Huskers Open 2004 Season this Weekend

Season Record (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
National Rankings (21/23/20 - as of Feb. 16)
Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches/NCBWA

Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta
Fri. (Feb. 20) vs. Northwestern (1-2) Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park) 11:30 a.m. (CST)
Sat. (Feb. 21) at New Mexico (0-0) Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park) 3 p.m. (CST)
Sun. (Feb. 22) vs. Kent State (0-1) Albuquerque, N.M. (Lobo Field) Noon (CST)

Nebraska’s Weekend Rotation
Fri. - Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 6-2, 2.72 ERA in ?03) vs. NU (Dan Konecny, RHP, 0-0, 9.64 - 4-7, 3.24 in ?03)
Sat. - Justin Pekarek, Sr., LHP, 2-1, 4.24 ERA in ?03) vs. UNM (Danny Ray Herrera, Fr., LHP, No Record)
Sun. - Quinton Robertson, Sr., RHP, 10-2, 4.23 ERA in ?03) vs. KSU (Jason Brunke, Jr., RHP, No Record)

Media Information
Radio: None
TV: None
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Internet Video Streaming: Both Friday and Saturday’s games will be video-streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department. In addition, Sunday’s game will be shown on a delayed basis upon the team’s return to Lincoln Monday morning. Nearly every 2004 Husker baseball game will be shown live on HuskersNside. For more information and how to subscribe, log on to Huskers.com.

Huskers Open 2004 Season this Weekend
Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team opens the 2004 campaign this weekend, as the Huskers travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta. The Huskers, who are ranked as high as 20th in the national polls (Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches) will open up tournament play on Friday morning against Northwestern (1-2) at 11:30 a.m. (CST) at Isotopes Park - the home of the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. On Saturday, Nebraska will take on the host Lobos (0-0) at 3 p.m. before concluding tournament play with Kent State (0-1) at Noon at Lobo Field.

While none of this weekend’s games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, live stats will be available for this weekend’s games on Huskers.com, while live video-streaming of both Friday and Saturday’s games will be on HuskersNside.

This is the Huskers’ second trip to Baseball Fiesta in four years, as Nebraska took on the host Lobos, Utah and UNLV during the team’s trip to Albuquerque in 2001. Of the current Husker roster, only pitchers Justin Pekarek, Mike Sillman and Dustin Timm were on the active roster on the Huskers’ previous trip to New Mexico.

Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta Schedule
Feb. 20 Nebraska vs. Northwestern 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 20 Kent State vs. Northwestern 3 p.m.
Feb. 21 Kent State vs. Northwestern 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 21 Nebraska vs. New Mexico 3 p.m.
Feb. 22 Nebraska vs. Kent State* Noon
Feb. 22 Northwestern vs. New Mexico 12:30 p.m.
*- played at Lobo Field; All others at Isotopes Field; All times listed are CST

Leading Off
? - With his expected start on Friday, sophomore Zach Kroenke will become the Huskers’ first opening day starting pitcher from Nebraska since Pat Leinen in 1989. Kroenke will hope to duplicate Leinen’s success, as he allowed one hit in five shutout innings of work.
? - The Huskers will be seeking their second straight winning opening weekend. The Huskers went 1-2 during their opening weekend for four straight years (1999-2002) before turning it around with a 2-1 mark at the Round Rock Classic last spring.

Yr. Record (Results)
1999 1-2 (W-New Mexico St; L-Oregon St. & SDSU)
2000 1-2 (W-Arkansas St.; L-Rice & Northwestern St.)
2001 1-2 (W-Lamar; Rice & Georgia Tech
2002 1-2 (W-New Mexico; L-Rice & Wake Forest)
2003 2-1 (W-SW Texas & UT-Pan Am; L-California)

? - Including this week’s polls, the Huskers have been ranked in at least one of the national polls for the past 69 weeks, dating back to April of 2000.

