It’s more than one player, of course, but consider what Nebraska baseball senior outfielder Gabe Swansen has done in his last seven games: two grand slams, two doubles and 15 runs-batted-in.
As you no doubt know, three of the RBIs came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on a bases-loaded double Tuesday night for a 7-6 victory against Kansas State.
With that hit, Swansen raised his batting average to .245. Not impressed? In mid-April, before the seven-game stretch, Swansen was batting .189. He wasn’t an every-game player. Now, he’s second on the team to Dylan Carey with 32 RBIs. Carey, who has started every game, has driven in 33.
“I think there was a couple of timing things with my lower half,” Swansen said during Thursday’s media availability. “I kinda started off doing a toe-tap at the beginning of the year, just trying to get into my legs a little more, and that kinda caused some timing issues. So I feel like I just kind of simplified things and kinda kept my weight shifted back and … sat there.”
That enabled him to react at the plate.
“It’s been working as of recently,” he said.
Coach Will Bolt agrees. “Mechanics for Gabe, he’s a guy that likes to tinker a little bit,” said Bolt. “And so I can tell when he’s in the right spot mechanically; he stops thinking. And he got to that point a couple of weeks ago. I was hopeful that that would come around.”
Plus, “when the weather warms up, Gabe usually does, too.”
Enough of technical discussions and focus on one player. Swansen reflects how the Huskers have played of late as they prepare for Minnesota to visit Haymarket Park this weekend. Nebraska has won seven of its last 10 games and is one win from .500, at 22-23, including 9-12 in the Big Ten.
The Huskers are in a four-way tie for 10th in the conference. The others are Michigan State, Northwestern and Rutgers. Minnesota is 7-14 and tied with Purdue at 14th. The top 12 teams qualify for the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha.
Nebraska needs to keep the 7-of-10 momentum going against Minnesota, which is also one game below .500 overall, at 21-22. Before the Golden Gophers split two games this week, losing to North Dakota State before defeating St. Thomas, they had one player hitting .300 or better in Parker Knoll at .306. They were hitting .261 as a team. Nebraska is up to .275.
Bolt was asked about the potential to get back to a .500 record, what that meant.
“Well, it means we’re playing better, that helps,” he said. “I don’t really look into that kind of stuff all that often, anyway, just the record … you try to just really keep your blinders on over the course of the season. We don’t talk about it as a team. It’s tangible because you look over the course of the last 10 games, we’re playing a lot better.
“And no coincidence, that coincides with gaining five appearances and 13 innings from one of our best pitchers that returns, so roles are starting to fall into place, like they should on the staff.”
The pitcher to whom Bolt referred is Tucker Timmerman, who was sidelined by a facial injury much of the season. The sophomore right-hander bolsters the weekend bullpen.
Friday-night starter Will Walsh has struggled of late. The senior left-hander is 4-6 with a 5.27 earned-run-average. Minnesota is slated to start right-hander Joe Perry, 4-1, 4.93.
Part of Walsh’s problem is “the usage of his changeup,” Bolt said. “He’s been more reliant on the slider, and the location of his fastball hasn’t been as good the last couple of outings. But the changeup has to be there for him. It’s his best pitch, that he gets the most ground balls with.”
As with Swansen, Walsh can correct the issue with help from Bolt and pitching coach Rob Childress.
Baseball’s “a pretty frustrating sport at times. It’s always a mental grind,” said Swansen. “But … it’s always staying positive and keeping that belief in yourself, knowing you’re going to work your way out of it is something you always have to think.”
