Strong Paces Huskers to Opening Round Win

Minneapolis - Jamal Strong accounted for both of Nebraska's runs, and Shane Komine struck out 12 batters in 7 1/3 innings, as the top-seeded Huskers held off Butler, winning 2-1 in the first game at the NCAA Regional at Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Friday afternoon.

The win didn't come without its price, however, as Komine was knocked out of the game in the top of the eighth inning after taking a line drive off his jaw from Butler catcher Eddie Olszta. Komine was taken to the university hospital for x-rays to examine a possible broken jaw. His status for the remainder of the season is unknown.

Strong's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth scored Will Bolt for the go-ahead run to set up a matchup between Nebraska (48-15) and the winner of tonight's second game between second-seeded Minnesota and third-seeded Wichita State Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. Butler will face the loser of tonight's second game in an elimination game Saturday at Noon.

The 48 wins by Nebraska this season equals the third-highest total in school history, just one win shy of the NU school record of 49 by the 1979 and 1980 teams, the only other time that the Huskers have appeared in consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

"A year ago at this time we pounded out 16 hits and lost," said Nebraska Head Coach Dave Van Horn. "This is the way a first-round game is supposed to be. I didn't think we were sluggish offensively, we just didn't do anything special. I feel very fortunate to come away with a win. This is pretty much what we expected from Butler."

Komine, a first-team All-American, went 7 1/3 innings of two-hit ball to improve to 11-3 on the season. The sophomore from Honolulu allowed one run and increased his school record strikeout total to 154 on the season. He moved into a second place tie on NU's career charts with 233 career strikeouts with his 12-strikout performance, his eighth double-figure strikeout effort of the season.

Hitting just .245 in 12 games after returning to the Husker lineup following a separated shoulder, Strong went 2-for-5 with his RBI single culminating a rally for the Huskers over Butler (31-27), which is making its first-ever NCAA appearance.

With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Bolt singled back up the middle off BU starter Wes Hoane (4-7) before Josh Hesse, who went 2-for-3 with a walk, moved Bolt into scoring position with a single to left, putting runners at first and second. Strong, a senior from Altadena, Calif., then lined a 3-2 pitch from Hoane into center, scoring the game winner.

The two runs were enough for the Huskers, as Komine and reliever Thom Ott allowed just four hits on the day. Komine was well on his way, striking out five of six BU hitters at one point, to a complete game before Olszta lined a shot back up the middle that glanced off Komine's glove and hit his jaw. He recovered in time to throw out Olszta at first, but had to be removed from the contest and was taken to University Hospital to check for a possible broken jaw.

Ott allowed just one hit in 1 2/3 innings to pick up his fifth save of the season. The sophomore has allowed just one earned run in 18 relief appearances dating back to March 14. Ott allowed one hit in each of the last two innings, but could not get a runner into scoring position.

The Huskers broke out early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first off Hoane, but struggled offensively, leaving 11 runners on base. A leadoff single by Strong and a one-out single by Justin Cowan put runners on first and second for junior Dan Johnson, whose bloop single to left scored Strong and gave NU a 1-0 advantage.

Johnson, who played for Butler as a freshman in 1998, went 2-for-3 with a walk, as Nebraska pounded out 10 hits in the win.

After allowing the single to Johnson, Hoane got out of trouble, getting Matt Hopper to strike out swinging and John Cole to a deep fly ball to center to end the inning. Hoane pitched well in defeat, allowing two runs on nine hits, and striking out two.

The Bulldogs, the fourth seed and champions of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, tied the score with a single run in the top of the third. Komine walked Jared Lowe to start the frame, before a single by Jay Swanson put runners on first and third. Olszta grounded to short, but got an RBI as Lowe scored from third to knot the score at one. Later in the inning, Swanson reached third on a stolen base, but Komine got out of the inning with strikeouts to Jeff Steele and Justin Keever to end the threat.

The Huskers threatened in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on the corners, but were unable to take the lead. With two outs, Bolt and Hesse put together back-to-back singles, but Strong ended the rally with a fielder's choice to second. In the fifth, Cowan was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but could not score as Johnson grounded back to Hoane, while Hopper's shot down the line was caught by a diving Luke Murphy to end the threat.

