Huskers, Bluejays to Play Twice

Nebraska (28-7-1) vs.
Creighton (25-13)
Tues. * 6:35 p.m. * Hawks Field
Wed. * 6:30 p.m. * Rosenblatt Stadium

Media Info
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com 
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Television:
Tuesday: Nebraska Educational Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112) and CBS College Sports (Ch. 610 on DirecTV;
Ch. 152 on Dish and Ch. 305 on Time Warner Cable)

Wednesday: My TV (Ch. 110 on Time Warner; Ch. 25 on DirecTV) and 620 in Omaha (Cox Ch. 120)

Live Video: Huskers.com (Tuesday only)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Tues
NU- Dan Jennings, Jr., LHP (4-0, 1.60 ERA) 
CU - Greg Hellhake, R-Fr., LHP (2-0, 4.67 ERA)

On Tap: In the words of the legendary Ernie Banks, let’s play two, as Nebraska and Creighton square off for a pair of midweek contests. The Huskers (28-7-1) will host the Bluejays (25-13) Tuesday night at Hawks Field with a first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The following night, the scene shifts to historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha as the two teams will play at 6:30 p.m. in a game that was originally scheduled for April 1, but was postponed because of cold temperatures.

The Huskers come off a weekend where they took 2-of-3 against Kansas for their fifth Big 12 series win in six tries to remain in second place in the conference standings. Catcher Mitch Abeita led the charge, hitting .500 on the weekend, including his first career grand slam on Saturday, while Bryce Nimmo put together a pair of multi-hit games in the leadoff spot, including a 2-for-4 effort with two runs scored on Sunday.

Creighton looks to bounce back after dropping 2-of-3 at MVC leader Northern Iowa last weekend, as the Panthers took the final two games of the series.

Tickets: General admission tickets for Tuesday’s game - priced at $7 and $5 - are available at Huskers.com or by calling the NU Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED during business hours. Hawks Field Ticket windows open 90 minutes before first pitch and UNL Students with a valid N-Card will be admitted free of charge.  On Wednesday, fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster outlets or at Ticketmaster.com.

On the Radio and Internet: Fans across Nebraska can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call the action on the Husker Sports Network, including KLIN 1400 in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington and on the Internet at Huskers.com.

3 Things to Watch
1.  This week’s contests mark the first time since 1993 that Nebraska and Creighton are playing each other on consecutive days in the regular season.
2.   Nebraska played error-free ball against Kansas over the weekend, marking the first time the Huskers did not commit an error in a conference  weekend since May of 2004.
3. Mitch Abeita hit .429 with a homer and six RBIs last week, including a career-high four RBIs against Kansas on Saturday.

