Huskers Open Big 12 Schedule at Texas Tech

This Week: The Huskers begin the Big 12 portion of their schedule this weekend, as the Huskers travel to Texas Tech to begin conference action. Friday’s Big 12 opener in Lubbock is set for 6:30 p.m. with afternoon games set for Saturday (5 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). Nebraska, which is beginning a five-game road trip that continues until March 18, looks to build momentum following a 5-0 week, capped by a four-game sweep of Cal State Northridge. Texas Tech is 6-8 on the season prior to their game against Dallas Baptist Wednesday afternoon.

Nebraska (10-3-1, 0-0 Big 12) at
Texas Tech (6-8, 0-0)

Media Info
Live Radio: IMG Husker Sports Network and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com
Live Stats:  Huskers.com 
Live Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Fri. 
NU-Mike Nesseth, So., RHP (2-1, 1.71 ERA)  
TT-Miles Morgan, Sr., RHP (1-2, 4.96 ERA)
Sat. 
NU-Jordan Roualdes, Jr., LHP (1-1, 4.58 ERA) 
TT-A.J. Ramos, Sr., RHP (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sun. 
NU-Michael Mariot, So., RHP (1-0, 6.19 ERA)  
TT-TBA

On the Radio: Fans across Nebraska can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action this weekend on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington and KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha - and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Every game this season will be carried on Huskers.com and available to Husker Sports Network stations.

On the Huskers: The Huskers come off their best offensive week of the season, averaging 10.2 runs per game in a perfect 5-0 week. The Huskers hit .365 on the week and now rank third in the Big 12 with a .300 team batting average. Nebraska, which has cracked double figures in five of its last 10 contests, also ranks among the conference leaders in doubles (31, third), homers (14, third)  and runs scored (109). Individually, junior college transfers Kyle Bubak and Adam Bailey have led the way. Bubak is eighth in the Big 12 with a .414 batting average, while Bailey is hitting at a .358 clip, while pacing the conference in both homers (six) and RBIs (22). Improved depth has been another key, as 11 players have started at least six contests and that does not include projected starters Jake Mort  and Boomer Collins, who have been sidelined with injuries since the opening weekend. Mort, a two-year starter at third base, returned to action last week, while Collins could return to full-time action this weekend.

3 Things to Watch
1.  Adam Bailey not only leads the Big 12 in both homers and RBIs, but has driven in 21 runs in his last nine contests.
2. Infielder Kyle Bubak has six multi-hit games in his last seven appearances, including a pair of four-hit efforts. Bubak, who went hitless in his first 10 at-bats, is hitting .548 in that stretch.
3. Catcher Cody Neer is hitting .538 (7-for-13) with a homer and seven RBIs in his last three games. He has three straight multi-hit games, including three hits and four RBIs  in Saturday’s twinbill opener against Cal State Northridge.

Scouting Texas Tech
Under first-year Coach Dan Spencer, the Red Raiders enter the week with a 6-8 mark following a 1-2 effort at the Palm Springs Invitational last weekend. Tech opened the year by winning five of its first six games at Dan Law Field before hitting a rough patch in the schedule away from home. The Red Raiders return 18 letterwinners and three everyday starters from a team that went 25-30 a year ago.

Offensively, the Red Raiders are led by shortstop Joey Kenworthy, who is hitting .431 with 11 RBIs and 16 runs scored. First baseman Chris Richburg has been Tech’s primary power threat, hitting .292 with team bests in both homers (five) and RBIs (18). Justin Berry (.345-0-7) and Taylor Ashby (.296-1-10) have also provided an impact to the Red Raider attack.

On the mound, Tech’s best pitcher has been senior AJ Ramos, who is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three starts. He has an 18-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio and is holding hitters to a .229 average. Senior right-hander Miles Morgan returns as Tech’s opening night starter after missing nearly two years following Tommy John surgery. He is 1-2 with a 4.96 ERA and has fanned 19 over 16.1 innings.

Series History: Nebraska is 25-19 all-time against Texas Tech, including a three-game sweep in Lincoln last April. NU is 8-8 in Lubbock since the start of Big 12 play, but 8-4 at Dan Law Field since 2001.

Last Time Out
The Huskers extended their win streak to five games, sweeping Cal State Northridge in a four-game series at Hawks Field last weekend.

Friday (Nebraska 9, Cal St. Northridge 3): Behind a complete-game performance from Mike Nesseth, the Huskers took the opener by a score of 9-3. Nesseth (2-1) went the distance for the first time in his career, fanning seven and scattering six hits. The Huskers staked Nesseth all the support he needed in the second, scoring five times off of Cal State Northridge starter Ryan McCarney. DJ Belfonte led the Husker attack, going 3-for-4, while Farst, who went 2-for-4 and scored twice, and Bailey, who drove in three more runs, also had two hits apiece.