Postgame Notes:
*-Nebraska is 3-2 in first-round NCAA contests.

*-The Huskers were without Big 12 Tournament Most Valuable Player Adam Shabala, who did not start because of a neck strain suffered in Thursday's practice. Shabala, who is fifth on the team with a .346 batting average, hit .579 with two homers, 11 RBI and seven walks in six games last week in Oklahoma City. He is listed as day-to-day.

*- Senior All-American catcher Justin Cowan made his first start behind the place since May 6 against Texas. Cowan had arthroscopic surgery on his knee on May 9, and had been limited to playing DH since his return on May 20. Cowan went 1-for-3 at the plate and threw out Justin Keever attempting to steal in the sixth.

*- All-America pitcher Shane Komine broke Nebraska's single-season innings record with his 7 1/3 inning performance against Butler. Komine, who has thrown 117 2/3 innings this season, passed Troy Brohawn, who threw 111.0 innings in 1993 en route to capturing All-America honors. He also moved into a second place tie on NU's career strikeout list with 233, passing Josh Bullock (225; 1990-92) and equaling John Lepley (233; 1985-88). His 12 strikeouts are the most ever by a Husker pitcher in postseason game, topping the previous record of six by Chad Wiles (vs. Mississippi State in 1999) and Roger Webb (vs. Pepperdine in 1985).

2000 NCAA Tournament -- Siebert Field, Minneapolis
Friday, May 26, 2000 -- Notes and Quotes -- Nebraska 2, Butler 1
Butler head coach Steve Farley

"Losing sucks. It was a good game. We didn't execute a few close plays and probably got beat by a better team. I am very disappointed. We did not come here to lose."

(On 2-1 score) "This is how we played all year. I don't think we'd win a slugfest with them. It's still a disappointing loss. We just couldn't get the big hit. Those guys are tough. Our guys played with a lot of heart, and I can't fault them for that."

"We had our best hitters coming to the plate late in the game, and their relief guy (Ott) did a great job of shutting us down. It is hard to go to the regional for the first time and win it."

(On Komine) "He came right at us. He's got a good pickoff move. He's a big-time talent."

(On Hoane) "He went toe-to-toe with a good pitcher. You have to give him credit for that."

Butler center fielder Jeremy Sinsabaugh (On Komine)
"He throws pitches for strikes, and keeps you off-balance. He has a good fastball, and he keeps his breaking ball up."

Butler pitcher Wes Hoane "In the bullpen, I knew my fastball wasn't where it has been. I don't think I am totally recovered from throwing on two days rest at the conference tournament. I wasn't going to throw it by anybody. I just tried to hit my spots. I got up on a few pitches in the first innings, and they got hits."

Nebraska head coach Dave Van Horn "Last year at this time, we had just played a game with 17or 18 hits and got beat. This has been a complete turnaround, and I am happy to get the win. We scattered 10 hits, made a couple of mistakes, but never really made one that cost us a run or two. We made mistakes that extended a few innings."

(On Komine injury) "It clipped his glove and caught him in the jaw. I think it is broken, because he felt he didn't have control of his bottom teeth. I would guess he would be done for the season."

"They did a good job locating pitches. We hit them hard early in the game. I thought maybe I should have played a little more short-ball in the later innings. But at this time of the year, it comes down to winning, and we won." "We pitched them the same way with Ott, mixed pitches in and out, and got ahead in the count. Thom has natural sink in his pitches, and he is the type of pitcher that usually gets ground balls." "Shane was going to throw at least once in this tournament. Of course the team is disappointed, but they are resilient. They will have to step it up and get it done."

Nebraska relief pitcher Thom Ott "They gave me as much time as I needed to for warm up. I was more worried about Shane. He's my teammate and my friend. It is hard to shut that out, but you have to go do your job."

Nebraska first baseman Dan Johnson (On Hoane's pitches) "It was more of his spots. It wasn't that pitches were better than others. He was hitting the right spots. I wasn't surprised at all with the way Butler came out battling like they did."