Leading Off
?-The Huskers are an impressive 21-2-1 at Hawks Field this season, the fifth time in seven seasons that Nebraska has won at least 20 home games in a year.
?-With a 28-7-1 record entering this week’s action, the Huskers are enjoying one of their best seasons since the program began in 1889. In fact, only four teams in school history have put up better record through the first 36 games than the 2008 Huskers.
?-The Huskers current .792 winning percentage is threatening the mark for the highest winning percentage in school history. NU has won 75 percent of its games only seven times in school history, with three of them coming this decade.
?-Nebraska’s psuedo RPI is 12th nationally following last weekend’s series win with Kansas. The Huskers are one of only two Big 12 teams in the top 16 nationally in RPI. As a league, the Big 12 is fourth among all conferences nationally in RPI.
?-One of the traits the Huskers have shown is the ability to win close games. NU is 10-1 in games won by one run (5-1) and two runs (5-1).
?-The Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with 12 saves, a total which ties for sixth all-time in school history. The Huskers have now saved at least 10 games in each of the last eight seasons. Prior to the 2001 season, NU had reached double figures in saves two times since 1961.
?-Tuesday’s shutout against Wichita State marked the Huskers’ fourth shutout of the year, doubling the entire 2007 total.
?-Nebraska’s 13-4-1 start after the first five weeks of conference action is one of the program’s best-ever Big 12 starts. It is the fourth time that the Huskers have won 13 of their first 18 league contests.
?-The Huskers have not committed an error in their last 35 innings, dating back to the second inning of the Wichita State game on April 15. It is NU’s longest streak of the year and longest by a Husker squad since a 39.1 inning errorless streak from May 24 to June 3. NU has committed more than one error in a game once in its last 13 contests.
?-Despite losing six pitchers selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft and returning only five pitchers who threw at least an inning from last year’s staff, the Huskers lead the Big 12 and rank among the national leaders with a 3.47 ERA.
?-Husker starting pitchers have pitched at least five innings in 30 of the past 36 starts this season and are a combined 20-5 on the year.
?-The Huskers have shown the knack for comebacks in 2008, overcoming deficits 12 times this spring, including a four-run deficit at No. 13 Texas on March 28. Under Mike Anderson, the Huskers have authored 90 come-from-behind wins.
?-NU is 15-0-1 this season when recording at least 10 hits and 22-0 when out-hitting an opponent.
?-Junior Dan Jennings has been nearly flawless over the last month, as he is 3-0 with four saves and a 0.32 ERA in nine appearances since March 18. He has struck out 30 over 28.1 innings of work and has allowed only seven singles in that stretch. He enters the week not allowing a run in his last 26.2 innings of work dating back to the second inning of his win over Arkansas on March 18. The streak is quickly approaching some of the longest scoreless streaks in school history.
?-Mitch Abeita’s grand slam against Kansas on Saturday was the first by a Husker since Jeff Tezak hit one against Missouri on March 25, 2007. Abeita’s homer also ended a drought of five straight games without a Husker round tripper dating back to the final game of the Texas Tech series.
?-Nebraska has won 109 of its last 110 games when taking a lead into the ninth inning and its 109-0-1 in that stretch dating back to the 2005 season. NU is 204-3-1 (.983) when leading after eight innings under Mike Anderson.
?-Following the series win over Kansas, the Huskers have won nine of their last 11 Big 12 series dating back to the 2007 season.
?-Saturday’s attendance of 8,697 at Hawks Field was the largest home crowd in the Big 12 this season and ranked as the third-largest crowd since Hawks Field at Haymarket Park opened in 2002. 
?-The 1-0 loss at No. 21 Oklahoma State on April 12 marked the first time that Nebraska had lost a game 1-0 since March 11, 1995, against Baylor, and was the first-ever 1-0 game at Oklahoma State’s Allie P. Reynolds Stadium, which opened in 1981.
?-The 14-game win streak Nebraska put together earlier this season tied for the fourth-longest win streak in school history and the longest since a 15-game win streak in 2000.The streak fell two games shy of the Big 12 record of 16 set by Kansas State (2006) and Texas Tech (2002).
?-The Huskers have undergone a youth movement as 10 true or redshirt freshmen have seen time this season and seven of them (Ben Kline, Dan Johnston, Tyler Rank, David Stewart, Andy Cotton. Brett Sowers and Casey Hauptman) have made at least one start.
?-Four former Huskers began the 2008 season on Major League Rosters. The group includes Darin Erstad (Houston Astros), Dan Johnson (Tampa Bay Rays), Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals) and Joba Chamberlain (New York Yankees). Twenty six Huskers have reached the Major Leagues, including Gordon and Chamberlain in 2007.
?-If it seemed like the Huskers won a lot in March, they did. NU’s .886 winning percentage represented the second-best month in school history, trailing only a perfect 22-0 month in March of 1983. Nebraska’s 19 wins in March tied for the ninth-most victories by a Husker team in an month in school history.
?-Craig Corriston’s walk-off homer against Oklahoma on March 21 was the first by a Husker since 2005. The Huskers have had five walk-off homers since 2000.

A Marked Improvement
When looking at the Huskers’ difference in record between 2007 and 2008, one can look to improved production on the mound and in the field.  On the mound, NU has shaved nearly a run off of its team ERA and is holding opponents to  nearly 20 points below their 2007 batting average at this point in the year. In the field, NU has turned more double plays and is fielding at a higher percentage than a year ago.

Taking it From the Top
One recent change in Nebraska’s lineup has been moving Bryce Nimmo up to the leadoff spot five games ago. NU responded with 13 runs in the series finale at No. 21 Oklahoma State and has won four of its last five contests since the move. Nimmo is hitting .400 with seven runs scored and an on-base percentage of .478 in that stretch, raising his season average to .344.  It is no surprise that Nebraska has been successful with Nimmo at the top of the lineup. In his career, the Huskers are 56-14 with Nimmo leading off.

