No. 22 Huskers Host Arkansas in Midweek Series

This Week: The Nebraska baseball team returns to Hawks Field riding a 13-game win streak, as the Huskers play host to SEC power Arkansas this Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games is at 1:05 p.m and general admission tickets are available for both games against the Razorbacks by calling 800-8-BIGRED or at Hawks Field 90 minutes prior to each game.

The Arkansas series, which begins a seven-game homestand for the Huskers, also marks the return of former Coach Dave Van Horn, who guided the Huskers between 1998 and 2002 before returning to his alma mater. In his time at NU, Van Horn guided Nebraska to a pair of College World Series appearances (2001-02), three Big 12 Tournament titles (1999-01) and in 2001, led the Huskers to their first regular-season conference crown in 51 years.

On the Radio and Internet: Fans across Nebraska can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington - and on the Internet at Huskers.com. In addition, fans can also watch all four games live on HuskersNside. For subscription information, visit Huskers.com.

Poll Position: Following a perfect 5-0 week, the Huskers were ranked for the first time in 2008,  climbing to as high as 22nd in both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. It marked the first time NU had been ranked in any poll since March 19, 2007, and the first time NU was in the Baseball America poll since February of 2007.

Corriston Earns Big 12 Accolade: Senior first baseman Craig Corriston garnered Big 12 Player of the Week honors on March 17, as the senior hit .579 (11-for-19) with six runs scored, four doubles and four RBIs in leading the Big Red to a 5-0 week. Corriston had three multi-hit games, including his first career four-hit game in Saturday’s series clinching win. He also drove in the winning run in NU’s 2-1 win over Kansas State on Friday with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

Weekend Rewind
The Huskers opened Big 12 action with style, posting a three-game sweep at Kansas State. It marked the first time NU collected a three-game road sweep since 2006.

Friday (NU 2, KSU 1):  Craig Corriston’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly broke a 1-1 tie, lifting the Huskers to a 2-1 victory over Kansas State. Corriston drove a 1-2 pitch from KSU closer Daniel Edwards to left center, scoring Mitch Abeita from third with the go-ahead run. The Huskers scratched across runs on sacrifice flies from pinch-hitter David Stewart and Corriston and relied on a strong pitching performance. Johnny Dorn allowed one run over seven innings, while Zach Herr and Erik Anderson both worked out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

Saturday (NU 11, KSU 4): Jake Opitz and Craig Corriston combined for seven hits and five RBIs, while Thad Weber scattered four hits over seven innings, leading Nebraska to an 11-4 win.  Opitz and Corriston led Nebraska’s season-high 16-hit barrage, as the Huskers jumped out to a 7-0 lead through five innings. Opitz went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, as his two-run homer in the third inning opened the offensive floodgates, while Corriston posted his first career-four hit day, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and scored twice. Weber (3-1) turned in another strong outing, fanning a career-high nine Wildcats and taking a two-hit shutout into the seventh.

Sunday (NU 5, KSU 3-10 inn.): Dan Johnston’s two-run single in the top of the 10th capped a late-inning comeback, as the Huskers completed a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory. The Huskers tied the game on DJ Belfonte’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly before Johnston delivered a two-run single to left one inning later. Mike Nesseth (2-0) earned the victory, fanning four over two shutout innings, while Erik Anderson retired the side in order in the bottom of the 10th for his third save. Jake Opitz and Nick Sullivan led Nebraska’s attack with three hits apiece, as Sullivan went 3-for-3 while Opitz scored twice in the win.

Leading Off
?-The Huskers are 13-10 all-time against SEC competition with only the Alabama series in 2006 taking place in Lincoln. NU has won 10 of its last 11 regular-season games against SEC teams dating back to 1991, but is 0-4 in NCAA Tournament matchups in that same span.

?-Nebraska’s current 13-game win streak is the third-longest streak in the nation heading into this week. The only two teams in the country with longer win streaks have not lost during the 2008 season.

?-The Huskers’ current win streak already ranks among the longest in school history. NU, which began baseball in 1889, has only had four longer win streaks and one of those came in the last 25 years.

?-The Huskers’ 14-2 start is one of the best 16-game starts in school history. In fact, only two Husker teams in program history have played better through the first 13 contests than the 2008 Huskers.

?-The Huskers’ also bring a 12-game home win streak into Tuesday’s game with Arkansas. The streak, which began with the final home series of 2007, is the sixth-longest streak in the country.

?-Since allowing 17 runs to Stanford in the season opener, Nebraska pitchers have combined for a 1.76 ERA, as the Huskers have not allowed more than five runs in any game since then. The Huskers lead the Big 12 with a 2.68 ERA.

?-Nebraska hitters were plunked seven times on Saturday, one off the Big 12 single-game record of eight by Kansas State against Wichita State in 2000.

?-With nine stolen bases in the weekend sweep of Kansas State, the Huskers have swiped 33 bases this season to rank third in the Big 12. That is nearly half of the Huskers entire 2007 total of 67.

Scouting Arkansas
Dave Van Horn (214-115 in six seasons at Arkansas) brings the Razorbacks to town in between their first two Southeastern Conference series. Arkansas won 11 of its first 12 games - with the only blemish coming at Texas A&M, which is coached by former NU assistant Rob Childress. The Razorbacks then ran into a red-hot Arizona State team, getting swept as the top-ranked Sun Devils threw their top two starters in the mid-week series. Over the weekend, Arkansas won its SEC opener before dropping the final two games at home.

Offensively, Arkansas is led by Aaron Murphree, who is hitting .363 with 13 homers and 31 RBIs in just 17 contests. Murphree is one of three Razorbacks who have at least 20 RBIs, and that does not include Logan Frosythe, who is hitting .415 with 12 runs scored and spent last summer with Team USA.

The Razorbacks will throw junior right-hander Mike Boslinger on Tuesday. He is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in five appearances. Boslinger has not pitched since striking out four in two innings of no-hit ball against the No. 1 Sun Devils last Wednesday. Arkansas, like Nebraska, has not announced its starter for Wednesday, as both teams are expected to throw a number of pitchers to prepare for weekend conference action.

Series history: Nebraska has a 7-5 advantage in the series, although the two teams have not squared off since the Huskers swept a pair of games in Fayetteville during the 2000 season.