%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
|
Nebraska (18-19, 5-10 Big 12) at |
|
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com (affiliate list on page five of game notes) Video: Baylorbears.com (separate subscription required) TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com |
This Weekend: Nebraska looks to snap a three-game losing streak on Friday night, as the Huskers begin a three-game series at Baylor. Friday's first pitch isslated for 6:30 p.m. with afternoon starts on both Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). The Huskers look to bounce back from an 8-5 loss to Creighton on Tuesday, while the Bears split their two midweek games, downing Sam Houston State on Tuesday before falling at Texas State Wednesday evening.
Radio: All three games this weekend will be carried on the Husker Sports Network, including flagship stations KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Greg Sharpe and Jeff Culhane will be on the call.
Preview: The Huskers continue their five-game road trip looking for a breakthrough weekend, as the Huskers head to Waco. While the Huskers enter the weekend tied for ninth place in the standings, the Big 12 race is wide open, as Nebraska is only three games out of third place entering this weekend's action. In addition, the Huskers are less than one game behind Baylor in the Big 12 race, and have shown the ability to win on the road. The Huskers are the only league team to win conference road games in either Austin and Manhattan this season, as those teams are a combined 14-2 at home in Big 12 play.
The Huskers will need strong pitching to pick up their first Big 12 road series win, and will turn to Michael Mariot in Friday's opener to get it started. Mariot has been a workhorse in Big 12 action, pitching into the eighth in four of his five Big 12 starts, as he is third in the league in innings pitched in Big 12 play. Mariot is one of only four Big 12 pitches to average at least seven innings per appearance in league action.
One highlight of Tuesday's loss was the increased contribution of freshman Josh Scheffert, who made his first start since breaking a bone in his hand on March 28. Scheffert went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the cleanup spot and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 starts dating back to March 13. His return provides some additional protection for All-Big 12 candidate Adam Bailey, who leads the Big 12 with 14 homers and is in the top five in the league in both RBIs (47, second) and batting average (.389, fourth) and gives NU a little more production from the right side of the lineup.
Baylor has been streaky at times in 2010, and has dropped four of their last five games, including a sweep at Kansas State last weekend. The Bears, who reached the NCAA Tournament last year, have been tough at home, going 19-8 at the Baylor Ballpark.
3 Things to Watch
212: Career hits by DJ Belfonte, as his next base hit will move him into sole possession of 15th place on Nebraska's career hits list.
.507: On-base percentage for sophomore Kale Kiser, which is the best for any Husker since Alex Gordon had a .518 on-base percentage in 2005. Only three Huskers have finished a year with on-base percentages over .500 since 2000 (Matt Hopper, 2003; Dan Johnson, 2001).
14: Number of times freshman Bryan Peters has been hit by pitches this season, a total that leads the Huskers. Although he leads NU in HBP this year, he is only halfway to Daniel Bruce's school mark of 28 set in 2002.
Scouting Baylor
Baylor comes into the weekend with a 22-15 record following a pair of midweek games. The Bears, coached by 16th year coach Steve Smith, downed Sam Houston State, 9-5, on Tuesday before falling at Texas State, 9-3, on Wednesday. Baylor is currently in eighth place in the Big 12 race with a 5-8 record, winning series against Texas A&M and at Missouri. The Bears were swept at Kansas State last weekend and have lost four of their last five games entering this weekend's series with the Huskers.
Offensively, BU has six starters hitting over .300 and are led by sophomore third baseman Joey Hainsfurther, who is hitting .379 with a pair of homers and 36 RBIs. Freshman Max Muncy has been one of the Big 12's top freshmen, hitting .322 with team-bests in homers (10) and RBIs (39) while fellow freshman Logan Vick is hitting .328 with a team-high 41 runs scored and a Big 12-leading 39 walks.
On the mound, sophomore Logan Verrett has been the Bears' top weekend performer, going 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA in eight starts. He has a pair of complete games and has struck out 62 over 53.0 innings of work. The back of the Baylor bullpen is anchored by Brooks Pinckard, who has nine saves and a 0.55 ERA in 12 outings.
Series History: Baylor leads the all-time series history, 30-25-1 in a series that dates back to 1983. Nebraska has won the regular-season series in each of the past three seasons, including a home sweep to end the 2009 campaign. Until 2008, the Huskers had struggled in Waco, winning just one of 13 games before winning the season series 2-1 - marking NU's first Big 12 series win in Waco. The two wins also snapped NU's eight-game losing streak at the Baylor Ballpark dating back to the 2002 season.
