Huskers Take Aim at Third Straight Big 12 Tourney Title

Nebraska (41-14, 20-8 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (23-27-1, 11-15)
Wednesday, May 14 - Bricktown Ballpark (13,066) - Oklahoma City

Wednesday, May 14 (8 p.m.)
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network
TV: none
NU #33 LHP Jamie Rodrigue, So. (6-3, 6.21 ERA)
ISU #9 RHP Lincoln Mincks, So. (4-5, 4.16 ERA)

Thursday, May 15 [1 p.m. (if game one loss) or 8 p.m. (if game one win]
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network - also www.huskers.com
TV: TBA

NU vs. ISU Series History: Nebraska leads, 120-109 (Series dates back to 1908)
NU vs. ISU This Season: Iowa State won season series 2-1 (8-16, 8-5, 5-1) in last regular-season series at Cap Timm Field in Ames, Iowa (May 11-13
Nebraska Headquarters: Westin Hotel, One North Broadway (405) 235-2780

Media Headquarters: Westin Hotel, One North Broadway (405) 235-2780
Oklahoma Redhawks: (405) 218-1000 ext. 306 (John Allgood--business hours)
Bricktown Press Box: (405) 218-1000 ext. 333
Tickets: Please call (405) 236-5000

Huskers Take Aim at Third Straight Big 12 Tourney Title After Winning First Regular-Season Crown Since 1950
Oklahoma City, Okla. -- Just days after claiming its first conference regular-season title since 1950, the Big 12 champion Nebraska baseball team will try to capture its third consecutive Big 12 Tournament crown when the Huskers travel to Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City May 16-20.

The Huskers, 41-14 overall after winning the conference title with a 20-8 regular-season Big 12 mark, claimed their first league crown in 51 years with a 16-8 victory over Iowa State in the first game of a three-game set at Cap Timm Field in Ames, Iowa on Friday, May 11.

Despite the game one win, Iowa State rallied to win the final two games in the history of Cap Timm Field to win the series. The Cyclones' 8-5 win in game two of the series clinched Iowa State's berth as the No. 8 seed in the eight-team Big 12 Tournament field. The Huskers and Cyclones are the only two teams from the Big 12 North Division to earn bids in the tournament.

The top-seeded Huskers will get a chance to level the season series at two games apiece in Nebraska's first game of the Big 12 Tournament when they meet the eighth-seeded Cyclones (23-27-1, 11-15) on Wednesday, May 16, at 8 p.m. in the fourth and final game on day one of the tournament.

The Big 12 Tournament begins with No. 3 seed Texas taking on No. 6 seed Texas A&M in Game 1 on Wednesday at 10 a.m., before No. 2 Texas Tech tangles with No. 7 Oklahoma in Game 2 at 1 p.m. In Game 3, fourth-seeded Baylor will battle fifth-seeded Oklahoma State at 5 p.m.

If the Huskers are able to defeat Iowa State in their first game, they will play the winner of the Baylor/Oklahoma State game in Game 8 of the tournament on Thursday at 8 p.m. Game 8 is scheduled to be televised live by College Sports Southwest with Brian Brinkley and Howard Borden calling the action.

An opening loss by the Huskers will mean that Nebraska plays the loser of the Baylor/Oklahoma State game Thursday at 1 p.m.

College Sports Southwest will carry both Friday games and the first two games on Saturday. Fox Sports Net will broadcast the championship game live on Sunday, May 20, at 1 p.m.

Home Run Club Pre-Tournament Gathering
The Home Run Club -- the official Nebraska Baseball Booster Club -- will be sponsoring a party for all Husker fans attending the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, May 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Bricktown Brewery (One North Oklahoma, just two blocks from the stadium). All Husker fans are invited to attend with free appetizers and soft drinks available along with a cash bar.

Big 12 Tournament Headquarters/Credentials/Press Conferences/Meals
The Huskers will leave for Oklahoma City by bus on Monday at 10 a.m. and will be staying at media headquarters for the tournament, the Westin Hotel at One North Broadway (approximately 2 1/2 blocks from the stadium). The phone number at the hotel is (405) 235-2780 and Nebraska Baseball Sports Information Director Shamus McKnight will be traveling with the team. Other members of the Nebraska Sports Information Staff available at the Big 12 Tournament will be Assistant SID Jeff Griesch, Assistant SID Jerry Trickie and SID Student Assistant Jerod Dahlgren.

A Big 12 Tournament press conference, which will include Nebraska Head Coach Dave Van Horn, will be held on Tuesday, May 15, at 11 a.m. in the second floor ballroom at the Westin Hotel. A luncheon for media follows at noon, and media credentials will be available at the luncheon.

