The Nebraska baseball team got a good look at how the other half lives over four games in Arizona.
Defending national champion Oregon State knocked off the Huskers 8-3 Sunday to complete a four-game sweep in which it outscored NU 38-9.
"If we didn't have their attention before, we're going to have it now," NU coach Darin Erstad said of his players after the game on the Husker Sports Radio Network. "I will say that I think I saw some guys backing down. I think they're talented, but sometimes you're going to play teams that are better than you.
"You watch them go about their business at the end of the game — diving in the outfield, making plays in the infield and just attacking — they took the fight to us, and it was a good learning experience."
Nebraska (3-5) led just once in the four games, going up 1-0 in the top of the second inning of Sunday's contest thanks to Jaxon Hallmark's sacrifice fly that scored Aaron Palensky.
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The Beavers (8-0) promptly responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and chasing starter Colby Gomes after just 1.1 innings.
Sophomore Alex McGarry had three hits, including a two-run homer, for No. 7 Oregon State.
In their five-run second inning, the Beavers saw Joe Casey work a six-pitch walk after falling behind 0-2, and after another walk, Preston Jones doubled in a run. Kyler McMahan and Beau Philip each followed with two-run singles, and Oregon State was on its way.
"I truly believe we have a bunch of fighters on this team. But it seems right now we're in that mode where, when it's convenient to fight, we'll fight," Erstad said. "You get the big, bad wolf you're facing, and I don't know if we're ready for that next step yet. But that's the step we have to take."
Nebraska got within 5-3 on a two-run single from Cam Chick in the fourth inning. Angelo Altavilla added a double in the top of the fifth.Â
Gomes gave up five runs on six hits. He also walked three to fall to 1-1.
The Huskers did get a strong showing from Reece Eddins, who pitched three scoreless innings and struck out a career-high five.
Nebraska heads to Frisco, Texas, next weekend for one game each against Texas Tech, Sam Houston State and Mississippi State. Texas Tech and Mississippi State were College World Series teams last season.
"It's one thing to talk about what you're going to face. But until you see what it actually looks like on a national level, you're not going to get much across to them," Erstad said. "Your weakest links as far as where you're at from a competitive standpoint, these types of teams find that. And that's what we need.
"And we cannot have a false sense of confidence where we go out and play a bunch of teams, and win, and take advantage of their mistakes. We have to see, by playing clean, that we have a chance. ... I want to get to that next level, and they need to see that, and today was one of those moments."