Huskers Look to Knock Off League-Leading Cowboys

This Week in Husker Baseball
Season Record (30-14, 9-9 Big 12)
National Rankings (--/--/22 - as of May 3)
Sat. (May 8) 25/23/-- Oklahoma St. (29-15, 12-5 Big 12) Stillwater, Okla. 7 p.m.
Sun. (May 9) Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. 2 p.m.
Mon. (May 10) Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. 1 p.m.
Tues. (May 11) Northern Iowa Hawks Field 6:35 p.m.
Wed. (May 12) Northern Iowa Hawks Field 2:05 p.m.
Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches

Pitching Matchups
Sat. - NU (Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 7-1, 2.37 ERA) vs. OSU (Thomas Cowley, So., LHP, 3-2, 5.64 ERA)
Sun. - NU (Phil Shirek, Jr., RHP, 5-1, 3.35 ERA) vs. OSU (Spencer Grogan, Jr., LHP, 10-1, 2.77 ERA)
Mon. - NU (TBA) vs. OSU (Daniel Rew, Sr., RHP, 5-5, 3.61 ERA)

Media Information
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network
TV: None
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Internet Video Streaming: Every remaining regular-season game will be video streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department. For more information on how to subscribe, visit Huskers.com.

Huskers Look to Knock Off League-Leading Cowboys
Following a week of final exams, the Husker baseball team returns to the diamond this weekend to begin a three-game series with Big 12 leader Oklahoma State. The series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., commences Saturday evening with a 7 p.m. first pitch. The three-game set continues Sunday at 2 p.m. and concludes with a Monday finale slated for 1 p.m. The series is a change from the usual Friday-Sunday conference schedule because of final exams at both schools this week and begins a stretch where NU will play eight games over a nine-day span.

All three games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Jim Rose and Gary Sharp calling all of the action. In addition, the series will be video-streamed live on HuskerNside, as every remaining regular-season game will be carried live on the premium site.

The Huskers, who are 30-14 on the season and ranked 22nd in this week’s national polls, are looking to rebound after suffering a tough loss to Texas A&M, 7-6, on Sunday. The Aggies scored three runs in the top of the ninth spoil a chance for the Huskers to take a series from a top-10 opponent and build some momentum heading into the homestretch.

The Cowboys, who are ranked as high as 23rd in this week’s polls, come into the weekend with a 29-15 record and pace the Big 12 with a 12-5 mark after taking 2-of-3 from Oklahoma in the annual Bedlam series last weekend. OSU sits percentage points ahead of Texas in the Big 12 race, while the Huskers sit in seventh place with a 9-9 league mark. Texas A&M, Baylor - which hosts the Huskers next weekend in Waco - and NU are all bunched between fifth and seventh with nine losses apiece with three weeks remaining until the end of the regular season.

Following this weekend, the Huskers return home to host Northern Iowa in a two-game series beginning Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. The Huskers and Panthers will also play Wednesday at 2:05 p.m., before the Huskers return to conference play at Baylor.

Pair of Huskers to Graduate this Weekend

A pair of Husker baseball players are slated to graduate on Saturday, May 8. Senior pitcher Justin Pekarek will graduate with a degree in business management, while former Husker infielder Josh Birmingham, who played at Nebraska during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, will receive his degree in economics.

Time Changes

A pair of NU road games have time changes from previously printed publications. Monday’s series finale with Oklahoma State is a 1 p.m. start (orginally listed as a 2 p.m. start), while the Saturday, May 15, start time at Baylor has been moved from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to reduce conflict with Baylor’s graduation ceremonies also slated for May 15.

Leading Off
? - With less than a month remaining in the regular season, sophomore third baseman Alex Gordon is looking to become the Big 12’s first triple crown (average, homers and RBIs) winner. Gordon ranks second in the league in hitting and RBIs and third in homers with a .373 average, 15 homers and 62 RBIs. The last conference player (Big Eight/SWC) to lead the league in all three categories in a single season was Oklahoma State’s Pete Incaviglia (.464-48-143) in 1985.

? - Throughout 2004, the Huskers have gotten out to fast starts, outscoring opponents 50-21 in the opening inning of games and 131-59 over the first three innings.