The Two Jakes
Nebraska’s infield duo of Jake Opitz and Jake Mort have been key cogs in the Husker lineup this season.  Mort, who has been exceptional defensively at third base, has been the table setter in the NU offense. He leads the Huskers in both sacrifices (10) and stolen bases (eight) while being hit by pitches on eight occasions.

Opitz has provided offense punch in the lineup, hitting .314 with three homers and 30 RBIs. He leads the Huskers in both multi-hit (13) and multi-RBI (eight) contests and is hitting a robust .348 with runners in scoring position, well above his .314 average. Opitz is second on the team in homers and RBIs and also has a team-high five sacrifice flies.

Catching Up with Abeita
Senior Mitch Abeita has been one of the Big 12’s best at the position in 2008.  The senior from Dallas, Texas, is hitting .357 with seven homers and 31 RBIs, ranking among the Big 12 leaders in on-base percentage (.497, second), slugging percentage (.607, seventh) and batting average (ninth) entering Tuesday’s game with Creighton. He has also shown a good eye at the plate, drawing a team-high 26 walks and striking out 15 times while hitting in the  cleanup spot in the order.

Last season, Abeita had only one homer and 20 RBIs while appearing in 46 games before breaking his fibula in the Big 12 Championship.

Swinging Sullivan
One of the biggest surprises of 2008 has been the emergence of Nick Sullivan in the middle of the lineup. Last season, Sullivan was limited by a broken thumb and hit .192 in 30 games.

In 2008, Sullivan has been fully healthy and the results have shown on the field, as he is hitting .326 with three homers and 27 RBIs. He ranks second on the team in homers and third in RBIs while also not committing an error in 31 games. 

Earlier this month, Sullivan single-handedly powered NU to a sweep, hitting .412 with three homers and eight RBIs, including a career-high five RBIs in the series finale on April 6. His five RBIs were the most by a Husker in over a year and topped his previous best of three RBIs. Earlier this season, he earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors, hitting .444 with nine RBIs to help the Huskers go 3-0-1 on the week, as he posted four straight multi-hit games.

Kline Steps in at Shortstop
In 2002, Joe Simokaitis earned the starting nod at shortstop, beginning one of the best careers at the postion in school history. This spring, Ben Kline has earned an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Simokaitis, who has already advanced to Triple A with the Chicago Cubs organization. A closer look at the two freshman years shows some similaities besides both players hitting ninth and being known for their defensive skills.

Kline, a two-time all-state performer at Omaha Central, has nearly driven in as many runs as Simokaitis did during his entire 2002 campaign, while fielding at a better clip than Simokaitis did as a freshman.

Dorn Climbs Husker Win List
With his five wins in 2008, Johnny Dorn moved closer to matching Shane Komine’s school record for wins. The right-hander from Grand Island has moved into the the top three spots on nearly every major Husker career chart during the 2008 season. On the year, Dorn is 5-1 and has held seven of his nine opponents to two runs or less. Dorn has beaten every Big 12 team during his Husker career, joining two-time All-American Shane Komine as the only two  Husker pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Dorn leads all active Division I pitchers in career wins with 36 following his victory over Kansas on April 18. Dorn, who is one of only two pitchers in school history to record a pair of double-figure win seasons, is just six wins shy of matching two-time All-American Shane Komine’s school and Big 12 record of 41 wins.

Ringing Up the Ks
Nebraska’s pitching staff has been proficient in strking out hitters in 2008. The Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with 8.52 strikeouts per nine innings, a total which ranks among the top-25 programs nationally.

The Huskers have totaled double figures in strikeouts 14 times this season, including a season-high 14 strikeouts against Kansas on April 19. NU’s strikeout per game total is on pace to be the most in school history, as no Husker pitching staff has ever averaged more than eight strikeouts per game.

Traffic Pattern Changes in 2008
Due to the closing of the Harris Overpass in Downtown Lincoln this spring, a detour is now in effect for fans coming to the ballpark from the south on Sun Valley Boulevard.
?-Instead of using O Street, take Rosa Parks Way and turn right onto Homestead Expressway. Turn right onto Highway 6 before turning left onto Sun Valley Boulevard. From Sun Valley Boulevard, turn right onto Line Drive.
?-All access roads from the north are still accessable, and fans also also encouraged to park in the Haymarket District in Lincoln and take the pedestrian walkway to the center field entrance.

