Huskers Venture to San Diego this Weekend

This Week in Husker Baseball
Season Record (6-3, 0-0 Big 12)
National Rankings (20/-/19/25 - as of March 8)

2004 Aztec Invitational at Petco Park
Fri. (March 12) vs. San Diego (7-11) San Diego, Calif. (Petco Park) 9 p.m. (CST)
Sat. (March 13) vs. UCLA (11-6) San Diego, Calif. (Petco Park) 5 p.m. (CST)
Sun. (March 14) vs. San Diego State (9-15) San Diego, Calif. (Petco Park) 9 p.m. (CST)
Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches/NCBWA

Nebraska’s Weekend Rotation
Fri. - NU (Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 2-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. USD (Kyle Collins, Sr., RHP, 0-1, 5.92 ERA)
Sat. - NU (Quinton Robertson, Sr., RHP, 1-1, 6.23 ERA) vs. UCLA (TBA)
Sun. - NU (Phil Shirek, Jr., RHP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. SDSU (TBA)

Media Information
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network
TV: None
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Internet Video Streaming: All three games this weeknd will be video streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department, with live audio and video. Nearly every 2004 Husker baseball game will be shown live on HuskersNside. For more information on how to subscribe, log on to Huskers.com.

Huskers Venture to San Diego this Weekend
Lincoln -- The Nebraska baseball team closes its opening-month road trip this weekend, as the Huskers head to San Diego for the Aztec Invitational. The tournament, which features eight teams playing over four days, will be the first event at Petco Park, the new home of the San Diego Padres. Over 17,000 all-session passes have been sold for the weekend, while Thursday’s matchup between San Diego State and Houston will likely break the NCAA record for largest single-game attendance of 27,673, which was set on April 10, 2002, by LSU and Tulane at the Superdome.

The Huskers, are 6-3 on the season and are ranked anywhere from 19th (Sports Weekly) to unranked (Baseball America) in this week’s national polls following a 1-2 showing in Minnesota last weekend. Nebraska opens up tournament play against the University of San Diego on Friday, March 12, at 9 p.m. (central). The Huskers will also meet up with UCLA (Saturday, 5 p.m. CST) and San Diego State (Sunday, 9 p.m. CST). All three games from the West Coast will be aired live on the Pinnacle Sports Network and will be video-streamed on a subscription basis on HuskersNside.

Aztec Invitational Schedule
March 11 Houston vs. San Diego State 9 p.m.
March 12 Point Loma Nazarene vs. UCSD 2 p.m.
March 12 Long Beach State vs. UCLA 5 p.m
March 12 Nebraska vs. San Diego 9 p.m.
March 13 Houston vs. USD Noon
March 13 Nebraska vs. UCLA 5 p.m.
March 13 Long Beach St. vs. San Diego St. 7 p.m.
March 14 Houston vs. UCLA Noon
March 14 Long Beach St. vs. San Diego 5 pm
March 14 Nebraska vs. San Diego State 9 p.m.

Husker Ties to California Run Deep
? - This weekend’s trip is the Huskers’ first to California since a three-game sweep at Fresno State during the 2002 season. The only other time in the last seven years that Nebraska has visited California was during the 2000 Super Regional at Stanford.

? - All five of the Huskers current Major Leaguers (at the end of 2003) have ties to California. Kansas City Royals first baseman Ken Harvey (Beverly Hills) and Seattle Mariners outfielder Jamal Strong (Altadena) are both California natives, while Todd Sears (San Diego), Darin Erstad (Anaheim) and Troy Brohawn (Los Angeles) all finished the season with Major League teams in California.

? - Senior co-captain Jake Mullinax (Hesperia) is the lone Husker on the 2004 squad from California.

? - Senior co-captain John Grose’s grandfather, Bill Cartwright, was a long-time coach in the San Padres organization.

? - R.D. Spiehs is currently pitching in the Padres organization, while Jeff Leise, who recently retired from baseball, was a 12th-round pick by the Padres last year.