Big 12 Conference Director of Media Relations Bo Carter and Assistant Director Joni James will distribute credentials at the luncheon. Credentials will also be available at the Westin on Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. After those hours, credentials will be available at the Main Gate, Will Call Window of the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday through the seventh inning of Nebraska's game with Iowa State. Photo identification is required.

After the first day of the tournament, Will Call Windows at Bricktown open approximately two hours before the first game of the day.

The Media Hospitality Room at the Westin Hotel will be open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday.

A light media lunch/snack will be available in the commons area behind the main pressbox from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and evening meals will be served to the media from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. On Sunday, the media lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nebraska's Tuesday Practice at Bricktown
The Huskers are scheduled to practice at the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday, May 15, from 2:45 to 3:35 p.m.

Other Tuesday practice times: Texas Tech (8:30-9:20 a.m.); Baylor (9:25-10:15 a.m.); Texas A&M (10:20-11 a.m.); Iowa State (11:05-11:55 a.m.); Texas (12:55-1:45 p.m.); Oklahoma State (1:50-2:40 p.m.); Oklahoma is scheduled to workout in Norman on Tuesday.

The AAA Oklahoma RedHawks (Texas Rangers) play Pacific Coast League foe Memphis (St. Louis Cardinals) at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday.

Postgame Procedures, Live Telecasts and Satellite Feeds
Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn and selected players will be available after each game during a brief postgame press conference. After a brief cooling off period, the losing coach and players will go first with winning coach and players to follow. Arrangements for other pre- and post-game interviews with Nebraska coaches and players must be made through Nebraska Baseball Sports Information Director Shamus McKnight.

Games 7-12 of the tournament will be televised live by College Sports Southwest with Brian Brinkley and Howard Borden providing commentary. The tournament championship game (Game 13, 14 or 15) will be televised live on Sunday, May 20, at 1 p.m. by Fox Sports Net with Bill Land and Jay Johnstone calling the action.

No satellite feed will be available for Games 1-6 of the tournament, so please check with regional nightly network sports feeds, or plan to make arrangements with Oklahoma City, Tulsa or Lawton affiliates for highlights.

Satellite coordinates for Games 7-12 have not yet been determined by College Sports Southwest, but the live feed is NOT scrambled. Satellite coordinates will be released later this week. Please courtesy College Sports Southwest and highlights must be 45 seconds by rights contract.

The Fox Sports Net feed is scrambled and the best method to obtain highlights is through Direct TV or local Fox Sports Net affiliates.

Game photographers are restricted to shooting from the stands, pressbox areas and the marked photo boxes beside both dugouts at field level. Do not enter the playing field or dugouts during the game. After the tournament ends, photographers will be permitted on the playing field to shoot celebratory action.

Full tournament statistics will be provided daily by the Oklahoma State Media Relations staff, including long boxscores, notes, play-by-play sheets, quotes and website entries at www.Big12Sports.com after each game. Game reports will also be available on the Big 12 Conference fax-on-demand system at Pivotal Communications by calling 770-399-0096 on the fax machine, entering a PIN and specifying the correct document number. Pivotal fax-on-demand codes are 1044 for latest game accounts and 1046 for cumulative scores and boxes from the tournament.

 

Nebraska's Big 12 Tournament History
The Huskers head into the Big 12 Conference Tournament after winning back-to-back tournament titles in 1999 and 2000.

Last season, the second-seeded Huskers lost their first game in the tournament, 12-10, to seventh-seeded Missouri, as R.D. Spiehs took the loss in relief of All-American Shane Komine, who was roughed up for one of his worst outings of the seasons.

Although the deck was stacked against Nebraska, the Huskers rebounded with four consecutive wins, including a 7-5 win over Oklahoma State and a 4-3 victory over Missouri, before winning back-to-back games against 22nd-ranked Oklahoma (3-1, 6-1) to set up a rematch of the 1999 title game with Baylor.

Although the regular-season champion Bears cruised through their half of the bracket, the Huskers pounded fourth-ranked Baylor in an 11-3 victory to become the first Big 12 team to come through the losers' bracket to win the tournament title.

Rightfielder Adam Shabala led the Huskers throughout the tournament at the plate en route to Big 12 Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Shabala hit .579 with two homers, 11 RBI and seven walks to lead the Husker attack. Chad Wiles earned pitching wins over Missouri and Baylor to join Shabala on the all-tournament team. Wiles, who started the championship game, no-hit the Bears for 5.1 innings in the title game despite making his third appearance in the tournament.

Catcher Justin Cowan also enjoyed an outstanding tournament, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with a homer and four RBI despite missing the first three games of the tournament after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

In 1999, the Huskers burst into the national spotlight by running the table at the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Oklahoma City. Nebraska entered the tournament as the fifth seed but rolled over four straight Big 12 South Division opponents.