Louisiana-Lafayette Series Update
Nebraska Baseball Coach Mike Anderson announced changes to the final two games of the Nebraska-Louisiana-Lafayette series.
The games on Saturday, May 3, will now be a day-night doubleheader with start times set for 12:05 p.m. and 6:35 p.m., respectively. Fans will need separate admission to both games, as Hawks Field will be cleared between the two contests. Due to the schedule change, fans may also use their Game 28 ticket for GA seating for any regular season game, based on seating availability.

Three Huskers Collect Big 12 Honors
A trio of Nebraska baseball players have been honored by the Big 12 conference for their success during the 2008 season.

Nick Sullivan was NU’s most recent honoree, as he was selected on March 24, after hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a homer and nine RBIs in helping the Huskers go 3-1-1 on the week. Sullivan had four multi-RBI games and three multi-hit games on the week.

Sullivan followed the footsteps of Craig Corriston, who was selected for the honor on March 17. That week, he helped NU to a 5-0 record, hitting .579 (11-for-19) with six runs scored, four doubles and four RBIs.

Dorn is the only Husker pitcher to receive weekly recognition in 2008, as he was lauded for his performance against
Northern Colorado on March 10. Dorn picked up the honor after fanning 13 and allowing one earned run over seven innings in a win over Northern Colorado on March 8.  Dorn’s 13 strikeouts that day, which included the first seven hitters he faced, were the most by a Husker pitcher since Joba Chamberlain in 2005, and the second-highest total by a Husker pitcher in Hawks Field history.

Nimmo Named to Senior Watch List
Nebraska center fielder Bryce Nimmo was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2008 Lowe’s Senior Class Award on March 10.  Presented annually to NCAA Division I student-athletes in eight sports, the award focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition.

A three-year starter at center field, Nimmo is hitting .344 with a homer, 15 RBIs and 30 runs scored. In addition to his success on the diamond, he is a two-time academic All-Big 12 selection who carries a 3.51 GPA in finance. He has been named to the Big 12’s Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all seven semesters at Nebraska. He was not chosen as one of the 10 finalists for the award that was announced last week.

Dorn Named to Clemens Award List
Senior right-hander Johnny Dorn received another honor on March 6, as he was named to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List. Dorn is among the 78 players on the initial watch list, which will be paired down to 10 semifinalists in May. In all, nine Big 12 players were on the initial watch list.

Making the Grade by Baseball America
As part of Baseball America’s preview, the publication graded the schools in the top eight conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, Big Ten, Big East, Big West and C-USA) in four areas - national impact, competitiveness, fans and facilities and academics - during the 64-team NCAA era.

Nebraska was one of 16 programs to receive an A from the publication and joined Texas as the only two Big 12 programs to receive an A. As a conference, the Big 12 tied the ACC for second place in that era.

Six Draftees on 2008 Roster
Nebraska’s 2008 roster boasts a total of six Huskers who have been previously selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Four of the players were picked in last year’s draft, including Thad Weber, who was chosen in the 35th round, but elected to return for his senior year.

Two Starters to Miss Remainder of  2008
The Huskers have battled the injury bug in 2008. Two starters from NU’s opening day lineup (Jeff Tezak and Clay Cuno) have suffered season-ending injuries, joining three other players (Eric Rose, Drew Gray and Joe Broekmeier) who have not played in 2008 because of injuries. 

Tezak underwent left knee surgery on March 6 for an injury suffered earlier in the year. He appeared in seven contests at designated hitter, belting a homer against UC Riverside. Last year, he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors at designated hitter, hitting .335 with three homers and 37 RBIs in 56 contests.

Cuno, who opened the season as Nebraska’s left fielder, underwent shoulder surgery last week and will be lost for the remainder of the year. He appeared in three games, going hitless in five at-bats. Last season, Cuno hit .381 with 12 homers, 13 doubles and 51 RBIs at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College en route to being named the Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year.

Huskers Feature Players from 12 States
The 34 members of the 2008 roster hail from 12 states from coast to coast. There are a total of 12 players from Nebraska on the roster, including six from the Omaha metro area and two from Lincoln.