Last Time Out
Tuesday (Creighton 8, Nebraska 5) Nebraska received a solid start from right-hander Casey Hauptman, but Creighton overcame a 5-1 deficit to rally for an 8-5 victory over the Huskers Tuesday night at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.
Nebraska (18-19) had a 5-3 lead after six innings, only to see Creighton tie the score with two runs in the seventh and take the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, handing the Huskers' their sixth last at-bat loss of the season. Jimmy Swift's RBI single off of Chris Williams broke a 5-all tie before the Bluejays tacked on a pair of insurance runs on wild pitches later in the inning.
Nebraska had a chance in the ninth, getting runners on second and third with no outs after a Josh Scheffert single and a double by Cody Asche off of Jack VanLeur. NU was unable to capitalize, as Bob Lackovic struck out Chad Christensen and Cade Thompson before Tyler Farst lined out to left.
Elliot Soto keyed the Creighton attack, going 3-for-4 and scoring four times, while Scheffert and DJ Belfonte had two hits apiece in a losing effort. Hauptman pitched well in his first start since March 26, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings while retiring the last eight Bluejays he faced.
Leading Off
*-The Huskers will look to snap a three-game losing streak, equaling their longest streak of the season. NU also lost three games at No. 14 UCLA on March 5-6 before going on a five-game win streak.
*-The weekend series between the Huskers and Bears features family bragging rights, as NU volunteer assistant coach Nate Thompson squares off with his older brother, Baylor assistant coach Mitch Thompson. The Huskers have enjoyed the upper hand the last two years, going 5-2 against the Bears.
*-Senior first baseman Tyler Farst also has ties to the Baylor program, as his older brother, Travis, played tackle for the Bears from 2002 to 2006.
*-Adam Bailey's 14 homers in 2010 are the most by a Husker since 2006, when Luke Gorsett (15) and Brandon Buckman (14) both reached double figures in homers. With 26 homers in two seasons, Bailey is tied for third among players who spent less than three seasons at Nebraska.
*-Kale Kiser enters the Baylor series ranking third in the Big 12 with a .507 on-base percentage, the best by a Husker since 2005. Here is a list of the Huskers with on-base percentages of at least .500 since 2000.
*-One year after Kansas' Tony Thompson became the Big 12's first triple crown winner, Adam Bailey is making a strong push to repeat the feat in 2010. Bailey enters the weekend series at Baylor hitting .389 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs, leading the Big 12 in homers and in the top four in both RBIs and batting average. At this point last year, Bailey was hitting .328 with nine homers and 38 RBIs.
*-Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson is now two wins shy of becoming the third coach in school history to win 300 games at Nebraska. Anderson is 298-162-2 in his eight seasons at NU.
*-The Huskers are one of eight Big 12 teams in the top 65 of the NCAA's official RPI released this week. The league features six teams in the top 45.
*-After not hitting 50 homers in each of the past three seasons, Nebraska has regained its power surge in 2010. The Huskers are third in the league in homers with 42 (Oklahoma leads with 49 and Texas has 44) and feature a trio of hitters with at least six homers, including Big 12 leader Adam Bailey. Nebraska is currently on pace to hit 62 homers in the regular season (54 games), which would be its highest total since belting 70 in 2006.
*-Shortstop Chad Christensen is fourth among all Big 12 freshmen in homers with six, which is the most by a Husker freshman since Alex Gordon had seven in 2003. Christensen's homer total is also the most by a Husker shortstop since Ryan Wehrle hit eight en route to earning third-team All-America honors in 2006. Prior to Christensen's homer on March 28 against Oklahoma, it had been nearly three years since a Nebraska shortstop homered in a game.
*-Senior center fielder DJ Belfonte continues to climb Nebraska's career hits list. He is one of only 19 players in school history to record 200 hits and enters this weekend's series at Baylor tied for 15th in career hits with 212. His first hit this weekend will move him past Joe Scherger for sole possession of 15th place. Belfonte is also one triple shy of cracking Nebraska's top-10 list in that category.
Belfonte is enjoying his best season as a Husker, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in hits (56) and 10th in batting average (.376) this season, while his 32 RBIs rank third on the team.
Of the 19 players who have reached the 200 career hit mark at Nebraska, 15 have come since Mike Anderson joined the Nebraska staff prior to the 1995 campaign.
