Kansas third base coach Jay Uhlman, right, argues with an umpire before being tossed. KU fell to Nebraska, 4-2, on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark.

If it wasn’t clear Friday night how important this weekend’s series between the Kansas University and Nebraska University baseball teams is, it became that way on Saturday.

In a game that featured a bevy of high-intensity, emotional moments, the Cornhuskers topped the Jayhawks, 4-2, evening the series at 1-apiece and setting up one heck of a finale at 1 p.m. today.

“Our players will tell you that the two biggest rivalries on our schedule are Missouri and Nebraska,” said KU coach Ritch Price, whose team fell to 14-17 overall and 5-6 in Big 12 play. “We don’t feel like that about K-State and I gotta do a better job getting that across. Because it is with K-State, but the reality of it is, it’s about Missouri and then the second biggest rival we have is Nebraska. I think that’s a tribute to how great their program’s been the last decade.”

Saturday, the Cornhuskers (21-12, 3-5) flashed a little of that greatness and also a little of the feistiness that has made this series one of the most intense on KU’s schedule during the last several seasons.

Despite a strong showing from KU starter Tanner Poppe, the Huskers picked up two runs in the third and pushed across two more in the fifth. All four came after KU miscues, a reversal of fortunes from Friday night.

“(Friday), we made a couple of mistakes defensively and were able to get out of it without giving up any runs,” Price said. “(Saturday), we made two crucial errors and each time they hurt us and put up a crooked number and that was the difference in the ballgame.”

Words were exchanged between players, coaches argued with umpires and each play seemed to be made with a little extra venom throughout Saturday’s game.

“We’re fighting for our lives, for our season,” said Poppe, who pitched into the seventh and gave up two earned runs. “No one wanted to lose today and I think you could see that from what happened.”

While it was evident that remaining cool was a challenge, KU junior Zac Elgie, who drove in both Kansas runs, said Price’s words of wisdom helped keep the team in check.

“Coach Price tried to make us focus and play against the baseball and not the other team,” Elgie said. “Both teams are fighting for our seasons right now and I think that had a lot to do with the intensity.”

Elgie brushed off most of the interactions as heat-of-the-moment type plays. But one that will have a lasting impact came in the third inning when KU third-base coach Jay Uhlman was ejected for arguing a balk call. After being tossed, Uhlman continued to object and, at one point, made brief contact with the umpire. The blow-up forced Price to coach third base the rest of the game and may keep him out there for as many as the next four games while Uhlman serves a three-game suspension.

“The old man will be back out there again,” said Price. “I guess if I did it for 30 years, I can go do it for a few more games.”

Added Elgie: “He’s done it for years, but hopefully he won’t tear a labrum and we can score some runs on Sunday.”

Barring a meeting in the postseason, today’s battle will be the final showdown between these two programs as members of the same league. For Price, that’s bittersweet.

“I have great respect for (NU) coach (Mike) Anderson and what Nebraska’s done as a cold-weather program,” he said. “And I’m actually sorry to see ’em leave the Big 12 Conference. I wish they were staying.”