The Huskers opened with a 5-0 win over Oklahoma State before thumping Oklahoma, 14-7. After upsetting the local fans in Oklahoma City with wins over the Cowboys and Sooners, the Huskers knocked off the nation's No. 1 team, Texas A&M, 8-7 to advance to their first Big 12 title game.

Nebraska again had to play giant killer, ousting No. 9 Baylor, 4-3, to go 4-0 and win the first conference tournament title in school history.

It was a week full of heroes for the Huskers. Against Oklahoma State, Wiles threw a complete-game one-hitter to shut out the Cowboys for the first time in postseason play since 1976. Nebraska had 15 hits and senior Jarod Bearinger pitched a season-high 6.2 innings in the 14-7 win over the Sooners. Against No. 1 Texas A&M, Nebraska scored six times in the third inning. Ken Harvey homered in the seventh, freshman R.D. Spiehs pitched 4.2 innings in relief for the win and Shane Komine struck out Chad Hudson with the tying run at third.

In the championship game, junior Scott Fries pitched seven innings as the Huskers built a 4-0 lead against Baylor. The Bears cut the lead to 4-3 in the eighth before Wiles was called upon to shut the door. After retiring the first five batters he faced, BU's Anthony Hensley reached on an error and Jon Topolski reached on a four-pitch walk. Then Eric Nelson ripped a liner to left that Husker John Cole speared to save the game and give NU a 4-3 championship win.

Scouting Iowa State (23-27-1, 11-15)
One of Nebraska's oldest rivals, the Huskers lead the all-time series with ISU, 120-109, in a series that dates back to 1908. The only school NU has faced more often than Iowa State is Kansas State (232 times). The Cyclones clinched the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tournament with an 8-5 win over Nebraska in the second game of the three-game set at Cap Timm Field in Ames, before winning the series with a 5-1 win on Sunday, May 13.

Iowa State's appearance in the Big 12 Tournament will be the first and last in school history, as the Cyclones have announced that they will drop their program at the conclusion of the season.

Under the direction of Head Coach Lyle Smith (123-193-1 in six seasons) the Cyclones enter the Big 12 Tournament having won four of their last five games.

The Cyclones are hitting just. 262 as a team, while scoring just 4.78 runs per game. But ISU has one of the best pitching staffs in school history with a team ERA of just 4.54, which is just ahead of the Huskers' 4.55 team ERA.

Joe Urban leads the Cyclones with a .379 batting average with three homers and 27 RBI. Rob Conway is the only other Cyclone regular batting over .300 with a .315 average to go along with four homers and a team-leading 43 RBI. T.J. Bohn's eight homers lead a club that has knocked out just 24 homers as a team, which ranks just ahead of Dan Johnson's 19 homers for the Huskers. As a team, Nebraska has pounded 63 home runs.

Alan Bomers, Lincoln Mincks and Charly Bigwood have been the top three hurlers in Iowa State's starting rotation. Bomer (6-4, 3.84 ERA), Mincks (4-5, 4.16 ERA) and Bigwood (2-8, 4.76 ERA) don't have impressive records, but they have kept the Cyclones competitive throughout the season.

Alex Donnelly has been Iowa State's top pitcher out of the bullpen with a team-high 27 appearances and five saves. Opponents are hitting just .223 against Donnelly.

Nebraska vs. Iowa State Series Recap (ISU wins 2-1)
Game One: Ames--Nebraska 16, Iowa State 8--No. 1 Nebraska clinched its first conference regular-season title since 1950 with a 16-8 victory over Iowa State at Cap Timm Field in Ames on Friday, May 11. Matt Hopper powered the Huskers to the win with a sixth-inning grand slam among his two-hit, six-RBI performance. Hopper's ninth home run of the season capped a six-run sixth inning. John Cole continued his hot hitting with three hits, three runs scored and three RBI to help the Huskers, who were aided by 13 walks by Iowa State pitchers, including seven by starter Charly Bigwood. Nebraska's offensive onslaught allowed the Huskers to overcome Shane Komine's shortest outing of the year, as NU's ace lasted just two innings and allowed three runs before leaving the game with back pain. Steve Hale pitched five strong innings of relief to improve to 5-0 on the year, while Thom Ott picked up his eighth save.

Game Two: Ames--Iowa State 8, Nebraska 5--Iowa State clinched the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tournament with an 8-5 win over the Huskers. Jake Brown led the Cyclones with three hits, including his first homer of the season, while driving in four runs and scoring two more. T.J. Bohn added his eighth homer of the season to help give Alan Bomer his sixth win of the season after allowing four runs in 5.2 innings of work. Alex Donnelly pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his fifth save. Nebraska pounded out 11 hits, but left 13 runners on base. Starter Brian Rodaway took the loss for the Huskers after allowing six runs in four innings of work.

