Huskers Sign Two In-State Pitchers

Lincoln ? University of Nebraska Baseball Coach Mike Anderson announced the signing of right-handed pitchers Joba Chamberlain (Lincoln, Neb./University of Nebraska-Kearney) and Seth Svoboda (Kearney, Neb./Independence Community College) to National Letters-of-Intent to play for the Husker baseball program.

"We are happy to have Joba and Seth pitch for us next season," Nebraska Pitching Coach Rob Childress said. "We believe that both can step in and be a part of our staff in conference play."

Chamberlain returns to Lincoln after spending last season at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, where he earned honorable-mention Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder went 3-6 with a 5.23 ERA, as he led the team in ERA, complete games (4) and appearances (12) while striking out 49 in 53.1 innings. A second-team Super-State selection by the Lincoln Journal Star in 2003, Chamberlain made one appearance for the Beatrice Bruins, pitching a complete-game three-hitter with 11 strikeouts during the regional tournament last month. Chamberlain, who compiled a 5-3 record with 137 strikeouts playing American Legion ball this summer, will have three years of eligibility remaining at Nebraska.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play at Nebraska in front of my family and friends," Chamberlain said. "I enjoyed playing at UNK, but didn’t want to look back one day and regret that I didn’t take the opportunity to play at Nebraska."

Svoboda, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hander comes to Nebraska from Independence Community College, where he served as the ace of the staff as a freshman. Svoboda paced Independence CC with an 8-4 record and a 5.04 ERA, leading the team in innings pitched (82), strikeouts (67), starts (16) and complete games (3). Over the summer, the Kearney, Neb., native starred for Coach Bob Steinkamp’s Beatrice Bruins, going 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA in nine starts. He led the squad in wins and strikeouts (54), as he allowed 40 hits and held opponents to a .206 average in 54 innings of work.

"It came down to playing for the team that I grew up watching and wanting to play for since I was younger," Svoboda said. "I talked to Coach Childress about playing at Nebraska last spring, and he said he would watch my progress over the summer. That gave me a lot of motivation and I had a successful summer. I was able to play with other Huskers and am looking forward to this season."

-- Huskers.com --