The Nebraska baseball program has had a lot of momentum recently under head coach Will Bolt and that continued this week with the addition of Mason Ornelas, a right-handed pitcher transferring to NU from Texas A&M.
Having been recruited to College Station originally by Coach Bolt and Husker assistant Jeff Christy, and with his former head coach for the Aggies, Rob Childress, now the Big Red's director of baseball operations, it made the most sense for Ornelas to choose Nebraska after he entered the transfer portal.
"Basically, the portal was never an option for me and I was on track to graduate next spring, but I knew we were getting a new coaching staff and things didn't work out," Ornelas explained about his reasons for transferring to Nebraska. "So, I thought I would hit the portal and Coach Bolt and Nebraska were one of the first teams to reach out to me.
"I already had a relationship with Coach Bolt and Coach Christy from when they were at A&M and recruiting me, and I also have family in Lincoln. My brother is a manager for the baseball team there, so it was kind of a no-brainer.
"And then, Coach Childress who was my head coach at A&M - I have so much respect for that guy and I loved playing for him - got a job at Nebraska. So it made it clear Nebraska was the place for me."
Mason Ornelas' brother likes living in Lincoln and Mason is also very familiar with the city from the many trips he and his family took there during his youth.
"Oh, he loves it there!" Ornelas said of his brother. "He's been there for the past two years as the manager of the baseball team, and he keeps me updated with the way things are going with the team. He loves what he does, he loves the team and he loves the guys. He said they're going to be a great group for me to play with and a great place for me overall.
"We used to go up to Lincoln for Thanksgiving and [Nebraska] football games before I started high school. We have family up in Lincoln who live there. Probably before high school and baseball got competitive for me, we used to go up to Lincoln once a year. Oh yeah, I am pretty familiar with Lincoln already."
Ornelas said he followed the Huskers' 2021 season closely, and he even attended a couple games at Haymarket Park this season.
"I was actually pretty impressed," Ornelas began, while adding, "and after our season ended, I went up to Nebraska to watch the Michigan series and I really loved what I saw. They are a great group of guys, and in Coach Bolt's first season at Nebraska he was the Big Ten Coach of the Year, they were Big Ten champions, and they made a great run in the Regionals.
"They're definitely an Omaha-caliber team. They are up and coming and I just thought it would be a great fit for me. When I was there for the Michigan series, my brother took me to the Alex Gordon facility and we worked out there. I really liked [Haymarket Park] and they have a great, great fan base. You can tell the fans are really supportive of the team."
A right-handed pitcher, Ornelas utilizes a four-seam and two-seam fastball, as well as a curveball and changeup. As a sophomore this past season, he appeared in 18 games with one start, and tallied a 3-2 record with a 5.11 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.
"We've talked and, hopefully, I will be a starter for them and that's always been a goal of mine," the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Ornelas stated. "Of course, I'm not thinking I'm going to come in and get that spot right away. I'm going to come in and grind and try to earn a role. I'm going to work hard towards being a starter.
"I know this past year Coach Childress really loved throwing the changeup and that's probably my out-pitch. I can throw that pitch in any count, so that's probably my go-to pitch. I usually sit 88-91. I'm not a big velo guy, I just consistently throw strikes."
He went to high school at L.D. Bell in Hurst, Texas, and he originally signed with Texas A&M over his other finalists of Oklahoma and Auburn. He's now looking to transition to Lincoln and he will do so over the next couple weeks.
"Right now, I'm just trying to find a place to live, so hopefully I will be up there [to Lincoln] by the end of July or the beginning of August," Ornelas shared.
Ornelas will have three years of eligibility left on the collegiate level once he gets to Nebraska.
