt announced Wednesday. The junior right-hander from Topeka, Kansas, suffered an arm injury pitching against Sam Houston last weekend, a university release...
Mike Babcock
Mike Babcock is in his 47th season covering Nebraska football. Babcock also covered most other Husker sports at some point in his journalism career. Mike earned his undergraduate degree in English from Cal State-Chico and Masters in English (teacher preparation) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Babcock spent seven years teaching English and Introductory Literature at Parkland Community College. Mike wrote sports part-time at the Champaign-Urbana Courier as well as for Lincoln Journal and Star for 17 years for the sports department covering Nebraska as a sports columnist. Babcock then wrote for Huskers Illustrated before Hail Varsity and Hurrdat Sports.
Hail Varsity Digest | Frazier Out, Berringer In, then Out for 1994 Nebraska Football| 3/4/25
Nebraska football, 5-0 and second in the AP poll and now the Coaches poll, led Oklahoma State 9-3 at halftime of the Big Eight opener at Memorial Stadium, Oct. 8, 1994. I-back Lawrence Phillips scored the touchdown on a 2-yard run (Tom Sieler missed the extra point...
Hail Varsity Digest | Numbers Good and Bad for Nebraska Baseball | 2/27/25
Two numbers seemed to be reason for optimism for Nebraska baseball. “If you’d told me before the season started that we’re going to have an ERA around 4.00 and fielding percentage of .988, I’m taking my chances that we’re going to be in a pretty good spot,” Coach Will...
Hail Varsity Digest | An Eye-Opener for Nebraska Football, Maybe | 2/25/25
Keep in mind Nebraska football opened the 1994 season with four decisive victories when Wyoming came to Memorial Stadium Oct. 1. The Huskers were No. 1 in the Coaches poll, 2 in the Associated Press poll. Wyoming, 2-2, had lost to Utah the previous week 41-7. Now go...
Hail Varsity Digest | In Honor of Greg | 2/20/25
He doesn’t typically begin news conferences with an opening statement, Will Bolt said. But he opened Wednesday’s by acknowledging the impact of the passing of broadcaster Greg Sharpe. There was “a lot of emotion over the weekend,” said Nebraska’s head baseball coach....
Hail Varsity Digest | Nebraska’s Rudy – Adam Kucera | 02/18/24
“RUDY, RUDY” - By Mike Babcock His name wasn’t “Rudy.” But that was the chant by some among the 75,273 remaining at Memorial Stadium when he ran onto the field with about 5 minutes remaining in Nebraska’s fourth game of the 1994 season against Pacific. His name was...
Greg Sharpe Was Truly One of the Good Guys
“Because I could not stop for Death
“He kindly stopped for Me
“The carriage held but just Ourselves
“And Immortality.”
Hail Varsity Digest | Nebraska vs. UCLA, September 17th, 1994 | 02/11/25
NO DEFENSIVE RESPECT - Mike Babcock Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride seemed irritated following the Huskers’ third victory of the 1994 season, 49-21 against UCLA at Memorial Stadium, September 17. Not with his defense, but rather with what seemed lack...
Hail Varsity Digest | Looking Back at Cam Jurgens’ Move | 2/7/25
Time to enter the Wayback Machine, although it’s not “way back,” just a few years, mid-April 2019, an interview with Husker redshirt freshman Cam Jurgens. Yes, “the” Cam Jurgens, center for the Philadelphia Eagles, who will play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super...