*-Nebraska hitters have been hit by 68 pitches this season to rank second among Big 12 teams entering this weekend's action. The Huskers are three HBP's from cracking the top-10 single season list. Nebraska is just one of three Big 12 teams with multiple players with at least 10 HBP's (also Kansas and Oklahoma), while senior DJ Belfonte and freshman Bryan Peters rank in the top five in the league in that category.
*-Nebraska is now tied for third in the Big 12 with three shutouts, trailing only Texas (six) and Kansas (four). Freshmen earned the wins in two of three Husker shutouts this season, including Tyler Niederklein against Wichita State on April 13.
*-Nebraska has improved its offensive numbers this season, as it enters the Baylor series with a .304 team batting average. It is NU's highest batting average after 37 games since the 2006 campaign and a fact made more impressive considering the Huskers have played six games against the top two teams in the country in ERA (UCLA and Texas).
*-Nebraska has played a difficult schedule in 2010, playing 13 games against ranked teams, including six against current top-10 clubs UCLA and Texas. Nebraska's 13 games against ranked teams is second among all Big 12 teams, as only Texas Tech has played more contests against ranked foes.
*-Nebraska's shutout of Wichita State marked the third consecutive time that the Shockers had been shutout in Lincoln dating back to 2004. NU has outscored WSU 28-0 in that span.
*-The Huskers have been proficient in two-out situations this season, recording 102 two-out RBIs. In fact, 109 of Nebraska's 258 runs (42 percent) this spring have been scored with two outs, and NU has scored at least one two-out run in 31 contests. Adam Bailey has a team-best 20 two-out RBIs this year, while Cody Asche (16), DJ Belfonte (12), and Tyler Farst (11) have at least 10 two-out RBIs this season. Bailey had only 17 two-out RBIs last year, which tied for the team lead in that category.
*-The Huskers are 105-1 (.990) under Mike Anderson when reaching double figures in runs, including 77-0 since the start of the 2005 season. Nebraska is 11-0 this season when scoring 10 or more runs in a game.
*-Nebraska has gotten off to fast starts, scoring first in 24 of its 37 games this season and has outscored foes 30-15 in the opening inning of games this season. Nebraska has won nearly 75 percent of its games over the last eight years when it scores first.
*-Nebraska has usually won when it has pitched well, going 14-4 when holding opponents to five runs or less. Under pitching coach Eric Newman, the Huskers are 34-2 when holding opponents to two runs or less.
*-The 10-run deficit Nebraska overcame on March 30, against North Dakota equaled the largest deficit the Huskers have overcome in a game since 2000. That season, NU also overcame a 10-0 deficit in the second inning in a 14-13 victory over Iowa State at Buck Beltzer Stadium. Prior to the North Dakota comeback, the largest deficit NU had overcome under Mike Anderson was seven runs vs. Northern Colorado in 2009.
*-Six of Nebraska's 19 losses have been on the opponent's last at-bat, including four walk-off losses (two at Fresno State, one at UCLA, one at Texas). Nebraska has lost three games when taking a lead into the ninth inning this season after losing only four times in the previous seven seasons. The Huskers are 255-7-1 (.971) when leading after eight innings under Mike Anderson.
*-Cody Asche's two grand slams this year mark the first time since 2003 that any Husker has had more than one grand slam in a season. In fact, before hitting three grand slams over the past two weeks, the Huskers had not had multiple grand slams as a team since belting three during the 2004 season.
*-DJ Belfonte ranks second on Nebraska's career hit-by-pitch list with 56, but has not been hit by a pitch in the Huskers' last six contests. It is his second-longest streak without a HBP this year, as he went nine games earlier this season. Belfonte is one of just 10 players in conference history to get hit by at least 50 pitches in their careers.
*-Nebraska's 10-run outburst in the third inning against Northern Colorado on March 24 marked the fourth time under Mike Anderson that the Huskers have reached double-digits in an inning since 2003.
*-Michael Mariot's one-hit shutout against Houston Baptist on March 13 was the first by a Nebraska pitcher since Zach Kroenke tossed a one-hitter at Kansas State on April 2, 2004. It also marked only the fifth time since 1999 that a Husker hurler tossed a one-hit, complete-game shutout.
*-Nebraska's 21 runs against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 26 marked only the second time the Huskers have scored 20 or more runs under Head Coach Mike Anderson and the first since scoring 22 runs against Kent State in 2004. NU's top five single-game offensive outputs since 2003 are listed below.
