A weather delay at the Big Ten baseball tournament began as an unofficial Nebraska softball watch party and lingered into a waiting game late Friday evening.
After three hours and 23 minutes, the game was officially postponed for a day as rain continued to pelt Schwab Field.
The new Saturday schedule now begins with the Huskers and Ducks at 9 a.m. in their elimination contest. The semifinal round then begins with Iowa and UCLA at 1 p.m. followed by Penn State and the Oregon/Nebraska winner at 5 p.m. The championship game is Sunday at 2.
Friday night was supposed to be a high-stakes showdown between the two preseason league favorites until the skies opened. Thousands of red-clad fans lined the concourse and filled the covered lower-level seats at Schwab Field to watch on the right-field videoboard as NU softball beat Tennessee 5-2 in its super-regional opener.
That game ended just before 8:30 p.m. with the precipitation stopped. It stayed that way for nearly an hour before another storm cell moved in with a brief downpour. The tarp stayed on the field throughout.
No games can begin after 11 p.m., which was part of the decision-making process as was the Big Ten Network.
In hindsight, the Big Ten could have played the game earlier in the afternoon following the USC-Washington inconsequential contest that ended around noon. But officials anticipated afternoon storms well in advance – it’s why they moved the Iowa-Indiana contest from Friday afternoon to late Thursday.
Action at the state baseball tournament at Werner Park about 15 miles to the southwest resumed around 9 p.m.
No Big Ten regular-season conference game was lost this season. The league will wait a day to get in all of its tournament ones too.
Iowa’s Brant Hogue (34) celebrates after striking out the last Rutgers batter during the ninth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Kellen Strohmeyer (44) catches a fly ball during the fifth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Andy Nelson (17) crosses first base before Rutgers’ Ty Doucette (36) lands back on the base during the eighth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Gable Mitchell (2) slides back into first base as Rutgers’ Ty Doucette (36) waits for the ball during the fourth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Cade Obermueller (33) pitches during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Kellen Strohmeyer (44) throws to the infield during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Ty Doucette (36) swings during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Justin Shadek (31) pitches during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ JT Thompson (14) throws to first base during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Gable Mitchell (2) connects during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Gable Mitchell (2) rounds third base to score on a single by Caleb Wulf (1) during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Caleb Wulf (1) motions after an RBI during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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The Iowa bench celebrates after a run against Rutgers during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Yomar Carreras (12) throws to first base over second base umpire Grady Smith during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Kellen Strohmeyer (44) bunts during the first inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Cade Obermueller (33) pitches during the second inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ RJ Johnson Jr. (1) makes a sliding catch during the second inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Luke Fithian (15) pitches during the second inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Quinn Berglin (9) pitches during the fourth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Yomar Carreras (12) drops a ground ball during the seventh inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Andy Nelson (17) catches a fly ball during the eighth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Andy Nelson (17) crosses first base before Rutgers’ Ty Doucette (36) lands back on the base during the eighth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Trevor Cohen (4) catches a fly ball during the eighth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Daniel Wright (42) pitches during the ninth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Brant Hogue (34) pitches during the ninth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Rutgers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Rutgers’ Peyton Bonds (25) rounds second base during the ninth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game against Iowa at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa’s Brant Hogue (34) celebrates after striking out the last Rutgers batter during the ninth inning a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Iowa head coach Rick Heller walks into the dugout after defeating Rutgers, 4-3, in a Big Ten Baseball tournament game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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