Huskers Travel to Houston for Rice InvitationalHuskers Travel to Houston for Rice Invitational
Baseball

Huskers Travel to Houston for Rice Invitational

Weekend Schedule - at Rice Invitational Presented by Academy Sports

Following the Huskers This Week

Day

Date

NU Rank

Matchup

Internet/TV

Time

Friday

Feb. 23

7/19/12

vs. TAMU-Corpus Christi (9-1)

HuskersNside

1 p.m.

Saturday

Feb. 24

7/19/12

at No. 6 Rice (6-4)

HuskersNside

1 p.m.

Sunday

Feb. 25

7/19/12

vs. No. 27 Florida Atlantic (9-0)

HuskersNside

Noon

Polls are in the following order: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly

Pitching Probables

Fri.

Drew Bowman, So., LHP
(0-0, 6.00 ERA, 4K, 3 IP)

TAMUCC

Will Norman, Jr., LHP
(2-0, 4.58 ERA, 15 K, 17.2 IP)

Sat.

Charlie Shirek, So., RHP
(1-0, 5.06 ERA, 2 K, 5.1 IP)

Rice

Ryan Berry, Fr., RHP
(2-0, 1.08 ERA, 17 K, 16.2 IP)

Sun.

Johnny Dorn, Jr., RHP
(0-1, 1.80 ERA, 4 K, 5.0 IP)

FAU

Brandon Cooney, Sr., RHP
(2-0, 4.67 ERA, 20 K, 17.1 IP)

The Nebraska baseball team returns to the state of Texas for the second time in as many weeks, as the Huskers travel to Houston for the Rice Invitational presented by Academy Sports. The three-day, four-team event features the host Owls, who are ranked as high as sixth nationally, along with No. 27 Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The four teams in this week’s tournament have combined for a 27-6 record. NU will take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m. on Friday, Rice on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Florida Atlantic on Sunday at Noon.

All three of Nebraska’s games this weekend can be viewed on-line on HuskersNside (subscription required) as the website will carry nearly all of the Huskers’ 2007 schedule, both home and away. Live stats for all four games this weekend will be on Huskers.com.
The Huskers, fresh off a 3-1 record in their opening weekend, remained seventh in the Collegiate Baseball poll, the highest of the four national polls, on Monday. NU stayed 19th in Baseball America and jumped from 14th to 12th in the NCBWA poll. NU, which practiced for the first time outdoors on Thursday night in Arlington, split with New Mexico on Friday before posting wins over UTA and Illinois State over the weekend.

Nebraska’s starting pitchers enjoyed a strong weekend performance, as the quartet of Tony Watson, Johnny Dorn, Charlie Shirek and Matt Foust went a combined 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA over the weekend. All four starters went at least five innings, as Watson and Foust each allowed only one run in their first outings of the year. NU’s bullpen was also effective over the weekend, going 3-for-3 in save opportunities, including two by Erik Bird and one by Zach Herr.

Offensively, the Huskers will get a boost this weekend with the return of first baseman/outfielder Andrew Brown, who missed the opening weekend of action. A second-team All-Big 12 performer last season, Brown hit .298 with eight homers and 30 RBIs last season. He was the Huskers’ hottest hitter at the end of the year, batting .355 with five homers in his final 16 games of 2006. Brown’s return also helps the Husker pitching staff because it also allows Thad Weber the opportunity to work out of the bullpen. Weber played first base exclusively last weekend in Brown’s absence.

Tournament Schedule

Friday, Feb. 23

  • 1 p.m. TAMU-Corpus Christi vs. Nebraska
  • 4:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic vs. Rice

Saturday, Feb. 24

  • 1 p.m. Nebraska vs. Rice
  • 4:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic vs. TAMU-Corpus Christi

Sunday, Feb. 25

  • Noon Nebraska vs. Florida Atlantic
  • 3:30 p.m. TAMU-Corpus Christi vs. Rice

Leading Off
?-Nebraska has annually participated in one of Rice’s early-season tournaments, as the 2007 campaign marks the eighth time in nine years that NU has played in one of the Owls’ events. NU is 11-9 all-time, including a 2-1 record last season. The only time NU did not participate in one of the tournaments was in 2003 when the Huskers faced Rice in a single game at Reckling Park.

