1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Baseball Assistant Coach Lance Harvell - Scheduling Big Early Season Tournaments: November 14th, 11:25am

Episode Date: November 14, 2025

 Nebraska Baseball Assistant Coach Lance Harvell - Scheduling Big Early Season Tournaments: Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hop in the batters box because it's time for the second inning of the baseball corner with Nick Sainert and Austin Orman on 93-7 the ticket. Welcome back in one-on-one with Team FIFA. He's on the road with wrestling Austin Orman here, joined by Nebraska assistant coach Lance Harvel for the hour. 402, 464-5-6-8-5. Bill and Bennett chimes in again. Coach, how about those Big Ten tournaments back-to-back? I dig it. Yeah, I dig it. Now, we just, we need to. We need to build on that now. I love winning the tournament is, is a ton of fun, especially kind of the last two years,

kind of doing it a little bit different ways. Right. And it's always fun. But, but yeah, I think we're, I think we're primed and ready and ready. Let's start,

let's start adding some, some regional championships and super regional championships to that. Derek and Carr is chiming in as well. Coach Ravell, thanks for your commitment to our Hustker program. Most importantly, the kids. First of all,

love the venue at Frisco, Last March, Husker Nation showed up for sure. Love the early season test. You guys schedule for your team. What goes into that? Getting into some of these big kind of feature events and what you as a coaching staff appreciate about those chances. Yeah, well, it's always good.

You know, from a from an RPI standpoint, obviously. Those are huge. And usually those early season games tend to, tend to carry a lot of weight throughout the throughout the season. But it's good. Just, you know, maybe coach, Coach Childress is in charge of the, the schedule. He puts that together, and he's kind of, he's kind of the wizard putting the puzzle that is a college baseball schedule together in trying to project, you know, what's going to put us in the best position to not just make the postseason and be, you know, put ourselves in a good, you know, spot there from an RPI standpoint, but to host a regional. And that's, you know, something that we always talk about.

And we've been close a couple times, but haven't got there yet. And so those early season tournaments, obviously weather, we have to travel the first three weeks of the season. But going to Arizona, that Desert Invitation, we did, you know, first time last year, we're going to go back again this year. That was awesome playing in those spring training facilities. It's a really, really cool event, very well run. And you face some really good competition early, which it's good. to find out all right what do we got and let's let's see what it looks like let's let's stack ourselves up against some really really good teams um and then likewise going to

going to dallas playing in arlington um at the rangers ballpark there same same type deal and then this year we're going to go um we're at going to a Auburn and playing a three game series there so um that's all back to back by the way folks from Scottsdale to Dallas stay on the road and then at Auburn it seemed that was what hosted a regional last year and then played a tight super as well yeah and they you know look at over the last you know handful of years um you know consistent uh regional super regional team and i think been in omaha maybe a couple times something like that or at least uh playing for it uh and so it'll be a good test and that's a place i've never been uh and so uh going to the going to the planes and uh and that ballpark

apparently is is a really cool ballpark a lot of character and so uh it should be a good test for us and And, yeah, those are, it's just kind of a, it's a fun thing. It's kind of like in football, when you've got a, you've got a big matchup, you know, game one. It just kind of adds a little bit different focus and intensity to your, to your practices leading up to the season. And that's always important, too, just making sure you're, you're ready to go is having those kind of highly anticipated games. And, you know, you're going to face really good competition right out of the gate. You've got to be locked in. You can generalize here.

It's probably going to be easiest. But since you've been at Nebraska, you have those tough early games. Have these Nebraska teams maybe have they been ready for the challenge mentally? If you had to like motivate them, hey, guys, come on. Even though it's early, we're not easing into it. You've got to get going. Have they been ready and approaching the challenge head on? And it hasn't been a bigger mental or physical challenge for you guys in these games?

