Huskers Host Baylor in Home Finale

Nebraska Baseball Update
2007 Record (25-20, 10-11 Big 12)
Rankings: NR (CB) ? NR (BA) ? NR (Sports Weekly) ? NR (NCBWA)

This Week’s Schedule

Day	Date	Matchup	Radio	Time
Fri.	May 11	Baylor (27-21, 8-13 Big 12)	Husker Sports Network	6:35 p.m.
Sat.	May 12	Baylor (27-21, 8-13 Big 12)	Husker Sports Network	2:05 p.m.
Sun.	May 13	Baylor (27-21, 8-13 Big 12)	Husker Sports Network	1:05 p.m.

Probable Starters

Fri.

NU-Tony Watson, Jr., LHP (5-3, 3.04 ERA, 70 K, 80 IP)

 

BU-Jeff Mandel, Sr., RHP (5-7, 4.66 ERA, 66 K, 75.1 IP)

Sat.

NU-Johnny Dorn, Jr., RHP (7-2, 4.94 ERA, 49 K, 71 IP)

 

BU-Randall Linebaugh, Jr., RHP (2-5, 5.72 ERA, 39 K, 61.1 IP)

Sun.

NU-Luke Wertz, Jr., RHP (2-0, 1.72 ERA, 41 K, 36.2 IP)

 

BU-Kendal Volz, Fr., RHP (5-1, 4.82 ERA, 40 K, 52.1 IP)

Follow the Huskers This Week
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (see network list on page 4) and for free on Huskers.com
TV: Saturday’s game will be shown live statewide on NET (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112) and on tape-delay on CSTV (Ch. 610 on DirecTV; Ch. 152 on Dish Network) on Monday, May 14 at 5 p.m. (central)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Video: HuskersNside (Friday and Sunday); Huskers.com (Saturday)

Huskers Host Bears in Home Finale
Lincoln -- The Nebraska baseball team returns to Big 12 action this weekend, as the Huskers host Baylor for a three-game series at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The series commences Friday night with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch with afternoon contests slated for both Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and Sunday (1:05 p.m.).

General Admission seats for all three games are available for $7 and $5 and can be purchased at the Hawks Field Ticket window beginning 90 minutes prior to first pitch, while UNL Students get in free with their student ID. Fans can also use their original tickets from any of the five games that were affected from weather earlier this season (see note on page 2) for general admission seats for any of this weekend’s games.

All three games this weekend will be carried across the state on the 22-station Husker Sports Network, including flagship stations KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington and on the Internet at Huskers.com. In addition, all three games will also be video-streamed for HuskersNside subscribers. Live stats will also be available for the weekend series.

Saturday’s contest will also be carried to a state wide audience, as the game will be shown live on Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1, Ch. 12; NET-HD, Ch. 112) and tape-delayed on CSTV (Monday at 5 p.m. central). It is the fourth of five regular-season games shown statewide on NET during the 2007 season.

The Huskers (25-20, 10-11 Big 12) are eager to get back on the field after having the finale game of last weekend’s series with Coastal Carolina rained out on Sunday. The Huskers, who are ranked No. 22 in the NCAA’s latest RPI released Wednesday, have won three of the last four conference series to get within a game of the .500 mark in Big 12 play. With a strong finish, the Huskers could finish as high as third in the league.

One Husker who has been hot at the plate in recent games is junior catcher Mitch Abeita, who is hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles and four walks during his current five-game hit streak, raising his season average to .286. Nebraska also received a boost from the return of Jake Mort to the everyday lineup after he had been limited for the past month because of a shoulder injury. The sophomore third baseman from Nebraska City started both games against Coastal Carolina, hitting .375 (3-for-8) with a .500 on-base percentage.

Baylor comes to town with a 27-21 record following Wednesday’s 16-4 victory over Texas Southern in their first action since May 1. The Bears, who did not play last weekend because of finals, are 8-13 in Big 12 action and are currently in eighth place in the league race.

Busy Weekend Planned vs. Baylor
Several events are planned in conjunction with this weekend’s final regular-season home series against Baylor.

• Saturday (Parents Day): The parents of the 2007 Huskers will be honored prior to Saturday’s game.
• Saturday (Jr. Home Run Club Day): Members of the Husker Junior Home Run Club will run the bases and have an autograph session with the Huskers following the game.
• Sunday (Senior Day): Andrew Brown will be honored in pregame ceremonies.
• Sunday (Jr. HRC Starting Lineups): Members of the Junior Home Run Club will join the Huskers on the field for the starting lineup.
• Sunday (Jr. HRC Baseball Clinic): The Huskers will host a free youth clinic for junior Home Run Club members. This event was originally scheduled for last Sunday, but moved to May 16 because of the rainout.