? - Assistant Coach Andy Sawyers began his collegiate career at Point Loma Nazarene in 1994,

? - San Diego is home to one of the University of Nebraska’s largest alumni chapters - as over 1,200 alumni live within 50 miles of San Diego - and a sizable Husker contingent is expected. In all, NU has nearly 12,000 alumni and friends in the state. Last weekend, nearly 1,500 Husker fans attended the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis.

Leading Off
? - Saturday’s game against UCLA is now a 5 p.m. central start, which is a change from the originally announced 5:30 p.m. first pitch.
? - Nebraska has gotten off to quick starts, scoring at least one run in the first inning of eight of its first nine games. The only time NU has not scored a run in the first was against No. 2 Rice on Feb. 28.
? - The biggest reason for the Huskers’ first inning success has been junior college transfer Jesse Boyer. The Littleton, Colo., native has reached in the first inning in all nine contests (four singles, three walks and two hit-by-pitches) and has come around to score six times. In addition to the Rice game, the only other times he didn’t score came against Northwestern, where the Huskers scored five runs in the first, and No. 15 North Carolina, where NU jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first inning.
? - With this week’s ranking in the national polls, the Huskers have now been ranked in each of the past 72 polls, dating back to April of 2000.
? - Jake Mullinax’s inside-the-park homer against West Virginia on Sunday ended a nearly five-game drought without a round tripper. Over the past four-plus seasons, NU has not gone longer than four games without a homer, but also had two other stretches without a longball (May 12-17, 2003; March 28-April 2, 2000).
? - Mullinax has also led the Huskers’ smallball attack, with nine of the Huskers’ 16 sacrifices through nine games. Mullinax, who is also among the Big 12 leaders with a .371 average, is only eight sacrifice hits behind the school mark of 17 set by Joe Simokaitis. NU had five sacrifices against New Mexico on Feb. 21, the third-highest single-game total in NCAA history. Only two teams have ever recorded 100 sacrifice hits in a season, with the last being Texas’ NCAA record of 126 set in 2000.
? - Nebraska has also shown a propensity to score runs in bunches, as the Huskers have scored at least three runs in an inning 13 times through the first nine games. Nebraska’s eight-run innings against Northwestern and Kent State in the opening weekend were NU’s highest single-inning totals since April 23, 2002 (9 runs in the fifth inning of an 18-2 victory over Texas Pan-American).
? - This weekend’s trip to San Diego marks the third of five visits to professional Minor or Major League ballparks this season. The Huskers opened the year at Isotopes Park (AAA Albuquerque Isotopes) and were at the Metrodome (Minnesota Twins) last weekend. NU will also visit Rosenblatt Stadium (AAA Omaha Royals) and the Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers) during the 2004 season.
? - Being 6-3 after three weeks is like deja vu all over again for the Big Red, as the Huskers have posted a 6-3 mark after nine games in three of the past four seasons (2000, 2001 and 2003).
? - After hitting into a pair of double plays in the opener against Northwestern, the Huskers have gone eight straight games without grounding into a double play. Despite playing only nine games, NU has turned 15 double plays to rank third in the Big 12.
? - Nebraska reached double figures in runs during each of the first three games for only the sixth time in school history with its performance in New Mexico and has reached double figures four times in six contests. The Huskers fell two runs shy of equaling the school mark for most consecutive games in double figures to open the season.
? - At the end of this weekend’s tournament, the Huskers will have logged 6,052 miles since Feb. 19, playing in four states (California, Minnesota, New Mexico and Texas) and covering three time zones for their first 12 games. Beginning with next Tuesday’s home opener against Western Illinois, the tide changes dramatically, as the Huskers will play 16 of their next 20 games at Hawks Field. The only road trips that NU will make from March 16 to April 13 is a day trip to instate rival Creighton and a weekend series at Kansas State - a total of 330 miles round trip.
? - Nebraska reached double figures in each of the first three games for only the sixth time in school history with its performance in New Mexico and has reached double figures four times in six contests. The Huskers fell two runs shy of equaling the school mark for most consecutive games in double figures to open the season.