NU’s History at Rice Tournaments
Year Record  Results
1999 2-1 (W, Nicholls State; L-Rice; W-Jacksonville St.)
2000  1-2  (L-Northwestern State, L-Rice, W-Arkansas St.)
2001  1-2  (L-Rice, W-Lamar; L, Georgia Tech)
2002  1-2  (W-New Mexico; L-Rice; L-Wake Forest)
2004  2-1  (W-Northwestern State; L-Rice; W-No. Carolina)
2005  2-0  (W-New Mexico; W-Rice)
2006  2-1  (W-Texas State; L-Rice; W-St. John’s)

?-The Huskers got off to quick starts at UTA, scoring at least one run in three of the first four contests, including three runs against UTA on Feb. 17.
?-Seven newcomers (Mitch Abeita, DJ Belfonte, Drew Bowman, Craig Corriston, Mike Nihsen, Jeff Tezak and Thad Weber) all saw their first action as Huskers over the weekend. Belfonte, the only true freshmen to earn playing time at the UTA Tournament, hit .286 with an on-base percentage of .643, as he drew five walks and was hit by a pair of pitches.
?-Junior Steve Edlefsen enjoyed two firsts during Friday’s day-night doubleheader against New Mexico. He made his first pitching performance in the ninth inning of the opener before making his first career start in right field in the nightcap.
?-Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are the only two first-time opponents on the 2007 Husker baseball schedule. NU has not played a team from the state of Florida in the regular season since facing Florida State at the 2004 Dairy Queen Classic in the Metrodome. 
?-Nebraska has won its last six season openers and is 5-0 in season-opening games under Head Coach Mike Anderson.
?- Nebraska has scored at least one run in each of its last 194 games dating back to the start of the 2004 campaign. The streak is the longest in the Big 12, while NU has scored in 525 of the last 526 games dating back to 1998.
?-Nebraska is one of only seven teams in all of Division I baseball to post team ERAs below 4.00 in each of the last five years, joining Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Oral Roberts, Rice, Texas and Wichita State.

?-After 23 practices indoors to start the season, the Huskers worked out for the first time outdoors in Arlington on Feb. 15, going straight from the airport to the UTA ballpark.

Weekend Review
Despite just one outdoor practice prior to the opener, the Huskers opened the season with a 3-1 record, winning the UTA Hilton Invitational last weekend.

Friday Game 1(NU 6, New Mexico 2): Tony Watson scattered four runs over six frames, while Craig Corriston had two hits and three RBIs, leading NU to a 6-2 victory over New Mexico in Friday’s season opener. Watson fanned four and didn’t allow a hit after the second inning to collect his first win. Corriston went 2-for-3 in his Husker debut, while Jake Opitz also had a pair of hits in the win.

Friday Game 2 (New Mexico 6, NU 2): The Huskers were unable to complete the day-night sweep, falling to New Mexico, 6-2, Friday evening. UNM starter Bobby Lafromboise scattered three hits and struck out nine over eight frames. Andy Gerch and Bryce Nimmo drove in the Huskers’ two runs in the losing effort, while Johnny Dorn allowed two runs over five innings to suffer the loss.

Saturday (Nebraska 5, UTA 4): The Huskers took advantage of four UTA errors and used a strong performance from their bullpen to down UTA, 5-4, Saturday afternoon. The Husker relievers combined for 3.2 innings of one-run ball with Erik Bird pitching the Huskers out of jams in both the eighth and ninth innings for his second save. Nebraska scored three in the first and jumped to a 4-0 lead.  Thad Weber and Jeff Lanning had three hits apiece for the Huskers in the win, while Ryan Wehrle added his first homer of the season.

Sunday (Nebraska 7, Illinois State 3): The Huskers rode a strong start from Matt Foust and Andy Gerch’s first career five-hit day to top Illinois State and win the UTA Hilton Invitational title. Foust, making his second career start, allowed one run on four hits over five innings to collect his first win as a Husker. Gerch led NU’s 12-hit attack with a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate. Craig Corriston and Thad Weber drove in two runs apiece for the Huskers.