? - With three wins this weekend, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson could become the quickest Husker coach to win 50 games. Only three coaches in school history have ever won 50 games, but that shouldn’t be that surprising since NU has only had four coaches (including Anderson) since 1947.

Closing in on No. 50 (all totals reflect up to 50th win)
Coach 50th Win Record Pct.
Anderson -- 47-18 .723
Sanders 70th 50-20 .714
Van Horn 80th 50-30 .625
Sharpe 91st 50-41 .549

? - This weekend’s trip to Albuquerque marks the first of five visits to professional Minor or Major League ballparks this season. The Huskers will also play in the Metrodome (Minnesota Twins), Petco Park (San Diego Padres), Rosenblatt Stadium (AAA Omaha Royals) and the Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers).
? - The Huskers have been inside entirely since opening spring drills on Jan. 24, but are hoping to get outside on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hawks Field before traveling on Thursday morning.
? - NU is the last of the 10 league teams to open the 2004 campaign and Friday’s game marks Nebraska’s latest season opener since 1993. By the time NU faces Northwestern on Friday, Texas will have played 10 times (9-0 entering Tuesday’s game with Texas State) and Kansas will have played 15 games (7-7-1 entering Saturday’s game against Creighton).

Nebraska Briefly
Under the direction of second-year coach Mike Anderson, the Huskers will begin their quest for a sixth straight NCAA Regional appearance and school’s third trip to the College World Series in the last four years. Nebraska returns a total of 17 letterwinners (eight position players and nine pitchers) from a squad that compiled a 47-18 record and won the school’s second Big 12 regular-season title in three years.

Despite having to replace the Big 12’s Player of the Year (senior Matt Hopper) and Pitcher of the Year (junior Aaron Marsden - a third-round pick of Colorado) from a year ago, the Huskers bring back seven position starters, including All-Big 12 designated hitter Curtis Ledbetter, who will move full-time to first base this spring. Ledbetter, who split time with Hopper at first last spring, is the only new face in an infield that returns two-year starting shortstop Joe Simokaitis, senior co-captain Jake Mullinax and third baseman Alex Gordon. All three were honorable-mention All-Big 12 selections in 2002, while Gordon was a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was named the league’s Freshman of the Year by the Waco Tribune. The outfield will be anchored by returning starter Daniel Bruce, who has started the past two years in right. Junior college transfer Colin Shockey and junior Jesse Boyer, who redshirted last season, are among several contenders to flank Bruce in the Husker outfield. The Huskers also return the services of senior co-captain John Grose, a two-year starter behind the plate.

On the mound, Nebraska welcomes back a majority of its staff from a year ago, including Quinton Robertson, who went 10-2 and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. In addition to Robertson, a veteran starting rotation returns nearly intact from last year with sophomore Zach Kroenke, junior Phil Shirek and sophomore Brian Duensing, who redshirted in 2002. NU also has the services of senior closer Mike Sillman, returning relievers Tim Schoeninger and Jeremy Becker and a host of newcomers who could vie for mound time early on.

Blending Youth and Experience
Of the 30 players on this weekend’s travel roster, nearly half (14 of 30) will be making their first trip on the travel squad. While NU will bring 10 freshmen (eight true freshmen and redshirt freshmen Kevin Belcher and Andy Lomax), NU also has five seniors, including third-year starting catcher John Grose. The co-captain is one of three players who are third-year starters (also outfielder Daniel Bruce and shortstop Joe Simokaitis). The following a class breakdown of this weekend’s travel roster.

