Huskers Head to Missouri this Weekend

Nebraska (23-24, 7-14 Big 12) at
Missouri (24-22, 7-13)
Friday, May 16 - 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 17 - 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 18 - Noon

Media Info
Radio: Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com with Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle
Live Stats:        Huskers.com
Video:              TBA
Television:       None

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday           
NU-Michael Mariot, Jr., RHP (5-5, 5.07 ERA) 
MU-TBA

Saturday       
NU-Tom Lemke, Fr., RHP (5-5, 5.23 ERA)
MU-TBA

Sunday
NU-TBA
MU-TBA

This Weekend:

Nebraska returns to Big 12 action, as the Huskers take on the Missouri Tigers in an important Big 12 series. Friday's first pitch from Taylor Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. with games on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (Noon). The start times on both Saturday and Sunday are because of the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships also taking place in Columbia, Mo., this weekend.

All three games this weekend will be on the entire Husker Sports Network, including flagship stations KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, and on Huskers.com, with Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle on the call.

Weekend Preview: The Huskers (23-24, 7-14 Big 12) head to Columbia looking to match their longest winning streak of the season, as Nebraska comes off a three-game sweep of Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri State last weekend. Nebraska posted a three-game sweep, as sophomore third baseman Cody Asche hit .385 with two homers and 11 RBIs. His RBI total equaled SEMO's team total on the weekend, including a career-best six RBIs in Saturday's series clinching win. The O'Fallon, Mo., native is now among the league leaders in both homers (nine) and RBIs (49) entering this week's action.

While Asche has provided increased production, Nebraska's pitching has also settled in as of late. Since juggling their weekend rotation and shifting Sean Yost into the back of the bullpen, the Huskers have a 3.72 team ERA over their last 10 contests, Yost has performed well in his new role, posting a 2.70 ERA in six appearances while holding foes to a .143 batting average.

With two weekends left in the Big 12 schedule, the Huskers are locked in a four-way battle with Baylor, Missouri and Oklahoma State for the final two spots in the Big 12 Tournament. NU is currently in 10th place with a 7-14 mark, but is only one game out of seventh place in the league standings. While the Huskers and Tigers square off, Baylor is at second-place Texas Tech, while Oklahoma State hosts sixth-place Texas A&M.

Missouri (24-22, 7-13) sits just 1/2 game ahead of Nebraska in the Big 12 race, as the Tigers were swept by Kansas last weekend and have dropped their last five Big 12 contests.

3 Things to Watch

12: Strikeouts by Michael Mariot in his last outing, which is the most by a Husker since Mike Nesseth fanned 12 against Sam Houston State on Feb. 28, 2009.

20: Nebraska's 20 runs against Southeast Missouri State marked the second time the Huskers have scored 20 runs in a season - the first time NU has had a pair of 20-run games since 2002. It was also NU's highest run total in a game since 2002, when NU scored 23 runs to defeat Nebraska-Kearney.

3: Number of grand slams by Cody Asche, a total which ties the Big 12 single-season record. Asche is hitting .429 (6-for-14) with 21 RBIs in bases-loaded situations

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 Scouting Missouri

The Tigers are similar to the Huskers, as both teams are rebuilding in 2010. Missouri is 24-22 on the season after being swept by Kansas last weekend. The Tigers had chances in each of the final two games, including the finale where Kansas scored three in the bottom of the 10th to complete the sweep.

Missouri features one of the Big 12's best players in senior Aaron Senne. The first baseman is hitting .399 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs, as he leads MU in hits (71), runs (52), homers and walks (30). Brett Nicholas has also been one of the league's top contributors, driving in a team-high 56 runs while hitting .381 with 10 homers. Shortstop Michael Liberto is the third Tiger hitting over .300, as he is hitting at a .348 clip with 30 RBIs and a team-high eight stolen bases.

On the mound, junior right-hander Nick Tepesch is 4-5 with a 4.72 ERA in a team-high 12 starts. He leads the Tigers with 55 strikeouts and 75.1 innings pitched. Reliever Phil McCormick leads MU in wins with five, as well as 29 appearances, all in relief.

