There’s a reason people think baseball players are superstitious and quirky. Guys like Nebraska pitcher Kyle Kubat perpetuate that notion. The Nebraska southpaw put on a show, both inside and outside the lines, in the Huskers’ opening game of the Big Ten tourney Wednesday.

The 2013 Big Ten Baseball Tournament got underway Wednesday at Target Field. No. 4 Minnesota carded a 3-2 walk-off victory over No. 5 Illinois, and No. 3 Nebraska routed No. 6 Michigan, 11-2.

The Big Ten announced Tuesday its 2013 All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners. Big Ten champion Indiana was well represented, as it took home Pitcher of the Year (Aaron Slegers) and Coach of the Year (Tracy Smith). Illinois’ Justin Parr was named Player of the Year and Kevin Duchene earned Freshman of the Year honors. See the teams in this post.

Nebraska is on pace to never miss the Big Ten baseball tournament. OK, to be fair, it’s a modest 2-for-2 when it comes to making the conference’s annual six-team, double elimination tourney. Nonetheless, it’s an impressive feat, especially when one considers all the factors a team faces when it changes conferences. All-Big Ten honoree Michael Pritchard is a big reason for Nebraska’s early Big Ten success, and we featured him in this video.