Huskers Battle Former Conference Foe Baylor

Nebraska (4-6) at #21 Baylor (9-2)
March 8-10, 2019
Baylor Ballpark • Waco, Texas

Friday, March 8 • 6:35 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: Facebook Live (Baylor Baseball)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Matt Waldron (1-0) vs. Hayden Kettler (2-1)

Saturday, March 9 • 3:05 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: Facebook Live (Baylor Baseball)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Nate Fisher (1-1) vs. Paul Dickens (1-0)

Sunday, March 10 • 12:05 p.m. (CT)
Video Stream: Fox Sports Southwest Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Connor Curry (1-0) vs. TBD

The Nebraska baseball team renews a rivalry this weekend when the Huskers visit former Big 12 foe Baylor in Waco, Texas. It marks Nebraska’s second consecutive weekend in the Lone Star State after playing in Frisco, Texas to begin the month of March.

The three-game series, which was originally scheduled to take place at Hawks Field in Lincoln, was moved due to weather. The Huskers (4-6) and No. 21 Bears (9-2) open their series on Friday at Baylor Ballpark at 6:35 p.m. (CT). Saturday’s game is scheduled for 3:05 p.m., while Sunday’s finale will begin at 12:05 p.m.

The weekend trip continues the rigorous schedule for the Huskers, who have the No. 9 strength of schedule in the nation, according to WarrenNolan.com. The website also has NU with an RPI of 23 through its first 10 games.

Last Time Out
The Huskers split their two games at the Frisco College Baseball Classic over the weekend before Sunday’s finale against No. 12 Mississippi State was canceled due to cold weather and travel restrictions. Nebraska knocked off No. 3 Texas Tech, 2-1, on Friday night before falling to Sam Houston State, 11-10, on Saturday. 

Next Up
With the postponement of Nebraska’s game against North Dakota State, the Huskers are scheduled to return to action March 15-17 against New Mexico State at Hawks Field.

How to Listen/Watch the Huskers

• Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Nick Handley 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.

• The schedule for TuneIn.com and the TuneIn App on the Husker Sports Network channel is subject to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament for Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s game won’t be on TuneIn due to the men’s basketball game against Iowa.

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

• Friday and Saturday’s games will be streamed on Facebook Live via Baylor Baseball’s page. Sunday’s game will be streamed on Fox Sports Southwest Plus.

Scouting the Baylor Bears

• Baylor leads the all-time series against Nebraska, 34-27-1, dating back to the first meeting between the schools in 1938. The last time the two teams played was in 2011 when the Bears won 2-of-3 against the Big Red at Hawks Field.

• Baylor holds a 22-8-1 advantage against the Huskers in Waco, Texas.

• This season, Baylor is 9-2 and ranked 21st in the latest D1 Baseball poll.The Bears raced out to an 8-0 start before dropping games to Texas A&M and Rice in Houston last weekend.

• Last season, Baylor went 37-21 overall and won the Big 12 Tournament en route to a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears went 1-2 at the Stanford Regional.

• Head Coach Steve Rodriguez is 104-75 in his fourth season at Baylor. He holds an overall record of 390-373 in his 16th season. Rodriguez is assisted by Jon Strauss, Mike Taylor and Ruben Noriega.

• Players to Watch

•     » No. 33 Davis Wendzel (Junior INF): Preseason All-American hitting .465 with seven doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs and 14 runs scored
•     » No. 21 Richard Cunningham (Senior OF): Batting .375 with six doubles, two triples and one home run along with a team-high 15 runs scored
•     » No. 9 Davion Downey (Sophomore OF): Leads the team with three home runs, while hitting .359

North Dakota State Game Postponed

• The baseball game between Nebraska and North Dakota State, originally scheduled for next Wednesday, has been postponed due to snowy field conditions. The two teams will look for a date later in the season to make up the game. Fans who had tickets to the game can use them for when it is rescheduled.

Gomes Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

• Colby Gomes earned Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors on Monday after the Huskers split their two games at the Frisco Classic over the weekend.

• Gomes started both games at first base. In Nebraska’s upset win over No. 3 Texas Tech, not only did Gomes deliver the go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning that proved to be the game-winner, but he also earned his first career save.

• Gomes went 1-for-3 at the plate against the Red Raiders, recording his RBI single in the seventh inning to give NU a 2-1 lead. He took to the mound in the top of the ninth and struck out two batters in a no-hit scoreless frame. It marked Nebraska’s first win over a top-five opponent since Feb. 21, 2014 when the Huskers upset No. 1 Oregon State.

Four Games Selected for Big Ten TV Slate

• The Big Ten Conference has released its 2019 baseball television schedule across Big Ten Network, the ESPN family of networks and Fox Sports 1, which features four Husker games.

• » April 7 – Purdue (ESPNU)
• » April 9 – Creighton (FS1)
• » April 20 – Iowa (BTN)
• » April 26 – Illinois (BTN)

Palensky Powers Husker Offense

• Sophomore Aaron Palensky, a junior college transfer, enters the weekend on a team-best 10-game hitting streak as the only Husker to get at least one hit in every game this season.

• Palensky leads the team or shares the team high in hits (14), doubles (3) and runs scored (9).

• Palensky has started all 10 games in outfield and has hit in the cleanup spot nine times.

Newcomers Stepping In

• Nebraska’s nationally ranked recruiting class has showed its potential through three weeks. Of the 18 Huskers who have registered at-bats, six of them are newcomers. In addition, three newcomers have made pitching appearances.

• 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.

On the Road Again to Start the Season

• With the postponement of Nebraska’s home opener, the Huskers are scheduled to play their first 13 consecutive games away from Lincoln to start the year, including this weekend’s trip to Waco, Texas.

• The last time Nebraska played its first 13 games away from home was 2015. The last time Nebraska played its first 14 games away from home was 2001.

• With the schedule changes, Nebraska’s home opener is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 against North Dakota State.

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: 13 games

Pitching Staff Aims for Healthy Comeback

• Four Husker pitchers who spent most of 2018 sidelined with injuries have returned to action for each of the first three weekends.

• Junior right-hander Chad Luensmann has made three appearances, including two starts, after missing the entire 2018 campaign following Tommy John surgery last winter. During his first two years at Nebraska in 2016 and 2017, Luensmann compiled 21 saves in 55 appearances. This season, he is 1-1 with a team-best 2.61 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched.

• 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 has thrown 6.2 innings this season and recorded a career-high five strikeouts in his last outing.

• Sophomore left-hander Connor Curry underwent Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season. Curry has made three relief appearances this season for a total of 5.0 innings.

• 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. Palkert has thrown 2.1 innings of relief in two appearances this season.

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: 188-20 (2-0 this season)
• » After seven innings: 201-10 (4-0 this season)
• » After eight innings: 213-6 (4-0 this season)

Three CWS Teams Highlight Tough Schedule

• Nebraska is in a nine-game span where the Huskers have eight games against top-25 opponents (No. 7 Oregon State, No. 3 Texas Tech, and No. 21 Baylor). The Huskers just finished a stretch of five consecutive games against 2018 College World Series teams, playing four against Oregon State and one against Texas Tech.

• Nebraska’s schedule features games against six NCAA Tournament qualifiers from last season, including two College World Series participants after the Mississippi State game was canceled on Sunday. In addition, the Huskers face each of the top four teams from last year’s Big Ten standings.

• 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.

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.

Erstad Among Winningest Coaches in NU History

• Head Coach Darin Erstad (239-175-1) 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: 239 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

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.

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 in 2019 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.

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.

• 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.