Class Breakdown for New Mexico Trip
Class Total
Freshmen - 8
Redshirt Freshmen  - 2
Sophomores - 6
Juniors - 9
Seniors - 5

Looking at this Weekend’s Tournament Field
Northwestern comes into the tournament with a 1-2 record after spending last weekend at the Oakland A’s Classic. The Wildcats sandwiched a 3-2 win over Washington State around losses to Pacific (15-11) and San Francisco (10-4). Under Coach Paul Stevens (423-458-4 in 17 years), the Wildcats return 18 of 24 letterwinners from last season’s 25-25 squad. The strength of the Wildcats is their pitching staff led by junior J.A. Happ. The southpaw is a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree, going 7-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts a year ago. Shortstop Jon Mikrut, who doubles as the squad’s closer, hit .317 with 14 doubles a year ago. Nebraska is just 1-4 all-time against the Wildcats, although the teams have not met since the 1996 season, when Northwestern won both meetings between the teams (13-10, 13-9).

New Mexico is in a similar situation as the Huskers, as both teams open their 2004 campaigns this weekend. Rich Alday (405-393 in 15 years) and the Lobos finished the 2003 season with 34-26 record and a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. UNM returns just 11 letterwinners from last season, but six are returning starters from an offense that was third nationally in batting average (.346) and runs per game (9.9 per game). Shortstop Josh Mader is the Lobos top returnee after hitting .357 with seven homers and 47 RBIs last season. Nebraska leads the all-time series 12-7, winning the two most recent matchups in 2001 and 2002. The 2002 matchup in Houston was an epic 13-inning battle that Nebraska won on Jeff Leise’s RBI single. The two teams will tangle in Lincoln on April 5-6 for a non-conference series at Hawks Field.

Kent State heads to New Mexico with an 0-1 record after losing to Kentucky, 3-2, in its opener on Feb. 13. The Golden Flashes had their other two scheduled games in South Carolina canceled by inclement weather. Head Coach Rich Rembielak (337-225-1 in 11 seasons) welcomes back seven starters among his 14 returning letterwinners from a team that went 36-18 and won the Mid-American Conference regular-season title with a 16-4 mark. KSU features a potent duo in outfielder/DH Adam Crowder, who hit .368 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs en route to third-team All-America honors, and senior first baseman Chad Kinyon, who batted .343 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs. While Sunday’s matchup will be the first ever between the Huskers and Golden Flashes, Nebraska is familiar with the Mid-American Conference, having played Eastern Michigan during last June’s NCAA Regional at Hawks Field.

Huskers Picked Third by League Coaches

Nebraska was picked third in the Big 12 in a poll of the conference coaches before the season. NU, which went 47-18 and won the Big 12 regular-season title, was picked behind Texas, which had 81 total points and nine of the 10 first-place votes, and Baylor, which had 67 points. Nebraska and Texas were the only schools to receive a first-place vote. The complete poll is listed below.

Duensing, Timm Look for Happy Returns
Pitchers Brian Duensing and Dustin Timm head into the 2004 campaign after missing most of last season with injuries.

Duensing was the Huskers’ top hurler before suffering an elbow injury last March. The southpaw from Omaha went 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four appearances, striking out 24 hitters in 22 innings. Duensing, who tossed a complete-game six-hitter against No. 7 Wake Forest in his final healthy start, missed the final three months of the year and received a medical hardship. The injury did not require surgery and he will work out of the bullpen during the non-conference slate.

Timm is making a remarkable return after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last March. He made two appearances before the surgery, striking out seven of the 12 hitters he faced in 3.1 innings of work, A former draft pick of the Kansas City Royals, the fourth-year junior is on the travel roster and is available this weekend.

Four Huskers Honored by Dallas Morning News
Four Huskers were honored by the Dallas Morning News in the publication’s preseason All-Big 12 team. Junior Curtis Ledbetter (DH), Joe Simokaitis (SS) and Quinton Robertson (RHP) were chosen for the first team, while Jake Mullinax (2B) was the lone Husker chosen for the second team. Nebraska and Texas were the only schools to have more than two first-team selections.

Gordon Lauded by Baseball America
Sophomore third baseman Alex Gordon earned a pair of honors by Baseball America, in the publication’s preseason issue. The Lincoln native was the only Husker chosen to its preseason All-Big 12 team. Gordon, who batted .319 with seven homers and 48 RBIs last season, was also chosen No. 28 among the nation’s top-50 sophomores, as the magazine listed to the top-50 prospects in each class.

