No. 7 Huskers Host No. 8 Baylor in Big 12 Showdown

Record (32-7, 8-4 Big 12) ? National Rankings: 7 (CB) ? 11 (BA) ? 9 (Sports Weekly) ? 8 (NCBWA)
Day Date Opp. Rank Opponent (Record) Location Time
Wed. April 20 at Northern Iowa Des Moines, Iowa (Principal Park) W, 7-4
Fri. April 23 10/8/14 Baylor (26-14, 12-3 Big 12) Hawks Field 6:35 p.m.
Sat. April 24 10/8/14 Baylor Hawks Field 2:05 p.m.
Sun. April 25 10/8/14 Baylor Hawks Field 1:05 p.m.
Polls are listed in the following order: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly

Pitching Probables
Fri. NU - Joba Chamberlain, So, RHP (5-0, 1.94 ERA) vs. BU - Trey Taylor, Sr., LHP (4-3, 3.81 ERA)
Sat. NU - Zach Kroenke, Jr., LHP (4-1, 2.57 ERA) vs. BU - Mark McCormick, Jr., RHP (5-2, 3.02 ERA)
Sun. NU - Brian Duensing, Jr., LHP (5-0, 2.55 ERA) vs. BU - Cory VanAllen, So., LHP (6-2, 3.67 ERA)

Media Information

Tickets: Reserved ($8, sold out); General Admission ($6 and $4); UNL Student Free with ID
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (Fri.-Sun)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Television: Saturday on NET-1 (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112) Live; Tape Delayed on CSTV at 7 p.m.)
Internet Video Streaming: All three games vs. Baylor will be video streamed on HuskersNside. For more information, log on to Huskers.com

No. 7 Huskers Host No. 8 Baylor in Big 12 Showdown
Following a four-game road swing, the Nebraska baseball team returns to Hawks Field for one of the biggest series of the year, as the No. 7 Huskers host eighth-ranked Baylor this weekend. The series between the Big 12-leading Bears and the second-place Huskers commences Friday evening at 6:35 p.m. with afternoon tilts set for both Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and Sunday (1:05 p.m.).

All three games will be carried across the state on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including KLIN 1400 AM (Lincoln), KFAB 1110 AM (Omaha) and KRVN 880 AM (Lexington) with Jim Rose and John Bishop calling all of the action. Saturday’s game will be shown to a state-wide and national audience, as Nebraska Educational Television (NET) will carry the game live throughout the state (NET-1 is Ch. 12 in Lincoln and NET-HD is Ch. 112 on Time Warner Cable) and the game will be simulcast on College Sports Television (Ch. 610 on DirecTV, Ch. 305 on Time Warner Cable) Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

The Huskers (32-7 on the season) come into the weekend series winners of five of their last six games following a 7-4 win over Northern Iowa in Des Moines on Wednesday evening. The Huskers, who trailed 4-1 after six innings, used an outstanding performance from the bullpen which didn’t allow an earned run in nine innings of work, while scoring six unanswered runs to avoid the upset by the Panthers. The three-run deficit equaled the biggest deficit that NU has overcome this season and was the 12th come-from-behind win this season.

The Bears are one of the hottest teams in the Big 12, winning their last seven league games, including back-to-back sweeps of Kansas State and Kansas, to lead the Big 12 with a 12-3 mark, 2.5 games ahead of both Nebraska and Missouri. BU is 26-14 on the year, dropping a 2-1 game at TCU on Tuesday before a 4-3 win over Prairie View A&M on Wednesday.

Baylor leads the all-time series, 23-14-1, and Nebraska is looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Bears - its longest streak against any league foe - dating back two seasons. Last year, BU swept the regular-season series in Waco, winning the first two games by one run. In Lincoln, NU has won five of the last six meetings, including winning 2-of-3 games in 2003.

