Huskers Open 2009 Season at Louisiana-Lafayette

This Week in Nebraska Baseball ? Feb. 18-24
2009 Record (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Date Date Opponent Radio Internet Time
Friday Feb. 20      at Louisiana-Lafayette (0-0)             6:30 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 21      at Louisiana-Lafayette (0-0)             2 p.m. 
Saturday Feb. 21 at Louisiana-Lafayette (0-0)             30 min. after Game 1
Sunday Feb. 22    at Louisiana-Lafayette (0-0)            11:30 a.m.

Media Info
Live Radio: Selected Husker Sports Network and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com
Live Stats:  Huskers.com
Live Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Television: None

Probable Starting Pitchers
Fri. Michael Mariot, So., RHP (0-0) Zach Osborne, Jr., RHP (0-0)
Sat. (Game 1) Mike Nesseth, So., RHP (0-0) Michael Cook, So., RHP (0-0)
Sat. (Game 2) Erik Bird, Sr., RHP (0-0) Greg Wilborn, Jr., LHP (0-0)
Sun. Jordan Roualdes, Jr., LHP (0-0) TBA

3 Things to Watch This Weekend
1.  Friday’s season opener marks the return of senior Jeff Tezak, who missed nearly all of the 2008 season following knee surgery. Tezak captured second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2007, hitting a team-high .335 with three homers and 37 RBIs.
2. Nebraska has won four of the last six meetings with UL-Lafayette, including a pair of 4-3 decisions last season. The finale of the series went 14 innings and was NU’s longest game since a 16-inning win over Texas in 2005.
3. This weekend’s trip to Lafayette, La., marks the first time Nebraska has played in Louisiana since a three-game series with Louisiana Tech in 2003. The Huskers’ last trip to Lafayette came in 2001.

Huskers Open 2009 Season at Louisiana-Lafayette
This Week: The Nebraska baseball program begins the 2009 season this weekend, as the Huskers travel to Louisiana-Lafayette for a four-game series with the Ragin’ Cajuns. Friday’s opener is set for 6:30 p.m. with a doubleheader slated for Saturday at 2 p.m. and the finale set for 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. 

On the Radio: Fans across Nebraska can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington - and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Every game this season will be carried on Huskers.com and available to Husker Sports Network stations. Saturday’s first game will be an internet-only broadcast.
Preview: The Huskers welcome back 15 letterwinners, including five everyday starters from a team that won 41 games and reached an NCAA Regional for the eighth time in nine years.  Offensively, senior Nick Sullivan paces the Husker returnees after hitting .296 with three homers and 31 RBIs. Junior DJ Belfonte joins Sullivan in the outfield after driving in 37 runs and ranking first on the team in both doubles (15) and triples (three).  The Huskers also welcome back the left side of the infield with the return of third baseman Jake Mort (.262-1-13) and shortstop Ben Kline (.253-0-23) while designated hitter Cody Neer (.234-1-22) will likely step into the catcher spot replacing All-Big 12 performer Mitch Abeita.

On the mound, the Huskers will be looking to break in an entirely new weekend rotation.  Senior Erik Bird leads the Husker returnees with five wins from a year ago, while sophomore Mike Nesseth will move into the rotation after compiling a 4-1 mark with four saves in 27 appearances last season. Junior Erik Anderson (1-0, 3 saves) and sophomores Michael Mariot, Casey Hauptman and Matt Freeman will join a host of newcomers in finding roles.

FRIDAY --  #33 - Michael Mariot ? So. ? RHP ? 6-0 ? 177 ? Southlake, Texas (Carroll)
Sophomore right-hander who will make his first collegiate start in Friday’s season opener against UL-Lafayette ? Comes off a strong summer where he pitched for Clovis in the California League and for the Beatrice Bruins during the National Baseball Congress World Series ? Went 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts, helping Coach Bob Steinkamp’s Bruins to a third-place showing at the NBC World Series in Wichita ? Compiled a 2-0 record with a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances in 2008 ? Served as one of NU’s long relievers, as he went at least two innings in three of his eight outings, including wins over Creighton and South Dakota State  ? Went 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two conference outings, highlighted by an inning of perfect relief at No. 12 Oklahoma State on April 12 ? Earned the victory against Creighton at Rosenblatt Stadium on April 23, firing three innings of relief as he allowed a pair of runs on three hits ? Attended Southlake Carroll High School for his junior and senior years after transferring from El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, Calif. ? Pitched as a junior at Southlake Carroll, but did not pitch as a senior because of issues regarding his transfer.

