Huskers Open 2019 Campaign at UC Riverside

Nebraska (0-0) at UC Riverside (0-0)
Feb. 15-17, 2019
Riverside Sports Complex • Riverside, Calif.

Friday, Feb. 15 • 8 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: BigWest.TV
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Chad Luensmann (0-0) vs. Hayden Petrovick (0-0)

Saturday, Feb. 16 (DH Game 1) • 2 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: BigWest.TV
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Reece Eddins (0-0) vs. Riley Ohl (0-0)

Saturday, Feb. 16 (DH Game 2)
Video Stream: BigWest.TV
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Nate Fisher (0-0) vs. Shamus Lyons (0-0)

Sunday, Feb. 17 • 3 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: BigWest.TV
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Colby Gomes (0-0) vs. Jeremiah Priddy (0-0)

The Nebraska baseball team heads West to begin the 2019 season when the Huskers face UC Riverside for a four-game set this weekend at Riverside Sports Complex in Riverside, Calif.

The season opener is set for Friday at 8 p.m. (CT). The following day, the Huskers and Highlanders meet for a doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m. (CT). Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT).

This year’s series will mark the third consecutive year that UC Riverside and Nebraska have met to start the season. During that span, the two squads are 2-2 against each other with all four games taking place at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. In 2017, the Highlanders took the first game of an opening day doubleheader before NU responded with a win. Last season, Nebraska won the season opener before the Highlanders emerged victorious the following day.

Next Up
The Huskers head to Surprise, Ariz., for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, where they will face reigning national champion Oregon State in four games. The Huskers and Beavers play each other Thursday (2 p.m. CT), Friday (2 p.m.), Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.) at Surprise Stadium.

How to Listen/Watch the Huskers

• Fans can listen to Nick Handley and Ben McLaughlin call the action this weekend on the Learfield/IMG Husker Sports Network. Every game this season can be heard on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.

• Friday’s game will be carried on TuneIn.com and the TuneIn App on the Husker IMG Sports Network channel, but neither Saturday nor Sunday will be on TuneIn due to men’s and women’s basketball.

• Fans in Lincoln can listen on 1400 AM and fans in Omaha can listen on 590 AM.

• All four games will be video streamed online on BigWest.TV.

Scouting the UC Riverside Highlanders

• Nebraska leads the all-time series against UC Riverside, 7-4, dating back to the first meeting between the schools in 1980.
» Nebraska is 4-0 against the Highlanders at home, with each of those games taking place in 2008.
» UC Riverside is 4-3 against Nebraska at neutral sites. Those meetings took place in 1980, 2007, 2017 and 2018.

• The teams met twice last season during the season-opening Husker Classic at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. NU won the first game, 8-3, on Feb. 16 before the Highlanders responded with an 8-1 win in the second game on Feb. 17. 

• Last season, UC Riverside went 19-33 overall and finished ninth in the Big West with a 7-17 record in conference play.

• Head Coach Troy Percival begins his fifth season at UC Riverside in 2019.  He holds an 82-134 record at the school. Percival is assisted by Curtis Smith, Justin Johnson and Andy Lozano.
» Percival and Nebraska Head Coach Darin Erstad were teammates for the Angels and each played a key role in the team’s 2002 World Series title.

• Players to Watch
» Matt Hardy (Senior OF/RHP): Batted .311 last season with 37 hits and 32 RBIs in only 29 starts
» Justin Mannens (Senior INF): Hit .306 last year and led the team with six stolen bases despite starting only 19 games
» Connor Cannon (Junior RHP/1B): Captured 2018 first-team All-Big West honors after hitting .282 and a team-high 10 home runs 

Big Ten Preseason Honors and Coaches’ Poll

• Angelo Altavilla, Chad Luensmann and Luke Roskam each earned spots on the Big Ten Preseason Honors List, announced by the conference on Wednesday.

• The Big Ten also released its preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday. Nebraska is picked to finish tied for sixth in the conference with Purdue.

• Reigning Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion Minnesota claimed the top spot in the preseason poll, while Michigan and Illinois round out the top three. Indiana is picked to finish fourth and Ohio State is tabbed fifth.

Newcomers Receive National Recognition

• Nebraska’s group of newcomers for 2019 were ranked among the nation’s best when multiple publications released their recruiting class rankings in the fall.

• D1 Baseball ranked NU’s class 16th nationally and the best among all Big Ten teams, six spots ahead of second-best Illinois.

• Baseball America tabbed the group among its top-35 recruiting classes. After announcing its top 25, Baseball America released its “Next 10” in alphabetical order. Nebraska was one of two Big Ten teams on the list, along with No. 24 Illinois.