Huskers Tabbed for Sixth in Big 12
The Nebraska baseball team was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 by a vote of the league coaches released on Feb. 20. 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.

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 Coaching Staff
Nebraska shuffled its coaching staff in the offseason, adding pitching coach Eric Newman, while shifting Dave Bingham over to handle the Huskers’ defensive efforts. The three full-time coaches on the Nebraska staff have combined for over 1,100 wins.

Dave Bingham - Serves as the Huskers’ defensive coordinator, overseeing team defense and working with the Husker infielders.

Eric Newman - Begins his first season as Nebraska’s pitching coach after serving as the head coach at Dallas Baptist the past three seasons. Newman, who compiled a 95-72 record at DBU, is a California native who pitched collegiately at both Fresno State and Texas Tech.

Nate Thompson - Begins his first season as Nebraska’s volunteer coach and works primarily with the infielders and assists with the hitters. Thompson comes to NU after serving as an assistant coach at Fort Hays State in 2007. He played for
Coach Newman at Dallas Baptist and was a student assistant at the school in 2006. Thompson coaches first base.

Husker Baseball on Television
The Husker baseball program will make at least nine appearances on television during the 2008 season. The broadcast schedule featured five games produced by Nebraska Educational Television (NET and NET-HD) as well as nationally televised games as part of the Big 12’s television package.

Husker Home Run Club Bus Trip to Missouri
Make your plans now to join the Husker Home Run Club for the second of two bus trips during the 2008 season. The next bus trip is on  May 17-18 for the Huskers’ regular-season finale at nationally ranked Missouri. The packages include roundtrip transportation, selected meals, a hotel room and tickets to both of Nebraska’s games that weekend.
For more information and prices, contact Ed Bolejack at (402) 476-4990 or Erich Helge at (402) 643-5403 or visit Huskerhomerunclub.com.

Single-Game Tickets Now on Sale
Single-game general admission tickets for Husker baseball home games are now on sale. General admission tickets for all regular-season home games this season are $7 for adults and $5 for youth in high school or younger or for senior citizens ages 60 or older. General admission tickets are free for children ages six and younger along with UNL students (with a valid student ID).

The 2008 schedule includes remaining Big 12 series aganist Texas A&M, as well as non-conference games against Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Illinois.

Husker-Creighton Tickets on Sale
Tickets for both of the Nebraska-Creighton games at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium are now on sale. Reserve seating prices the games on April 23 and May 13 are $14, $12 and $10 and tickets can be purchased over the phone at Ticketmaster in Lincoln at 475-1212, in Omaha at (402) 422-1212 or on the Internet at ticketmaster.com. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the Nebraska Ticket Office.

Husker Baseball: Giving Back
The Husker baseball program has been active in the community during the 2007-08 academic year. Starting with the Paint-a-Thon in August, the Nebraska baseball team has done over 425 hours in community service projects this year. On April 20, they were one of four finalists - and the University’s only men’s program - for the annual Life Skills Award.
?-During the Christmas break, players and coaches combined for over 250 hours of community service projects, working with various groups in their hometowns. Some of the projects included working with local law enforcement in translating languages,  cleaning community centers and raising money for Food Banks.
?-On Jan. 25, 2008, the Nebraska baseball program hosted Baseball 101, a day of activities to help fans learn more about the sport. The one-day clinic had over 100 participants and raised over $10,000 for a literacy center in Lincoln.
?-Last month, several Husker players spoke at elementary schools as part of Dr. Seuss week, spending part of two days reading to elementary students.

All Tied Up
Nebraska’s series finale against Oklahoma ended in an 8-8 tie after 10 innings because of the Sooners’ travel arrangements. It marked the fourth tie in a conference game since the Big 12 began in 1997, and the first tie by a Husker team since a 6-6 tie with Creighton in 1996.

16 Huskers Named to Big 12 Honor Roll
A total of 16 current or former Husker baseball players were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. The group is led by Bryce Nimmo and Nick Sullivan, both of whom made their seventh consecutive appearances on the honor roll.
As a team, the Huskers recorded a 2.95 team GPA during the fall semester, their best performance in Mike Anderson’s six years as head coach at NU.