Another large weekend crowd is expected this weekend, as the reserve sections are sold out and only general admission seating remains for the top-10 matchup. NU has averaged a Big 12-best 6,789 fans for its six home games in league play, as only one Big 12 contest (NU’s game at Texas A&M, 6,812) has drawn more than the Huskers’ home league average.

Leading Off
?-At 32-7, the Huskers are enjoying one of their best marks in the program’s 100-plus year history. Only the 1979 and 1983 teams have enjoyed a better start at the 38-game mark than the 2005 Huskers.

?-NU is one of only two teams (also Texas) nationally ranked in the top five in both ERA (2.43) and fielding percentage (.978) in the April 19 NCAA rankings.

?-Nebraska is ranked third nationally in fielding at a .979 clip (currently .978). The Huskers are one of three Big 12 teams in the top five, joining Texas A&M (.980, first) and Texas (.978, fifth)

?-The Huskers’ pitching has been a strength throughout 2005, as Nebraska leads the Big 12 and rank among the national leaders in ERA. Nebraska has held 33 of its 38 opponents to four runs or less.

National ERA Team Leaders

No. Team Team ERA
1. Long Beach St. 2.06
2. Nebraska 2.40
3. Missouri 2.56
4. North Carolina 2.67
5. Texas 2.75

?-The Huskers have also gotten off to quick starts, scoring at least one run in the first inning in 20 of 38 games and outscoring their opponents 35-10 in the first inning of games this season.

?-The Huskers are 19-2 at Hawks Field this season and 96-21 (.821) since the ballpark opened in 2002.

?- Nebraska, which is 6-3 against nationally ranked teams, looks to continue a trend of success against nationally ranked teams at home. The Huskers are 26-10 against ranked opponents at Hawks Field since the park opened in 2002, and are 16-5 against top-10 opponents at home dating back to 1988.

?-NU has scored at least one run in 426 of the last 427 games dating back to the 1998 season. In 2004, the Huskers were the only Big 12 team not shut out.

?-After having just one multi-homer game in 2004, Nebraska has eight already this season, including four by first baseman/catcher Curtis Ledbetter and two by All-American third baseman Alex Gordon.

?-Earlier this month, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson coached his 150th game at Nebraska, becoming only the fourth Husker coach to reach that mark in program history. His winning percentage is the second-highest among any Husker coach at the 150-game mark. Here are the totals of the other three Husker skippers at the 150-game plateau.

?-Nebraska’s starting pitchers are a combined 22-1 this season and had won their first 19 decisions before Zach Kroenke’s loss to No. 1 Texas on April 9.

?- Six of Nebraska’s seven losses this season have been by one run, as the Huskers are 4-6 in one-run games this year.

?-Nebraska is one of only 11 teams nationally - and one of only two schools in the Big 12 - to have a team ERA under 4.00 in each of the last three seasons.

?-Nebraska has scored three runs or more in an inning 31 times already this season, including an 11-run inning against South Dakota State on March 13.

?-Third baseman Alex Gordon is looking to become the first position player and only the second player in Big 12 history to repeat as conference player of the year. Baylor’s Jason Jennings is the only other player to win multiple Big 12 Player-of-the-Year awards (1998-99).

?-Nebraska has had two players honored as Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of the Week this season. Alex Gordon was chosen on March 22, joining Joba Chamberlain, who earned the honor on Feb. 25.

?-With complete-game shutouts by Zach Kroenke and Brian Duensing, Nebraska became the first team to hand Oklahoma State consecutive shutouts since 1976. It also marked the first time since March of 2002 that Nebraska received back-to-back complete-game shutouts (Jamie Rodrigue and Aaron Marsden).

Scouting Baylor
Baylor comes into town with a 26-14 record and a Big 12-best 12-3 mark. The Bears have played their best baseball against the nation’s top teams, going 10-1 against ranked teams this season, highlighted by a sweep against No. 1 Texs in March.