Weekend Rotation (at Aztec Invitational)
Zach Kroenke (pronounced KRON-neck-ee) ? LHP ? 6-3 ? 210 ? Omaha, Neb.
? Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (4/10/03)
? 2003 NCAA Lincoln Regional All-Tournament Team

2004: Kroenke looks for his third win of the year, as he takes on San Diego Friday evening...comes into the weekend with a 2-0 record with a 3.38 ERA in three outings..won his first two starts before a no-decision vs. No. 22 Florida State last Friday...in that outing, he allowed three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Kroenke struck out five, but hit a career-high two Seminoles...scattered five hits and allowed four runs in seven-plus innings against Northwestern State on Feb. 27...enjoyed career-best effort against Northwestern (2/20), tossing 6.1 innings in NU’s 19-3 win...struck out a career-high 11 Wildcats, including six straight, as he retired nine of the first 10 hitters he faced. 2003 Highlights: Was one of the Big 12’s top freshman hurlers, going 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 59.2 innings...enjoyed nearly a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (35-to-19) while holding opponents to a .239 batting average... allowed three runs or less in 14 of his 15 appearances and combined on a pair of shutouts (Cal Poly and at Kansas)...shared Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors, going 2-0 in 11.2 innings in wins over Cal Poly and Oklahoma...tossed a complete-game six-hitter against Eastern Michigan in the 2003 NCAA Lincoln Regional...suffered losses against eventual CWS champion Rice (ranked No. 1 at the time) and CWS qualifier Texas (at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium)...went 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two appearances, earning the start against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament and against Eastern Michigan in an NCAA elimination game. Prior: Ranked among the top 200 players in the nation according to Team One Baseball, Kroenke pitching for Northwest High School in Omaha...earned first-team All-Nebraska honors by the Lincoln Journal Star, going 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA, while leading the state with 90 strikeouts in 53 innings.

Quinton Robertson ? RHP ? 6-5 ? 215 ? Richland, Miss.
? 2004 NCBWA Preseason All-American (Third Team)
? 2003 First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
? 2001 MLB 17th-round Draft Pick (New York Yankees)

2004: Preseason All-American who is looking to snap a two-game losing streak as he takes the hill on Saturday vs. UCLA...is 0-2 with a 2.77 ERA in his last two starts, but NU has managed just three runs and hit .185 in his last two starts...took a shutout into the sixth in his last start vs. Minnesota, but allowed a pair of runs in a 3-1 loss to the Gophers...scattered seven hits, but had six strikeouts, one off a career high...pitched well in a loss at No. 2 Rice, allowing four runs - two earned - in eight innings of NU’s 4-2 loss...his 10 wins in 2003 were the most ever by a first-year Husker pitcher and only All-Americans Shane Komine and Troy Brohawn won more games in a season at NU. 2003 Highlights: Enjoyed one of the finest years a Husker newcomer has ever had...compiled a 10-2 record and a 4.23 ERA in 89.1 innings...tied for the Big 12 lead with 10 wins (also Texas’ J.P. Howell), a total which was the third-most in school history...ranked 10th in the Big 12 in opposing batting average (.270) and 12th in ERA...was second to Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Year Aaron Marsden in starts (14), innings pitched (89.1) and strikeouts (51)...had nearly a 2.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and went six or more innings in 12 of his 14 starts, including each of his final 10...tossed a complete game against Oklahoma State on May 11, allowing two runs in a 5-2 win over the Cowboys...went a perfect 2-0 in two postseason starts, going six innings in wins over No. 16 Baylor in Oklahoma City and Eastern Michigan. Prior: Went a combined 15-3 with a 3.18 ERA at Texarkana (Texas) College..earned second-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2001, going 9-0 with a 3.45 ERA...drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 2001 MLB Draft.