For more information on any of the Junior Home Run Club events or to sign up, contact the Husker baseball office at (402) 472-2269.

Last Chance to Use Rainout Tickets
With this weekend’s series against Baylor closing out the home portion of the 2007 regular-season schedule, it is the last opportunity to use the tickets from the five home games affected by weather this season.

Fans can use the original tickets from the following games for General Admission seating for any game this weekend at Hawks Field.

2007 Rainout Tickets - Good for GA Seats this Weekend

Opponent

Ticket No.

Original Date

Nebraska-Kearney

1

March 6

Oklahoma State

10

April 5

North Dakota State

18

April 24

North Dakota State

19

April 25

Coastal Carolina

25

May 6

Leading Off
?-The Huskers have not shied away from tough competition this spring, as their schedule is rated as the second-toughest nationally of the 293 teams playing Division I baseball. In addition to playing in a conference which is rated second nationally in RPI, the two other non-conference series were at Alabama and against Big South leader Coastal Carolina.

Strength of Schedule (as of May 7)

No

School

SOS

W-L

Win Pct.

1.

Florida

.5988

1419-848

.6259

2.

Nebraska

.5964

1233-720

.6313

3.

Wake Forest

.5920

1412-858

.6220

4.

Mississippi

.5915

1369-860

.6142

5.

Miami

.5886

1349-843

.6154

?-Nebraska is one of seven Big 12 teams ranked in the top-40 in the latest RPI released by the NCAA this week. As a league, the Big 12 is second to the SEC in conference RPI this season.

?-All-American Tony Watson has been a stalwart at the top of the Husker rotation in Big 12 play. He is 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA, while his 7.95 innings per appearance not only tops all Big 12 pitchers, but is the highest by a Husker pitcher in the Big 12 era (1997-present).

Highest Average/Game in Conference Since 1997

No.

Pitcher

Avg/Start

Year

1.

Tony Watson

7.95

2007

2.

Shane Komine

7.77

2000

3.

Shane Komine

7.40

2001

4.

Aaron Marsden

7.22

2002

5.

Aaron Marsden

7.15

2003

?-Nebraska has nine comeback wins this season, most recently against Kansas State on April 27.

?-The Huskers have played 15 of their last 21 games against top-25 clubs over the six weeks.

?-With two weeks left in the regular season, the field for the Big 12 Championship is far from set. All 10 teams are alive for the eight spots, while only Texas and Missouri have claimed tournament berths.

?-The 2007 Husker Power Baseball Lifter of the Year will be presented prior to Friday’s series opener with Baylor. The four finalists for the award are pitcher Johnny Dorn and outfielders Andy Gerch, Bryce Nimmo, Nick Sullivan. Dorn, who shared the 2006 award with Jeff Christy, will look to become the first baseball player to repeat as Lifter of the Year since the award was created in 1999.

?-Nebraska’s pitching has been solid in Big 12 action, posting a team ERA of 3.78 to rank second in the league. In fact, Nebraska and Texas are the only two schools with ERAs under 4.00 in Big 12 play. The Husker pitching staff is also second in the league in opponent batting average (.253), fewest walks per game (3.16) and strikeouts per game (8.38).

?-Nebraska’s bullpen has been just has good in conference play, posting a 2.26 ERA and a 71-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 67.2 innings this season.

?-Nebraska is second for the Big 12 lead with 14 saves this season, a total that ranks fourth on single-season charts. Five pitchers have at least one save, including four by Steve Edlefsen and Matt Foust and three by Erik Bird.

?-NU has gotten off to fast starts this season, outscoring its opponents 44-22 in the opening inning of games, as the first inning is the Huskers’ highest-scoring inning this season.

?-The Huskers are second in the Big 12 with 59 sacrifices this season, as 13 players have recorded at least one sacrifice bunt this year.

?-Several Huskers have enjoyed their best success in two-out situations during the 2007 season. Andy Gerch has driven in 17 of his 21 runs with two outs, while Jake Opitz (18 of 33) and Craig Corriston (13 of 31) have combined to drive in nearly half their runs in two-out situations.

?-As of Thursday morning, 12,716 tickets have been sold for next Tuesday’s game between Nebraska and Creighton, as the season series is tied at one game apiece. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster locations across the state of Nebraska (402-475-1212 in Lincoln; 402-422-1212 in Omaha) or by going to www.Ticketmaster.com

?-Nebraska has already had three double-digit hit streaks (Jeff Tezak-15; Andrew Brown-15; Andy Gerch-10), which is more than last season’s entire team total (2).

