Seven Huskers Earn All-Big 12 Honors

Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Left-hander Tony Watson and designated hitter Jeff Tezak headlined a group of seven Huskers who received All-Big 12 honors, as the league announced its all-conference team Tuesday morning.

 

Watson and Tezak were both second-team selections, while pitchers Luke Wertz and Johnny Dorn, catcher Mitch Abeita, first baseman Andrew Brown and third baseman Craig Corriston were all tabbed as honorable-mention selections.

 

Tezak enters the Big 12 Tournament with a .345 average, three homers and 34 RBIs, leading the Huskers in batting average and hits, while ranking second in doubles (12). The junior is 14th in the league in batting average, as he has seen time at three different positions. In conference action, Tezak hit .323 with a homer and 21 RBIs, including a season-best six RBIs against Missouri on March 25.

 

Watson earned his second All-Big 12 certificate after producing a 5-4 record with a 3.97 ERA in 13 starts. The junior southpaw leads the Big 12 with two complete games, while ranking ninth in innings pitched (88.1) and strikeouts (78) and 16th in ERA. In conference action, Watson went 4-2 with a 3.80 ERA in nine conference starts, leading all Big 12 hurlers in complete games (two) and shutouts (one) while finishing second in strikeouts (57) and third in innings pitched (64.0).

 

Dorn leads the Huskers with a 9-2 record and a 5.44 ERA in 14 starts, ranking third in the league in wins and posting a 59-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 80 innings of work. The Grand Island, Neb., native compiled a 6-1 mark against conference foes including wins over nationally ranked Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

 

Wertz has been the star of NU’s second-half Big 12 surge, posting a 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 14 appearances, striking out 55 over 51 innings. In conference action, the junior right-hander was 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA in seven outings, ranking second in both ERA and opponent batting average (.200).

 

Abeita earned the starting role behind the plate in conference play, batting .297 with a homer and 20 RBIs in 44 contests, while throwing out nearly 35 percent of opposing base runners. Abeita played his best down the stretch, hitting .405 with four doubles and six RBIs in his last 12 games.

 

Brown collected his second All-Big 12 award, by hitting .310 with a team-best nine homers, 38 RBIs and 19 doubles.  He ended conference play with a .343 average with six homers and 24 RBIs, placing in the top-10 in eight offensive categories, including homers, RBIs, total bases, runs scored, slugging percentage and total bases.

 

Corriston earns his first All-Big 12 honor, as he enters this week’s tournament with a .313 average, five homers and 36 RBIs. He is tied for the team-lead with 17 multi-hit games while his 36 RBIs ranked third on the squad. In Big 12 action, he finished with a .320 average, three homers and 20 RBIs, finishing eighth in the league in hits (36).

 

Kyle Russell (Texas) was named Big 12 Player of the Year, while Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Year accolades went to teammate, Adrian Alaniz (Texas), highlighting the 2007 All-Big 12 postseason awards. Trevor Coleman (Missouri) earned freshman-of-the-year honors, while Texas A&M’s David Newman and Brandon Hicks share the honor for newcomer of the year. Tim Jamieson (Missouri) and Augie Garrido (Texas) were named Big 12 Co-Coaches of the Year.

 

The Huskers open Big 12 Tournament action on Wednesday, as they take on Texas A&M at 10 a.m. The game will be carried across Nebraska on the Husker Sports Network and on the Internet at Huskers.com.