Game Three: Ames--Iowa State 5, Nebraska 1--Iowa State won its final game at Cap Timm Field by scoring three unearned runs in the sixth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and cruise to a 5-1 victory over the Huskers. Nebraska pitchers Derrick Conte, Brandon Penas, Jeff Blaesing and Waylon Byers held ISU to just five hits and allowed just one earned run on the afternoon, but five walks and one costly error hurt the Huskers. Nebraska managed just seven hits against five Cyclone pitchers, as no player on either team managed more than one hit. The nine total pitchers in the game combined for just seven strikeouts.

Scouting the Big 12 Tournament
The Big 12 Tournament is an eight-team double-elimination format that is broken down into two divisions, which guarantees two division champions and a one-game championship.

Nebraska is the tournament's top seed and joins No. 8 seed Iowa State (21-27-1), No. 4 Baylor (35-20) and No. 5 Oklahoma State (38-18) in the bottom of the bracket (Division Two).

No. 2 seed Texas Tech (39-16) , No. 3 Texas (34-22), No. 6 Texas A&M (30-26) and No. 7 Oklahoma (23-31) make up the top bracket (Division One).

During the regular season, Nebraska swept the three-game season series with Baylor in Lincoln, and the three-game season series with Oklahoma State in Lincoln. Iowa State won the three-game series with the Huskers in Ames, 2-1.

Against the top half of the bracket, the Huskers swept the three-game season series against Texas Tech in Lubbock and Oklahoma in Norman, while going 2-1 against Texas in Lincoln and 1-2 against Texas A&M in College Station.

Nebraska's Pitching Rotation
Sophomore left-hander Jamie Rodrigue (6-3, 6.21 ERA) is expected to make his 14th start of the season and his 15th appearance in Nebraska's first game of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday against Iowa State.

Rodrigue, a 6-2, 205-pound sophomore from St. Clair, Mo., is coming off an 8-4 victory in a complete-game six-inning performance in a rain-shortened game against Creighton in front of 13,682 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha on May 9. Rodrigue owns two complete games in his 13 starts, and has lasted 66.2 innings on the season to rank second on the staff behind ace Shane Komine. Rodrigue has struck out 59 and walked just 15 for a 3.9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents are hitting .330 against him with five homers, one triple and 15 doubles among the 91 hits allowed. Last season, Rodrigue burst onto the collegiate scene with a 9-4 record and a 2.64 ERA as a true freshman. He also tossed four complete-game shutouts to set a Nebraska single-season record.

Shane Komine (11-1, 3.83 ERA) will be gunning for his 12th straight victory as he makes his team-high 15th start of the season Thursday. The right-hander from Honolulu, Hawaii, leads the Big 12 in strikeouts with 115 and wins (11) and is second in complete games (five). The Big 12 Player of the Year last season, Komine is bidding to become the first two-time All-American in Nebraska's 112-year history and is 8-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 10 Big 12 starts. In his last outing, Komine lasted just two innings, allowing three runs, before leaving with lower back pain in Nebraska's 16-8 win over Iowa State to clinch the Big 12 regular-season title on Friday, May 11. On the year, the 5-10, 175-pound junior has a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, walking only 29 hitters in 98.2 innings of work. Nebraska's all-time career strikeout leader with 353, Komine also holds NU's school record with 301.1 innings pitched and is second on school charts in both wins (28) and starts (43).

Senior Brian Rodaway (3-3, 4.37 ERA) filled the role of Nebraska's No. 3 starter during the latter half of the conference season and was moved up to the No. 2 starting position in the final regular-season series against Iowa State, allowing six earned runs in four innings to take the loss in an 8-5 setback to the Cyclones on May 12. On the year, the left-hander from Lincoln owns seven starts in 14 appearances, seeing action in middle and short relief for the first two months of the season before earning a spot in the weekend rotation against Oklahoma on April 1. Since then, he is 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA in seven starts. He lasted six innings against both No. 18 Texas, when he allowed one run on six hits, and against eighth-ranked Baylor, when he allowed three runs on nine hits while striking out a career-high six hitters. He did not receive the decision in either start. After throwing 5.1 scoreless innings against Texas A&M, Rodaway threw a complete game - the first of his career - against OSU, scattering nine hits in a 20-2 seven-inning win. Since moving to the starting role, Rodaway has walked just two batters in 34.2 innings of work, while striking out 17 in the same span.

R.D. Spiehs (5-3, 5.55 ERA) could also see plenty of action during the Big 12 Tournament. The 6-3, 215-pound junior right-hander has started eight games this season. He has struck out 60 and walked just 15 in 58.1 innings for a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents are hitting .293 against him, but he has given up a team-high six home runs and a team-high two triples this season. Along with eight starts, Spiehs has made nine appearances out of the bullpen.