Series History: The Tigers lead the all-time series with the Huskers 144-105-1 in one of the Huskers' oldest rivalries. Missouri has won the last three series against NU, including sweeps in both 2008 and 2009. Nebraska's last series win was a three-game sweep in Columbia during the 2006 campaign.

Last Time Out

Sunday (Nebraska 10, SEMO 3): Cody Asche and Tyler Farst drove in three runs apiece, as Nebraska completed a three-game sweep of Southeast Missouri State with a 10-3 victory. Asche continued his torrid weekend with a three-run double in the third inning to break open a 1-0 contest, as he totaled 11 RBIs in the three-game series to propel Nebraska to its fourth straight victory. Farst put the game out of reach two innings later, belting a three-run homer to left, providing the Huskers with a six-run cushion.  Nebraska pounded out 15 hits, including three-hit days from Adam Bailey and Kale Kiser, as Bailey went 3-for-4 and scored three times. The Huskers also received solid pitching, as five relievers combined to allow one earned run over 6.2 innings, including 2.2 innings of two-hit ball by Chase Adams, who improved to 3-1 on the season with the win.

Saturday (Nebraska 20, SEMO 6): Cody Asche homered and drove in a career-high six runs, as Nebraska rolled to a 20-6 victory over Southeast Missouri State. Asche went 3-for-5 on the day while his fourth inning grand slam turned a one-run Husker lead into an 11-6 cushion. Asche has hit three grand slams this season - the most by a Husker since 2003 - and has nine homers on the year after his second round tripper in as many days.  Nebraska scored in seven of eight innings in posting its second 20-run outburst of the season. Kyle Bubak and Patric Tolentino drove in three runs apiece, while Adam Bailey had two hits, two RBIs and scored three times. Casey Hauptman earned the victory in relief, allowing one run over 5.1 innings after Tom Lemke struggled getting out of the second. Hauptman (2-4) fanned six and scattered five hits to pick up his first win since March 13.

Friday (Nebraska 6, SEMO 2): Michael Mariot fanned a career-high 12 hitters over eight innings to lift the Huskers to a 6-2 victory over Southeast Missouri State. Mariot (5-5) scattered five hits and struck out the side in three of the first four innings against a Redhawk team that was sixth nationally in hitting. The five hits marked SEMO's second-lowest output of the year, and the 13 strikeouts that Mariot and Yost combined for was the most against the Redhawks in a game this season. While Mariot kept a potent offense in check, Nebraska put all six of its runs up in the fourth and fifth innings against SEMO starter Nick Thomas, who suffered his first loss in seven decisions. Adam Bailey and Cody Asche both homered in the win, while DJ Belfonte had two hits, as NU out-hit the Redhawks, 7-5.

Leading Off

• -Adam Bailey's 16 homers in 2010 are the most by a Husker since 2005, when Alex Gordon hit 19 en route to National Player-of-the-Year honors. Bailey is also three homers away from 10th place on Nebraska's single-season lists. With 28 homers in two seasons, Bailey is tied for third among players who spent less than three seasons at Nebraska.
• -With 55 RBIs this season, Adam Bailey is the first Husker to record back-to-back seasons with at least 50 RBIs since Alex Gordon and Curtis Ledbetter accomplished the feat during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. His RBI total is now the highest by any Husker in the last five seasons.
• -A trio of Husker players are among the national leaders released on Tuesday. Adam Bailey tops the list, as he ranks in the top-100 nationally in five categories, including homers and RBIs. As a team, the Huskers rank in the top 60 in four categories, including double plays turned, fielding percentage and hit by pitches.
• -Huskers have been hit by 73 pitches this season to rank second in the Big 12. The total already ranks eighth on NU's single-season list. NU is the only Big 12 team with three players hit by at least 10 pitches this season (DJ Belfonte, Bryan Peters and Kale Kiser), while Belfonte and Peters rank in the top five in the league in that category.
• -Bryan Peters has been hit by 17 pitches this season, which is the most of any freshman in the nation. He is fourth on NU's all-time freshman list behind Daniel Bruce (28, 2002), Corey Miller (24, 1996) and DJ Belfonte (18, 2007).
• -One year after Kansas' Tony Thompson became the Big 12's first triple crown winner, Adam Bailey is also making a strong push in 2010. Bailey enters the weekend hitting .378 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs, leading the Big 12 in homers and in the top 10 in both RBIs and batting average.
• -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 Missouri in 12th place on NU's career hit list with 227. He is four hits away from 10th place on NU's career list.