Offensively, the Bears are a veteran team, returning nearly their entire everyday lineup from a year ago. BU is 10th in the league in hitting with a .267 average, but is third in league games only with a .283 mark. Josh Ford is hittting a team-best .324 with five homers and 24 RBIs, while Zach Dillon is the only other Bear starter above .300 with a .321 average in 39 games.

Baylor’s strength is on the hill, where a veteran staff has helped the Bears rank third in the league in ERA (3.13). Sophomore lefty Cory VanAllen has a team-high six wins while the trio of VanAllen, right-hander Mark McCormick (5-2, 3.02 ERA) and Trey Taylor (4-3, 3.81 ERA) have combined to make 30 of the team’s 40 starts, including all 15 in the league. BU also has a veteran bullpen anchored by Abe Woody 4-2, 2.51 ERA, 7 SV) and Ryan LaMotta (4-0, 1.67 ERA, 3 SV).

The Bears lead the all-time series, 23-14-1 that dates back to 1938. Baylor has won the last five meetings dating to the 2003 Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, the longest winning streak by any Big 12 team over the Huskers. NU won the series the last time the two teams met at Hawks Field, taking 2-of-3 in 2003.

Last Time Out
Wednesday (NU 7, Northern Iowa 4): Seventh-ranked Nebraska used a four-run seventh inning to overcome a three-run deficit, defeating Northern Iowa, 7-4, at Principal Park in Des Moines. The Huskers relied on an outstanding effort from the bullpen, holding UNI without an earned run over the final nine innings after Phil Shirek allowed two runs in the bottom of the first. Jeremy Becker (1-0) picked up his first win in three season with a scoreless inning of work, while Brett Jensen, the seventh Husker pitcher of the evening, fired a perfect ninth for his sixth save. Nebraska also received a strong outing from Tony Watson, who fanned a career high six Panthers in 4.2 innings of relief. Daniel Bruce paced NU’s offensive attack, driving in a pair of runs, while Curtis Ledbetter, Andy Gerch, Brandon Buckman and Ryan Wehrle had two hits apiece in NU’s 13-hit attack.

Gordon’s on a Tear
Probably no player in the Big 12 is as hot as NU third baseman Alex Gordon over the past six weeks. The first-team All-American is hitting .463 (44-for-95) with 11 homers, 32 RBIs and 37 runs scored in NU’s last 28 games, raising his average from .270 to a Big 12-high .409. Gordon was the Big 12’s Player of the Week for two straight weeks (March 21 & 28), earning national honors from Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America on March 21, after he hit .560 with four homers, 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored in six games. Three weeks ago, Gordon went 4-for-9 with three homers, four RBIs, eight runs scored and six walks in the series win against Kansas. He went 4-for-7 with a homer and four RBIs against No. 29 Oklahoma State, as he was walked twice and hit by four pitches. Against Texas A&M, Gordon went 5-for-10 with three walks and two hit by pitches, helping NU win a series in College Station for the first time ever.

Gordon in the Big 12 (stats as of April 18)

Category No. Big 12 Rank

Batting Avg. .409 1st

Walks 43 1st

Runs 49 1st

On-Base Pct. .576 1st

Slugging Pct. .811 1st

Homers 13 2nd

Total Bases 107 2nd

Doubles 12 3rd

Stolen Bases 17 5th

RBIs 39 7th

Chamberlain Named to Clemens Watch List
Nebraska right-hander Joba Chamberlain earned another honor on Thursday, as he was added to the Clemens Award Watch list. The sophomore transfer is 5-0 this season with a 1.94 ERA, fanning 73 in 60.1 innings of work. He ranks in the top-10 in the Big 12 in ERA (third), opponent batting average (.165, fourth) strikeouts (third), innings pitched (ninth) and wins (10th). The winner of the second annual honor, designating the top pitcher in college baseball, will be announced on July 14 in Houston, Texas. For more on the award, log on to www.clemensaward.com.