Phil Shirek (pronounced SHEAR-ik) ? RHP ? 6-3 ? 210 ? Minot, N.D.
? 2002 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
? 2002 Big 12 All-Freshman Team
2004: Junior makes his first start of the year against San Diego State after making three relief appearances...is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in six innings of work..comes off his best appearance, tossing 4.2 innings of relief vs. West Virginia last Sunday to pick up the win...faced one over the minumum through his first four innings against the Mountaineers..also made scoreless relief outings vs. No. 15 North Carolina and Kent State.pitched for Harwich in the Cape Cod League, going 0-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 10 outings. 2003 Highlights: Compiled a 5-3 record with a 3.90 ERA in 18 apprarances, including 10 starts...held opponents to a .227 average in 62.1 innings of work...earned his first career Big 12 win, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings against Oklahoma State on May 12, helping the Huskers to a series sweep over the Cowboys...was dominant in a win over Creighton on April 29, tossing eight shutout innings and allowing one runner to reach scoring position. He struck out two and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced...pitched at least five innings in five of his 10 starts in 2003. 2002 Highlights Tabbed a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, going 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 18 appearances. Prior: NU’s first signee from North Dakota since current Anaheim Angels All-Star Darin Erstad...Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in the state of North Dakota in both baseball and football as a high school senior...broke the American Legion national tournament record with 20 strikeouts in a regional game, eclipsing the national tournament record held by former Baltimore Orioles great Dave McNally.

The Probable Husker Lineup
John Grose ? C ? 5-11 ? 205 ? Sr. ? Henderson, Nev.
Three-year starter and team co-captain for the second straight season...career .339 hitter who has gotten off to a slow start, hitting just .083 through eight games...looks to snap an 0-for-17 dry spell dating back to Feb. 22...grandfather (Bill) was a coach in the Padres organization...went hitless in 11 at-bats at Rice, but drew a pair of walks in the win over Northwestern State (2/27)...has a .313 OBP, as he leads the team with five hit-by-pitches...went 2-for-7 with a pair of RBIs at New Mexico....went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored vs. Kent State...hit a career-high three times and scored twice vs. Northwestern...strong defensive presence behind the plate who excels at handling pitchers and controlling the running game...hit .302 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 2003, as he battled an elbow injury...split time with All-American Jed Morris in 2002, batting .384 with four homers and 38 RBIs...drafted in the 35th round of the 2001 draft by Atlanta and the 42nd round of the 2000 draft by the Chicago White Sox.

Curtis Ledbetter ? 1B ? 6-3 ? 220 ? Jr. ? Lawrence, Kan.
Returning first-team All-Big 12 designated hitter who moves to first base this spring...preseason NCBWA All-American who hit .348 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs in 2003...enters the weekend with a .244 average and eight RBIs...was hitting .125 through the first five games before hitting .411 (7-17) during a current four-game hit streak..had a season-high three hits vs. West Virginia (3/7)...went 2-for-5 with a season-high three RBIs vs. No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...also drove in three runs in the win over New Mexico (2/21)...is 6-for-7 with three homers and 22 RBIs with the bases loaded during NU career...third in the Big 12 in homers and slugging percentage (.647), while ranking in the top 20 in hitting in 2003...has two career multi-homer games (last vs. KSU on 3/20/03)...hit safely in 36 of his last 39 games in 2003, including a Big 12-leading 23-game hitting streak...redshirted in 2002...played one year at Garden City (Kan.) CC, batting .404 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs en route to honorable-mention Jayhawk League honors...drafted in the 39th round by the Cleveland Indians in the 2000 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Jake Mullinax ? 2B ? 6-1 ? 205 ? Sr. ? Hesperia, Calif.
Senior co-captain who is NU’s returning starter at second...lone California native on 2004 roster...enters the week with a .371 average, while pacing NU in runs scored (14) and sacrifices (nine)...was 4-for-12 at Minnesota and had three hits and drove in a career-high four runs vs. WVU (3/5), including a three-run inside-the-park homer, the first by a Husker since the 2000 season...went just 2-for-10 over at Rice Tourney, but scored a pair of runs in the win over North Carolina (2/29)...tied or set then-career high in hits (4), RBIs (3) and runs scored (4) vs. Kent State (2/22), including first career homer...honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection who hit .320 with 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored in 2003...had .470 OBP and was hit by a team-high 17 pitches in 2003...closed 2003 on a tear, hitting .480 during the Big 12 Tourney and NCAA Regional...selected to the NCAA Regional all-tournament team, batting .571 (8-for-14) with five RBIs...did not enroll until January of 2003...spent two seasons at Victory Valley Community College, batting .477 with nine homers and 37 RBIs to earn conference MVP honors in 2002.

