Nebraska baseball will have to fight through the elimination bracket again.
The Huskers fell to Florida 5-2 in the opening game of the Stillwater Regional Friday. That sends NU to the elimination bracket game Saturday afternoon.
The Big Red are now 39-21 and will face the loser of the Oklahoma State-Niagara game, set to take place Friday evening. The Gators are 29-27 and will get the winner of the Cowboys and Purple Eagles Saturday night.
Florida got on the board first with a home run in the opening frame. Nebraska answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but two runners on base.
In the third inning, a pair of doubles helped the Gators plate two more runs. NU closed the gap in the sixth inning on a Gabe Swansen home run, but the Huskers would continue to strand runners the rest of the way.
Brett Sears was chased from the game after going 5.0 innings, allowing three earned runs and a season-high 10 hits. He struck out four.
Drew Christo entered in relief, tossing a pair of scoreless innings before giving up a run in the eighth inning and a one-run homer in the ninth. He gave up four hits while striking out four.
Swansen posted a 2-for-3 day, with two RBI. He was also walked once.
Nebraska had to fight through the elimination bracket just last week in the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Omaha, running off five straight wins after an opening game loss to Ohio State. If the Huskers hope to replicate that magic, it begins at 1 p.m. CDT Saturday.