Huskers Smash Shockers, 11-0

Lincoln ? Sophomore Jon Klausing allowed one hit over seven shutout innings, leading the fourth-ranked Nebraska baseball team to an 11-0 victory over Wichita State Tuesday evening at Hawks Field.

Klausing, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound left-hander from Arvada, Colo., baffled the Shockers, retiring the first 14 hitters he faced while allowing only one ball out of the infield over his first six no-hit innings, as the Huskers upped their record to 33-6 heading into a weekend series with Texas Tech.

The Huskers have tossed back-to-back shutouts, as the 11-0 win over Wichita State (31-15) joined their 6-0 win over No. 5 Texas in Austin on Sunday. Overall, NU pitchers have not allowed a run in their last 20 innings.

Klausing (4-0) had retired 23 straight batters over two outings before Tyler Hill reached on a fielding error by Brandon Buckman with two outs in the fifth. Klausing retired the final nine hitters he faced in his first start of the year against Nebraska-Kearney on April 19. Klausing then walked Brandon Hall, but got out of the only jam of the night by getting Brian Spear to ground out to second.

"It was a great night, especially for Jon Klausing," Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "He just did a fantastic job keeping them off balance all night."

Klausing did not allow a hit until Derek Schermerhorn produced a one-out single through the infield in the seventh, but Schermerhorn was quickly erased on Conor Gillaspie’s inning-ending double play. Klausing came out for the eighth, but didn’t throw a pitch, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd of 2,416 on a chilly and damp spring evening in Lincoln.

"I just wanted to go out there and throw strikes and throw it low," Klausing said after getting 16 groundouts over his seven innings of work.

Nebraska gave Klausing all the run support he needed in the first inning on a two-run double by Buckman off WSU left-hander Kris Johnson. Jeff Christy, who had two of NU’s seven hits, singled with one out, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Ryan Wehrle then walked to put runners on the corners before Buckman plated both runners with a double to left center.

Those would be the only runs Johnson (4-1) would give up over his five innings of work, as he suffered his first career loss in 15 decisions. With the loss, Wichita State dipped to 31-15, as they had won seven of their previous eight games.

The Huskers, who have won 15 of their last 16 games, broke the game open late, scoring three times in the sixth before adding six runs in the eighth with Buckman, Christy and Wehrle each playing major roles in the Huskers' six-run eighth. All three Huskers finished with two hits apiece in the win.

Christy was walked to open the sixth by reliever Khol Nanney before Wehrle’s double to right gave NU a 3-0 lead. The Huskers eventually loaded the bases before Noah Booth hit Jake Opitz for one run and Jake Mort coaxed a bases loaded walk to give Klausing a five-run cushion.

NU struck again in the eighth, plating six runs all with two outs, including a two-run single by Christy, an RBI double by Wehrle and a two-run single by Buckman, who finished with four RBIs on the evening.

The Huskers return to Big 12 play on Friday night, as they host the Texas Tech Red Raiders. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be shown on Cox Cable in Omaha, Time Warner Cable in Lincoln and surrounding areas and in the western part of the state on Charter Media. The game will also be carried state-wide on radio by the Pinnacle Sports Network. Huskers.com will provide a live audio broadcast and live stats.