1996 Baseball Season Recap

Overall Record: 27-27-1 Big Eight Record: 8-17, Seventh
A young Nebraska baseball team finished the 1996 season with a 27-27-1 record, but for the first time since 1992, the Huskers failed to make the season-ending Big Eight Tournament.

After losing a pair of 1995 first-round draft picks in Darin Erstad, the first player chosen in the Major League Draft, and Alvie Shepard, who was selected later in the opening round, Coach John Sanders' 1996 team went 8-17 in Big Eight Conference play. Despite the disappointing league mark, the Huskers were one of five Big Eight teams to own a .500 or better record for the season.

The man who made the most noise for Nebraska in 1996 was outfielder Francis Collins, who put together a 37-game hitting streak, the second-longest in Big Eight history behind former Oklahoma State great Robin Ventura's 58-game string.

Collins, who was a second-team All-Big Eight and Honorable-Mention All-America selection, hit .xxx on the season, including a team-leading .410 average in league action.

Joining Collins on the All-Big Eight second team was teammate Spencer Van Linge. He had a team-low 3.15 in 10 Big Eight appearances, fanned 14 and walked just four.

Pitcher Pat Driscoll was named the Big Eight Pitcher-of-the-Week for his performance against Kansas when he didn't earn an earned run in a complete game effort.

An honorable-mention All-Big Eight selection, Driscoll was the ace of the Husker staff, compiling a 3-5 record, with a 4.95 ERA.

The Huskers also had a league-high four players selected for the Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight first team, as Todd Sears, Steve Fish, Jason Fry and Craig Moore earned that honor.

1996 Husker Honors
First-Team Academic All-Big Eight: Todd Sears, Steve Fish, Jason Fry, Craig Moore.