?-Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson became the fourth Husker coach to reach 200 career wins in a 5-2 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma State on April 6. He is now eight wins away from moving into third place on NU’s career wins list.

?-Nebraska’s triple play against Northern Colorado on March 28 was the first one by the Huskers since the 1998 season and only the sixth in Big 12 history (since 1997). The Huskers join Texas A&M as the only teams to turn more than one triple play, while the last two in league play have both involved the Huskers.

?-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.

Weekend Recap
Friday (Coastal Carolina 8, Nebraska 4): Jeff Tezak went 2-for-4 with an RBI, but it was not enough, as the Nebraska baseball team fell to No. 18 Coastal Carolina, 8-3, Friday evening at Hawks Field. The Chanticleers (37-9) took advantage of Nebraska starter Tony Watson’s early struggles, jumping to a 5-1 lead after three and a half innings en route to victory. Dom Duggan and Derek Martin had two hits and drove in two runs apiece for Coastal Carolina, as Duggan’s two-run homer in the fourth gave the visitors a four-run cushion. Watson, who was 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in his last six starts, fell to 5-2 with the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. Tezak was the only Husker who had more than one hit, as the Huskers could not take advantage of nine CCU walks and two hit batters, leaving 14 runners stranded.

Saturday (Coastal Carolina 5, NU 4):Nebraska’s late rally fell one hit short, as the Huskers fell to Coastal Carolina, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field.Trailing 5-3, the Huskers rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring one run and getting the tying run to third before Coastal Carolina snuffed out the Huskers’ comeback hopes. Jeff Tezak’s RBI single pulled NU within a run and the Huskers put runners on the corners before the comeback ended. Jake Mort and Mitch Abeita had two hits apiece, as the Nos. 7-9 hitters in the Husker lineup went 5-for-10 to account for half of the Huskers’ 10 hits. Belfonte drove in a pair of runs, while Abeita’s second-inning RBI single accounted for Nebraska’s other run. Johnny Dorn pitched well in a no-decision, as the right-hander took a shutout into the fifth before Coastal Carolina nicked him for three runs over the next two frames. Dorn scattered seven hits and struck out four over six innings and left with the score tied at 3-3.

Scouting Baylor
Baylor enters the weekend with a 27-21 record and a three-game winning streak following Wednesday’s win over Texas Southern. The Bears, who did not play last weekend because of final exams, are eighth in the Big 12 race with an 8-13 mark and have dropped their last two league series.

Third baseman Raynor Campbell leads the Bears with a .345 average while adding three fours and 23 RBIs, as one of three Baylor players hitting over .300. Shortstop Beamer Weems is the bears top offensive threat, topping BU in both homers (seven) and RBIs (44) while hitting .314 on the season.

On the mound, the Bears have relied on right-hander Jeff Mandel, who is 5-7 on the season in a team-high 75.1 innings of work. He is one of three BU pitchers with at least five wins, joining closer Nic Cassavechia (5-1, 2.92 ERA, 8 SV) and Sunday starter Kendal Volz (5-1, 4.82 ERA).

Baylor leads the all-time series, 27-18-1, including Big 12 Tournament title games in 1999, 2000 and 2005. In Lincoln, Nebraska has won eight of 14 meetings, including four of the six meetings at Hawks Field since 1993.

Team Comparison

Huskers

Category

Baylor

45

Games

48

.285

Batting Average

.288

1443

At Bats

1606

5.8

Runs/Game

6.6

9.6

Hits/Game

9.6

28

Home Runs

34

50-66

Stolen Bases

43-57

     

3.97

ERA

4.41

397.0

Innings

416.2

4.9

Runs Allowed/Game

5.3

359

Strikeouts

347

163

Walks

148

8.5

Hits Allowed/Game

9.7

63

Errors

64

.964

Fielding Percentage

.965

Husker Ace Has Been Dealing
All-American pitcher Tony Watson has returned to his dominant form after a slow start and is making a strong case for Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.  The junior left-hander has been outstanding over the past seven weeks, going 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA, striking out 51 and walking 10 over his last 57.1 innings. He has posted wins over nationally ranked Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Texas in that span.

The stretch began with a 10-inning performance against Missouri on March 23 where he allowed one unearned run and struck out seven in a no-decision en route to earning Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week accolades. Against No. 13 Oklahoma State on April 6, he tossed a complete game, striking out a career-high 12 hitters without a walk. Three weeks ago against No. 4 Texas, Watson tossed a two-hit shutout in a 96-pitch gem.