Huskers on Pace for Historic 2001 Season
Starting with the first top-10 preseason rankings in school history, the Nebraska baseball team has already made the 2001 campaign one of the most memorable in school history. The following is an abbreviated version of the season highlights to date. Selling nearly 1,150 season tickets for the final season at Buck Beltzer, nearly doubling the previous single-season record set in 1983...winning 13 games in a row, including the first sweep of Texas Tech in Lubbock by a conference school in 11 years...Dan Johnson's school and conference record three-homer performance in an 18-6 win over Southern Utah...scoring four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to cap a doubleheader sweep of Southern Utah...watching more than 1,300 fans brave near-freezing temperatures to see NU win its home opener over Kansas State...Shane Komine passing Mike Zajeski to become NU's career strikeout leader...sweeping Oklahoma in Norman in a three-game series for the first time since 1962...overcoming a 9-8 ninth-inning deficit to defeat Texas 10-8 in 10 innings on Adam Stern's walk-off home run....John Cole's three-run eighth-inning homer off Albert Montes in NU's 5-4 win over the 18th-ranked Longhorns...drawing more than 9,000 fans, including a Buck Beltzer Stadium single-game record of 4,029, to help the Huskers sweep Baylor in the first meeting of top-10 teams in Lincoln...receiving the first No. 1 ranking in school history on April 23rd - NU's highest previous ranking was second in Baseball America during the 1983 season...winning in College Station for the first time in eight tries, a 6-4 NU victory on April 27...Dan Johnson's 10th inning homer which capped a five-run Husker comeback...sweeping Oklahoma State for the first time since 1975...winning season series with Creighton, 2-1, with an 8-4 six inning victory over Creighton in front of 13,682 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha...capturing Nebraska's first regular-season conference baseball title since 1950 with a 16-8 victory over Iowa State on May 11.

Husker Baseball Success Continues Trend
The baseball team's drive into the nation's No. 1 ranking last week and the school's first regular-season conference baseball title since 1950 continues an outstanding year for University of Nebraska sports. Already this season, the Huskers have won two national titles, as the volleyball team capped a perfect 34-0 record with the program's second national championship, while the Husker women's bowling team won its second Intercollegiate Bowling Championship in three seasons on April 21. The Huskers' top ranking marks the fourth different NU sport this season to earn the nation's top spot, joining football, volleyball and bowling. In 2000-01, Nebraska has won Big 12 titles in volleyball, soccer, men's and women's indoor track, women's gymnastics, softball and baseball. The Huskers have won only four regular-season baseball titles (1929, 1948 and 1950) in school history.

Nebraska athletic teams have already produced seven top 10-national finishes in 2000-01, including volleyball (first), women's bowling (first), women's gymnastics (tie-fifth), women's rifle (sixth), football (eighth), wrestling (eighth), and women's soccer (ninth).

Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn
Dave Van Horn has emerged as one of the nation's top coaches in his four seasons at the University of Nebraska. Hired in January of 1998, Van Horn has guided Nebraska from the depths of the conference standings before his arrival (10th in 1997), to its best season in the 111-year history of the program in 2000 with a 51-17 record, a second Big 12 Tournament title and an NCAA Regional title, before falling one game short of the first College World Series appearance in school history.

Van Horn has followed the Huskers' 2000 success with the school's first regular-season conference title since 1950. Nebraska's conference title marks just the second time since 1982 that a Big 12 North Division team has won a Big Eight/Big 12 crown, joining Missouri's Big Eight title in 1996.

Despite being hired just 35 days before the 1998 season, Van Horn led NU to a 24-20 finish and a seventh-place Big 12 finish in his inaugural season. Since then, he has guided Nebraska to back-to-back NCAA appearances, the first time the feat has been accomplished at NU in 20 years. The Huskers not only qualified for the Big 12 Tournament in 1999, but won the tournament championship, marking the school's first conference title of any kind since 1950. Nebraska finished with a 42-18 record, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 seasons. Earlier this season, Van Horn picked up his 500th collegiate victory in the Huskers' 9-6 win over Kansas State on March 9.

He put the Huskers back on the college map last season, leading the Huskers to their first Super Regional and within one win of the College World Series. Nebraska finished with a 21-9 mark and a second-place regular-season finish in the Big 12, its best regular-season league finish since 1982. Van Horn then did the improbable, leading the Huskers through the losers' bracket to a second straight Big 12 Tournament title. Over the last three seasons, Van Horn and Nebraska own a 57-26 (.687) record in regular-season Big 12 action and a 9-1 record in Big 12 Tournament play for an overall winning percentage of .710 against conference foes in regular and postseason play.

In his 13th season as a head coach, Van Horn has a career record of 527-217 (.708) including a record of 156-69 (.693) in his fourth season at Nebraska. He coached three seasons at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La. (1995-97), compiling a 106-65 (.620) record. Before coaching for the Demons, he led Central Missouri State to a 51-11 record and the NCAA Division II national title in 1994, his only year at the school.