SATURDAY (G-1) --  #41 - Mike Nesseth ? So. ? RHP ? 6-5 ? 220 ? Windom, Minn. (Windom Area)
Sophomore right-hander who will make his first career start in the opener of Saturday’s twinbill against UL-Lafayette ? Rated by Baseball America as the No. 29 college prospect for the 2009 MLB Draft (No. 63 overall prospect) ? Rated as the No. 2 prospect in the Northwoods League last summer, going 0-2 with a 2.93 ERA in six starts, while holding opponents to a .212 average ? Worked exclusively as a reliever last season, going 4-1 with four saves and a 3.58 ERA in 27 appearances, as he fanned 53 over 37.2 innings? Showed the ability to dominate at times with a fastball in the mid-90s and a plus slider as he continued to gain confidence ? Posted a 2-0 mark with a 2.11 ERA in his final 13 outings while averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning in that stretch ?  Ranked second on the squad in saves and appearances and held foes to a .201 average ? Established NU’s freshman record with 27 appearances, breaking the school mark of 25 set by Tim Schoeninger in 2003 ? Was at his best down the stretch, going 2-0 with two saves and a 2.11 ERA in his final 13 outings, fanning 31 over 17.2 innings and holding opponents to a .151 average ? Didn’t allow a run in two NCAA Lincoln Regional appearances, highlighted by a five strikeout effort over 2.2 innings of one-hit ball against Oral Roberts on June 1 ? Redshirted in 2007 at NU and pitched for Duluth in the Northwoods League in 2007 ? Named first-team all-state as a senior at Windom Area (Minn.) High School, going 3-4 with a 2.47 ERA as he struck out 78 and allowed only 18 walks over 51 innings.

SATURDAY (G-2) --  #30 - Erik Bird ? Sr. ? RHP ? 6-1 ? 221 ? Omaha, Neb. (Burke)
Senior right-hander who is Nebraska’s most experienced pitcher, making 58 career appearances heading into the 2009 season ? Put together his best year in 2008, going 5-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 17 outings out of the bullpen and as a mid-week starter ? Ranked fourth on the squad in wins and starts and fifth in innings pitched, establishing career bests in all three categories ? Pitched effectively as NU’s mid-week starter, going 4-0 with a 2.14 ERA in seven starts, pitching at least five innings in five of his last six outings ? Tossed five innings of one-run ball against Creighton on May 13, scattering three hits in an 8-1 win in front of 14,680 at Rosenblatt Stadium ? Fanned a career-high five hitters over two innings of one-hit relief to earn the victory in NU’s 4-3, 14-inning win over UL-Lafayette on May 3 ? Turned in one of the best performances of his career against fifth-ranked Wichita State on April 15, tossing a career-high 6.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing three singles and fanning four in a 3-0 win ? Spent the summer of 2007 pitching for Falmouth (Mass.) in the Cape Cod League, helping the Commodores to the Cape Cod League Championship Series, going 2-1 with three saves and a 2.96 ERA in 16 appearances ? Worked out of the Husker bullpen in a number of roles in 2007, going 0-0 with a 5.56 ERA in 17 appearances  ? Was 0-2 with a sparkling 0.82 ERA as a true freshman, tying for second on the team with 24 appearances ? Earned first-team all-state honors playing at Omaha Burke High School, going 5-1 with four saves and a 1.90 ERA in 2005, ranking among the state leaders in strikeouts (85), ERA, saves (four) and wins (five)

SUNDAY --  #34 - Jordan Roualdes ? Jr. ? LHP ? 6-2 ? 207 ? Sonoma, Calif.  (South Mountain CC)
Junior college transfer Jordan Roualdes (RAWL-dees) makes his Husker debut in Sunday’s series finale against UL-Lafayette ? Compiled a 5-1 record with a 3.13 ERA in 15 appearances at South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College last season, fanning 64 and walking only 26 over 72 innings of work ? Was a teammate of current Husker Adam Bailey at South Mountain CC in 2008 ? Began his college career at Mesa (Ariz.) CC, helping the team qualify for the 2006 Division II JUCO World Series ? Was an all-state performer for coach Allen Rossi at Justin-Siena High School, going 11-0 with a 1.14 ERA, while also hitting .426 with two homers in 2004 ? Threw two no-hitters in his career, as Justin-Siena HS won three state titles and went 97-9 in that span, including a perfect 27-0 in 2005 ? Was a prep teammate of former Arizona State star Brett Wallace, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Leading Off
?-Nebraska is 5-1 in season openers under Head Coach Mike Anderson, as last year’s loss to Stanford snapped a six-game winning streak in season openers dating back to 2002. The only two teams that Nebraska has lost to in season openers since 2001 went to a Super Regional (Rice, 2001) or the College World Series (Stanford, 2008).