Huskers Look for Extra Television Time
Over the last five seasons, Nebraska’s two longest games have one thing in a common - a television audience. The April 8, 16-inning contest against No. 1 Texas was the Huskers’ longest game in six seasons, taking 4:17 on an ESPN2 national telecast. Nebraska’s Big 12 Tournament semifinal against Baylor was the Huskers’ longest television broadcast, going 14 innings in May of 2004.

Longest Husker Games Since 2000

Opponent Date Innings Television
vs. Texas April 8, 2005 16 ESPN2
vs. Baylor May 22, 2003 14 Fox Sports Net
vs. New Mexico Feb. 15, 2002 13 None

Bruce Named Nebraska Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Senior outfielder Daniel Bruce enjoyed one of the finest days of his four-year career last Sunday. Not only did he go 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the series-clinching win at Texas A&M, but he was honored later in the day as the Univeristy of Nebraska Male Student-Athlete of the Year. It marks just the second time that a Husker baseball player had been chosen for the prestigious honor (Jeff Leise, 2003). An English major with a 3.86 GPA, Bruce is hitting a career-best .325 with 30 runs scored this season.

Fusilier Provides Spark for Husker Offense
After missing all of the 2004 season with a shoulder injury, fifth-year senior Brandon Fusilier has given the middle of the Husker lineup added protection. He enters the weekend hitting .318 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder from Coppell, Texas, ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 in homers (10, sixth), RBIs (42, sixth) and slugging percentage (.598, ninth). Fusilier is also 10-of-11 on the basepaths, doubling his entire 2003 total of steals.

The Buck Starts Here
Junior college transfer Brandon Buckman ranks 17th in the Big 12 in hitting with a .345 average. He is third on the team with 14 multi-hit games, including a four-hit effort at Hawaii-Hilo on Feb. 17 and a three-hit game against Texas on April 8. Buckman drove in a season-high four RBIs against Northern Colorado on March 15 and had four RBIs in a doubleheader split against Kansas on March 26. Last season, he earned junior college All-America honors at Garden City Community College, when he hit .460 with 16 homers.

Mr. Twinbill
Redshirt freshman Andy Gerch has shined in the Huskers’ four twinbills this season. The Lincoln native is hitting .571 (12-of-21) with two homers and 13 RBIs while playing in seven of eight doubleheader games this season. Gerch had five hits in a doubleheader sweep of North Dakota State on April 13.

Bruce Leads Husker Hit-by-Pitch Parade
Senior outfielder Daniel Bruce continues to climb the NCAA record book. With his two hit-by-pitches against Texas two weeks ago, he moved past J.R. Revere (62, Georgia Southern, 1999-2002) for sole possession of fifth place in the NCAA record book.  Bruce, who set Nebraska’s single-season record with 28 HBP in 2002, has rebounded after a disappointing 2004 season, by hitting .325 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 35 contests. In Big 12 play, Bruce is hitting .340 with 13 runs scored, a total which is third in the conference.

Homers Come in Bunches for Ledbetter
Throughout his Husker career, first baseman Curtis Ledbetter has shown the propensity to homer in bunches. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has six career multi-homer games, including four this season. The trend began in his Husker debut in 2003 when he hit two homers against Texas State. Ledbetter, who is also second in the Big 12 with 13 doubles, has shown versatility, as he has played outfield, catcher and first base throughout his three seasons at Nebraska.

Ledbetter’s Multi-Homer Games
No. Opponent Date
2 vs. Texas State 2/14/03
2 vs. Kansas State 3/21/03
2 vs. New Mexico 2/25/05
2 vs. South Dakota State 3/15/05
2 vs. Iowa 4/6/05
2 at Texas A&M 4/15/05

Gordon Piles Up Numbers, Honors
After a season where he earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Year and unanimous first-team All-America honors, Gordon has already racked up a number of impressive honors heading into the 2005 season. He hit .365 with 18 homers and 75 RBIs in his sophomore campaign, a year where he ranked in the top four in the league in nine offensive categories. With Team USA last summer, Gordon hit .388 with four homers and 12 RBIs, while hitting .523 at the World University Games in Taiwan.