Yeah. I don't know. I don't really remember a year where I didn't feel. like we were ready um maybe the games didn't go our way or or the weekend as a whole maybe didn't go our way but um i don't really remember a year where we were not physically ready um not not scared of the challenge not backing down yeah no like really the maybe the only thing that comes close to it is is a couple years ago and and our our players have referenced this um just this year this fall talking to them and and um they they they

kind of a couple years ago we go to we go to arlington and and we're playing and we played baylor game one texas tech game two and uh Oklahoma i think on on game three and and you know we beat baylor lost a tough one a close one to tech which could have gone either way um and then oklahoma had them beat and then they they came back and and walked us off but a game we should have won and uh you know that that post game um kind of meeting with with the team it was not anything close to hey guys we came down here and played you know some really good competition we should feel good about how we performed and it was not that it wasn't sugar-coded at all um it was we we belong with with teams like this and if you don't think that or feel like or believe that

then you can leave because um it was it was kind of a wake-up call you know a little bit for that team of listen we're good and and we belong in the conversation and it's time you start believing it because these are games we should win and teams we should beat and and that was kind of from a from a mentality standpoint again I wouldn't say that I felt like that team wasn't ready not timid or not not timid because those are games like that we should have won we just didn't and that's that's just kind of baseball sometimes um but moving forward after that after that weekend um I think it just maybe kind of flipped a little switch. Maybe they just needed to hear that.

And they definitely heard it in no uncertain terms after that game. But, you know, we kind of went on a little role there and had a very intense series and weekend at Grand Canyon that had a really good team that year. And then we go on the road to College of College of Charleston. That's right. And won three really tight games where we had to come back late in every single one of those games. And we really, that was a series that we just took every game from them. They didn't, they didn't give it up. We just went and took it.

We just went and won it. And, you know, that, that propelled us that year. And that, that ended up being a huge RPI weekend because they had a really good team that year. And that, you know, did a little heavy lifting for our RPI that year. year. And so that's maybe the closest thing I can think of. But again, kind of speaking to the leadership of our team this year and this fall, like I said, that conversation, that postgame message two years ago is being brought up by our players because it stuck with them and they remembered it. And they're bringing it up now in team meetings that we're having this fall

with the guys to kind of help teach and put that message across to, our young players to the new guys that are new to the program. And so again, just kind of going back to the players leading the charge and they're the ones picking up the cross and being the standard bears. It's those kind of things that really point to that, that kind of drive that home. And as a coach that you look at and you go, okay, like, this is, this is what it's about. The leadership is there. And that that's making you kind of gives you confidence as a coach moving into the season

And knowing, you know, like we talked about the fall, you want to find out what you got as a team. And those things go a long way. Money Gee in Kansas says GBR, coach, are there any true freshmen you could see contributing this spring? Yeah, we were just talking about one on the break there, Jeter Worthley, a really special freshman fall from that kid. He was not, did not perform as a freshman on the field, off the field, just his mentality. you know we were kind of talking about he just he's kind of cool common and collected nothing is really too big for him um he he works his tail off and he made a huge splash um to the point even even i would say kind of surpassed our expectations for him uh this fall uh so he was one that that

really stood out um trying to thank here if we had any others um he he's he's probably the one that that really, really stands out because he's got a chance to potentially, I mean, be our game one starting catcher as a freshman,

which is extremely hard to do. Playing as a freshman is hard. Catching game one. I mean, that's such a physical position, but the mental aspect of catching for freshmen to even be in that conversation, that speaks volume.

Right. And just, and he's also versatile enough, he could go play in the outfield if we want to. He could probably play second base if we needed him to. and he's just he's just that kind of a player and that kind of competitor and you know he's he's always got a great attitude one of those like he just he's older than you know what what you think like he he kind of goes about his business uh like a like a third year guy almost uh coach lannick

lincoln he says jeter made me look really good for four years thanks for listening to chime in there coach lannick he's had a few of them making him look really good. No, that's, uh, yeah. You talk about that. In your recruiting aspect, how important is it for you to try to get guys that come from those winning programs, right? Yeah, you get good players where they come from.

But how important is, you know, that, that high school program and being that first step and getting someone to even get a look from Nebraska and then have the fall that you either did? Yeah, it's, it's big, you know, like understanding how to win is big, just the mentality piece of it, because that's the, that's the hardest thing for. for a freshman, you know, coming in is, is probably that, that piece of it. And so having guys that not only just had success because they're good players, like the talent boxes is one that you just, you can check automatic.

