Tyler Bishop is soaking up every minute with the Omaha baseball team this season in his final year of college.
The senior infielder said that the team has hopes of reaching the conference title in 2026 while enjoying the ride along the way.
“I’m looking forward to probably just pregame with my teammates,” Bishop told Hurrdat Sports. “I feel like we keep the energy good and we have a lot of fun before the games to try to keep the mood light and everybody calm.”
Bishop started his collegiate career at Southeast Community College before transferring to Omaha in 2024.
“I really liked the location, I really liked the city,” Bishop said. “A couple of my teammates from my junior college were already committed as well, and the field was great. Coach [Evan] Porter was great, and all the other coaches. It just seemed like a good fit.”
The Lincoln North Star product said that he’s learned a lot from Porter since joining the team.
“He’s really valuable, and I think the biggest thing that I would take away from him is becoming a better person,” Bishop said. “That’s something he always talks about, is we need to become better people, because one day we’re all going to have to work. I think learning a lot from him about that has been really helpful.”
Bishop said that his relationship with the coach has only gotten stronger through his two-plus seasons in Omaha.
“I think it’s developed a lot, especially now, because I can really just go up to him and say what’s on my mind, say what the team needs, all that,” Bishop said. “It’s just been a lot closer then at the beginning.”
Bishop said he’s also grateful for his connection with assistant coach Darin Ruf, the former Creighton Bluejay and San Francisco Giants first baseman who joined the Omaha staff in September of 2024.
“He’s been really valuable,” Bishop said. “He’s a great tool for us on the mental side of the game; he’s really helped us with that a lot. He brings a lot of information for us that helped him in his seasons, and I think it’s translated well with us and has been helping us a lot. So, it’s really great.”
Named to the All-Summit League First Team in 2025, Bishop finished his junior season starting and playing in all 50 games. The Lincoln native hit .299 at the plate with 51 RBIs, ranking fourth in the conference while blasting a career-high nine home runs, tied for fifth in the Summit League.
Last season, the Mavericks finished 20-30, advancing to the Summit League Tournament but falling to Oral Roberts in their second elimination game in Omaha.
“I think all of the guys that were on the team last year really didn’t like how we ended the season, on our field while the other teams were playing on our field, and we weren’t a part of that,” Bishop said. “It just felt like we could have done a lot more, and that we weren’t exactly playing our best game that we should have been. I think we’ve caught a different level of focus this year, especially the older guys that were on the team last year. I think that really helps the new guys or the younger guys get on the same page as us.”
Bishop said the team is using the way the 2025 season ended as inspiration in 2026.
“It motivates us a lot, because we really have a good team this year,” Bishop said. “We have a lot of older guys, and it’s very possible. One of our big goals is that we need to make the Summit League championship and win it.”
Bishop said that the team’s culture has changed since his arrival.
“When I first got there, there was a lot of really old junior college guys and all that, and it kind of felt like it was maybe a little bit cliquey, but we were obviously still very welcomed by those guys,” Bishop said. “The growth that I’ve seen from my first year to now is just huge. I feel like us older guys have done a really good job of including the younger guys and I feel that it’s helped us really work much better on the field, and I would hope that the younger guys keep that going for the coming years.”
While Bishop has witnessed the growth of the Omaha program from within over the last few years, he’s also experienced growth himself, setting himself up for a strong final season.
“I think what I’ve learned is more on the mental side,” Bishop said. “I think that I’ve learned I have a lot more control than I think, and I’ve learned a lot of techniques to calm yourself, or all that stuff. Since being at Omaha, I feel like my communication skills have increased, and a lot of other great skills and attributes that will help me later in life.”
Omaha opened the season with three straight losses to Arizona State in Phoenix before taking down Arizona 3-1 in Tucson on Tuesday. Omaha travels to San Diego for the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament starting Thursday.
The mavericks will open the tournament against BYU, with first pitch is set for 8 p.m. CT.