• Rawlings/Perfect Game ranked Nebraska’s recruiting class 37th nationally and third in the Big Ten, behind No. 32 Purdue and No. 36 Indiana.

• The Huskers welcome 15 newcomers to the roster this season, including 11 freshmen, as the entire recruiting class made it to campus.

• Two newcomers - Spencer Schwellenbach and Bo Blessie - were drafted in June 2018, but chose to come to Nebraska to play college baseball. Schwellenbach was selected in the 34th round by the Cleveland Indians, while Blessie was drafted in the 36th round by the Washington Nationals.

• Four newcomers - Aaron Palenksy (Southeast CC), Trey Kissack (UNC Greensboro/Southeast CC), Ty Roseberry (Nebraska-Kearney) and Gareth Stroh (Purdue/Coffeyville CC) – bring previous college baseball experience to NU’s roster. Stroh and Kissack will sit out this season.

On the Road Again to Start the Season

• Nebraska is 4-3 on opening day under Head Coach Darin Erstad.

• Nebraska is scheduled to play 11 consecutive games away from Lincoln to start the year. The Huskers visit Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 15-17), Surprise, Ariz. (Feb. 21-24) and Frisco, Texas (March 1-3) before NU’s home opener on March 5.

• The last time the Huskers opened the season at home was 1990, when Nebraska hosted Kearney on Feb. 11 at Buck Beltzer Stadium.

Consecutive Games Away from Lincoln to Start the Season Since 2012

• 2012: 10 games
• 2013: 7 games
• 2014: 10 games
• 2015: 13 games
• 2016: 9 games
• 2017: 9 games
• 2018: 11 games
• 2019: 11 games

Opening Day Sites and Results Under Erstad

• 2012: Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. (Feb. 17): Lost to Gonzaga, 7-4
• 2013: Hardt Field in Bakersfield, Calif. (Feb. 15): Lost to CSU Bakersfield, 9-4
• 2014: Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 14): Defeated Pacific, 5-3
• 2015: Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. (Feb. 13): Defeated UNLV, 2-0
• 2016: Patriots Park in Charleston, S.C. (Feb. 19): Defeated C. of Charleston, 4-0
• 2017: Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 17): Lost to UC Riverside, 4-3
• 2018: Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 16): Defeated UC Riverside, 8-4
• 2019: Riverside Sports Complex in Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 15)

Pitching Staff Aims for Healthy Comeback

• One of the storylines in 2018 was the numerous injuries to Nebraska’s pitching staff. Those players look to come back healthy and make an impact for the Huskers in 2019.

• Junior right-hander Chad Luensmann returns for the Huskers after missing the entire 2018 campaign following Tommy John surgery last winter. Luensmann’s 21 career saves rank as the third-most in program history. He is scheduled to make his first career start on Friday night.

• Senior righty Reece Eddins returned to the mound during the second half of the 2018 season after suffering an injury in 2017. Eddins made eight appearances in his limited time last season after missing from March 28, 2017 to April 1, 2018. He is scheduled to start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at UC Riverside.

• Sophomore left-hander Connor Curry underwent Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season. Curry enters 2019 having made four appearances on the mound, including one start, when he pitched in 2017.

• Junior righty Robbie Palkert received a medical hardship after suffering a season-ending arm injury during the opening weekend of the 2018 season that required Tommy John surgery.

Closing Time

• One of Nebraska’s strengths under Head Coach Darin Erstad has been the bullpen. Nebraska earned 16 saves in 2018, marking the eighth consecutive season the Huskers have recorded double-digit saves.

• Nebraska has had a pitcher earn 10 or more saves in each of the last five seasons after no Husker pitcher reached the 10-save milestone during the previous seven seasons (2007-13).

Nebraska’s Record with the Lead Since 2012

• » After six innings: 186-20
• » After seven innings: 197-10
• » After eight innings: 209-6

Fall Ball Includes Exhibition Scrimmages

• The Huskers took advantage of the new rule which allows NCAA Division I teams to play two fall exhibitions that don’t count against the 56-game spring schedule.

• Nebraska hosted Wichita State on Sept. 22 and Kansas on Oct. 6 with both games played at Hawks Field. The scrimmages were open to the public and free to attend. Score wasn’t kept for either contest.

Huskers Eye Bounce Back Season in 2019

• Nebraska has qualified for three of the last five NCAA Tournaments (2014, 2016, 2017) and looks to get back to the postseason in 2019 after missing the national and conference tournaments in 2018.

• Nebraska, who enters its eighth season as a member of the Big Ten, finished in the top two of the regular-season standings in four of its first six seasons in the conference before finishing 10th in 2018. NU won the regular-season crown in 2017 after finishing second in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

• The 2018 season was the first time NU missed the eight-team conference tournament since joining the Big Ten before the 2012 campaign. Nebraska took runner-up honors at the Big Ten Tournament in 2013 and 2014.