Like, you've got to be good enough, number one. Okay. So moving on from there and you start to look at some of the intangibles and, and some of these guys coming from winning programs and guys that have had success or guys, you know, that play for Michael Lannick that have, you know, now won a state championship and they just all they do is win you know and you look at what they've done it there at lincoln east um you know for the last what four five years something like that i mean it just that's that's a program that you're like okay you kind of know what you're getting

you know they're going to be well coached they're going to understand the game and uh shout out coach lannick um and uh and you know they know how to win they're just they're winning players and again talking about we reference back um to like that chart that we keep you know in in the fall all and it it's everything it's it's it's big hits it's two strike hits it's it's winning plays you know and good and bad you know because we got bonehead type plays on their physical mental errors the guys we keep track of everything on there and it's like when you said it like are you a winning player or not and jeter coming in and kind of making the splash that you know that he did this fall he's been doing it his whole career you know i mean when we go watch him play in high

school it's like that guy's got a lot of energy he's really good okay check that box that's he but he plays with energy he's smart he's got a high baseball IQ and he's just he's always in the mix when it comes time to make a winning play he's he's right there in the in the thick of it so yeah that's that that that part of it guys coming from good programs high school junior college or guys that we might get in the transfer portal that that goes a long way how close is uh jeter to stealing the j-deb nickname from jalen you may have to ask him he might have already taken it i don't know uh he uh that's that's that would be one i would like get them get them in here uh and and talk that one out live on the on the air that would be a fun conversation to just

be a fly on the wall and listen to how's the fall go for jalen how's the fall go for jalen how's you doing great and he threw uh he threw live to guys yesterday and he just just kind of doing his thing you know and i think kind of getting back to um who who he was maybe like his sophomore year was was his was his best year to date um and and he knows that and kind of know and again the physical things the physical adjustments all that but i think more uh the the mental getting getting back to the competitor that that he was um that year you know kind of He's mature enough to kind of realize, okay, last year, a little bit of a step back. And for him personally, you know, because he wants to win so bad.

And he knows that last year, maybe a little bit of a step back. And so he's been, he's been working his tail off to kind of get back to being that guy for us. How important is coach Childress on the mental side with the pitchers? What have you seen him do well to get those guys either into or back into kind of that good mental space? Yeah, he spends a lot of time on, on that of just. And again, having the benefit of, I played for the guy, you know, at A&M and being a, being a catcher, I was, I was right there in the thick and watching him, you know, work with guys in the bullpen or just whatever. And, and, and then kind of getting my coaching start, you know, with him down there, too. It's, there's, there's the motivational piece of it, but just the confidence that, that he gives you, because he, he provides great perspective on things.

And I think that's why guys, he's got lasting relationships with guys beyond their playing days because he kind of then becomes sort of that father figure mentor, you know, whatever. But then later on, you know, there's there's a friendship there that lasts beyond their playing days. But just that what I always kind of thought about Rob as a as a player and then as a young coach and then now coaching with, I mean, every single day along alongside. there's just a perspective that just the way he kind of sees things that just tends to make sense and and he's you know he will tell you good bad or indifferent if if you want to hear it or not he's going to shoot you straight and tell you exactly where you stand and and guys appreciate that and they it it motivates guys because he gets the most out of them and and and sometimes that's really honest uh actually all the time it's brutally honest um but but he is he is the best at getting the most out of guys how have you seen coach change or stay the same from when you first met him to hear in Nebraska he's he's mellowed out quite a bit i think you probably say that for all of us coach bolt included myself included we joke about this sometimes talking about it because we were all junior college guys and and you can

do a lot of things in junior college that you can't certainly can't do any more nowadays but you can't do when you when you move up in the ranks um but uh you think back on how you used to coach when you were young and a little bit of a go hard you know um and and and just how you've matured over time and and say you kind of just mellow out a little bit because again the chip on the shoulders the same but just the way you express it maybe a little bit of the same but you have you have a little bit better understanding of of how to how to get how to get what you want out of guys and and not just um yelling at them or or some of that some of that kind of stuff uh sometimes they need it sometimes they don't but i think those are things that you just you learn just like players

grow and develop and mature over time coaches are the are the same way um so looking looking back then and thinking about just the way we coach me now like that's that that's probably the one it just you kind of mellow out just a little bit to get you can get you can get the same, same result, just using it some, some different approaches. That's Nebraska assistant coach, Lance Harvel. I'm Austin, Norman. We got one more segment with coach. We'll be back to wrap up the hour. Get you off onto your lunch hour right after this.