Chatting with Curtis: Feb. 14

Huskers.com has asked Curtis Ledbetter to keep a diary throughout the 2004 season. From the start of practice to the postseason, Ledbetter will take Husker fans through the life of a Division I student-athlete.

Last season, the junior from Lawrence, Kan., earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, hitting .348 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs. Ledbetter also is a news-editorial major with a 3.0 grade-point average.

In addition to his weekly updates, Ledbetter will also answer questions from fans about the Husker baseball program. If you have a question you would like to ask Curtis, email your questions to the following address cornhuskerbaseball@yahoo.com.

            

Feb. 14, 2004
"Practice has gone well this week. We have seen a lot of live pitching today (Friday) and have been for the past couple of weeks. It has helped us get ready for what we going to see in the tournament this weekend. We are anxious to get outside, and I think everyone else in the locker room would say the same thing.

After Friday's practice, we came over to the clubhouse and received our rings from the Big 12 championship last year. Getting the ring gave us a sense of accomplishment even though it (winning the Big 12) wasn't the biggest goal we had. It is kind of a tradition that we have made here - going out and winning championships. For me, getting this ring was special because I had a part in it. I had one from two years ago when we made the College World Series, but this one meant a lot more. I was able to contribute, and to receive the rings from the coaches was a very special moment for everyone in the locker room. It was a pretty exciting time for us, but we know we have a long season before us. Our goal is to come out and see if we can get another one.

After Saturday’s practice many of the team members went to Omaha for a preseason event. Those kinds of events are important because it gives the fans an idea of that type of team we are going to have, and gives them a chance to put the names with the faces. We have a lot of interaction with the fans and they have a chance to ask us questions about the upcoming season. Last weekend, we had our preseason banquet in Lincoln and had nearly 400 people turn out. It was an amazing crowd and shows the kind of support that this program has gained over the last few years. For the players, it was exciting to see that many people come out on a Saturday night a month before we play at home, and really got us pumped up."

Next week’s diary will be following the tournament in New Mexico.