Huskers Announce 2004 Schedule; Features Nine Games vs. Super Regional Teams

Lincoln -- Nine games against Super Regional qualifiers, including a matchup at defending NCAA champion Rice, highlight the 2004 Nebraska baseball schedule released Friday.

According to Head Coach Mike Anderson, the Huskers' challenging slate was designed to test a squad that returns 17 letterwinners, including seven everyday starters from a team that finished 2003 with a 47-18 record. The schedule includes a total of 17 games against NCAA Tournament qualifiers, along with early-season tournaments in Albuquerque, N.M., Houston, Texas, Minneapolis, Minn., and San Diego.

"When we put together this schedule, our goal was to be challenged early so that we were ready for the start of conference play," Anderson said. "Every year, our primary goal is to win the Big 12, and in order to do that, we believe it is important to play the most challenging schedule we can heading into our conference opener."

The Huskers will be pushed from the start, playing their first 12 games on the road while facing five NCAA Tournament teams in that stretch. NU opens 2004 in New Mexico against the host Lobos, Mid-American Conference champion Kent State and Northwestern. The following week, Nebraska heads to Rice's Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational to take on a field that includes the Owls, who went 58-12 in 2003, Super Regional participant North Carolina and Southland Conference power Northwestern State.

The following two weeks, the Huskers complete their season-opening road trip with visits to a pair of major league ballparks, going to the Metrodome and San Diego's new PETCO Park for the first tournament played at the new home of the San Diego Padres. In Minneapolis, the Huskers will square off with national power Florida State, which won 54 games and was the No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, West Virginia and the host Gophers, who won the Big Ten title last season. The following weekend, Nebraska will head west, traveling to San Diego for a tournament that features UCLA, NCAA qualifier San Diego and San Diego State.

"We have made a strong effort to face several national powers and some up-and-coming teams before we begin conference play," Anderson said. "While we have the opportunity to play in the best college ballpark in the country at Hawks Field, I think our players also enjoy playing in major league ballparks like the Metrodome and PETCO Park.

"The other luxury that we are fortunate to have is our fans. Last year, we saw the great support we had when we played in the Metrodome, and we have already heard from some of our alumni in California who are making plans to attend our weekend tournament in San Diego. They are excited about having the opportunity to see us play in Southern California."

The 27-game home schedule at Hawks Field begins with a flourish, as NU has a stretch where it plays 16 of 20 games at home beginning with the home opener against Western Illinois on March 16. Other highlights of the first homestand include a series with Big East contender Boston College (March 19-21) and potential first-round draft pick Chris Lambert, Big 12 matchups with Kansas (March 26-28) and Texas Tech (April 9-11) and a mid-week showdown against Wichita State on April 13.

Other schedule highlights in April include conference series at NCAA qualifiers Missouri and Texas, before NU returns home at the end of the month for two games against Northern Colorado, the alma mater of Coach Anderson, and a weekend series with Texas A&M (April 30-May 2). In May, trips to Oklahoma State and Baylor are sandwiched around a two-game non-conference series with Northern Iowa before NU closes the regular season with the annual battle at Rosenblatt with Creighton on May 18, and winds up Big 12 action with Oklahoma (May 21-23).

The Big 12 Tournament will take place at The Ballpark in Arlington May 26-30, with NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals taking place the following two weeks. The 2004 College World Series is scheduled for June 18-28 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.

Nebraska returns 17 letterwinners, including first-team All-Big 12 selections Curtis Ledbetter and Quinton Robertson, from a team that won the Big 12 Conference and finished the year ranked as high as 13th nationally. The Huskers will open fall drills on Monday, Sept. 15, with the Red/White Series scheduled for Oct. 6-12.