Before becoming a head coach, Van Horn was an assistant coach for three seasons at Arkansas, helping the Razorbacks to two College World Series appearances (1985 and 1987). On the field, he was just as impressive, earning All-Southwest Conference honors as an infielder for the Razorbacks. He was the team's MVP and was drafted in the 10th round of the 1982 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, spending three seasons in the organization.

Husker Offense Puts Up Staggering Numbers
While the phrase "scoring explosion" was first popularized by the 1983 Husker football team - one of the highest scoring teams in NCAA football history - the Husker baseball squad is on its way to reinventing the phrase by producing eye-popping numbers of its own in 2001.

With five everyday starters returning from last season's team that led the Big 12 in hitting, runs scored and home runs, it is no surprise that the Huskers have been so explosive this season. The Huskers' .339 team average leads the Big 12 by 23 points and is 14 points higher than last season's .325 average. In fact, the mark ties the school record of .339 average set in 1985. The Huskers lead the conference in hitting, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. In the NCAA rankings released last week, NU ranks sixth in average and eighth in runs per game, while scoring 10 or more runs in 25-of-55 contests.

Nebraska has shown the ability to score runs in bunches, totaling four or more runs in an inning 53 times over the first 55 games, and at least once in 34 contests (62 percent). The Huskers are adept in scoring runs a variety of ways, as NU leads the Big 12 in sacrifice flies (27), ranks second in stolen bases (97-of-109) and homers (63) while also ranking fifth with 38 sacrifices. While the Huskers have enjoyed the luxury of big innings, NU pitchers have been stingy in the same category, allowing four or more runs in an inning 17 times all season.

Husker Runners: Men of Steal
With one of the fastest lineups in all of college baseball, almost every Husker is a threat on the basepaths. Nebraska enters the Big 12 Tournament ranked second in the Big 12 with 97 steals, trailing only Texas Tech.

Although the Red Raiders have run more with 133 attempts, the Huskers have been more efficient. Texas Tech has swiped 80.5 of its attempted bases, while the Huskers have succeeded at a startling 89.0 percent rate. In all, 12 of NU's 14 position players have at least two steals, led by Adam Stern's 22, a total which ranks fourth in the Big 12. While the Huskers have enjoyed success on the basepaths, the Huskers have shown great discipline as well, being thrown out just 12 times in 109 attempts this season. In conference play, NU is 39-of-44 on the bases, including 10 by Stern.

Komine Makes Bid For Big 12 and National Honors
After a slow start, Honolulu, Hawaii, native Shane Komine (pronounced co-ME-nay) has regained the form which made him one of college baseball's dominant performers last season. A consensus first-team All-America selection, Komine was also chosen the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2000, marking only the second time a Husker had been chosen conference player of the year (also Darin Erstad in 1995).

Overall, the 5-10, 175-pound junior carries an 11-1 record and a 3.83 ERA with 115 strikeouts and just 29 walks in 98.2 innings pitched for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4-to-1. Over the last two seasons, Komine has fanned 274 hitters, while issuing just 60 free passes for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.6-to-1.

After going 1-1 with a 10.24 ERA in his first two outings in 2001, Komine was dominant in his next 11 starts, going 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA in 87 innings, including five complete games. The right-hander has struck out 84, while walking just 17 and holding opposing hitters to a .253 average in that span.

But Komine's mastery of Big 12 foes ended in his last regular-season start on Friday, May 11 at Iowa State, when he allowed three runs in just two innings of work before leaving the game with a sore back. Komine was listed as day-to-day after Friday's performance, but is expected to pitch Thursday in the Big 12 Tournament.

In conference play, Komine, a two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, is 8-0 with a 3.65 ERA, leading conference hurlers in wins and strikeouts (84), ranking second in complete games (five) and innings per appearance (7.40), as he has gone seven or more innnings in nine of 10 league starts.

Against Oklahoma State, Komine struggled early on, but pitched seven innings to earn the win in the 9-7 Husker victory. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits and struck out eight Cowboys to keep his lead in the Big 12 strikeout race. Komine pitched his fifth complete game of the season, striking out nine Aggies in NU's 6-4 victory in College Station on April 27. With his nine-strikeout performance against Texas A&M, Komine became the first NU pitcher to record two 100-strikeout seasons. Against Kansas, the right-hander scattered eight hits, as Kansas did not hit a fly ball in a 9-0 Husker win. Against No. 8 Baylor, Komine outdueled Bear ace Steven White, who entered the game with an 8-0 record and a 1.53 ERA, holding the potent Baylor offense to two runs on nine hits in a 6-2 win. Komine earned Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for the second time this season, striking out 11 in the complete-game effort as only one BU player reached third base after the second inning.