? - The Huskers have been ranked in the national polls for the past 80 weeks, dating back to April of 2000.

? - One of the strengths of the Huskers in 2004 has been the play of their defense. NU is ranked 10th nationally with a .975 fielding percentage, a pace that would break the school mark of .971 set in 1994 and 1995. The Huskers are 17-2 this season when they play errorless baseball. NU has had a pair of stretches of at least 45 innings without an error, including a 63.1 inning stretch - the longest stretch in over 20 years - earlier in the season.

? - Shortstop Joe Simokaitis brings NU’s longest hitting streak into this weekend at eight games. Simokaitis is hitting .321 with a homer and seven RBIs in that stretch. He drove in all seven runs in a four-game stretch last week, including game-winners vs. Northern Colorado (Tues.) and No. 10 Texas A&M (Fri.). His homer on Friday was his second in 524 career at-bats (spanning 152 games).

? - One trait the 2004 Huskers have shown is the ability to win close games, as Nebraska’s six one-run wins not only equals the entire 2003 team’s total, but is the most since the 1998 season.

One-Run Games since 1998
Year Record
1998 7-3
1999 4-2
2000 6-6
2001 5-8
2002 5-10
2003 6-4
2004 6-2

? - Senior second baseman Jake Mullinax was chosen as the Husker Power Baseball Lifter of the Year before Sunday’s game against Texas A&M. He was chosen by a vote of his teammates after lowering his body fat percentage from 19 percent to 10 percent and gaining seven pounds of mass. He also increased his vertical jump 2.5 inches and increasing his Performance Index 215 points. Mullinax beat out finalists Alex Gordon, Zach Kroenke and Phil Shirek for the award.

? - Gordon looks to extend Nebraska’s streak of Big 12 home run champions, as he is second in the league with 15 round trippers. A Husker has led the Big 12 in homers in each of the past four seasons, dating back to the 2000 season (Matt Hopper and Dan Johnson, 2000; Dan Johnson, 2001; Jed Morris, 2002; Matt Hopper, 2003).

While Gordon adds his legacy to an impressive list of Husker sluggers, he also looks to become the first Husker third baseman to earn first-team all-conference accolades since Derek Dukart in 1994. Gordon’s performance not only potentially puts him among the favorites for league honors, but also compares very favorably to NU’s last two Big 12 Players of the Year (Jed Morris in 2002 and Matt Hopper in 2003). In additon, Ken Harvey’s numbers from the 1999 season when he was Smith Award and Golden Spikes finalist are also included.

Stats After 44 Games
Player, Year Avg. Runs HR RBI SLG. OBP
Gordon, 2004 .373 50 15 62 .789 .493
Hopper, 2003 .373 49 17 47 .753 .490
Morris, 2002 .369 47 11 48 .670 .435
Harvey, 1999 .500 56 19 64 .931 .572

? - A trio of Huskers have been nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, as pitchers Mike Sillman (3.775 GPA in business administration) and Jeremy Becker (3.674 GPA in agricultural engineering) are joined by outfielder Daniel Bruce (3.872 GPA in English). This is the second time that Bruce has been nominated and the first for both Becker and Sillman.

? - The Nebraska baseball team joined the men’s basketball, track and cross country teams as the four finalists for the Herman Award. The honor is presented to the men’s and women’s teams with the highest GPA over the previous two semesters. It marked the second straight season that the Husker baseball team has been a finalist for the campus award (won by the cross country team).

? - The Huskers have scored five or more runs in an inning nine times in 2004, spanning a total of eight games. The eight runs scored against Missouri on April 18 equaled the highest single inning total in 2004 (also vs. Northwestern on Feb. 20) and was the most in an inning since scoring nine runs in the fifth inning vs. Texas-Pan American on April 23, 2002.

? - Nebraska’s win against No. 1 Texas on April 15 in Austin was the Huskers’ first over a top-ranked team since an 8-7 win over No. 1 Texas A&M at the Big 12 Tournament on May 23, 1999.

Last Time Out
Nebraska dropped its second straight Big 12 home series, as Texas A&M took the final two games of the season, including a three-run rally in Sunday’s finale. Over 15,000 fans witnessed the three-game series between the Huskers and Aggies at Hawks Field.

