Nebraska’s incoming transfer class got a draft-day jolt Sunday when left-hander Zach Bates came off the board in the final pick of the MLB Draft, going to the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 613 overall.
Bates, who committed to Nebraska after entering the transfer portal in the summer, built his draft case with a strong 2025 season at Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound reliever earned third-team All-Big Ten honors after making 23 appearances, going 2-2 with a 2.83 ERA. He led the Fighting Illini with eight saves, held opponents to a .158 average and struck out 34 batters in 28.2 innings.
His summer work in the Cape Cod League added another layer. Pitching for the Brewster Whitecaps, Bates made 11 appearances and finished 4-0 with one save. Over 18.2 innings, he struck out 19, walked eight and allowed just five earned runs.
Bates missed the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he is expected to start his throwing program this fall with the goal of returning to game action in February.
Sunday’s selection made Bates the only Husker-connected player taken on the final day of the draft. That came after Saturday’s first four rounds, when pitchers Ty Horn and Carson Jasa were both picked in the third round.
The deadline for teams to sign draft picks is July 27. Clubs can sign players chosen after the 10th round for up to $150,000 without that money counting against the team’s bonus pool.
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For Nebraska, the appeal is obvious. Coaches and teammates have seen a group that looks better suited to protect the quarterback and create more push in the run game, two areas that have to stabilize if the offense is going to take a step forward. Babalades role is still part of the competition, but his size and spring progress have already made him one of the more important names to watch as the line continues to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Took A Brutal Hit To Its Pitching Staff
Nebraskas roster planning took a hit this week when two pitchers, Ty Horn and Carson Jasa, were selected early in the MLB draft, a development that could reshape the Huskers staff heading into next season. For a program trying to keep momentum going on the field while also building out its future at quarterback, it is the kind of double-edged reminder that college baseball and recruiting never really stop moving at the same time.
The timing matters because Nebraska is still working to hold together its long-term football pipeline, too, with top 2027 quarterback commitment Trae Taylor reaffirming his pledge as long as Matt Rhule remains coach. The Huskers are also pushing ahead in the 2028 class, where Jaxson Carper remains a priority target and is expected back on campus again in the fall, keeping the programs future plans very much in motion even as one part of the roster suddenly looks thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Trae Taylor Just Gave Nebraska Fans A Reason To Exhale
A little more than a year after Trae Taylor moved to Millard South High School to get closer to Nebraskas program, the quarterback commit is suddenly carrying a different kind of buzz. Rivals and On3 both bumped him to five-star status after his performance at the Elite 11 Finals, and the rise fits the kind of junior-year production that has kept him squarely in the conversation as one of the top young passers in the country.
For Nebraska fans, the timing matters almost as much as the ranking. Any time a high-profile commit starts drawing extra attention, the worry is whether the recruiting picture might shift, especially with transfer chatter never far away in modern football. Taylors camp has already pushed back on that noise, and for now the Cornhuskers can at least exhale knowing their prized quarterback remains tied to the class and to the program he moved closer to join. [Read more 🡒]