A Closer Look at Watson

Starts

W-L

ERA

IP

H

R

ER

BB

K

Opp BA

Before 3/15

1-1

4.76

22.2

23

16

12

11

19

.256

After 3/15

4-2

2.35

57.1

44

18

15

10

51

.219

In conference action, Watson is in the top 10 in every major pitching categoty and leads all conference pitchers in five categories.

Watson in Big 12 Games

Category

No

Rank

Innings

55.2

1st

IP/Start

7.95

1st

Shutouts

1

t-1st

Complete Games

2

t-1st

Strikeouts

49

2nd

Wins

4

4th

ERA

2.43

5th (2nd among full-time starters)

Opponent Avg.

.219

7th (4th among full-time starters)

Watson’s performance against Oklahoma State on April 6 marked just the fifth time in the last nine years where a Husker pitcher had at least 12 strikeouts without issuing a

Elementry, Watson, Elementry
Left-hander Tony Watson collected his third piece of Big 12 hardware in the last month, as he was selected as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week following his two-hit shutout of No. 4 Texas. Watson struck out six and did not allow a Longhorn baserunner to reach third, in handing UT its first shutout since last April.

"(Watson) had control of the whole environment. It was pretty impressive. The truth of the matter is it was brilliant."

- Texas Coach Augie Garrido after Watson’s two-hit shutout

Watson became the first Husker pitcher to earn three Big 12 weekly honors since Aaron Marsden in 2003. In fact, the only two other Huskers to accomplish the feat were chosen as the league’s Pitcher of the Year in those seasons.

The Kid is All Right
Freshman DJ Belfonte has become an ideal leadoff hitter for the Huskers this spring. The outfielder from Kansas City is hitting .313 from the leadoff spot while appearing in 44 of 45 games this season and is making a strong case for Freshman All-America honors.

He leads NU in five offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.451), walks (29), hit-by-pitches (13), multi-hit games (14) and sacrifices (12) and is second on the team in runs scored (33) and stolen bases (10).

Belfonte, who leads all Big 12 freshmen in walks and sacrifices, has been even better against the Big 12, ranking among the league’s best in several categories, including batting average (.350, 11th), hits (28, ninth), on-base percentage (.459, sixth), runs (21, fourth) and walks (14, sixth). In fact, he leads all freshmen in those five categories in Big 12 play.

Belfonte is challeging serveral other areas as well. He is looking to become only the fourth true freshmen starter to hit over .300 since 1999 and could be the first freshmen to lead NU in walks since 1998 and the first freshmen to ever lead NU in runs scored.

Husker Freshmen Hitting .300 Since 1999 (min 125 AB)

Player

Avg.

Year

John Cole

.396

1999

Matt Hopper*

.352

2000

Alex Gordon

.319

2003

DJ Belfonte

.313

2007

*-Redshirt Freshman

   

Dorn Climbs Husker Win List
With his win against Kansas State on April 28, Johnny Dorn moved one spot closer to second place on NU’s career wins list. The junior right-hander is 28-8 in his career and now is two wins away from tying Jeff Anderson for second place on NU’s all-time list.

Of Dorn’s 28 career wins, 10 have been in Big 12 series clinchers over the past three seasons. Of the 14 chances he has had to win a series, Dorn has come through on 10 of them, including including five as a freshmen when he went 12-2 en route to All-America honors.

The wins chart is one of three top-10 lists that Dorn is on, as he ranks seventh on NU’s career starts list (39) and eighth all-time in innings pitched (258.1).

With his 40th career start on Saturday against Baylor, Dorn could jump up into sixth place on NU’s career innings list, passing Zach Kronke (260.2, 2003-05) and John Lepley (264.1, 1985-88).

What Can Brown Do for You?
First baseman Andrew Brown has been one of the Big 12’s hottest players over the second half of the year. The senior from Carrollton, Texas, is hitting .361 with four homers, 14 doubles and 20 RBIs over his last 24 games, raising his average from .239 to .311 in the process. He is now among the Big 12 leaders in doubles (19, third), homers (eight, 10th) and slugging percentage (.579, ninth), as more than half of his 51 hits this season have been for extra bases.

The surge began on March 25 with a four-hit game, including three doubles, against Missouri and featured a career-high 15 game hit streak. Two weeks ago, Brown powered the Huskers to a series win over Kansas State, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with two homers and five RBIs. A second-team All-Big 12 designated hitter in 2006, he led NU to a series win at No. 23 Oklahoma, hitting .583 with five runs scored and three doubles over the weekend. He tied his career high with four hits in the series finale on April 15.