Friday (Nebraska 4, Texas A&M 1) ? Joe Simokaitis’ three-run homer in the seventh broke a 1-1 deadlock, as No. 19 Nebraska took the opening game of the series with a 4-1 win over No. 10 Texas A&M Friday evening. Simokaitis sent Jason Meyer’s 3-1 pitch into the berm in left for his second career homer and first of the season, and the first homer that Meyer had allowed in 70.1 innings of work. Simokaitis’ homer gave Husker starter Zach Kroenke all the offense he would need. The Husker left-hander tossed a complete-game three-hitter to improve to 7-1 on the season. Kroenke struck out four en route to his second complete-game effort of the season.

Saturday (Texas A&M 4, Nebraska 2) ? Zach Jackson baffled Nebraska, retiring the first 24 Huskers in order as the Aggies took a 4-2 victory. Jackson was three outs away from a perfect game before Nebraska rallied for a pair of runs - on an RBI single by Joe Simokaitis and a ground out by Colin Shockey ? and had the tying run at the plate, but Jackson capped the complete game by striking out Daniel Bruce and Alex Gordon. The loss snapped NU’s streak of 15 straight wins over top-10 teams in Lincoln. Phil Shirek took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings, while Justin Pekarek was outstanding in relief, fanning four in five innings of two-hit, shutout relief.

Sunday (Texas A&M 7, Nebraska 6) ? Coby Mavroulis’ three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning propelled No. 10 Texas A&M to a 7-6 comeback win over No. 19 Nebraska in Sunday’s series finale. With two on and one out, Jeremy Becker struck out Cliff Pennington, but Mavroulis, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, sent Becker’s next pitch over the fence in right center for a three-run homer. It marked only the second and third inherited runners that the left-hander had allowed to score in 18 appearances. The loss spoiled strong performances by reliever Brett Jensen, who pitched a career-long 6.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs on five hits, and first baseman Curtis Ledbetter, who went 2-for-4 with a homer and a season-high four RBIs. Ledbetter gave the Huskers a 6-3 lead in the sixth with a three-run homer, his seventh of the season. Colin Shockey also had a pair of hits and scored twice in the loss.

Scouting Oklahoma State
Under first-year Head Coach Frank Anderson, Oklahoma State enters the final three weeks of Big 12 play in position to win its first conference title since 1996. The Cowboys, who were 18-10 following a loss to Southeast Missouri State in late March, but have surged to win 11 of their last 16 games to leapfrog Texas in the conference race.

Offensively, the Cowboys are led by freshman Ty Wright, who is hitting .356 with 40 runs scored. Wright is one of five OSU starters above .300, as the Cowboys rank third in the Big 12 in hitting. Catcher Jason Jaramillo (.353-4-36) and third baseman Josh Fields (.347-5-38) both earned preseason All-America accolades are are among the best in the nation at their respecitve positions. Outfielder Rod Allen, who transfered from Arizona State, leads the Cowboys in both homers (nine) and stolen bases (12-of-13) while hitting .294.

On the hill, OSU features one of the Big 12’s top pitchers in left-hander Spencer Grogan, who paces the league with 10 wins in 11 decisions. Grogan tops the league in both innings pitched (100.2) and complete games (five), while walking 13 hitters all season. Southpaw Thomas Cowley (3-2, 5.64 ERA) and right-hander Daniel Rew (5-5, 3.61 ERA) round out the Cowboys’ weekend starting rotation.

While Oklahoma State holds a commanding 103-64 lead in the all-time series dating back to 1919, Nebraska has enjoyed its best run of success in recent years, winning 11 of the past 12 meetings dating back to the 2000 Big 12 Tournament. Nebraska swept OSU in both 2001 and 2003 and took 2-of-3 in Stillwater two years ago, marking the first time since 1971 that Nebraska won a series in Stillwater.

