Two Huskers Honored by Northwoods League

Lincoln ? A pair of Nebraska baseball players were honored this week for their exploits with selections to the Northwoods League All-Star team. Redshirt freshman Mike Nihsen and sophomore catcher Jeff Lanning were chosen in voting by the league’s managers, coaches and media released Tuesday.

Nihsen has played an instrumental role in Duluth capturing the North Division second-half title with a 26-8 record (53-25 overall), compiling a 9-2 record with a 1.04 ERA in 77.2 innings of work. The right-hander from Ralston has 40 strikeouts and just 16 walks while holding opponents to a .181 batting average. He is tied for the league lead in wins and is second in ERA after picking up the save in Duluth’s victory on Monday night.

Lanning was one of the league’s top newcomers, finishing the year with a .273 average, a homer and a team-best 24 RBIs in 35 games in the wood-bat league. A mid-season all-star, the Ankeny, Iowa, native led the Waterloo Bucks with 26 walks and hit an impressive .384 with runners on base. As a Husker, Lanning hit .300 in 14 games last spring while backing up Jeff Christy, a sixth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins.

The Huskers will return to campus this week and will participate in the annual Lincoln Paint-a-thon this Saturday, Aug. 19. For more information on Saturday’s Paint-a-thon activities, which will include the 2007 Huskers and the coaching staff, contact Assistant Media Relations Director Shamus McKnight at (402) 472-7772.