Joe Simokaitis ? SS ? 6-1 ? 195 ? Jr. ? St. Louis, Mo.
Third-year starter who anchors one of the Big 12’s best infields...is second in the Big 12 in hitting (.455) and seventh in on-base percentage (.500)...comes into the weekend with a team-best seven-game hit streak...is tied for the team lead with five doubles and is fourth with eight RBIs, hitting ninth for most of the year...went 5-for-13 with three runs scored last weekend at Minnesota Tourney...hit .400 (4-for-10) with two doubles and two runs scored at Rice Tourney...has five multi-hit games in 2004, including a career-best four hits vs. Kent State (2/22)...tied career high with three RBIs vs. Kent State...hit .293 with a homer and 39 RBIs in 2003...set a school mark with 194 assists in 2003 and committed just two errors in his final 19 games...led the nation with 16 sacrifice bunts in 2003...drove in 20 of his 39 runs with two outs and hit .329 with runners in scoring position...his 27 career sacrifices entering this weekend are the most by any active Division I player (20th all time)...hit .236 with 16 RBIs as a freshman, helping NU to the College World Series...attended St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, the same alma mater of former Major Leaguers Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola.

Alex Gordon ? 3B ? 6-1 ? 215 ? So. ? Lincoln, Neb.
Returning starter at third who ranks among the Big 12’s top performers...is No. 28 among the nation’s top-50 sophomores by Baseball America...enters weekend hitting .459 with three homers and 15 RBIs...tops the Big 12 in hitting, on-base percentage (.533) and slugging percentage (.857)...also tops NU in hits (17), homers (3), RBIs and multi-hit games (6)...all-tournament selection at Minnesota last weekend, hitting .455 (5-for-11) with four doubles and four RBIs..tied school record with three doubles vs. WVU (3/5)..hit a team-best .455 at Rice Tourney, including a homer and three RBIs in the win over Northwestern State (2/27)...also had three hits and scored twice vs. No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...had first career multi-homer day and drove in five runs vs. Northwestern (2/20)...hit .319 with seven homers and 48 RBIs to garner Freshman All-America honors in 2003...three-time All-Nebraska selection at Lincoln Southeast where he hit .483 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs during his high school career...2001 & 2002 Gatorde Nebraska Player of the Year...his father (Mike, NU) and older brother (Eric, Nebraska-Omaha) played collegiate baseball.

Jesse Boyer ? OF ? 6-1 ? 200 ? Jr. ? Littleton, Colo.
Junior college transfer who has been spark plug at the top of the order...hitting .382 with five stolen bases and a team-high seven walks... is fifth in the league in OBP (.511) and 12th in average...also has seven RBIs and has scored 13 runs...has four multi-hit games and has reached safely in all nine of NU’s games...earned all-tournament honors at Minnesota, hitting .500 (5-for-10) with five runs scored and three stolen bases...went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases vs. WVU (3/7)...went 3-for-11 with five RBIs at the Rice Tourney...had two hits and drove in both of NU’s runs against No. 2 Rice and Wade Townsend (2/28)...scored a season-high four runs in a 12-8 win over New Mexico (2/21)...hit .438 with seven walks and nine runs scored during Red/White Series in the fall...redshirted in 2003...batted .397 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 16 stolen bases at Neosho (Kan.) County CC in 2002, earning all-region honors.