Gordon Invited to USA National Team Trials
Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon was one of 19 players invited by USA Baseball to participate in the USA National Team Trials June 20-26 in Durham, N.C. Gordon was one of three Big 12 players invited, joining the Texas duo of J. Brent Cox and Taylor Teagarden. An additional 17 players will be invited later in the spring for the 20-man final roster. Gordon is bidding to become Nebraska’s first Team USA player since Paul Meyers was selected in 1985.

Gordon Stacks Up at Third
One of the main reasons for the Huskers’ offensive firepower has been the play of third baseman Alex Gordon. The sophomore has been a steady force in the middle of the Husker lineup, leading the Big Red in nearly every offensive category. Gordon, who was named to the Golden Spikes Watch List last month, also paces NU in multi-hit games (19) and multi-RBI efforts (16) and has been walked a team-high 35 times. The following is a comparison of Gordon against the preseason All-American third basemen picked by national publications.

Comparing Gordon with Preseason All-Americans
Name, School GP Avg. HR RBI Slg. OBP
Alex Gordon, Nebraska 44 .373 15 62 .789 .493
Gaby Sanchez, Miami 41 .331 4 30 .481 .388
Brad McCann, Clemson 44 .374 11 45 .648 .449
Josh Fields, Okla. State 44 .347 6 33 .538 .448
Michael Griffin, Baylor 46 .284 8 36 .472 .336
Neil Sellers, E. Kentucky 37 .353 8 51 .607 .425
Brett Carroll, Middle Tenn. St. 46 .333 10 37 .593 .396
Eddy Martinez-Esteve, FSU 46 .384 12 50 .670 .451
Updated as of 5/5

Ledbetter on a Tear
Junior first baseman Curtis Ledbetter has been nearly unstoppable since returning to the lineup on March 31. The 6-3, 220-pound junior first baseman is hitting .368 with all seven of his homers and 29 RBIs over the last 22 games, raising his season totals to .315-7-46. He was named the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Week three weeks ago, batting .563 with two homers, three doubles and five RBIs in four games. Ledbetter also leads the Huskers in game-winning RBIs with 10.

Ledbetter’s April Awakening
Date GP Avg. HR RBIs SLG OBP
Before 3/31 19 .256 0 17 .282 .322
Since 3/31 22 .368 7 29 .701 .418

Aces High

After playing a significant role in NU’s Big 12 title run last season, sophomore left-hander Zach Kroenke has become the ace of the 2004 staff. The Omaha Northwest product has followed in the footsteps of some of the best pitchers in school history, going 7-1 with a 2.37 ERA after his first 11 starts. Kroenke’s numbers are remarkably similar to former Big 12 Pitchers of the Year Shane Komine (2000-01) and Aaron Marsden (2003). Kroenke has a personal-best nine-game winning streak snapped at No. 1 Texas on April 23, before rebounding with a complete-game three-hitter vs. No. 10 Texas A&M last Friday. In fact, two of his three career losses have come against the nation’s top-ranked team (Rice in 2003; Texas in 2004).

11 Start Totals
Pitcher, Year ERA W-L IP BB-K .Avg.
Komine, 2000 2.03 7-3 79.2 19-114 .189
Komine, 2001 3.35 9-1 80.2 21-98 .264
Marsden, 2003 2.28 6-1 75.0 15-74 .235
Kroenke, 2004 2.37 7-1 76.0 19-60 .210

Shockey Does it All
After three years of seeing Jeff Leise patrol center field, junior college transfer Colin Shockey has made the transition look seemless this spring. While both are rather diminutive (Shockey - 5-10, 170; Leise - 5-10, 165), both have some pop in their bats. Leise had seven homers as a senior last spring, while Shockey is tied for third on the squad with 10 doubles. Shockey, who is third on the team with seven stolen bases, is third in the Big 12 with a .457 on-base percentage, bolstered by a team-high 15 hit-by-pitches.

Shockey comes from a baseball background, as his father, Curt, played at Kansas State in the early 1970s and is a longtime high school coach. Colin also brings versatility to the Huskers with his ability to play every position except catcher. On the mound, he has made four relief appearances, allowing three run in 4.1 innings of work. Shockey picked up the win in the series finale at Missouri, becoming the first Husker position player to earn a win since Jarod Bearinger in 1997. While Bearinger was primarily a pitcher, making eight starts in the field, Shockey has been entrenched in center field all spring and has not committed an error in 103 chances.