Scouting the Rice Invitational Field
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9-1): Under interim coach Gene Salazar, the Islanders are an impressive 9-1 on the season entering this weekend’s action. TAMUCC, which went 20-31 in its last year as an independent, suffered its first loss of the season against Texas-Pan American on Tuesday. As a team, the Islanders are hitting .376 on the year with eight starters hitting .320 or better. First baseman Jason Graham leads TAMUCC with a .485 average, while DH Chris Widner (.444-1-10) and third baseman Martin Parra (.432-0-10) are both well above .400 and have at least 10 RBIs. The Islanders have not announced their starter for Friday’s game, which will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Rice (6-4): After a third-place finish at the 2006 CWS, the Owls are near the top of the polls and are ranked as high as sixth nationally this week. The Owls, who have a pair of wins over Long Beach State and a win over Baylor, are led by a potent pitching staff. Rice has a team ERA of 1.69 through 10 games and has allowed just 25 runs. All three weekened starters have ERAs under 1.50, while probable starter Ryan Berry is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA, striking out 17 over 16.2 innings of work. Outfielder Chad Lembeck tops the Owls with a .270 average, while center fielder Tyler Henley is hitting .263 with a homer and team-best seven RBIs. Rice leads the all-time series, 15-11, including a 3-2 victory last February in Reckling Park.

Florida Atlantic (9-0): The Owls have raced out to a 9-0 start heading into this weekend’s action. FAU, which joined the Sun Belt Conference this spring, moved into the national polls at No. 27 this week after winning its tournament last week, including a victory over nationally ranked Oklahoma State. FAU’s offense has been the major story, hitting .403 as a team and reaching double figures in five of its first nine contests. Center fielder Daniel Cook paces the Owls’ attack, hitting .556 with two homers and 10 RBIs while also going 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts. Shortstop Daniel Bomback is also hitting .500 with four homers and 12 RBIs. Right-hander Brandon Cooney is expected to start Sunday’s finale. He has a 2-0 record and 4.67 ERA in three starts. Sunday’s matchup will be the first between the schools since FAU began its baseball program in 1981.

Lanning Catches on Quickly
One of the biggest questions entering the 2007 season was who would replace catcher Jeff Christy, a two-year starter and sixth-round draft pick.  Sophomore Jeff Lanning made a solid first impression during the season’s opening weekend, hitting a team-best .500 (5-for-10) in sparking NU to a 3-1 week. Lanning’s five hits nearly equaled his entire 2006 total, as he appeared in 14 games a year ago. He is second in the Big 12 in hitting and tops all Big 12 players with a .583 on-base percentage. He is one of three catchers who started games over the weekend, as junior Mark Hightower and junior college transfer Mitch Abeita also saw time behind the plate.

Gerch Finishes Weekend Strong
After struggling to find his stroke to begin the season, outfielder Andy Gerch closed the weekend with a flourish. The junior, who was limited to a DH role last season after shoulder surgery, enjoyed the first five-hit game of his career against Illinois State on Feb. 18, going 5-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases. It was the first time Gerch had at least four hits in a game since the 2005 Big 12 Tournament while his two stolen bases also established a career best.

Bird Cages Opponents
One Husker pitcher in a new role this season is sophomore closer Erik Bird. The right-hander from Omaha worked as NU’s set-up man for All-Big 12 closer Brett Jensen in 2006, but has seemlessly moved into the closer’s role this spring. Bird went 2-for-2 in save situations over the weekend, getting NU out of a ninth-inning bases-loaded jam in the opener against New Mexico on Feb. 16. He entered the game with a 2-0 count then proceeded to strikeout the batter he faced on four pitches. Against UTA the following day, Bird, who is second in the league in saves, entered with runners on the corners and NU clinging to a one-run lead. He retired the next two hitters and pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many days.

Three Huskers Rank Among Top Draft Prospects
Three Huskers are ranked among the top 100 draft-eligible players in college for June’s Major League Baseball Draft. The list is headed by junior left-hander Tony Watson, who is rated No. 28, while shortstop Ryan Wehrle (No. 38) and right-hander Charlie Shirek (No. 62) aslo crack the list. Of the three players, only Tony Watson - a 23rd round pick out of high school - was drafted before attending NU.
 
