The No. 6-ranked Nebraska baseball team completed a two-game series sweep against Western Illinois with a 6-1 victory over the Leathernecks Wednesday at Haymarket Park.
However, the bigger news -- at least in regard to the Cornhuskers' future -- came on the injury front as Nebraska (34-8-1) was without two starters. First baseman Craig Corriston underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday, while catcher Mitch Abeita missed a second consecutive game with a thumb injury.
While Nebraska coach Mike Anderson expects Abeita to return for Friday's series opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, he said that Corriston's status is uncertain.
"We're hopeful, but we still have to get the results from the surgery," Anderson said. "Best-case scenario is you're looking at more than a few weeks. I wouldn't even say a time frame for him."
Anderson said Corriston suffered the injury a couple of weeks ago, but it had only started to really bother him recently. The senior is batting .323 with four home runs and 28 RBIs and had two home runs in last weekend's Big 12 Conference series at Baylor.
"We could put him in at 80 percent and maybe finish the year, but we're hopeful he might be able to return, and if he does, maybe we can get him back at 100 percent," Anderson said of Corriston. "It's tough, but this team has already had some adversity."
Nebraska lost its leading returning hitter just seven games into the season when first baseman/designated hitter Jeff Tezak had to undergo season-ending knee surgery. Now, the Huskers will be without their third-leading hitter in Corriston.
"It diminishes our offense a little bit, but again, we've got some guys that can step up," Anderson said. "They stepped up when Tezak went down, so hopefully they can do it again. We'll see."
The immediate results were positive for Nebraska. Starting in Corriston's place, Tyler Farst hit a two-run double to the base of the wall in left field with the bases loaded to give the Huskers a 2-0 lead in the third inning against Western Illinois (10-26).
Farst entered the game batting .179 in 28 at-bats, but was inserted into the lineup in the cleanup spot by Anderson.
"He's had that role before in junior college," Anderson said. "This was just the first time we put him in that role at Nebraska. He understands. He's not a home-run guy. He's going to be a gap-to-gap guy."
Farst, a sophomore from Cedar Park, Texas, who had started just seven games previously this season, said he was just happy to get an opportunity to contribute.
"It was a bummer that we lost Craig for the day and he's out getting surgery," Farst said. "Hopefully, he'll be back pretty soon, but it feels great to step into his spot, come out and help the team out."
Nebraska finished with nine hits, led by Bryce Nimmo's 3-for-4 day in the leadoff spot. Jake Mort added two hits and Jake Opitz homered for the second straight game, hitting a two-run shot to right-center field in the seventh.
"I'm seeing the ball pretty well right now," said Opitz, who now has six homers and a team-leading 39 RBIs. "We've got guys working the counts ahead of me, seeing a lot of pitches and that helps and when I get in there, I feel like I've seen (the pitcher) before.
"I'm just trying to spark the team. I've got guys getting on in front of me and I'm just trying to drive them in however I can."
The Huskers got a solid starting pitching performance from Erik Bird (3-1), who tossed five shutout innings. The right-hander struck out one, walked one and allowed three hits, getting out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third.
Nebraska's normal Sunday starter, Aaron Pribanic, was perfect in the sixth and seventh innings, getting five ground-ball outs and a strikeout. Matt Freeman struck out two in a one-two-three eighth, but the Huskers were denied a shutout when the Leathernecks when Michael Mariot issued a bases-loaded walk to Cooper Stewart in the ninth.
With more pitching like that, Opitz said he thinks the Huskers can keep things rolling in Corriston's absence.
"Craig has a great bat and is great defensively, but we've got guys that will step in," Opitz said. "We'll be fine."
Anderson said both Farst and junior Cody Neer, who played catcher in Abeita's spot for both games in the series, could figure into the picture at first base in Corriston's absence.
"We've got some decisions (to make)," Anderson said. "It's a good time to be out of conference this week. We've got to figure some things out this weekend."
Western Illinois (10-26) 000 000 001 -- 1 5 2
Nebraska (34-8-1) 003 010 20x -- 6 9 0
W -- Bird (3-1). L -- Zenisek (1-2). 2B -- Western Illinois, Johnson (1); Nebraska, Mort (11), Farst (1), Sullivan (7). HR -- Nebraska, Opitz (6).