Bruce Voted Best Outfield Arm in Big 12
Junior outfielder Daniel Bruce was voted as having the best defensive arm in the Big 12 in a poll of conference coaches for baseball America. The Omaha native had a team-high six outfield assists in 2003, and has nine outfield assists in his two seasons as a Husker. Bruce, who could see time in both center and right field, batted .311 with six homers and 33 RBIs as a sophomore.

2004 Roster Features Seven Drafted Huskers
Nebraska’s 2004 roster boasts a total of seven Huskers who have been selected in the annual Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The list is led by senior co-captain John Grose, who was drafted in both 2000 (Chicago White Sox, 42nd) and 2001 (Atlanta Braves, 35th). A complete list of previously drafted Huskers is below.

Player Round Team YearBrandon Fusilier 45th Seattle 2001
John Grose 35th Atlanta 2001
John Grose 42nd Chi.-AL 2000
Brett Jensen 45th Baltimore 2003
Curtis Ledbetter 39th Cleveland 2000
Quinton Robertson 17th N.Y. - AL 2001
Dustin Timm 41st K.C. 2000
Tony Watson 23rd Florida 2003

Huskers Face Daunting 2004 Schedule
This weekend’s tournament begins what Coach Anderson calls "the toughest pre-conference in school history." After this weekend, NU embarks on a six-game stretch that includes matchups with defending national champion Rice, Super Regional qualifiers North Carolina and Florida State as well as Minnesota and San Diego. In all, NU faces five NCAA qualifiers in a seven-game stretch, as the Huskers play their first 12 games away from Hawks Field. In all, Nebraska will play 17 games against 2003 NCAA qualifiers, including nine against teams that reached the Super Regionals last spring.

Huskers Honored for Academic Work
A total of 15 Husker baseball players were honored last week with selection to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. The Husker baseball players were among 286 Nebraska student-athletes who were recognized for their success in the classroom.

The honorees are led by junior outfielder Daniel Bruce, who completed the fall semester with a 4.0 GPA in English. The Omaha native is a CoSIDA Academic All-America candidate and carries a 3.872 cumulative grade-point average. Other upperclassmen honored include senior captains John Grose, Justin Pekarek and Jake Mullinax and fellow senior Mike Sillman and former pitcher Jamie Rodrigue, who is completing his degree in physical education. Four true freshmen were also among the honorees, including catcher Johnny Bowden, pitchers Matt Foust and Jon Klausing and infielder Al Smith, as they all had 3.0 GPAs during their first semester on campus.

2003 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll
Player Yr. Major
Becker, Jeremy Jr. Agricultural Engineering
Belcher, Kevin Fr. Undeclared
Bowden, Johnny Fr. History
Bruce, Daniel* Jr. English
Duensing, Brian So. English Education
Foust, Matt Fr. Undeclared
Grose, John Sr. Business Admin.
Klausing, Jon Fr. Undeclared
Ledbetter, Curtis Jr. News Editorial
Mullinax, Jake Sr. Special Ed./Coaching
Pekarek, Justin Sr. Management
Rodrigue, Jamie - Physical Ed./Coaching
Sillman, Mike Sr. Business Admin.
Smith, Al Fr. Undeclared
Timm, Dustin Jr. Communication Studies

Chatting with Curtis Featured on Huskers.com
Follow the 2004 campaign through the eyes of first baseman Curtis Ledbetter, as the junior will be keeping a weekly diary on Huskers.com. For more details and where fans can send in questions, go to the baseball page and click the "Chat with Curtis" icon on the left side.

Next Up for the Huskers
The Huskers continue their opening month of travel, as they head to Houston, Texas, for the Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational, Feb. 27-29. The Huskers will take on defending national champion Rice, Super Regional qualifier North Carolina and Northwestern State during the three days of tournament action. All three games will be video streamed live on Huskers.com.