This season, Gordon is hitting .409 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs and leads the Big 12 in five offensive categories. His biggest hit of 2005 so far was a three-run eighth-inning homer to break a 3-all tie against No. 7 Rice on Feb. 27, NU’s first win over the Owls since the 2001 NCAA Super Regional.

Gordon’s 2005 Honors

? Baseball America National Midseason Player of the Year

? USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Nominee

? Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year

? Collegiate Baseball Natl. Player of the Week (3/21)

? NCBWA Natl. Player of the Week (3/21)

? Big 12 Player of the Week (3/21 & 3/28)

? First-Team preseason All-American (Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Baseball America)

? Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year (Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America)

? Baseball America’s Top Junior in the Country

? Baseball America’s No. 1 College Prospect for the 2005 MLB Draft

? Wallace Award Watch List

The Lincoln native is considered the top collegiate prospect in the country and will look to become the fifth first-round pick in school history and the first since Darin Erstad and Alvie Shepherd in 1995. The following is a list of the previous first round Husker draft picks.

Husker Pitchers Earn Passing Grade
Despite having five pitchers drafted in 2004 - the highest total of Husker pitchers taken in the draft in more than 20 years - Nebraska’s pitching staff has excelled during the first half of the season.

Nebraska pitchers currently...
? Lead the Big 12 and are second nationally with a 2.40 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a league-low .214 batting average. Nebraska has only posted a sub-3.00 ERA three times in school history (1965, 1966 and 1969).
? Have held 28 of 39 opponents to three runs or less as only three teams have scored more than four runs.
? Rank third in the Big 12 with 10 saves (seventh on NU’s single-season chart) and allowed just 12 of 53 inherited runners to score.
? Issue a league-low 2.48 walks/nine innings, while ranking third in the league with 7.78 strikeouts/nine innings.

Huskers’ Homegrown Rotation
Pitching Coach Rob Childress has built Nebraska’s pitching staff into one of the Big 12’s best on an annual basis, and 2005 is no exception. The Huskers are second nationally in ERA (2.40) and are holding opponents to a league-low .214 average. Of Nebraska’s top five starters, four are in-state products, including the entire weekend rotation of Joba Chamberlain (Lincoln), Zach Kroenke (Omaha) and Brian Duensing (Omaha), who are a combined 14-1.

Chamberlain Becomes Ace in the Hole
Sophomore Joba Chamberlain’s college career has been a whirlwind experience. The right-hander began his collegiate career at Division II Nebraska-Kearney, where he went 3-6 with a 5.23 ERA as a freshman, before transferring to NU last summer.  The 6-3, 225-pounder has made an immediate impact, going 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA in nine starts for the Huskers. The right-hander ranks among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (fourth), strikeouts/nine innings (10.89, third), total strikeouts (73, third) and opponent batting average (.165, fourth). Chamberlain has struck out nine or more hitters five times this spring.

Against New Mexico on Feb. 25, Chamberlain struck out 15 in seven shutout innings en route to Big 12 Pitcher of the Week and National Co-Player-of-the-Week honors from Collegiate Baseball. His 15 strikeouts were the most by a Husker pitcher since Shane Komine in 2000 and two shy of the Huskers’ single-game record. Chamberlain then shut down No. 7 Rice, holding the Owls to one unearned run on four hits while striking out nine over 6.1 innings. In his latest start, he tossed a complete-game four hitter, fanning five without a walk in a 2-1 win over Texas A&M on April 15.