?-Nebraska’s trip to Louisiana-Lafayette marks the Huskers’ first season-opening trip to Louisiana since 1973 (Centenary), and only the second time the Huskers have opened the year in Louisiana.  Under Mike Anderson, the Huskers have started seasons in six states (Texas, New Mexico, Hawaii, South Carolina and California) over the last six years.

?-Michael Mariot’s scheduled start on Friday will mark the second straight year and fourth time since 1999 that Nebraska has started a right-hander in its season opener. Prior to last year, the Huskers had started a lefty in seven of the past eight seasons. Mariot is slated to become the first Husker pitcher to make his first career start since Shane Komine in 1999.

?-Of the 31 players on this weekend’s travel roster to Louisiana, 16 could see their first action as Huskers, including eight true freshmen (Cody Asche, Cory Burleson, Boomer Collins, Khiry Cooper, Kash Kalkowski, Kale Kiser, Nate Kerkhoff and Taylor Massey) and redshirt freshman Sean Yost.  With that many freshmen on the travel roster, there is a strong possibility that NU could have more than one freshman in the opening day lineup for the first time since 1999. Under Mike Anderson, four true freshmen have started the season opener, most recently Ben Kline last season. 

?-Since the NCAA went to the 64-team format in 1999, Nebraska has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, which ties for seventh nationally in that time period. The only teams to earn more bids than Nebraska in that span are Cal State Fullerton, Florida State, Miami, Oral Roberts, Rice and Texas.

?-Nebraska has won 119 of its last 120 games when taking a lead into the ninth inning and is 119-0-1 in that stretch dating back to the 2005 season. NU is 214-3-1 (.984) when leading after eight innings under Mike Anderson.

?-This weekend’s trip to Louisiana is a homecoming for freshman outfielder and Shreveport, La., native Khiry Cooper. Lafayette is approximately 187 miles from Shreveport and Cooper, who also is a wide receiver on the Husker football team, is expected to have a sizeable contingent this weekend. In addition, sophomore pitcher Matt Freeman was born in New Orleans before moving to Elkhorn.

?-Nebraska showed a knack for the comeback in 2008, overcoming deficits 21 times in its 41 wins, including three deficits of at least four runs. Under Mike Anderson, the Huskers have authored 99 come-from-behind wins since 2003.

?-Another skill the Huskers look to continue this season is the ability to win close games. In 2008, the Huskers went 16-3 in games decided by two runs or less, including a 9-2 mark in one-run contests.

Outside Elements
The Huskers have enjoyed balmy temperatures in Nebraska this month, getting outside for six workouts at Hawks Field since beginning practice on Feb. 2.

Last year, the Huskers did not conduct a workout outdoors until they stepped on the field for the season opener against Stanford, as cold weather and rain forced the Huskers indoors.  In addition to the six outdoor workouts, Nebraska will depart on Wednesday morning and will practice in Lafayette on Thursday morning

When the Huskers have worked inside, they have enjoyed the luxury of the  Hawks Championship Center, an 81,200-square foot facility which was completed in 2006. The building, which is connected to Memorial Stadium by an indoor skywalk, includes room for a full football field and a championship wing that includes hitting cages for the baseball and softball programs.

Scouting Louisiana-Lafayette
Under the guidance of long-time head coach Tony Robichaux, the Ragin’ Cajuns look to bounce back from a 2008 campaign where they went 29-28 and fell two wins short of earning the Sun Belt’s automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Following the series with the Huskers, ULL began playing its best baseball of the year, winning eight of its next 10 games before falling twice to New Orleans in the conference tournament.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, who have made seven NCAA Regionals since 1997 including a CWS appearance in 2000, welcome back a veteran team with 21 letterwinners, including six everyday starters.  ULL was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt Conference by the league’s coaches.
Designated hitter Scott Hawkins leads the Cajun offense, as he topped the squad in 11 categories last year by hitting .306 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs while also scoring a team-high 42 runs. Outfielder Matt Goulas also returns to the lineup after hitting .288 with seven homers and 31 RBIs a year ago.

