Nebraska baseball coach Darin Erstad has only modest goals for Luis Alvarado this season.
Alvarado, who recorded a salty 1.72 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings as a co-closer last season, will now try to jump-start Nebraska as the go-to starter in weekend series.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior from Puerto Rico was a regular left-fielder last season, hitting .283 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI in 57 games. He was selected in the 13th round (393rd overall) by Seattle in last June's MLB draft, mostly because his fastball hits 95 mph on the radar gun and has good movement.