Zach Attacks No. 2 Starter Role
While the return of Brian Duensing and the emergence of Joba Chamberlain have been the big stories early on for the Huskers, junior Zach Kroenke has regained the form that has made him one of the Big 12’s best pitchers. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Omaha is 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA, holding opponents to .224 average. Kroenke had won his last four outings before suffering the loss against Texas on April 9. He matched his season high with seven strikeouts in a complete-game three-hitter against Oklahoma State on April 2.

Well Duensing
The return of junior left-hander Brian Duensing has solidified the Huskers’ weekend rotation. The Omaha native is 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 10 appearances, heading into Sunday’s start against Baylor. He is 16th in the Big 12 in ERA and is holding opponents to a .226 average since missing nearly two full seasons because of Tommy John surgery. Duensing went 16.2 innings - spanning four appearances - without allowing a run before allowing four runs against Northern Colorado on March 15. Duensing went a season-high 7.1 innings, scattering six hits in a 9-4 victory at Kansas on March 27. Against No. 29 Oklahoma State on April 3, Duensing tossed a complete-game three-hitter, fanning six Cowboys in a 10-0 triumph.

Jensen Shines at Closing Time
Another pleasant surprise this spring has been the emergence of junior Brett Jensen as the Huskers’ closer. The 6-foot-7, 195-pounder has converted six of his seven save opportunities, as he is third in the Big 12 in that category. His six saves is already seventh on NU’s single-season list, and he will move into a tie for fourth with his next save.

Johnny Be Good
Freshman right-hander Johnny Dorn has quickly adapted to the Big 12. The Grand Island, Neb., native is tied for the team lead in wins with five and ranks ninth in the Big 12 with a 2.49 ERA. He has made 11 apperances, splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen. Against Creighton on March 29, he pitched 7.2 innings of no-hit ball in NU’s 10-2 win over the Bluejays. He fanned a career-high 10 CU hitters, the highest total by a Husker freshman in six seasons. Against Texas A&M on April 17, Dorn tossed 4.1 innings of shutout ball, earning not only his first league win, but clinching NU’s first series win in College Station.

Bohanan is Mr. Versatility for NU
Freshman Ryan Bohanan has emerged as one of the Huskers’ most valuable players during the first half of the season. In addition to his pitching, where he has a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.71 ERA in 10 appearances, Bohanan has seen time at designated hitter, as a defensive replacement in right field and at first base. Bohanan, who is hitting .167 with an RBI in six at-bats, was a two-way performer at Goddard High School in Kansas, where he played third base when he was not on the mound.

Simokaitis Makes Sacrifices
Shortstop Joe Simokaitis has made it a habit of turning sacrifices into an art form. The senior from St. Louis has 40 sacrifices during his career, a total which ranks eighth on the NCAA’s all-time list. He is second on the squad with seven sacrifices this season.

NCAA Sacrifice Bunt Chart
No. Player, Team Years Sacrifices
1. Rob Macrory, Auburn 1994-97 58
2. Jose Trujillo, Miami 1986-89 53
3. Damon Katz, Pepperdine 1997-00 49
4. Jack Jones, Cal State Fullerton 1994-96 47
5. Vince Pietro, Creighton 1997-00 46
6. Jason Smith, North Carolina State 1997-00 42
7. Mike Coss, Notre Dame 1988-91 42
8. Joe Simokaitis, Nebraska 2002-present 40
Michael Dartt, Hawaii 1996-99 40

Huskers Set Big 12 Homer Mark
Nebraska put together one of the most explosive innings in school history on March 13 against South Dakota State, putting up 11 runs, highlighted by five homers. The 11 runs were the most by Nebraska in an inning since 2002, while the five homers in the frame set a school and Big 12 record. In addition, a pair of Huskers found their way into the NCAA record book by hitting two homers in the same inning. Brandon Fusilier and Curtis Ledbetter became the third and fourth Huskers to hit two homers in one inning, and the first since the 2000 season.