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.

Belfonte, who has 10 career triples, is also one triple shy of cracking Nebraska's top-10 list in that category and ranks 10th in games played (213). He is enjoying his best season as a Husker in 2010, ranking seventh in hits (71) and eighth in batting average (.385) while his 36 RBIs is one shy of his career high of 37 set as a sophomore.

• -Freshman right-hander Tom Lemke joined an exclusive club May 2, as he tossed his second shutout of the season. He is just the fourth freshman in school history to throw at least two shutouts in a season and just one of only 10 pitchers all time at Nebraska to accomplish the feat. He is tied for second nationally in shutouts this season.
• -With six homers over the weekend, NU eclipsed the 50 homer mark for the first time since 2006. NU has four players with at least six homers this season, including Big 12 leader Adam Bailey.
• -Nebraska has improved its offensive numbers this season, as it enters the Missouri series with a .298 team batting average, a nearly 20 point jump from last season. It is NU's highest batting average after 47 games since 2006 and a fact made more impressive considering the Huskers have played 15 games against teams in the top 25 in ERA (Texas, UCLA, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor).
• -Nebraska is tied for second in the Big 12 with four shutouts, trailing only Texas' league-leading total of seven. Freshmen have earned the wins in three of four Husker shutouts this season, including Tom Lemke (No. 12 Oklahoma and Texas A&M) and Tyler Niederklein (Wichita State). In Big 12 action, Lemke's two shutouts are more than any other team's total except for Texas.
• -Shortstop Chad Christensen's six homers are 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.
• -Nebraska has gotten great production from its pinch hitters this year, hitting .313 with four homers and 14 RBIs. It is NU's highest batting average by pinch hitters since 2003, while the four homers are the most in the last decade. Prior to this season, NU had only four pinch-hit homers since 2004.
• -Cody Asche's three 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, Nebraska has not had multiple grand slams in a season since 2004 prior to this year.
• -Kale Kiser has been one of the Big 12's top run producers this season. He is seventh in the league in on-base percentage (.481) and is second on the team with 46 runs scored. He has reached safely in each of his first 35 starts this season and 40 of his 42 starts.
• -The Huskers have been proficient in two-out situations this season, recording 134 two-out RBIs. In fact, 143 of Nebraska's 316 runs (45.2 percent) this spring have been scored with two outs, and NU has scored at least one two-out run in 34 contests. All 10 of Nebraska's runs against Southeast Missouri State on Sunday came in two-out situations. Cody Asche leads NU with 28 two-out RBIs, while Adam Bailey is close behind with 24 RBIs. Of Asche's 70 career RBIs, 41 have come in two-out situations.
• -The Huskers are 107-1 (.990) under Mike Anderson when reaching double figures in runs, including 79-0 since the start of the 2005 season. Nebraska is 13-0 this season when scoring 10 or more runs in a game.
• -Nebraska has gotten off to fast starts, scoring first in 29 of its 47 games this season and has outscored foes 38-20 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 18-6 when holding opponents to five runs or less. Under pitching coach Eric Newman, the Huskers are 36-2 when holding opponents to two runs or less.
• -On April 24, freshman Tyler Niederklein became the first Husker freshman to win his inaugural Big 12 start since the 2005 season. The Omaha native went a career-long 5.2 innings against the Bears to become only the fourth true freshman over the last decade to accomplish the feat.
• -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.
• -Nebraska has gone over 20 runs twice this season (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State), marking the first time since 2002 that the Huskers have eclipsed the 20-run mark twice in a season. Saturday's 20-run effort was NU's most runs in a home game since 2002. NU's top five single-game offensive outputs since 2003 are listed below.
• -Seven of Nebraska's 21 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 260-7-1 (.972) when leading after eight innings under Mike Anderson.
• -DJ Belfonte ranks second on Nebraska's career hit-by-pitch list with 57. He is one of just 10 players in conference history to get hit by at least 50 pitches.
• -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.
• -NU has 122 come-from-behind wins under Mike Anderson since 2003. The Huskers have eight come-from-behind wins this season, including overcoming a 10-run deficit against North Dakota on March 30 and a four-run defiict against Southeast Missouri State on May 8.
• -The Huskers are 74-8 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 18-2 when out-hitting opponents. The Huskers are also 21-6 when reaching double figures in hits, but just 2-18 when held to nine hits or less.

