2004 Outlook
One of the benefits of the late start to the 2004 campaign is that the coaching staff will have a chance to see if freshman Mike McDonald can be a contributor to the squad this season. The 6-foot-4 southpaw missed all of fall drills with a foot injury, but Pitching Coach Rob Childress is optimistic that McDonald, who earned first-team all-state honors as a high school senior, will have a promising future in the Husker program.

"Mike is a guy who has been to our camps for the past few years, and we have watched him grow up," Childress said. "He has a very good frame, at 6-4, 200 pounds and can continue to develop. The other injuries we have had may give him an opportunity to have a bigger role than he may have had, but we won’t know until the start of practice.

Before Nebraska
McDonald comes to Nebraska from Wichita South High School, where he pitched and played first base for Coach Ben Bonous. A four-year letterwinner, McDonald earned first-team all-state honors from the Kansas Association of High School Coaches in 2003 and was a two-time all-city selection. As a senior, McDonald batted .578 with five homers and 27 RBIs, while going 6-2 with a 2.02 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. Over the summer, he played for the Wichita Sluggers, batting .409 with four homers, while also going 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA, helping the Sluggers win the 18-and-under National Baseball Congress national title. For his efforts, he was chosen as the team’s MVP. McDonald, who graduated with a 3.96 GPA and earned four academic letters, selected Nebraska over Wichita State.

Personal Info
Birthdate: Feb. 11, 1985; Parents: Jeff and Stacy McDonald; Sister: Lisa; Brother: Jerry; Major: Finance.