Brett Jensen Season 2006

• 2006 First-Team Preseason All-American (Collegiate Baseball)
• 2006 Third-Team Preseason All-American (NCBWA)
• 2005 MLB 23rd-round Draft Pick (Washington)
• 2005 Second-Team All-Big 12
• 2003 MLB 45th-round Draft Pick (Baltimore)
• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Spring 2004; Spring 2005)

2006 Outlook: Senior Brett Jensen gives the Huskers the luxury of having one of the nation’s best closers ? Is a preseason All-American and enters his final year at NU holding school records for saves in a season (16) and in a career (18), as he converted 16-of-17 save opportunities in 2005 ? Was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 23rd round in 2005, but elected to return for his senior season ? Is the nation’s leading returner in saves ? Held opponents to a .207 batting averaged and allowed just eight extra-base hits in 46 innings ? Is an aggressive strike thrower who has walked just 14 hitters in 78.1 career innings.

2005: Jensen put together one of the best seasons by a reliever in school history, going 3-5 with 16 saves and a 1.96 ERA in a team-high 33 appearances ? Ranked second in the Big 12 and third nationally in saves, as he converted 16 of 17 opportunities, including all five postseason chances ? Fanned 46 and walked just nine over 46 innings of work while holding opponents to a .206 batting average, including just five extra-base hits ? Went 0-1 with four saves and a 1.08 ERA in the NCAA Tournament, as he suffered the loss in NU’s season-ending setback to Arizona State at the College World Series ? Recorded four saves during the NCAA Tournament, including both of NU’s Super Regional wins and the triumph over the Sun Devils in Omaha ? Picked up saves in both of Nebraska’s Super Regional wins over No. 13 Miami, retiring all eight batters he faced in his two outings ? Went 1-1 with a save in three Big 12 Tournament appearances, picking up the win in an elimination game against No. 17 Missouri before coming back the next day to retire all four batters he faced in a 1-0 win over No. 9 Baylor in the Big 12 title game on May 29 ? Was 1-3 with a 2.70 ERA in a team-high 11 Big 12 appearances, earning the victory in NU’s series-clinching extra-inning win over No. 17 Missouri on May 8 and picking up one save against the Tigers and two more against Kansas State ? Made two appearances against top-ranked Texas, allowing two hits over six shutout innings against the Longhorns, but did not factor into the decision in any of those contests ? Fanned a season-high four in 1.2 innings at Oklahoma on April 30 ? Picked up his other victory at Hawaii-Hilo on Feb. 18, retiring all seven batters he faced, including a career-high four strikeouts.

2004: Jensen was one of the Huskers’ top relievers, primarily working as a set-up man in his first season at NU ? Finished the year with a 1-4 record, two saves and a 5.29 ERA, numbers that were not indicitive of how well he pitched, as 12 of the runs were allowed in one three-game stretch ? Was second on the team with three holds, as he allowed just six of 23 inherited runners to score ? Enjoyed better than a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, walking only five batters in 32.1 innings of work ? Proved to be a workhorse out of the bullpen, going at least one inning in 14 of his 20 appearances, highlighted by a 6.1 inning performance against No. 10 Texas A&M on May 2 ? Allowed an earned run in his first appearance before tossing 13.1 shutout innings (spanning nine appearances) to lower his ERA to 0.60 in his first 15.1 innings as a Husker ? Picked up his first career win in relief against San Diego in Petco Park, allowing one hit over two innings in Nebraska’s 12-inning 5-4 win on March 12 ? Tossed two innings of one-hit ball in relief of Zach Kroenke to preserve the Huskers’ 3-2 win over Kansas in NU’s Big 12 opener on March 26 ? Earned his first save with 3.1 shutout innings at Kansas State on April 3, coming into the game with the bases loaded in the sixth before closing the door on NU’s fourth straight shutout ? Picked up his second save against top-ranked Texas in Austin, retiring the final seven hitters, including three strikeouts, in a perfect 2.1 innings of work to preserve NU’s 4-3 win on April 25 ? Turned in a yeoman’s effort against No. 10 Texas A&M on May 2, coming out of the bullpen to hurl 6.1 innings and matched his season high with three strikeouts and left with a 7-6 lead, but NU lost 6-4 ? Struggled down the stretch, suffering losses in three of his final four appearances, including at the Big 12 Tournament against No. 1 Texas on May 28.

Iowa Central Community College/Eagle Grove High School: Jensen spent only one season at Iowa Central Community College, helping the school to a 39-18 record and a runner-up finish at the 2003 NJCAA World Series in Millington, Tenn. ? Compiled an 11-1 record with a 2.79 ERA in 80.2 innings for Coach Rick Pederson en route to first-team NJCAA All-America honors ? Selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 45th-round of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player Draft ? Held opponents to a .212 average while finishing with an 85-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio ? Pitched Eagle Grove to a Class 2A state title as a senior, going 11-0 with a 0.52 ERA ? Received the Bob Feller Award, recognizing the top pitcher in the state of Iowa in each class as he struck out 100 and walked only four as a senior ? Was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing four years of basketball and earning second-team all-state honors in 2002 ? Chose NU over Iowa and Northern Iowa.

Personal: Born on Nov. 29, 1983, in Humboldt, Iowa ? Parents are Linda Jensen and the late Gale Jensen ? Has one brother (Greg) and one sister (Sheila) ? Majors in communication studies at Nebraska.

Year       ERA   W-L   App  GS  CG SHO/CBO  SV    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO
2004....  5.29   1-4    20   0   0   0/3     2  32.1   37   19   19    5   22
2005....  1.96   3-5    33   0   0   0/1    16  46.0   36   17   10    9   46
TOTAL...  3.33   4-9    53   0   0   0/4    18  78.1   73   36   29   14   68