Colin Shockey ? OF ? 5-10 ? 170 ? Jr. ? LaVista, Neb.
Junior college transfer who has replaced former All-American Jeff Leise in center...versatile player who could play infield, outfield or pitch (listed as utility on roster)...hitting .375 with five runs scored in seven starts...hit safely in six of seven games, including a three-hit effort vs. West Virginia on Sunday...was 1-for-3 with a spectacular highlight reel catch in loss to Florida State (3/5)...went 2-for-6 with a walk at Rice Tourney, driving in a pair of runs against Northwestern State (2/27)...went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs vs. Northwestern (2/20)..hit .374 with 55 stolen bases in two years at Iowa Western CC - the same school that produced former NU All-American Dan Johnson...batted .375 with 39 steals in 42 attempts as a sophomore earning first-team all-league honors...two-time all-state honoree at Ralston HS for his dad, Curt...hit .453 while going 7-2 with a 2.07 ERA as a senior.

Daniel Bruce ? OF ? 6-0 ? 185 ? Jr. ? Omaha, Neb.
Third-year starter in right field...hitting .258 with three homers and 10 RBIs...tied for team lead in homers and is third in runs scored (11)...is just 2-for-18 with one RBI over last five games...homered and drove in three runs in each of NU’s first three games...had three hits vs. UNM and scored four runs vs. Northwestern in the opener...Academic All-America candidate with a 3.872 GPA in English...hit .311 with six homers and 33 RBIs in 61 games in 2003...hit .375 with three homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored during the NCAA Lincoln Regional and was selected to the all-tournament team...earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors in 2002 (.299-5-41)...set a school record and tied the Big 12 mark with 28 hit by pitches...a three-time All-Nebraska selection at Millard West High School, batting .448 with 48 RBIs as a senior.

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Recapping Last Weekend
Nebraska fell short in defending its Dairy Queen Classic title, going 1-2 last weekend. The Huskers were held to four runs in the first two games before breaking out of an offensive slump against West Virginia. Junior outfielder Jesse Boyer and sophomore third baseman Alex Gordon were selected to the all-tournament team.

Florida State 5, Nebraska 3 - Derrick Smith’s pinch-hit RBI triple highlighted a two-run eighth inning, as Florida State topped the Huskers, 5-3. The Huskers jumped to an early 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Alex Gordon, who went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Joe Simokaitis, but FSU came back with three runs off Husker left-hander Zach Kroenke. Gordon tied the score at three with a sacrifice fly before the Seminoles broke the tie with two runs off Mike Sillman.

Minnesota 3, Nebraska 1 ? Nebraska struggled offensively, managing six hits in a 3-1 loss to the Golden Gophers. Alex Gordon’s RBI in the first gave NU a 1-0 lead before Minnesota took the lead with a pair of runs off NU starter Quinton Robertson, who allowed two runs in five innings. Robertson struck out six, but could not overcome the Huskers’ slugglish offense effort.

Nebraska 13, West Virginia 6 ? Nebraska erupted for 17 hits and bounced back with a 13-6 win over West Virginia on Sunday. Five different Huskers had three hits, including Alex Gordon, who tied a school record with three doubles, and Jake Mullinax, who equaled a career-high with four RBIs, including an inside-the-park homer. Jesee Boyer, who stole three bases and scored three times, Curtis Ledbetter and Colin Shockey had three hits apiece, as NU reached double figures for the fifth time in 2004. Phil Shirek (1-0) earned his first win, tossing 4.1 innings of three-hit relief.

Looking at this Weekend’s Tournament Field
San Diego - San Diego enters the weekend with a 7-11 record after defeating Cal State Fullerton, 7-4, Tuesday evening. The Toreros returned 24 of 28 letterwinners from a team that went 32-30 and reached the NCAA Regional for the second straight year in 2003. Coach Rich Hill’s (175-139-2 in six years) squad is hitting .273 with four regulars hitting over .300. Infielder Freddy Sandoval tops USD with a .388 average with three homers and 21 RBIs, while outfielder Tom Caple, who transferred from Texas, is hitting .350 with a .541 on-base percentage. On the mound, the Toreros will throw senior right-hander Kyle Collins, who is 0-1 in seven appearances this season, but led the West Coast Conference with nine wins in 2003. The teams have met only one time, a 16-9 Husker win on Feb. 21, 1980.