Against Oklahoma on March 30, Komine threw his second straight complete game, allowing one unearned run on four hits (two of which left the infield) - tying a season low for the Sooners. The junior struck out 11 to pick up his sixth straight victory. Against Missouri on March 24, Komine threw his second complete game of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits in NU's 14-4 victory. He struck out five Tigers, breaking Mike Zajeski's school record of 289 set between 1988 and 1992, and now has 326 strikeouts in his Husker career.

Against Northwestern State, Komine turned in his best performance of the season, going eight innings in the Huskers' 13-1 win. The right-hander struck out 12 and allowed one unearned run on three hits - all singles - en route to his fifth straight decision. In NU's 3-2 victory over the Texas Tech on March 3, Komine scattered 10 hits and struck out 10 hitters to earn Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors for the fifth time in his career. Komine now ranks in the top two on school charts in strikeouts (353, first), wins (28, second), innings pitched (301.1, first) and starts (42, second). He leads the Big 12 in wins (11), strikeouts (115) and 10.49 strikeouts per nine innings and is second in complete games with five.

Last season, he set single-season school records in strikeouts (159) and innings pitched (124.2), while holding opposing hitters to a Big 12-low .200 average. In 17 starts, he allowed just 31 walks for an amazing 5.1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Komine, who ranked second nationally with 159 strikeouts (Cal State-Fullerton's Adam Johnson finished with 166), shattered two-time All-American Troy Brohawn's school record of 123 strikeouts in 1993. Komine put together some of the best performances in school history as a sophomore, tying a school record with 17 strikeouts in a win over Kansas on April 8, only to follow it up with 16 strikeouts in a complete-game win over Missouri, one of nine double-figure strikeout performances during the 2000 campaign. Komine was named Collegiate Baseball's Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Pitcher of the Week. He was named national pitcher of the week twice and earned the conference pitcher-of-the-week award three times during the year, as he led the Big 12 with 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings in league games.

Big Dan is Big Man in Heart of Husker Lineup
Husker first baseman Dan Johnson made a serious bid for the Big 12 triple crown. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior from Coon Rapids, Minn., clubbed a Big 12 best 19 homers while knocking in 68 RBI for the Huskers during the regular season. Johnson's .735 slugging percentage also leads the conference, while his .357 batting average adds consistency to his impressive power numbers. His .516 on-base percentage and 55 walks also lead the league.

Johnson produced three multi-homer games in April, hitting two each against Creighton (April 4), Texas (April 7) and UTSA (April 17) and owns eight multi-homer games in his career. Johnson, who tied a school and Big 12 record with three homers at Southern Utah on March 6, ranked fifth nationally with 19 homers heading into the Iowa State series. In all, 31 of his 66 hits this season have gone for extra bases. Johnson is in sole possession of fourth place on NU's career homer chart with 40 and needs one more to tie Darin Erstad for third. His career .786 slugging percentage leads the previous school and conference record of .782 by former NU All-American Marc Sagmoen (1992-93). If he leads the conference in round trippers this season, Johnson would be the first conference player (Big 12/Big Eight and SWC) to lead the league in homers in consecutive years since former NCAA Player of the Year Pete Incaviglia of Oklahoma State in 1984-85.

Johnson Named One of 20 Howser Award Semifinalists
Nebraska senior first baseman Dan Johnson was selected as one of 20 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Award, presented to the nation's top collegiate player, selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in conjunction with the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce. The only first baseman on the list, Johnson is one of only two Big 12 Players to make the semifinal cut, joining Baylor's Kelly Shoppach. The 2001 season marks the third straight year a Husker has made the semifinalist list for this honor, joining Husker All-Americans Ken Harvey (1999) and Shane Komine (2000). Johnson's 2001 statistics compare favorably to the list of 2001 preseason All-American first basemen listed below (all stats as of May 13).

Cole Ignites Husker Offense
After being limited most of last season because of nagging injuries, junior John Cole has returned to the level that made him one of the nation's top freshmen two seasons ago. The Ottawa, Ontario, native ranks second in the Big 12 with a .407 average and also ranks in the top 10 in the league in hits (77), stolen bases (19), triples (four), on-base percentage (.450) and slugging percentage (.624). He is currently riding a career-high and team season-high 20-game hitting streak. Cole's streak is the fifth-longest in Nebraska history and the longest current streak in the Big 12.

During Cole's 20-game hitting streak, he is batting. 488 with 28 runs scored, 22 RBI and seven stolen bases with a .714 slugging percentage. Cole, who has 25 multiple-hit games this season, has lifted his average from .329 to .407 since March 28. Against conference opponents, Cole has been on fire, hitting .416 with four homers, three triples and four doubles with 25 RBI and 25 runs scored.