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 .385 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs entering this weekend's action. The senior ranks 26th in homers and 30th nationally in total bases in the latest NCAA stats released on May 11.

 Bailey, who was drafted in the 38th round by the New York Yankees last season, leads the Big 12 in homers, slugging percentage (.714) and total bases (137), while ranking in the top 10 in batting average (sixth), RBIs (third), hits (74, fifth) and runs scored (50, sixth).

It should not be surprising that Bailey has been a solid run producer, as he is a .414 hitter (48-for-116) with runners in scoring position during his Nebraska career. He originally began his carer as a pitcher at Arizona State in 2007.

Bailey also tops the Huskers with 23 multi-hit games and 19 games with at least two RBIs. The 19 multi-RBI games are the most by a Husker since Alex Gordon in 2004.
Bailey is one of only four Huskers in the last eight years to have at least 20 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI efforts in a season.

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. Bailey torched No. 20 Kansas State, hitting .364 with three homers and six RBIs in the 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. Bailey went 7-for-11 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in the three-game series at No. 2 Texas. 

DJ Keeps Churning Out Hits

DJ Belfonte gives Nebraska a solid threat at the top of the lineup. The senior is hitting .376 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. He ranks among the Big 12 leaders in four categories including: hits (seventh, 71); triples (sixth, three); and batting average (eighth).

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 47 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 six 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. Against Texas A&M on May 1, he became the first Husker since 2003 to lead off the game with a homer.

Belfonte Also Excels in the Classroom

Belfonte was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Distict VII team on May 7. In addition to being a four-year starter in the outfield, he has a 3.72 GPA in finance and is a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection. He was also a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District pick as a sophomore in 2008.

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 .354 with 46 runs scored, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.481) and 10th in runs scored.  He also leads NU with 25 walks and is third 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 .370 after NU's hitters had a combined .228 average through the first 10 contests. Kiser was moved to the No. 5 spot in the order and went 5-for-9 with a pair of walks in the three-game sweep of Southeast Missouri State.

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, 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 .298 with nine homers and 49 RBIs. Asche has enjoyed a pair of double-digit hit streaks this season, including a 12-game hit streak, March 5-24.

He comes off a monster series against Southeast Missouri State, driving in 11 runs - equaling Southeast Missouri State's total each day in the series. His six RBIs day on Saturday were the most RBIs since Feb. 25, 2009, and the second-highest total by a Husker the last nine years.

Asche hit .500 (6-for-12) with five RBIs at No. 2 Texas and enjoyed another big 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 inning 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. He now shares the Big 12 record with three grand slams in a season.

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 .262 with 23 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 40 appearances. He has also been hit by 17 pitches to rank third in the Big 12 in that category.

Christensen, who moved into the lineup on March 28 following Kyle Bubak's back injury, has been solid both offensively and defensively. He is hitting .278 with six homers and 15 RBIs, while also fielding at a .950 clip.  He enjoyed a 10-game hit streak from March 28 until April 11, recording eight multi-hit games in that stretch.

