%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Austin, Texas -- Solo homers by Matt Hopper and Josh Hesse provided the margin of victory as No. 10 Nebraska won the deciding game of a three-game series over No. 6 Texas, 2-0, Monday afternoon in Austin, Texas. With the win, the Huskers, who moved up to 10th in this week's Baseball America poll announced Monday, improve to 38-13 overall and 21-9 in the Big 12.
The Huskers can finish no worse than second in league play, but need help from Kansas State, which plays conference leader Baylor in a three-game series this weekend, to win their first regular-season conference title since 1950. Kansas State must win at least two games this weekend over the Bears for the Huskers to clinch a share of the conference crown. If KSU sweeps BU, the Huskers would win the Big 12 title outright.
Hopper's 17th home run of the seasonin the top of the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie and provided all the runs the Huskers needed. Hesse, who went 2-for-4, added a solo homer, his second of the season, in the ninth.
NU starter Jaime Rodrigue and Thom Ott combined on an 11-hit shutout. Rodrigue went the first 7 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and striking out five, to improve to 9-2 on the season. Rodrigue has not allowed a run in his last three outings, covering a span of 23 1/3 innings. Ott, who got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, pitched 1 1/3 innings of one-hit ball en route to his second save of the year.
D.J. Jones (10-5) picked up the loss, allowing just one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Huskers return home Tuesday evening to face Northern Iowa at Buck Beltzer, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Huskers travel to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha on Wednesday to face Creighton at 7 p.m., before closing the regular season with a three-game series against Fresno State this weekend.