Starting pitching threatening to sink season
It's not time just yet to hit the panic button in Darin Erstad's fifth season. Ten days ago the Huskers were 22-9, winners in 19 of their past 22 games. That success is recent enough to still matter.
But the team's postseason outlook looks much more dire through the lens of Nebraska's recent five-game losing streak. After dropping games to Northwestern and Creighton last week, NU was unceremoniously swept by Michigan over the weekend in a trio of games that weren't particularly close.
The bats have to take their share of the blame, as the Huskers have averaged just three runs per contest and are hitting .236 over the five-game skid. But the true culprit has been the starting pitching.
Just once in the last five games has Nebraska's starter pitched beyond the fourth inning. Those five starts have combined to last 20 innings, in which the hurlers have walked 10 batters and compiled a 7.65 ERA.
Unlike the slumping offense, the pitching struggles continue a season-long trend. Nebraska's starters are averaging 4.1 innings per outing this season. They're walking a batter every two innings and have combined for a 5.51 ERA.
Control has been a problem for the entire staff this year and the starters simply share in the blame. Despite rarely going deep into games, the Huskers' starters have walked at least three hitters in 10 of 36 starts this year.
Erstad called the walks issue "maddening, just maddening" following Sunday's 6-1 loss.
"The one thing that drives me crazy are the uncontested, noncompetitive walks," Erstad said on the Husker Sports Network. "We've had way too many of those... we've got to take it to another level. It's unacceptable, and it's on me for not having them ready to go. I have to do a better job."
Because Nebraska is having so much trouble finding the strike zone, pitch counts climb quickly and more runners are put on base, limiting how long the starters can remain in the game. The Huskers have just seven quality starts (at least 6.0 innings and three earned runs or fewer) this season. 25 of the 36 games have seen Nebraska's starter go 5.0 innings or fewer, including nine that have last 3.0 innings or less.
The scary thing is that there is no easy answer on the horizon. Matt Waldron has been Nebraska's most consistent option, but he's on the shelf with shoulder soreness. Jake McSteen and Derek Burkamper have been up and done, the latter teasing with some excellent outings and getting shelled in others.
Zack Engelken (8.00 ERA) and Max Knutson (8.36) ERA aren't the answer. Converted reliever Colton Howell lost his rotation spot after faltering in the Friday night role. Jake Meyers has provided encouraging efforts in his spot starts, but he's not stretched out to handle a large workload and is maxed out at about 70 pitches per outing.
Garett King has been excellent at times, but he's also had his share of struggles and was bombed (seven runs in 3.0 innings) Friday at Michigan.
Erstad and pitching coach Ted Silva have tried plenty of options but they're running out of time. Just 19 games remain in the regular season and, though the schedule isn't particularly daunting, repeating their recent efforts will ensure another slump down the stretch.
Nebraska has to find a way to cobble together a workable rotation over the next month or another once-promising season could be lost.