*-Kyle Bubak's five-hit day against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 26, marked just the sixth time a player has had at least five hits in a game under Mike Anderson, and the first since Jeff Tezak went 5-for-5 at Alabama in 2007.
*-NU has 120 come-from-behind wins under Mike Anderson since 2003. The Huskers already have six come-from-behind wins this season, including overcoming a 10-run deficit against North Dakota on March 30 and a three-run deficit against Northern Colorado on March 23.
*-The Huskers are 71-8 dating back to 2008 when they out-hit an opponent and have won nearly 90 percent of their games since 2003 when out-hitting an opponent. This season, NU is 15-2 when out-hitting opponents. The Huskers are 17-6 with reaching double figures in hits, but winless in 13 games with nine hits or less.
*-The Huskers totaled over 11,000 miles this season, including two trips to California and two trips to Texas prior to this weekend's trip to Baylor. After this weekend's series at Baylor, NU has only three trips left in the regular season, including one Big 12 series.
Bailey Swings a Hot Stick
After leading the Huskers in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage in 2009, Adam Bailey has put together a strong senior season. The Scottsdale, Ariz., product is hitting .389 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs entering this weekend's action. The senior ranks 13th nationally in homers, 16th on total bases and 32nd in RBIs in the latest NCAA rankings released on April 20.
Bailey, who was drafted in the 38th round by the New York Yankees last season, leads the Big 12 in three categories, homers, hits (61), and totals bases (116) while ranking second in RBIs (47) and slugging percentage (.739).
It should not be surprising that Bailey has been a solid run producer, as he is a career .407 hitter (44-for-108) during his Nebraska career with runners in scoring position. He originally began his career as a pitcher at Arizona State in 2007.
Bailey also tops the Huskers with 20 multi-hit games and 17 games with at least two RBIs. The 17 multi-RBI games are the most by a Husker since Alex Gordon in 2004. He is one of only four players in the last eight years to have at least 20 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI efforts.
Bailey has been at his best against the toughest teams on the Huskers schedule. He is hitting .365 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in 13 games against ranked teams this season. Before the Kansas series, Bailey was hitting .450 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs dating back to the finale at No. 14 UCLA on March 6, which was his 22nd birthday.
Bailey torched No. 20 Kansas State, hitting .364 with three homers and six RBIs in the weekend series, including his second career multi-homer game on April 9, as he drove in four runs in NU's 5-3 win. He was named Big 12 Player of the Week on March 23, after hitting .562 (9-for-16) with two homers and eight RBIs in four games last week. Bailey went 7-for-11 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in the three-game series at No. 2 Texas. Against Northern Colorado on March 24, he had two hits in NU's 10-run third inning, including his first career grand slam.
DJ Keeps Churning Out Hits
DJ Belfonte gives Nebraska a solid threat at the top of the lineup. The senior is hitting .376 with five homers and 32 RBIs in the leadoff spot. He ranks among the Big 12 leaders in four categories including: hits (fifth, 56); triples (second, three); total bases (10th, 83) and batting average (10th).
Belfonte, who was voted the best defensive outfielder by the league coaches in Baseball America's preseason issue, is one of two Huskers (also Adam Bailey) to start all 37 games in 2010. Belfonte is bidding to become the first Husker since former Major Leaguer Ken Ramos to lead NU in stolen bases for three straight years.
While he is known for his speed and defense, Belfonte showed his power earlier this season, belting two homers against South Dakota State on March 16, the first two-homer game of his career. His five homers this year already eclipses his career total prior to this season. He matched his career best with four RBIs against Wichita State April 13, and hit .364 (4-for-11) with an on-base percentage of .533 against No. 20 Kansas State.
Kiser is Second to None
After seeing limited time behind eventual MLB draftee Jeff Tezak as a freshman last year, second baseman Kale Kiser has been a pleasant surprise in 2010. Kiser, a native of Plano, Texas, comes into the weekend hitting .373 with 39 runs scored, ranking third in the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.514), seventh in runs scored and 11th in batting average. He also leads NU with 22 walks and is second with five stolen bases.
After Nebraska started the year with a 3-7 mark, Kiser was bumped to second in the order and has greatly helped the top of the lineup, hitting .379 after NU's hitters had a combined .228 average through 10 contests.
This season, he has reached safely in 33 of his 34 appearances, with the only exception when he came off the bench at Fresno State on Feb. 20. Kiser, who can see time at either second base or designated hitter, has also shown his toughness, playing through a split lip at Fresno State on Feb. 22 that required 16 stitches to sew up, but returned to the diamond in time for the next practice.