On the mound, ULL has one of the nation’s top closers in junior right-hander Justin Robichaux. A preseason all-conference pick, he compiled a 3-0 record with nine saves and a 2.30 ERA in 21 appearances last year. Robichaux allowed just two extra-base hits in 31.1 innings and held opponents to a .167 average. Sophomore right-hander Michael Cook is the Cajuns’ top returning starter, as he went 5-5 with a 4.79 ERA last season, while left-hander Blake Haagen went 4-0 in just 10.1 innings of work in 2008.

Series History: The teams have split eight previous meetings, with the Huskers sweeping an abbreviated two-game series in Lincoln last May. UL-Lafayette won 2-of-3 meetings from the Huskers in 2003 at Hawks Field, becoming the first non-conference team to take a series from the Huskers in the ballpark. Nebraska won the last match-up in Lafayette, a 6-3 decision in 2001.

Last Season vs. UL-Lafayette
Game 1 (Nebraska 4, ULL 3): No. 6 Nebraska took advantage of a costly eighth-inning error by UL-Lafayette and parlayed it into the go-ahead run in a 4-3 win. DJ Belfonte opened the eighth as he reached on a fielder’s error. After Cody Neer grounded into a fielder’s choice, Ben Kline successfully executed a hit-and-run to put runners on the corners with one out. Bryce Nimmo then drove home Neer with a grounder to short. Neer led the charge, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Kline, Mitch Abeita and Nick Sullivan had two hits apiece. Zach Herr (2-2) earned the win in relief for Johnny Dorn, as Herr fanned three of the four hitters in faced in a perfect 1.1 innings of work.

Game 2 (Nebraska 4, ULL 3 - 14 inn): Mitch Abeita’s RBI single in the 14th inning broke a 3-all deadlock, as sixth-ranked Nebraska rallied for a 4-3 victory. Abeita sent a full-count pitch from Gregory Harmon into center, scoring Jake Mort from second, as the Huskers completed the doubleheader sweep. NU was down to its final strike in the ninth before scoring twice off ULL closer Justin Robichaux to send the game to extra innings. With two outs and Bryce Nimmo on third, Opitz lined a single to center, putting the Huskers within 3-2.  Abeita then hit a grounder to third, but Tyler Benzel’s throw skipped by the bag, allowing Opitz to score from first to tie the game. Relievers Dan Jennings, Mike Nesseth and Erik Bird kept the Huskers in the game late, combining for 14 strikeouts and allowed just three hits over the final eight innings.

Huskers to Be Tested Again in 2009
A total of 19 games against NCAA Tournament teams and 30 home games at Hawks Field highlight the 2009 Nebraska baseball schedule. The Huskers will be tested by a schedule that sees the Huskers play 17 of their 55 regular-season games against teams ranked in Baseball America’s top-25 preseason poll. The list includes Big 12 weekend series at No. 1 Texas A&M and against No. 4 Texas, No. 8 Baylor and No. 10 Missouri at Hawks Field.

“We have learned over the years how important putting the right schedule together, especially as one of the things the NCAA evaluates for postseason play,” Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. “We’ve put ourselves in a position to be challenged with our schedule, especially being on the road for much of the first month of the season. With this schedule, we will have to be prepared from the get-go - this schedule demands it.”

With 30 home games, including five Big 12 series, Anderson said that the Huskers’ home schedule will be very appealing. Nebraska opens the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 25, against North Dakota, and plays 12 of its final 13 regular-season games at Hawks Field, where NU ranked 10th nationally in average attendance in 2008.

Nesseth Ranked Among Top Prospects
Sophomore right-hander Mike Nesseth is rated by Baseball America as one of the top 100 prospects for this June’s Major League Baseball Draft. Nesseth, who went 4-1 with four saves and a 3.58 ERA last season, is rated as the No. 29 college prospect and No. 63 overall prospect by the publication. Nesseth was also ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Northwoods League over the summer by Baseball America. He was also ranked as the No. 19 sophomore in the country in the most recent edition of Baseball America.

