If this is what the rest of the three weeks are going to be like at Globe Life Field, then college baseball is in for some treat. 

Day 1 of the Shriners Children's Showdown, otherwise known as the College Baseball Showdown, has three tight games among the triple-header. 

Baylor and Nebraska starters were mowing down hitters in the opening game until Nebraska finally broke through. Oklahoma and Oregon were tied in the eighth inning after each team went three innings with missed opportunities before finally Oregon took control. 

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And then night saw two top-25 teams play close as Texas Tech nearly rallied from a three-run deficit against No. 9 Tennessee. But the Vols eventually broke the game open in the eighth with four runs. 

Here are four takeaways from the first day. 

Nebraska Baseball Looks Like It Has An Ace In Brett Sears

A year ago, Brett Sears made 11 appearances and the most innings he pitched in was 4. Against Baylor, and with new pitching coach Rob Childress, Sears pitched 5.1 innings and struck out seven, equaling his best outing last season. He allowed three hits, one run and didn’t walk anyone. 

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It’s easy to overreact to Opening Day performances, but Sears looked strong against Baylor. 

He went head-to-head with Baylor’s Mason Marriott, who was just as impressive in his 5.2 innings with 10 strikeouts. 

Nebraska is picked to finish fifth in a winnable Big Ten.

Oregon Baseball Has A Dominant Bullpen With Grayson Grinsell, Michael Freund

In three innings, Grayson Grensell flashed what he did last season in the NCAA Tournament. One would think that Grensell might have been moving to the rotation like he did in the tournament, but the lefty and preseason All-Pac-12 pitcher relieved RJ Gordon and stymied Oklahoma, who certainly had its chances to take the lead during a game that was tied at 2-2 for most of the afternoon. 

Grensell is aiming to be a top-100 prospect in next year’s MLB Draft and the 6-foot-1-inch sophomore was dominant and officiant against the Sooners, pitching three innings, allowing one hit, no walks and needing just 39 pitches to notch the win. 

But it wasn’t just Grinsell that was impressive. Michael Freund entered the game and the junior from Bozeman, Montana, pitched 1.2 innings with two strikeouts for the save. 

Those are two good building blocks for a dominant bullpen. 

Tennessee Baseball Showed Why It Could Win The SEC Championship And NCAA Championship

On a night where Florida Baseball lost to St. John’s, Tennessee beat the No. 21-ranked team in the country 6-2. All-American transfer Billy Amick hit a two-run home run, A.J. Russell, the 6-foot-6-inch righty, had 10 strikeouts in 4.1 innings, and another AJ, AJ Causey, pitched 4.2 innings of shutout baseball in relief. He nearly got to 10 strikeouts himself with seven. 

It’s Opening Day, so, again, easy to overreact, but this was a top-25 matchup. And Tennessee’s pitching staff looked in control all game aside from the fifth triple that ended Russell’s night and led to the two runs for Texas Tech. 

That is stressed by what Keith Bazzell did. One of the best hitters in the nation and a top-100 MLB Draft prospect, Bazzell was 1-for-4 with three strikeouts against Tennessee. 

The Day 2 Game Not To Miss: Nebraska vs. Texas Tech Baseball

Zane Petty will take the mound for Texas Tech and Will Walsh, a lefty, for Nebraska. The Red Raiders struck out 17 times against Tennessee, but Nebraska is not UT. 

Or are they? ... No, but they pitched well on Friday. 

Nebraska was the most impressive team on Opening Day, given that it was well established that the Vols, a College World Series qualifier in 2023, were really good. And yes, Baylor struggled in 2023, but Nebraska was dominant on the mound, and allowed just one run. 

Meanwhile, Texas Tech has too many good players like Bazzell and Gavin Kash to look that bad at the plate. 

A win by Nebraska and they very well could be the biggest winners of the first weekend regardless of what happens against old-school rival Oklahoma on Sunday. A win by Texas Tech, and it sets up for what could be the best game of the weekend against Oregon on Sunday and one that just may decide who gets ranked between those two schools next week. 

2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown Scores

Friday, February 16th

• Nebraska 4, Baylor 1
• Oregon 4, Oklahoma 2
• Tennessee 6, Texas Tech 2

How To Watch The 2024 College Baseball Showdown

Subscribe to the FloSports app and FloBaseball to watch the College Baseball Showdown, which has been renamed the Shriners Children's College Showdown.

What Teams Are Playing In the 2024 College Baseball Showdown?

Here are the teams: 

• Oklahoma
• Texas Tech
• Baylor
• Tennessee
• Nebraska
• Oregon
• Arkansas
• Oklahoma State
• Michigan
• Oregon State 
• TCU 
• Texas A&M
• USC 
• Arizona State

2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown Schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday, Feb. 17 

• 12 p.m. – Baylor vs. Oregon 
• 4 p.m. – Texas Tech vs. Nebraska 
• 8 p.m. – Oklahoma vs. Tennessee

Sunday, Feb. 18 

• 11:30 a.m. – Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 
• 3:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Texas Tech 
• 7:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Baylor

2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 2 Schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, Feb. 23 

• 4 p.m. – Michigan vs. Oklahoma State 
• 8 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Arkansas

Saturday, Feb. 24 

• 4 p.m. – Michigan vs. Oregon State 
• 8 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State

Sunday, Feb. 25 

• 2 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Michigan 
• 6 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State

2024 Kubota College Baseball Series Weekend 3 Schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, March 1 

• 3 p.m. – USC vs. TCU 
• 7 p.m. – Arizona State vs. Texas A&M

Saturday, March 2 

• 3 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. USC 
• 7 p.m. – TCU vs. Arizona State

Sunday, March 3 

• 12 p.m. – Arizona State vs. Texas A&M 
• 4 p.m. – USC vs. TCU

What Teams Are Playing In The Sanderson Ford College Classic?

Here are the teams: 

• Oregon State
• New Mexico
• Minnesota
• CSU Bakersfield

2024 Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic Schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, February 16 

• Game 1 - New Mexico vs Oregon State - 2pm ET 
• Game 2 - Minnesota vs CSU Bakersfield - 7pm ET

Saturday, February 17 

• Game 3 - Minnesota vs Oregon State - 2pm ET 
• Game 4 - CSU Bakersfield vs New Mexico - 7pm ET

Sunday, February 18 

• Game 5 - CSU Bakersfield vs Oregon State - 2pm ET 
• Game 6 - New Mexico vs Minnesota - 7pm ET

Monday, February 19 

• Game 7 - Minnesota vs Oregon State - 2pm ET 
• Game 8 - CSU Bakersfield vs New Mexico - 7pm ET

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