With the return of Josh Scheffert to the lineup last month, the Huskers have used an infield comprised of freshmen and sophomores for most of the last three weeks.

Like Mother, Like Son

Freshman Josh Scheffert continues a family tradition at Nebraska, as his mother (Candice [Hoffman] Scheffert) played softball for the Huskers for two seasons (1979-80).  Scheffert has enjoyed a solid rookie campaign, hitting .278 with three homers and 22 RBIs. He broke a bone in his left hand on a pitch on March 28 that was expected to be season ending, but Scheffert returned after missing 10 contests. He broke out of a slump last weekend, going 3-for-6 in two starts against Southeast Missouri State.

The Lincoln Southeast product - the same school as former National Player of the Year Alex Gordon - 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 2-4, he is second on the pitching staff in innings (54.2) and strikeouts (51). 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.

Out of the bullpen, Hauptman has a 3.54 ERA in 15 outings, fanning 42 over 40.2 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 was sharp in his last outing, allowing one run over 5.1 innings while fanning six to collect the win against Southeast Missouri State on Saturday.

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. The 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 newcomers have seen playing time this year, especially 10 of the 16 pitchers who have thrown this season.

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.

 

Tickets for May 18th Game vs. Creighton on Sale

Tickets for Nebraska's final regular-season game at historic Rosenblatt Stadium are now on sale. Tickets, which are priced from $9-$15, can be purchased from Ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster's 800 Number (800-745-3000) or visiting Ticketmaster outlets in the state (Russ's Grocery Stores, the UNL Student Union and Younkers in Lincoln; Baker's stores in Omaha, Rosenblatt Stadium and at Morrison Stadium on the Creighton campus).

Ticket Update

Because of the weather-related postponements this season, two previous game tickets can be used for general admission tickets to any remaining regular-season game at Hawks Field.  Those tickets are the following:

• South Dakota State (Game 1 on season-ticket sheets)
• Houston Baptist (Game 3)

Huskers From Around the Nation

The 2010 Huskers come from 14 states across the nation. Nebraska natives comprise a quarter of the 36-man opening-day roster with nine spots, while the Huskers also have seven Texans on the 2010 roster.

Three Huskers Honored by Baseball America

A trio of Husker players were recognized by Baseball America in its college preview issue.  Outfielder Adam Bailey was the only Husker player on the publication's preseason All-Big 12 team, as he hit .325 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs a year ago.  DJ Belfonte was recognized as the best defensive outfielder in the Big 12 in Baseball America's preseason issue. Belfonte, who has played both center and right field in his Husker career, has a .982 career fielding percentage and has thrown out seven runners from the outfield during his career.

Tom Lemke was the fifth-rated freshman in the Big 12 by Baseball America after a dominant high school career. He went 25-9 with a 2.01 ERA in his career at Northwest Christian High School, striking out 333 over 193.2 career innings. He is also No. 32 nationally among all freshman by the publication.

Success in the Classroom

NU enjoyed a strong performance in the classroom by posting a team GPA of 3.112 during the fall semester. The team GPA was the highest ever while tracking the program's GPA over the last 20 years and the second straight fall above a 3.0 GPA.  A total of 23 Huskers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fall semester.

Battling the Injury Bug

The Huskers have been hit by the injury bug recently, losing a quartet of contributors for significant time. Offensively, both Josh Scheffert (left hand) and Kyle Bubak (back) missed 10 games apiece because of injuries and both returned to action against Wichita State on April 13.

On the mound, NU also lost a pair of major contributors in Mike Nesseth and Kurt Giller. Nesseth, a 15th-round draft pick last spring, was 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA, but was pitching well at the time of his injury, posting a 1.80 ERA in his previous seven outings. Giller, a 21st round draft pick, had made eight appearances, fanning 11 over 13.2 innings and earned a save against Fresno State.