UCLA - Coach Gary Adams (960-800-7 in 30 years at UCLA) has the Bruins rebounding from a sub .500 season in 2003. UCLA comes into the weekend with an 11-6 mark after dropping a 6-0 decision at No. 17 Cal Irvine Tuesday evening. The Bruins’ contest with NU will end a stretch of six straight games against ranked teams for the Bruins. UCLA dropped 2-of-3 against Texas A&M over the weekend. Offensively, the Bruins have four regulars hitting over .300, as UCLA has a team average of .297. Outfielder Billy Susdorf paces the Bruins’ offense with a .379 average and 15 runs scored, while preseason All-American Wes Whistler is one of the nation’s top two-way performers. He is hitting .302, while going 1-1 with a 4.64 ERA in four starts. UCLA has not announced its rotation for Saturday or Sunday’s games. Nebraska and UCLA have only matched up one time before Saturday, a 12-9 Bruin win at the 1997 Hormel Classic in Minneapolis.

San Diego State - Under Coach Tony Gwynn (38-47 in two seasons), the Aztecs enter the weekend with a 9-15 record after dropping a 10-9 decision to Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. In that game, SDSU took a 9-6 lead into the ninth before allowing four runs in the loss. SDSU is hitting just .251 as a team, with designated hitter Brock Ungricht pacing the team with a .337 average. On the mound, Chris Hartshorn leads SDSU with four wins and has struck out 30 hitters in 41.2 innings. The Aztecs have been tested early, dropping a three-game series at No. 1 Texas before rebounding to win 2-of-3 over No. 22 North Carolina State last weekend. SDSU leads the all-time series, 7-3, including a 12-11 win in the school’s last meeting in 1999.

Nebraska Briefly
Under the direction of second-year coach Mike Anderson, the Huskers are seeking the school’s sixth straight NCAA Regional and the school’s third trip to the College World Series in four years. Nebraska returned 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 six 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 and junior Phil Shirek. NU also has the services of senior closer Mike Sillman, returning relievers Tim Schoeninger and Jeremy Becker and a host of newcomers, including left-hander Brad Furnish and right-hander Brett Jensen, who could vie for mound time early on.

Husker Health Watch
In addition to pitchers Tony Watson and Mike Harmelink, who are both redshirting because of off-season surgery, three other Huskers are slated to miss the 2004 season because of injuries.

Freshman right-hander Matt Pike had shoulder surgery on Feb. 14, but should be cleared for fall drills in September. Outfielder Brandon Fusilier will also take a redshirt season as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery. Fusilier batted .289 with six homers and 41 RBIs in 2003, as he ranked among the team leaders in both homers and RBIs.

Last week, Anderson announced that left-hander Brian Duensing will have season-ending Tommy John surgery. Duensing was 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts in 2003, including a complete-game shutout of No. 7 Wake Forest in the 2003 DQ Classic.

A DP a Day Keeps the Runs Away
While the infield duo of Joe Simokaitis and Jake Mullinax have enjoyed strong offensive starts, the pair have excelled in the middle infield. Simokaitis, a three-year starter at short, and Mullinax, a converted junior college shortstop, helped Nebraska turn a Big 12-leading 70 double plays in 2003. This spring, NU has continued to rely on double plays, turning 15 in the first nine games - an average of 1.5 per game.

Bullpen Shines During Early Season
One of the bright spots for the Huskers has been the performance of the bullpen. In all, NU relievers have a 2.70 ERA, a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and have allowed seven of 22 inherited runners to score. Over the past six games, NU relievers have compiled a 1.53 ERA and have allowed one extra base hit in the past 17.2 innings.

Timm Makes Remarkable Return from Elbow Injury
As Brian Duensing undergoes Tommy John surgery next week, he needs only to look to junior Dustin Timm for inspiration. The Yutan, Neb., native had Tommy John surgery on his elbow last March, but has returned better than ever. He pitched a career-long 2.2 innings against Northwestern in the opener before picking up his first career save with two shutout innings against Northwestern State. Timm is tied for the team lead with three appearances and has a 1.80 ERA.

Next Up for the Huskers
NU opens the 2004 home campaign on Tuesday, March 16, as the Huskers will begin a two-game home series against Western Illinois.