• Despite losing both of their 2018 All-Big Ten selections (Scott Schreiber and Jesse Wilkening) who were both drafted in June, the Huskers return Big Ten All-Freshman honorees Jaxon Hallmark and Gunner Hellstrom. In addition, Angelo Altavilla (2017 third team) and Chad Luensmann (2016 second team) are previous All-Big Ten selections on this year’s team.

• The 2019 campaign will mark the 113th year of Nebraska baseball, dating back to the inaugural season in 1889.

Ledbetter Transitions to Coaching Role

• Head Coach Darin Erstad announced on Aug. 22 that Curtis Ledbetter will serve as the Nebraska’s volunteer assistant coach after spending 10 years as the team’s director of operations.

• Ledbetter, a former all-conference performer at Nebraska, joined the Husker staff in May of 2008 after a stint in professional baseball. He was a member of NU’s 2005 College World Series team, which holds the school record for single-season wins (57).

• Ledbetter will serve as the Huskers’ first-base coach and hitting coach in addition to coaching NU’s catchers in 2019.

Three CWS Teams Highlight Tough Schedule

• Nebraska’s schedule features games against seven NCAA Tournament qualifiers from last season, including three College World Series participants. In addition, the Huskers face each of the top four teams from last year’s Big Ten standings.

• At the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge (Feb. 21-24), Nebraska faces defending national champion Oregon State. At the Frisco College Baseball Classic (March 1-3), NU faces 2018 College World Series participants Texas Tech and Mississippi State.

• Nebraska visits reigning Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion Minnesota (March 29-31), a team which advanced to Super Regionals before falling to eventual national champion Oregon State.

• The other 2018 NCAA Tournament qualifiers on Nebraska’s schedule are Baylor, New Mexico State and Purdue. The Boilermakers finished second in the Big Ten regular-season standings and took runner-up honors at the conference tournament.

• Michigan and Illinois, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten last season each visit Hawks Field this season.

• Nebraska’s penultimate regular-season series is against Arizona State (May 10-12) at Hawks Field. The series history between the Huskers and Sun Devils includes NU’s first win in a College World Series game in 2005.

• The Big Ten teams not included in Nebraska’s 2019 regular-season schedule are Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State and Rutgers.

• The conference tournament returns to TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, May 22-26, after previously hosting the event in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The Big Ten Tournament will return to TD Ameritrade Park from 2020 to 2022.

Erstad Among Winningest Coaches in NU History

• Head Coach Darin Erstad (235-169-1) became the fourth-winningest head coach in program history last season after reaching the 200-win milestone in 2017.

Most Wins by a Head Coach in Nebraska Baseball History

1. John Sanders: 767 wins (1978-97; 20 seasons)
2. Tony Sharpe: 399 wins (1947-77; 31 seasons)
3. Mike Anderson: 337 wins (2003-11; 9 seasons)
4. Darin Erstad: 235 wins (2012-present; 7 seasons)
5. Dave Van Horn: 214 wins (1998-2002; 5 seasons)

• Erstad, the 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year, holds a conference record of 96-68-1 as the head coach at Nebraska. He is four Big Ten wins away from his 100th career conference win.

Nebraska Coaches with More Than 100 Conference Wins

• » Tony Sharpe went 240-260-0 in 31 years
• » John Sanders went 239-221-0 in 20 years
• » Mike Anderson went 125-116-1 in nine years

Hawks Field Celebrates 18th Year in 2019

• The 2019 campaign marks Nebraska’s 18th year playing home games at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The Huskers moved to Hawks Field in 2002 after playing at Buck Beltzer Stadium for 23 years from 1979 to 2001.

• Nebraska holds a 352-133-1 record at Hawks Field. NU has posted a winning record at home in each of the last 17 seasons. This season, the Huskers have 27 home games scheduled, beginning on Tuesday, March 5 against Omaha.

• Nebraska has won 60 percent or more of its home games 14 times over the last 17 seasons.

• Since Head Coach Darin Erstad took over in 2012, the Huskers are 123-55 at Hawks Field. He has posted 20-win seasons at home in three of his first seven years at Nebraska, including 21-win seasons at home in 2015 and 2016.

• Nebraska has ranked in the top 30 nationally in average attendance in each of the past 17 years. Last season, the Huskers ranked 12th in the nation with an average of 4,203 fans per home game (over a span of 25 games).

• In 2017, the Huskers welcomed an average of 5,395 fans per home game, which ranked sixth in the nation. NU also ranked sixth nationally in 2016 when a school-record average of 5,423 fans attended home games for the Huskers.