Welcome Back Tezak
One player the Huskers welcome back is fifth-year senior Jeff Tezak, who missed nearly all of the 2008 season following knee surgery last March. Two years ago, Tezak was a second-team All-Big 12 performer, hitting a team-high .335 with three homers and 37 RBIs. Last season, Tezak was limited to just seven games before missing the remainder of the year.
Tezak is one of three Huskers were limited because of injuries last season. Sophomore pitcher Eric Rose missed all of the 2008 season following a shoulder injury, while sophomore Joe Broekemeier was sidelined with a back injury. Both pitchers have gone through the fall and spring and are on the Huskers’ travel roster this weekend.

Huskers Tabbed for Seventh in Big 12
The Nebraska baseball team was picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll by a vote of the league coaches released on Feb. 17.  The Huskers, coming off a season where they went 41-16-1 and advanced to an NCAA Regional for the eighth time in nine seasons, totaled 38 points in voting by the league’s coaches.  In 2008, the Huskers were picked sixth in the preseason poll and finished in third place in the final league standings, staying in contention for the league’s regular-season title until the final weekend of the year. Nebraska has finished fourth or better in five of the last six years under Head Coach Mike Anderson, including regular-season titles in 2003 and 2005. Nebraska returns five everyday starters from a year ago, including infielders Jake Mort and Ben Kline, outfielders Nick Sullivan and DJ Belfonte and designated hitter Cody Neer. The Huskers also return Jeff Tezak, who was a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2007, but took a medical redshirt last season.  The pitching staff is led by senior Erik Bird, who went 5-1 last season and Mike Nesseth, who went 4-1 with four saves in 27 appearances.

Texas A&M was the choice of the league’s coaches, garnering 81 points in the preseason voting and nine of the 10 first-pace votes. Runner-up Texas was the second choice, as the Longhorns received 69 points. Baylor and Oklahoma State tied for third with 59 points, while Missouri (51) and Oklahoma (42) placed fifth and sixth. Each of the league’s top six teams has been ranked in the top 20 by at least one national preseason poll. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Following Nebraska in the preseason poll were Texas Tech (25), Kansas State (15) and Kansas (11.)

Switching Things Up
One of the things that is evident on the 2009 roster is an abundance of switch hitters. In all, Nebraska has six position players (Kyle Bubak, Cory Burleson, Kale Kiser, Jed Hanson, Jeff Tezak and Cody Neer) listed as switch hitters, which is believed to be the most in school history.  Prior to this year, Nebraska has had only four switch hitters on a roster this decade - and no more than two in any year - since having four on the 1985 roster.

Husker Homes
The 2009 Huskers come from 14 states across the nation. Nebraska natives comprise nearly a third of the 34-man opening-day roster with 11 spots, while Texas, Missouri and Minnesota also claim at least three Huskers apiece.

Among the Nation’s Best
Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson begins the 2009 season in 12th place in winning percentage among all active coaches. He joins Texas’ Augie Garrido and Kansas State’s Brad Hill as the only three Big 12 coaches among the top-15 nationally in winning percentage. 

Success in the Classroom
NU enjoyed a strong performance in the classroom by posting a team GPA of 3.089 during the fall semester. The team GPA was the highest in tracking the program’s GPA over the last 20 years. A total  of 18 Huskers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fall semester, including DJ Belfonte, who posted a perfect 4.0 GPA. In addition, senior outfielder Nick Sullivan has been on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll at nine semesters at Nebraska.

Join the Husker Home Run Club in Oklahoma
The Husker Home Run Club is sponsoring a bus trip to Norman, Okla., to support the baseball team against Oklahoma on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29.  The trip includes game tickets for both days, selected meals and accomodations at the Embassy Suites in Norman.
The deadline for registration is March 10.  For more information and to download a registration form for the bus trip, please log on to huskerhomerunclub.com or contact Ed Bolejack at 402-617-5913.

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 2009 schedule includes Big 12 home series against Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas, Missouri and Baylor as well as non-conference series against Cal State Northridge and Cal State Bakersfield.

Nebraska-Creighton Tickets on Sale April 1
Single-game tickets for the annual Nebraska-Creighton baseball game at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium on Tuesday, May 12, will go on sale on Wednesday, April 1, at Ticketmaster locations across Nebraska.
Tickets for the annual match-up between the Huskers and Bluejays range from $9-$15 and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster in Lincoln at (402) 475-1212 or in Omaha at (402) 422-1212 or on the Internet at Ticketmaster.com.

Up Next: Huskers Open Home Slate against UND
Following this weekend’s action, the Huskers open the home portion of the 2009 schedule when they host North Dakota on Wednesday, Feb, 25. First pitch at Hawks Field is set for 1:35 p.m.