Cody Neer Season 2009

Honors & Awards

• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Fall 2008)

2009 Outlook: One of the biggest holes to fill this spring comes behind the plate, where the Huskers look to replace two-year starter and All-Big 12 performer Mitch Abeita ? Senior Cody Neer is the leading candidate to fill the role, as he served as Abeita’s backup last season after spending a pair of years at the University of Florida ? Hit .234 with a homer and 22 RBIs in 34 contests, as he worked behind the plate and also at designated hitter and first base ? Progressed in a number of areas in the off-season, and was one of the Huskers’ top performers during fall drills ? Played for the Havasu (Ariz.) Heat over the summer, hitting .353 with 34 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 39 contests, helping the Heat to a fourth-place showing at the National Baseball Congress  World Series in Wichita ? Embraced the challenge of being the every day catcher and has work hard to become a leader behind the plate, and coaches believe that will pay off in his first full year at NU ? Is highly motivated to put together a strong senior campaign.

2008: Neer provided a valuable bat from the right side after transferring from the University of Florida prior to the season ? Appeared in 45 contests, hitting .234 with a homer and 22 RBIs in 45 contests ? Showed his versatility by earning starts at first base, catcher and at designated hitter during the year ? Recorded eight multi-hit games on the season, highlighted by a 2-for-2 effort with a double and two RBIs in the series finale against UC Riverside on March 2, and ranked third on the squad with nine multi-RBI performances ? Went hitless in three at-bats against UC Irvine on May 31 in his only NCAA Lincoln Regional appearance ? Went 2-for-11 in the Big 12 Tournament, collecting both hits against Baylor on May 21 ? Finished Big 12 play with a .208 average in 20 games, but came through with one of the biggest hits of the year, a two-run ninth-inning single to spark NU’s five-run comeback in a 9-8 win over No. 9 Texas A&M on May 11 ? Went 3-for-10 in the doubleheader sweep of UL-Lafayette, including a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of RBIs in the opener ? Went 2-for-7 with a run scored in two games behind the plate against Western Illinois ? Was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in a start behind the plate in the nightcap at Baylor on April 26 ? Had a season-high two doubles and drove in a pair of runs against Creighton on April 23 ? Was 3-for-11 with two RBIs and two runs scored in three starts at No. 21 Oklahoma State, driving in a pair of runs in the series finale ? Drove in two runs with a two-run single, going 1-for-4 in the series opener against Texas Tech on April 4 ? Belted his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, as he went 1-for-4 in the finale at No. 13 Texas on March 30 ? Drove in a season-high three RBIs, going 2-for-4 against Northern Colorado on March 25 ? Was 3-for-10 in the series sweep of Northern Colorado in early March, including a triple and a steal of home ? Went 5-for-13 in the series at Stanford, highlighted by a two-hit performance in the season opener on Feb. 22.

University of Florida/Edgewater High School: Neer saw extensive action for the Gators in 2007, hitting .271 with five homers, 33 RBIs and 29 runs scored in 51 contests ? Saw time at first base and designated hitter as a sophomore, making 36 starts behind the plate ? Led UF with 12 doubles and hit .310 with 18 RBIs in SEC contests ? His best performance of the year came in the Gators’ series opener against Alabama, going 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs in a 6-2 win ? Enjoyed his best SEC series against South Carolina, where he went 6-for-13, including a 3-for-3 effort in the opener with a three-run walk-off homer the following day to help Florida overcome an 8-6 deficit ? Played in 15 games as a true freshman in 2006, batting .154 with three RBIs ? Was a four-year letterwinner for Coach Chip Gierke at Edgewater High School ? Collected first-team All-Class 6A honors as a senior, leading the state with a .528 average, eight homers and 42 RBIs ? Rated as one of the top catchers in the country by both Team One Baseball and Perfect Game USA ? Drove in 50 runs as a junior, while hitting .320 with 25 walks ? Earned second-team all-state honors as a sophomore after hitting .542 with nine homers and 43 RBIs ? Also competed in basketball, football and soccer in high school.

Personal: Born on Sept. 12, 1986, in Orlando, Fla. ? Parents are David and Melody Neer ? Has two sisters (Stephanie and Erin) and two brothers (David and Jeremy) ? Majors in history at NU and carries a 3.22 GPA entering the spring semester.