Baseball America’s Top Big 12 Prospects for 2007 Draft
No. Player, Pos. Yr. School Previous Draft
9. Matt Mangini, 3b Jr. OSU Never Drafted
28. Tony Watson, lhp Jr. Nebraska Orioles ?06 (17)
38. Ryan Wehrle, ss Jr. Nebraska Reds ?06 (18)
39. Corey Brown, of Jr. OSU Never Drafted
49. Brad Suttle, 3b So. Texas Angels ?05 (21)
53. Randy Boone, rhp Sr. Texas Twins ?06 (38)
56. Miles Morgan, rhp So. Texas Tech Never Drafted
57. Preston Clark, c So. Texas Indians ?04 (39)
62. Charlie Shirek, rhp So. Nebraska Never Drafted
79. Kyle Russell, of So. Texas Never Drafted
94. Joe Dunigan, of Jr. Oklahoma Expos ?04 (41)

Two Huskers Earn Preseason Recognition
A pair of Nebraska baseball players have been honored during the preseason, as Tony Watson and Ryan Wehrle have been named preseason All-Americans by various organizations.

Watson, a first-team selection by the NCBWA, was also tabbed by Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com in their preseason predictions.  He compiled an impressive 10-2 mark with a 2.78 ERA in 17 appearances in 2006, ranking among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (third), wins (fourth), opponent batting average (.236, fifth) and innings pitched (100.1) in his first full season as a starter.

Wehrle, a third-team selection by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball, anchors a Husker infield that returns three starters. In 2006, he became the first Husker shortstop in 21 seasons to earn first-team all-conference honors, hitting a team-best .367 with eight homers and 49 RBIs. Wehrle led NU in average and ranked second on the squad in RBIs, while also going a perfect 14-for-14 on the base paths. A two-year starter, Wehrle also enjoyed a strong performance in the field, posting a .949 fielding percentage while starting 57 contests.

Watson, Wehrle Lauded by Baseball America
Two Huskers were honored in Baseball America’s preseason issue. Shortstop Ryan Wehrle and left-hander Tony Watson were both tabbed as first-team selections, with Watson being chosen as the Big 12’s Pitcher of the Year.

Two Husker Games Set for National TV
The Nebraska baseball team will make at least two national television appearances this spring, as the Big 12 released its 2007 baseball broadcast schedule earlier this month.   The Huskers will face Oklahoma on Saturday, April 14, at 3 p.m. on FSN before taking on defending Big 12 champion Texas in a match-up of the league’s last two regular-season champions on Saturday, April 21.
NU’s game against the Longhorns will mark FSN’s first game broadcast from Hawks Field at Haymarket Park since the park opened in 2002. The national telecast also means a later start time, as the game, originally slated for 2:05 p.m., now has a first pitch time of 3 p.m.

Huskers Picked Third in the Big 12
The Nebraska baseball team was picked to finish third in the preseason vote of the Big 12 coaches. The Huskers, who finished 42-17 and reached NCAA Regional play for the seventh time in eight seasons in 2006, totaled 64 points in the voting of the league’s 10 coaches. NU tied for third in the Big 12 last season with a 17-10 league mark and reached the title game of the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.
NU finished behind defending Big 12 champion Texas and Oklahoma State in the tabulation. The Longhorns totaled 79 points and seven of the 10 first-place votes. Oklahoma State totaled 70 points and two first-place votes, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Texas A&M received the other first-place vote. Following Nebraska in the poll was Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Missouri, Kansas and Kansas State.

Baseball 101 is a Big Hit
During the first week of baseball practice, the Nebraska baseball team hosted Baseball 101, a one-day clinic put on by the Husker coaches and players to raise money for City Impact. The event had nearly 100 participants and raised over $3,000 for children in Lincoln’s Urban neighborhoods.

Swing for a Cure Reaches Goal
The Huskers wrapped up fall drills by raising money for former Husker Jed Morris to aide him in his fight against acute lymphocytic leukemia. The Husker coaches and players raised money for Morris’ medical bills, culminating with a full day of batting practice for fans at Hawks Field. The event raised more than $11,000. Morris, who played baseball at NU in 2001 and 2002, hopes to return to professional baseball this summer.

Seven Draftees on 2007 Husker Roster
Nebraska’s 2007 roster boasts a total of seven Huskers who have been previously selected in the annual Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The list is led by pitcher Tony Watson, who was drafted in the 23rd round out of high school and in the 17th round by Baltimore last summer.