Huskers Tabbed for Sixth in Big 12 Preseason Poll

Lincoln ? The University of Nebraska baseball team was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 by a vote of the league coaches released Wednesday. The Huskers, coming off a season where they went 32-27 and reached the finals of the NCAA Tempe Regional, totaled 36 points in voting.

Nebraska returns six everyday starters, including All-Big 12 designated hitter Jeff Tezak, who hit a team-high .336 last season. Other returning starters include catcher Mitch Abeita, second baseman Jake Opitz, third baseman Craig Corriston and outfielders Bryce Nimmo and DJ Belfonte. The Husker pitching staff is led by senior All-American right-hander Johnny Dorn, who has compiled a 31-9 record during his Husker career.

Texas was the choice of the league’s coaches, garnering 80 points in the preseason voting and eight of the 10 first-pace votes. Missouri (71) and Baylor (65) received the other two votes, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. The rest of the order was Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Tech.

The Huskers open the 2007 season this weekend, as they travel to Stanford to begin a four-game series with the Cardinal. All four games will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations with the first pitch being set for 4 p.m. Nine of the conference teams are in action on Friday, with Texas Tech set to begin its season on Saturday.

Big 12 Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Rank    Team (first-place votes)     Points
1.         Texas (8)                                   80
2.         Missouri (1)                             71
3.         Baylor (1)                                 65
4.         Texas A&M                            60
5.         Oklahoma State                      46
6.         Nebraska                                 36
7.         Kansas State                          30
8.         Oklahoma                                30
9.         Kansas                                    17
10.        Texas Tech                            15