Darin Erstad has a goal. It’s not just any goal. It's not very creative, either. In fact, every Division I baseball coach shares it – win it all in Omaha, Nebraska.
Immediately upon being named Husker baseball’s new head coach, Erstad had a passion for the job. To him, it’s more than resurrecting a team once known for its regional wins and College World Series visits. It’s about far more than just seeing the field at TD Ameritrade Park in June. His picture is much bigger.
“I don’t want 'getting my foot in the door [in Omaha]' and saying, ‘Hey, you get a participation award. Good job guys…way to get there.' No, we’re getting them ready for the full cookie, for the dance, for winning it all and jumping on the mound,” Erstad recently told Randy York of Huskers.com.
A former Nebraska baseball player himself, Erstad has seen his fair share of winning. The 38-year-old boasts an FBS national championship as he was the punter for Nebraska's 1994 squad.
Erstad eventually wore a World Series ring while playing with the then-Anaheim Angels after being named Big Eight Baseball Player of the Year and being the first overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft.
An impressive resume, but the one win he does not have may be the one of the sweetest to attain: a victory in the College World Series.
Some may say that Erstad’s desire to win a national championship is nothing out of the ordinary. After all, every coach is supposed to want to win it all. However, it is his determination that sets him apart. He is aiming to quickly prove that his talk of winning is more than just talk, but rather the future of Nebraska baseball again.