Ledbetter Gets Defensive at First Base
One of the reasons for Nebraska’s school record .975 fielding percentage in 2004 was the performance of first baseman Curtis Ledbetter. A two-time All-Big 12 pick, Ledbetter committed one error in 473 chances, as his .998 fielding percentage was the best ever by a Husker with 400 total chances in a season. In addition to his defensive prowess, the senior from Lawrence, Kan., hit .297 with eight homers and 56 RBIs, while leading the squad with 12 game-winning RBIs.

This season, Ledbetter has been a major offensive force, hitting .351 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs, while ranking second in the league with 13 doubles and fourth with 12 round trippers. Against Texas A&M, Ledbetter hit .642 (6-for-13) with two homers, two doubles and three RBIs before following up with a two-hit game on Wednesday.

In addition to playing first base, Ledbetter has also seen time at catcher, a position he has not played since his freshman year at Garden City Community College. He is fiffh in school history with 881 putouts.

Nimmo Turns in Career Day vs. Seton Hall
Among all of the prolific offensive efforts during the first month of the season, one of the most surprising was the effort turned in by freshman outfielder Bryce Nimmo against Seton Hall on March 19. Nimmo, who had driven in just one run in his first 12 appearances, went 2-for-3 with two homers - the first two of his career- and six RBIs in a 11-2 win. The six RBIs were the most by a Husker since All-American Matt Hopper had seven in a 10-inning win against Missouri during the 2003 season.

13 Husker Games Picked for Television
Baseball fans throughout the state of Nebraska will have ample opportunity to see the Huskers on television this spring, as a total of 13 regular-season games will be shown on either a state-wide or national basis. Seven of the games will be shown on the ESPN family of networks, including the entire series against Oklahoma from Norman next week.

Husker Baseball on Television in 2005

Date Opponent Network First Pitch
April 5 at Creighton NET L, 3-4.
April 6 Iowa NET/CSTV W, 6-1
April 8 Texas ESPN2 W, 4-3 (16)
April 9 Texas ESPN L, 4-11
April 10 Texas ESPN L, 5-6 (8)
April 16 at Texas A&M Fox Sports Net L, 4-5 (10)
April 23 Baylor NET/CSTV* 2:05 p.m.
April 27 at Wichita State ESPNU 7 p.m.
April 28 at Oklahoma ESPN 6 p.m.
April 29 at Oklahoma ESPNU 6 p.m.
April 30 at Oklahoma ESPNU 1 p.m.
May 7 Missouri NET/CSTV 2:05 p.m.
May 21 Kansas State NET/CSTV 2:05 p.m.
*- Live on NETV, Tape Delayed on CSTV

Simokaitis Climbs Assists List
Earlier this season, shortstop Joe Simokaitis became the fourth Husker to ever record 500 assists and is closing quickly on the top two on the Husker chart. He enters the weekend with 595 assists and passed Bruce Wobken (548, 1986-89) for third place on the list against Oklahoma State earlier this month. Simokaitis has paced the Huskers in assists in each of the last two seasons, including a school-record 194 assists in 2003. He had a career-best nine assists - the most by a Husker infielder in the last six seasons - in Sunday’s win over Texas A&M.

Career Assists
No. Mark Player Year
1. 639 Will Bolt 1999-02
2. 604 Darin Petersen 1992-95
3. 595 Joe Simokaitis 2002-present

May 10th Tickets vs. Creighton on Sale
Tickets for Nebraska’s rubber match against Creighton at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium on Tuesday, May 10, are now on sale at Ticketmaster locations across the state. Reserve seating prices for the May 10 contest are $12, $10 and $8, while children’s tickets are $6. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at Ticketmaster in Lincoln at 475-1212, in Omaha at (402) 422-1212 or on the Internet at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the Nebraska Ticket Office.

The Huskers won the first meeting of the series in Lincoln before Creighton evened the series earlier this month. The annual May matchup in Omaha is one of the biggest sporting events of the spring in the state, as the contest has drawn crowds of at least 10,000 in each of the last five seasons.