In the final regular-season series against Iowa State, Cole went 6-for-13 with four runs scored and three RBI, which followed a 7-for-13 series effort with two homers and seven RBI in the sweep of Oklahoma State. Against No. 18 Texas on April 7, Cole hit two homers in a doubleheader sweep, a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth in the opener to send the game into extra innings, and a three-run homer off UT ace Albert Montes to give the NU a 5-4 victory. He also tied his season high with a pair of four-hit performances against No. 8 Baylor (April 15) and UTSA (April 18) during his current hit string.

Huskers Make the Grade in the Classroom
As impressive as the Huskers' turnaround is on the diamond, the strides the NU baseball team has made in the classroom are equally striking. During the athletic department's annual academic recognition banquet on April 21, the Husker baseball team, with a team GPA of 2.90 over the last rwo semesters, was one of four team finalists for the Hermann Award, presented to the men's and women's teams with the highest cumulative GPA over the previous two semesters. This marked the first time in the award's six-year history that the NU baseball team was a finalist for this prestigious award.

Under Coach Dave Van Horn, Nebraska has had at least one first-team academic all-district honoree in each of the past four seasons, including first-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American Erik Mumm in 1999. This season, Husker outfielders John Cole and Jeff Leise both earned spots on the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII team to advance to the national ballot. A junior, Cole carries a 3.65 grade-point average in business administration and was a first-team All-District VII selection in 2000, while Leise is a sophomore who carries a 3.95 GPA in psychology.

The academic all-district selections follow on the footsteps of the Academic All-Big 12 team released on May 8. A league-best five Huskers were selected to the first team, including the starting outfield of Cole, Leise and Adam Stern. Joining the trio are junior starter Shane Komine and senior reliever Brandon Penas, as NU and Baylor were the only teams with three or more first-team selections. In addition, junior reliever Thom Ott and starting pitcher Jamie Rodrigue were chosen to the second team, as Huskers comprised nearly 20 percent of the players selected.

Ott Closes in on Save Record
While Shane Komine anchors the Huskers' starting rotation, Nebraska also has one of the league's top closers in junior right-hander Thom Ott. A starter at James Madison as a freshman, Ott has made the effortless conversion to the NU bullpen, where he has made the climb up NU's single-season and career saves chart. In 22 relief appearances, Ott, who also made a pair of starts in non-conference play, is 4-2 with eight saves and a 4.57 ERA. In Big 12 play, Ott is 4-1 with eight saves in 14 appearances out of the bullpen. The Milton, Fla., native is leading the Big 12 with eight saves in conference contests and is holding opponents to a .228 average, a figure that leads all league relievers. With 14 career saves, Ott is tied for the school saves record with Steve Boyd (1992-93). With eight saves this season, Ott ranks third on NU single-season charts and needs just two saves to tie Mike Bellows' school record of 10 set in 1994.

Huskers Playing to Standing-Room-Only Crowds at "The Buck"
Under Coach Dave Van Horn, Buck Beltzer Stadium has been an imposing place to play for visiting foes. Over the past four seasons, NU owns an impressive 79-17 record (.824) at "The Buck," including a 19-6 mark against ranked foes and a perfect 9-0 record against top-10 teams, including a three-game sweep of No. 8 Baylor. Over the past three seasons, the Huskers have posted a 66-13 mark (.835) at Buck Beltzer, including 20-win seasons in 1999 and 2000. This season, NU was 18-4 at Buck Beltzer Stadium and has won 11 of its last 12 home games.

Attendance has also seen great improvements over the past three year, as NU has averaged 2,060 fans per game, including a stadium record of 4,029 on April 14 against Baylor. In fact, NU has drawn four of the top five crowds in stadium history in 2001.

The 2001 season marks the 23rd and final season at the facility, and the Huskers have shattered many of the season attendance marks. Nearly 1,150 season tickets were sold before the season began, a 100-percent increase over the previous school record and equalling the 2000 season average attendance of 1,149. For the regular season, 1,200 bleacher seats were added to the outfield in right field, expanding capacity to nearly 2,500. NU broke the Buck Beltzer facility record for the first time with an overflow crowd of 3,621 for the April 7 doubleheader against Texas, eclipsing the previous mark of 3,387 set in 1999. The three-day attendance total of 9,042 during the Baylor series shattered the previous record of 7,229 set against ninth-ranked Texas in 1999.

Tools of the Trade
In a poll of the Big 12 Conference coaches for the college preseason issue of Baseball America, four Huskers were recognized as the best in the conference in their respective categories. Junior right-hander Shane Komine was tabbed as having the best fastball and the best control among Big 12 hurlers, while Matt Hopper was picked as the player with the most raw power. Two other Huskers, second baseman Will Bolt and outfielder Adam Stern, were selected as the best defensive players at their respective positions.