Saturday (Nebraska 11, Cal St. Northridge 5): Cody Neer established career highs in both hits (three) and RBIs (four) in taking the twinbill opener 11-5.  The Huskers erupted for seven runs in the second inning to take command and used a solid performance from left-hander Jordan Roualdes. Neer keyed the uprising, as his three-run triple helped the Huskers enjoy 8-0 cushion after two innings.  Roualdes scattered six hits over six innings and got out of several jams en route to his first win as a Husker. Adam Bailey and Kyle Bubak had two hits apiece, while Tyler Farst went 1-for-4 and scored twice.

Saturday (Nebraska 12, Cal St. Northridge 6):  Nebraska overcame a pair of early four-run deficits and used an eight-run fourth-inning to record a 12-6 victory to complete the twinbill sweep. Tyler Farst’s three-run homer and two-run singles from Adam Bailey and Kyle Bubak were the key blows in the inning, as NU overcame a 5-1 deficit. Bailey and Farst drove in three runs apiece, while Bubak went 2-for-5 and scored twice. Ben Kline also had a pair of hits and two RBIs. Sean Yost picked up his first win with two innings of relief, while Eric Rose and Kash Kalkowski combined for four shutout innings.

Sunday (Nebraska 8, Cal St. Northridge 2): Nebraska showed some offensive firepower and received a strong pitching performance from Michael Mariot in posting an 8-2 victory over Cal State Northridge in the series finale.  Jake Mort, Cody Neer and Kyle Bubak all hit their first homers of the year, as Nebraska rapped out 13 hits to complete a four-game sweep. Mariot (1-0) scattered five hits over a career-long seven innings and fanning four for his first win of the season. Bubak led the Husker attack, going 4-for-4 and scored twice. Neer had two hits and a pair of RBIs, while Mort’s three-run homer in the second inning provided the Huskers with all the offense they needed.

Leading Off
?-Speaking of leading off, junior college transfer Kyle Bubak has made the most of his opportunities at the top of the Husker lineup. Since moving into the leadoff spot five games ago, Bubak is hitting .538 (12-for-23) with a homer, five RBIs and 10 runs scored. Prior to the switch, NU’s leadoff hitters were hitting a combined .154 in the first nine contests.

?-The weekend series at Texas Tech is a homecoming for freshman Cory Burleson. The Midland, Texas, native - less than a two-hour drive from Lubbock - has split time with Cody Neer behind the plate, hitting .379 with five RBIs in 11 games.

?-Nebraska pitching coach Eric Newman squares off with his alma mater this weekend. Newman pitched at Texas Tech during the 1994 season, helping the Red Raiders to a 28-24 mark and was drafted in the fifth round of the MLB Draft. Newman received his degree from the school in 1997.

?-Former Husker Adam Stern represented Team Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic over the weekend. Stern, who played at Nebraska from 1999 until 2001, went hitless in two pinch-hit appearances, as Canada fell to the U.S. (6-5) and Italy (6-2) in its two games. Stern has been a member of Team Canada in each of the past two World Baseball Classics.

?-Nebraska already has five come-from-behind wins among its 10 victories, including four wins where the Huskers had to overcome at least a three-run deficit. The five-run comeback against Missouri State on Feb. 27, equaled NU’s largest comeback since the 2003 season. NU now has 104 come-from-behind wins under Mike Anderson since 2003.

?-Nebraska has showed the ability to score runs in bunches in 2009. The Huskers have already plated five runs in an inning six times through the first 14 games of the season. Last year, NU scored five or more runs in an inning seven times and had five such innings in 2006.

?-NU has shown a flare for the dramatic in 2009, winning three games in its last at-bat, including a five-run eighth inning against North Dakota on Feb. 25 and a six-run eighth inning against Missouri State on Feb. 27.  Four of the Huskers’ nine completed games have been decided in the last at-bat.

?-Cory Burleson’s four-hit effort against Sam Houston State on Feb. 28, marked the first time since 2005 that a Husker freshman had four hits in a game. Since 1999, only five other players have accomplished the feat (John Cole, Adam Stern, Matt Hopper, Drew Anderson and Andy Gerch). Burleson is the first true freshman to have a four-hit day since former Major Leaguer Drew Anderson in 2001.

