Nebraska baseball coach Darin Erstad isn't a big fan of the word "validation" when it comes to outsiders judging his program's progress.
In the media, though, we like that word. We also like the term "next step" in assessing a program's future.
Don't mind us, we're just trying to make sense of the world.
In reaching the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years Monday, Nebraska in many ways validated Erstad's overall approach as the program's sixth-year head coach.
If Nebraska, with its wealth of athletic resources and commitment, wasn't making the tournament on a regular basis, something would be wrong.