A Closer Look at Brown

Games

AVG

R

H

2B

HR

RBIs

Slug.

First 17

.239

15

16

4

4

14

.478

Last 19

.361

24

35

14

4

20

.649

The Bryce is Right in Center
After missing nine games with a shoulder injury, center fielder Bryce Nimmo has been a consistent performer at the bottom of the Husker lineup.

Since returning to the lineup on March 21, Nimmo is hitting .322 with eight stolen bases and 15 runs scored in his last 26 contests after hitting just .200 in his first nine games. He leads the Huskers with 11 stolen bases and has been solid defensively in center field, where his speed helps him cover most of the outfield.

In Big 12 action, Nimmo has been even better, hitting .333 to rank 17th in the league in hitting. He hit .333 with two runs scored in the series win over K-State and enjoyed his best weekend at No. 23 Oklahoma, hitting .455 (5-for-11) with three RBIs, two walks and a pair of stolen bases.

Foust Has Been a Find
One of the biggest surprises for the Husker staff has been the emergence of junior Matt Foust. The right-hander had pitched only 12.2 innings prior to this season, but has become one of the Huskers’ most reliable arms this season. He is 1-3 with a 3.56 ERA and four saves in a team-best 20 games, ranking 11th in ERA while holding opponents to a .241 batting average.

In conference play, Foust has been one of the Huskers’ most reliable relievers, posting three saves and a 1.65 ERA in his eight relief stints, holding hitters to a .164 average. His three saves in conference action are second only to Texas’ Randy Boone among league closers. In addition, he has been used as an occasional starter this season and had his best effort against Creighton, allowing two runs over a career-long eight innings, but took the loss in a 2-1 setback.

Pitching Efforts Wertz Waiting For
Throughout 2007, the Huskers have been looking for a third weekend starter to join veterans Tony Watson and Johnny Dorn, and they have seemingly found it with the development of junior Luke Wertz.

The right-hander from Parker, Colo., has become one of the Huskers’ top performers during the season, going 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in 12 appearances. He has struck out 41 and walked only nine in 36.2 innings and has been at his best over the last six weeks.

In his last 10 outings, he is 2-0 with a 0.80 ERA while holding opponents to a .170 average in that span. Wertz has allowed just one earned run in his last 23.1 innings of work and is currently riding a streak of not allowing an earned run over his last 22 innings.

He picked the perfect time to turn in the best relief effort of his career, clinching NU’s series win over No. 23 Oklahoma on April 15. The right-hander went a career-high 8.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits for his first-ever Big 12 win. Wertz retired 22 of 23 Sooners during one stretch en route to turning in the longest relief effort by a Husker since All-American Shane Komine tossed 9.2 innings at Iowa State during the 1999 campaign.

One week later against fourth-ranked Texas, he tossed 7.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out seven against a Longhorn team which was hitting .325 as a team. Last week against Kansas State, Wertz made his first Big 12 start, allowing one unearned run on five hits over 7.1 innings, as he struck out a career-high 10 Wildcats in a no-decision.

Corriston, Tezak Make Immediate Impact
Junior college transfers Craig Corriston and Jeff Tezak have flourished throughout the 2007 campaign, their first in a Husker uniform.

Corriston, who has started at five different positions (1B, 3B, SS, RF and DH), is hitting .314 on the season with five homers and 31 RBIs, leading NU with 14 multi-hit games while ranking second on the squad with seven multi-RBI games.

In league play, he is hitting .329 with 15 RBIs, as he is 18th in league play. Last month at No. 23 Oklahoma, he sparked the Huskers to a series win, hitting .400 with a homer and four RBIs, establishing a season-high with four RBIs in the finale.

Tezak, who transferred in from Palomar (Calif.) JC at the start of the spring semester, is a switch-hitter who has found a role as NU’s designated hitter. On the year, Tezak is hitting a team-high .343, an average that is 14th in the Big 12, with a pair of homers and 31 RBIs. He has reached base safely in 32 of 37 starts and saw a career-high 15-game hit streak snapped against Creighton on April 15. He has driven in 18 of his 31 RBIs in conference action. Against Missouri on March 25, Tezak drove in a career-high six RBIs, including his first grand slam, and followed up with four RBIs in an 11-4 win over No. 14 Texas A&M on March 31.

Tezak has been at the focal point of both of NU’s last at-bat wins this season, delivering a sacrifice fly against Western Illinois on March 20 while capping a five-hit day at No. 22 Alabama on March 10 with his ninth-inning RBI single. He was chosen as the league’s Player of the Week on March 12, after hitting .728 with a homer, three RBIs and two doubles in the series win over the Crimson Tide.