Asche Mans the Hot Corner
One of the overlooked hitters in the Nebraska lineup is sophomore third baseman Cody Asche. The O'Fallon, Mo., native has been consistent for NU all season, hitting .308 with seven homers and 36 RBIs, ranking 12th in the league in homers. Asche has enjoyed a pair of double-digit hit streaks this season, including a 12-game hit streak from March 5-24. He hit .500 (6-for-12) with five RBIs at No. 2 Texas and enjoyed a monster week earlier this season with three homers and 13 RBIs - including a pair of grand slams - in a five-game span.
He belted his first career grand slam in the bottom of the eighth innning of Nebraska's 11-10 win over North Dakota on March 30 and followed up four days later with another grand slam at Oklahoma State on April 3, matching his career high with five RBIs in NU's 9-2 win.
Infield Youth Movement
Nebraska has relied on a pair of freshmen middle infielders recently, as Bryan Peters and Chad Christensen have become the Huskers' primary double play duo.
Peters, who was slowed by an orbital bone fracture suffered before practice began, has taken over the starting second baseman job and is hitting .287 with 16 runs scored in 30 appearances. He has also been hit by 14 pitches to rank third in the Big 12 in that category. After a slow start, Peters has hit well of late, hitting .333 over his last 15 contests.
Christensen, who moved into the lineup on March 28 following Kyle Bubak's back injury, has been on a tear, hitting .373 with four homers and 11 RBIs over his last 15 contests. He enjoyed a 10-game hit streak from March 28 until April 11, recording eight multi-hit games in that strech.
With the return of Josh Scheffert to the lineup, the Huskers could potentially have a starting infield comprised of freshman and sophomores.
Like Mother, Like Son
Freshman Josh Scheffert continues a family tradition at Nebraska, as his mother played softball for the Huskers for two seasons (1979-80). Scheffert was off to a solid start, hitting .317 with three homers and 19 RBIs in his first 20 games before breaking a bone in his left hand on a pitch on March 28. The injury was originally expected to be season ending, but he missed just 10 games before making his return in a pinch-hitting role against Wichita State on Tuesday night. Scheffert returned to the starting lineup with a 2-for-4 effort and an RBI against Creighton on Tuesday night.
The Lincoln Southeast product - the same school as former Natonal Player of the Year Alex Gordon - was second on the team in both homers and RBIs and led NU in walks at the time of the injury. He has six multi-RBI efforts, including a career-high four RBIs against South Dakota State on March 16.
Casey of All Trades
Junior right-hander Casey Hauptman has filled nearly every role on the Husker staff in 2010. While he is only 1-3, he leads Nebraska in strikeouts (44) and is second in innings pitched (54.2). After beginning the season in long relief, he moved into the starter's role for three weekends before taking over the closer's spot following Mike Nesseth's season-ending injury. Hauptman went five innings in a start against Creighton, but will pitch out of the bullpen at Baylor.
Out of the bullpen, Hauptman has a 3.52 ERA in 11 outings, fanning 25 over 30.2 innings. He is 3-for-3 in save opportunities, pitching the final 1.2 innings at No. 20 Kansas State on April 9. In fact, all three of his saves have been at least 1.2 innings of work. In the wake of Mike Nesseth's injury, Hauptman is now NU's most experienced pitcher, making 44 appearances and striking out 99 over 131 career innings.
Recruiting Class Ranked 13th Nationally
Nebraska's class of newcomers was recognized nationally, as Collegiate Baseball rated the class No. 13 nationally in its rankings. The rating is the highest ever for Nebraska in the publication's 27-year history of ranking recruiting classes Nebraska's recruiting class features four players who had been drafted previously before coming to Nebraska, including pitchers Ryan Hughes (16th round in 2008),
Tom Lemke (10th round in 2009), Kurt Giller (21st round in 2009) and Ryan Hander (38th round in 2009). Lemke was one of just 11 high school seniors selected in the top 10 rounds who did not sign over the summer.
A total of 15 Huskers have seen playing time this year, especially 10 of the 16 pitchers who have thrown this season. Offensively, the five newcomers are hitting a combined .287 with nine homers and 52 RBIs in a combined 121 contests.
Eight Draftees on 2010 Roster
Nebraska's 2010 roster boasts a total of eight Huskers who have been previously selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Five of the players were picked in last year's draft, including Mike Nesseth (15th) and Adam Bailey (38th) who both elected to return for this season.