?-Nebraska hitters have taken a beating, as the Huskers have been hit by 25 pitches through the first 14 games. At the current pace, NU hitters are on pace to get hit 98 times during the 55-game regular-season schedule, making a strong challenge for the school record of 103 set in 2003.  A trio of Huskers are quickly climbing the Huskers’ career hit by pitch list. DJ Belfonte (34), Nick Sulllivan (31) and Jake Mort (28) are now in the top-six all time with Belfonte, who has been hit six times, climbing into a tie for third place.

?-While the Huskers enjoyed their best offensive week of the season with a .365 average and 10.2 runs per game, one overlooked aspect was the Huskers’ defensive effort. Nebraska committed just two errors in 45 innings, good for a .990 fielding percentage, and turned five double plays. Nebraska climbed to fourth in the Big 12 in fielding percentage (.977) and is second in the league with 13 double plays.

?-Nebraska’s 15-inning season opener at Louisiana-Lafayette marked the fifth time since the start of the 2003 season that the Huskers have reached the 14th inning of a game. In addition, it is the Huskers’ longest road game since a 16-inning game at Iowa State in 1999.

?-Prior to this season, the last time NU opened a season with three consecutive one-run games was in 2002. The only other time in the program’s 100-plus year history was back in 1970.

?-Nebraska set a school and Big 12 record in the opener against UL-Lafayette, as five Husker pitchers combined for 22 strikeouts, breaking the school and conference mark of 21 set at Iowa State on April 18, 1999.  Three of the top five strikeout performances have been under pitching coach Eric Newman over the past two seasons.
 
?-NU has enjoyed a youth movement during the early portion of the season, as 14 players have seen their first action as Huskers this season.  The group includes eight freshmen, four junior college transfers and a pair of sophomores who did not play because of injuries the past two years.   The group has been effective both offensively and on the mound for the Big Red. They have accounted for a .334 average with 11 homers and 50 RBIs, while going 4-2 with two of the Huskers’ three saves.

?-Nebraska is 1-1-1 this year in extra frames and 15-9-2 (.615) in extra-inning contests since 2003. The highest amount of extra-inning games in a season this decade is five, set in 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

?-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.

?-With his 12-strikeout effort against Sam Houston State on Saturday, Michael Nesseth joined an exclusive list of Husker pitchers. The only NU hurlers to fan more hitters in a game this decade are Shane Komine (5 times), Joba Chamberlain (twice), Johnny Dorn and Zach Kroenke (one time each).

?-Nebraska has won 128 of its last 129 games when taking a lead into the ninth inning and is 127-0-1 in that stretch dating back to the 2005 season. NU is 222-3-1 (.985) when leading after eight innings under Mike Anderson.

?-The Huskers are 41-1 dating back to last season when they have more hits than their opponent. The only time over the last two years NU has lost when out-hitting an opponent was on Feb. 21, when the Huskers out-hit UL-Lafayette, 3-2, but lost 2-1.

?-The Huskers are now 87-1 under Mike Anderson when reaching double figures in runs, including 59-0 since the start of the 2005 season.

Getting Offensive
After a slow start in Louisiana, the Huskers have been much better offensively in the last two weeks. Nebraska, which hit .241 in Louisiana, is hitting .328 and averaging 9.0 runs per game over its last 10 games to raise its team batting average to a season-high .300.  NU has reached double figures five times in that stretch, including a season-high 14 runs against Missouri State.

Bailey’s Impressive Start
Junior college transfer Adam Bailey has gotten off to a blistering start, as the outfielder has become one of the Big 12’s top performers early in 2009.  He has a .358 batting average with  six homers and 22 RBIs. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native  paces the league in both homer and RBIs and is among leaders in  total bases (44, second), slugging percentage (.830, third) and hits (19, fifth). Bailey, who tops the Huskers in both  multi-hit (seven) and multi-RBI (five) contests, brings a six-game hit streak into Friday’s Big 12 opener, hitting .385-3-12 in that stretch.

Bailey’s quick start is reminiscent of two of the Huskers’ most recent All-Americans, Luke Gorsett and Alex Gordon, who was national player of the year in 2005.

What a Difference a Year Makes
After struggling to get at-bats for most of the 2008 season, first baseman Tyler Farst has been one of the Huskers most consistent hitters this spring. Through his first 41 games, he had a .179 average with three RBIs before earning a spot in the lineup after Craig Corriston’s knee surgery.

Since then, Farst has been hitting at a .347 clip with three homers and 21 RBIs in his last 27 games dating back to last May. This season, he is among the Big 12 leaders with a .364 batting average with a homer and nine RBIs. He leads the Huskers with six doubles and is among team leaders in RBIs (second) and walks (eight, third).

Farst, whose father was an offensive lineman at Texas Tech in 1977, enters Big 12 action on a career-high 10-game hitting streak. He is batting .364 with a homer and nine RBIs in that stretch.