Huskers Open Spring Drills Wednesday Afternoon

Lincoln - With less than one month remaining until the season opener, the Nebraska baseball team will open spring practice for the 2002 season Wednesday afternoon. The first practice will take place in Cook Pavilion, but the Huskers, who swept both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles, will also attempt to get several practices outside at Haymarket Park prior to the season opener on Feb. 15.

The Huskers, ranked eighth in the preseason by Baseball America and 13th by Collegiate Baseball, return 19 letterwinners, including five everyday starters and 11 pitchers from the squad that finished the 2001 season with a 50-16 record and a berth in the College World Series.

The Huskers are led by a pair of returning All-Americans in Shane Komine and Matt Hopper. Komine, who missed all of the fall after shoulder surgery, compiled a 14-2 record and a 3.35 ERA in a school-record 131.1 innings last season en route to Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Year honors. The 5-10, 175-pound senior won a school-record and league-best 14 games, while also leading the Big 12 in strikeouts (157) and complete games (seven). The Honolulu, Hawaii native holds every major pitching record in school history, going 31-8 with a 2.99 ERA in three years at NU.

A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Hopper batted .358 with 12 homers and 85 RBIs last year. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior from Morrison, Colo., ranked third nationally with 85 RBIs, a total that leads all returning players in 2002. He also ranks on the Husker top-10 charts in homers (33, eighth) and RBIs (156, eighth).

Hopper and Komine are joined by three other All-Big 12 selections - catcher Jed Morris (.341-7-42), center fielder Jeff Leise (.380-7-48) and third baseman Jeff Blevins (.313-2-44). The group helped the Huskers rank in the top 10 nationally in both runs and batting average, while leading the Big 12 in 11 offensive categories, including homers, runs scored, walks and stolen bases.

With the home opener against Nebraska-Kearney two months away, Nebraska Director of Ticket Operations John Anderson announced Tuesday that all 4,400 reserved seats have been sold for the inaugural season at Haymarket Park. Anderson said that general admission season tickets are still available ($112 for adults, $56 for senior citizens and children) and fans that purchase GA seating may be able to upgrade to reserved seats.

Van Horn enters his fifth season at NU after guiding the Huskers to their first regular-season conference crown in 51 years last spring. Baseball America's national coach of the year, Van Horn is 167-71 in four years at NU.

"I couldn't have imagine that this would take place so quickly, that we could sell so many tickets before the season started," Van Horn said. "It is exciting for everyone involved in our program. I've said it all along that Nebraska has some of the best baseball fans in the country."

Notes to Media:
*- The third and final Husker Baseball preview party will take place this Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Country Inn & Suites (5353 N. 27th Street) from 1:30-3:30 p.m. The event is free to the public and features a showing of the 2001 highlight video, season outlooks by the Husker coaching staff, a silent auction and door prizes. In addition, posters, schedule cards, season ticket and booster club information will be available. The event is organized by the Husker Home Run Booster Club.

*- The Kansas City Royals Caravan will make its annual visit to Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 16, prior to the Nebraska-Oklahoma men's basketball contest at the Devaney Center. Current Royals Chad Durbin, Dan Reichert and Blake Stein, along with assistant coach Frank White, will sign autographs from 6 to 7 p.m. on the Devaney Center concourse.