Center (fielders) of Attention (44-game totals)
Player, Year Avg. Runs Hits RBI OBP SB-ATT
Shockey ’04 .324 34 48 21 .457 7-14
Leise ?03 .330 37 59 27 .396 15-19

Gordon Honored Twice
Gordon was named to Baseball America’s mid-season All-America team in early April. The Lincoln native was one of 17 sophomores chosen for the team, which includes one starter at each position, one utility player and six pitchers (five starters and a reliever). Baseball America lists a team for each of the four classes.

He was also honored, as one of 30 players selected to the Golden Spikes Watch List. The Golden Spikes Award has been presented annually by USA Baseball since 1978 to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Gordon is one of four Big 12 players on the 30-player watch list, joining Texas’ pitching duo of J.P. Howell and Huston Street and Oklahoma State catcher Jason Jaramillo.

Grose Named to Johnny Bench Watch List
John Grose has been named to the Johnny Bench Watch List. The senior from Henderson, Nev., is a three-year starter for the Huskers and a career .300 hitter. Grose has thrown out nearly 35 percent of would-be base stealers this spring, as Nebraska has allowed only 27 stolen bases. Grose is one of 45 candidates on the initial Watch List. The list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on May 10, with the winner being named in early June.

Second (Base) to None

With the graduation of Big 12 Player of the Year Matt Hopper, one of the questions entering 2004 was who would supply some of Hopper’s home run power. Second baseman Jake Mullinax has become one of NU’s long ball hitters in 2004. The senior co-captain from Hesperia, Calif., is second on the team with six homers - including four in conference play. Mullinax, who also ranks among the Big 12 leaders with a .348 average and 12 sacrifices, has driven in a team-high 18 runs in Big 12 play.

Getting Defensive
Several defenders have played a key role in the Huskers ranking in the top 10 nationally in defense and on pace to shatter the school’s single-season fielding mark. First baseman Curtis Ledbetter has made just one error in 326 chances for a .997 fielding percentage, a percentage better than Ken Harvey’s .996 mark in 1999 - the year he was named Easton/Redline National Defensive Player of the Year. Up the middle, NU’s double play combination of Jake Mullinax and Joe Simokaitis have combined for 13 errors in 370 chances (.964 pct.). Simokaitis, who holds NU’s single-season record for assists (194 in 2003) is fifth in school annals with 431 career assists. In addition, center fielder Colin Shockey has not committed an error in 103 chances this season.

Pitchers Set Big 12 Shutout Streak Mark
In early April, the Nebraska pitching staff established a record with 43.1 scoreless innings. The record, which included 42 complete innings and parts of two others, broke the Big 12 record of 41 set by Texas in 2002. In all, the Husker pitchers tossed a pair of one-hitters, a three-hitter and a five-hitter before Kansas State scored a run in the fourth inning of NU’s win on April 4, marking the first run scored by a Husker opponent since March 28. Oklahoma held the Big Eight record with 31 straight scoreless innings in 1971, while Arizona State holds the NCAA mark with 64 straight scoreless innings back in 1972.

Ouch!
Husker hitters have been hit at an alarming rate in 2004, getting plunked an amazing 79 times in 41 contests. In all, Nebraska has been hit by three or more pitches 17 times, including a season-high six against UW-Milwaukee on March 30. Colin Shockey leads the Huskers with 15 HBPs, while Daniel Bruce has been hit 13 times, increasing his school record to 55 in 162 career games. At the current rate, NU’s projected 56-game regular-season total of 100 would set a school and Big 12 record, breaking Nebraska’s mark of 99 set two years ago.

Stingy Becker Cuts Out Inheritance
Left-hander Jeremy Becker has made a name for himself as one of the Big 12’s best situational relievers. While he does not have a save, the 5-11, 215-pounder from Scottsbluff has played a major role in NU’s success. He has allowed just three of 23 inherited runners to score in 2004. The academic All-America candidate went nearly an entire year (25 runners over his last 21 appearances) without allowing an inherited runner to score from April 25, 2003 to April 17, 2004.