Nebraska Baseball Set For Major League Battle: Spencer Schwellenbach vs. Cade Povich

A first for Nebraska baseball this evening.

Former Huskers Spencer Schwellenbach and Cade Povich are slated to pitch for opposing teams in a Major League Baseball game. While a number of Huskers have made the Big Show, and even pitched, none have ever been starting pitchers on opposite teams in the same game.

— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) June 12, 2024Schwellenbach and the Braves are at Povich and the Orioles at 5:35 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen streamed on MLB.TV and Fubo and on MLB Extra Innings.

According to Baseball Reference, the last time two college teammates started against each other was when former Florida Gators Brady Singer and Dane Dunning met in a Royals-White Sox matchup.

Jun 5, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

In his two starts for the Braves this season, Schwellenbach is 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA. He has allowed 12 hits, walked three, and struck out nine.

Povich will be making just his second big league start. He lost at Toronto last week, going 5.1 innings with six earned runs on five hits, striking out a pair of Blue Jays.

Jun 6, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich (37) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

These two join Matt Waldron as former Huskers to pitch Major League Baseball games this season.

Povich and Schwellenbach led Nebraska to a winner-take-all regional final at Arkansas in 2021. Schwellenbach would win Big Ten Player of the Year and John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year while Povich was named to the All-Big Ten first team. That team won the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship.

The Nebraska baseball team poses with the 2021 Big Ten Conference championship trophy after posting the best league record over the regular season. / Nebraska Athletics

In the 2021 MLB Draft, Schwellenbach was selected No. 59 overall, going to the Braves in the second round. One round later, the Orioles picked up Povich at No. 98 overall.

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