Honors & Awards

  • 2007 Second-Team All-Big 12
  • Big 12 Player of the Week (3/12/07)
  • 2008 First-Team Academic All-Big 12
  • 2008 University of Nebraska Graduate
  • Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Spring 2007; Fall 2007; Spring 2008; Fall 2008)

2009 Outlook: For senior Jeff Tezak, the 2009 campaign provides an opportunity to enjoy a healthy and productive senior year ? Earned second-team All-Big 12 accolades at designated hitter in 2007, hitting .335 with 37 RBIs before being limited to seven contests because of knee surgery last spring ? Adds a consistent hitter to the lineup who showed the ability to hit effectively from both sides of the plate and drive in runs ? Proven postseason performer who hit .375 in the 2007 NCAA Tempe Regional ? Restricted in fall drills as he continued his rehabilitation, but is expected to be near 100 percent for the start of spring practice ? Gives the Huskers versatility throughout the infield, as he will likely see time at second base ? Has excelled in the classroom, being named to the Big 12 honor roll all four semesters at NU and is now working toward his graduate degree.

2008: Tezak started the first seven games at designated hitter before undergoing season-ending surgery in early March and took a medical redshirt season ? Hit .190 with two RBIs and five runs scored in just 26 plate appearances ? Three of his four hits went for extra bases, including a solo homer against UC Riverside on Feb. 28, and doubles at Stanford  (Feb. 23) and versus UC Riverside (March 1).

2007: Tezak joined the team in January of 2007 and provided an impact switch-hitter in the Husker lineup ? Garnered second-team All-Big 12 laurels at designated hitter, batting .335 with three homers and 37 RBIs in 56 games ? Tied for the team lead with three triples and was second on the squad in on-base percentage (.429), doubles (14) and hit-by-pitches (11) ? Recorded 15 multi-hit performances, including an impressive 5-for-5 effort in a win at No. 22 Alabama on March 11 ? Made 42 starts at designated hitter while seeing time at both third and second base ? Put together a 15-game hit streak from March 25 to April 15, hitting .400 with two homers and 17 RBIs in that stretch ? Shined at the NCAA Regional, hitting .375 (6-for-16) with two triples, two doubles and three runs scored, including two-hit efforts against nationally ranked UC Riverside and Arizona State ? Showed consistency throughout the Big 12 season, as he hit .323 with a homer and 21 RBIs while appearing in every conference contest ? Keyed an important 11-9 win at Kansas on May 19 by going 3-for-3 and scoring twice ? Was 5-for-12 in the series win over Baylor, including a 3-for-4 effort with a double and an RBI in NU’s 6-4 win on May 13 ? Hit .375 (3-for-8) with two walks and drove in two runs in the series loss against No. 18 Coastal Carolina, including a 2-for-4 effort in the opener on May 4 ? Was 3-for-9 with three walks, three runs scored and a pair of sacrifices in the series win over No. 23 Oklahoma ? Started at third against Iowa on April 10, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs ? Hit safely in all three games vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State, driving in three runs in the series-clinching win on April 7 ? Was 6-for-12 with four RBIs and three runs scored at Texas A&M, highlighted by a 2-for-3 effort with an RBI triple and a three-run double in the opener on March 30 ? Carried the Huskers to a win over Missouri on March 26, going 3-for-5 with a homer and six RBIs, all of which came in one inning, as he hit a grand slam and later added a two-run double ? Hit .333 (3-for-9) with a double, four RBIs and a pair of walks in the series at Texas Tech ? Scorched No. 22 Alabama with a .728 average (8-for-11) with a homer, two doubles and three RBIs earning Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors for his performance ? Was 5-for-5 against the Crimson Tide on March 10, tying a Sewell-Thomas Stadium record for most hits in a game, while delivering the tying homer in the seventh and the game-winning RBI in the ninth in a 4-3 win ? Had a pair of doubles in a 6-5 win over the Crimson Tide in the series finale on March 11 ? Recorded his first multiple-hit game against Illinois State on Feb. 18, going 3-for-3 with an RBI in NU’s win.

Palomar College/Cal State-Northridge/Mt. Carmel High School: Tezak earned junior college All-America honors playing for Coach Buck Taylor at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif. ? Captured first-team junior college All-America honors from the California Community Colleges Coaches Association in 2006, hitting .386 with a homer and 35 RBIs ? Earned first-team Pacific Coast Conference laurels, as he finished second in the league in hitting and led his team to a 31-16 record and the PCC title ? Led Palomar in both hits (60) and doubles (16), ranked second in both runs scored (35) and stolen bases (15-of-16) ? Began his collegiate career at Cal-State Northridge, where he hit .317 with 19 RBIs and 26 runs scored during his freshman season ? Earned first-team All-Acocado League honors as a senior, hitting .360 for Coach John Holmes at Mt. Carmel High School.

Personal: Born on Feb. 23, 1986, in Atwater, Calif. ? Parents are Sharon and Gary Caradonna ? Has one sister (Jennifer) and three brothers (Joey, John and Sean) ? Received his degree in political science from Nebraska in December of 2008, and is in his first semester of graduate school ? Comes from an athletic background, as his brother (Sean) played football at UC-Davis, while his oldest brother (Joey) wrestled at the University of Mary in North Dakota.