Huskers Travel to Lone Star State to Open 2011

This Week in Nebraska Baseball • Feb. 18-20

2011 Record (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Date        Date       Opponent                       Radio                     Internet                       Time
Friday      Feb. 18   at Texas State (0-0)           Husker Sports Network  Huskers.com              3 p.m.

Saturday   Feb. 19   vs. Air Force (0-0)             Husker Sports Network  Huskers.com             11 a.m.   

Saturday   Feb. 19   vs. Washington (0-0)          Husker Sports Network  Huskers.com              7 p.m.

Sunday    Feb. 19   vs. Missouri State (0-0)        Husker Sports Network  Huskers.com             11 a.m.

Media Info
Live Radio: Selected Husker Sports Network and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com (affiliate list on page five of today's notes)

Live Stats

Live Video: None

Television: None

Twitter: Twitter.com/Husker_Baseball

Probable Starting Pitchers
Nebraska vs. Texas State
Tyler Niederklein, So., RHP (3-1, 3.09 ERA in 2010) vs. Mitchell Pitts, Jr., RHP

Nebraska vs. Air Force
Jon Keller, Fr., RHP or Dylan Vogt, So., RHP (0-0, 3.60 ERA in 2010) vs. Sean Carley, So., RHP (3-5, 11.46 ERA in 2010)

Nebraska vs. Washington
Tom Lemke, So., RHP (5-6, 5.34 ERA in 2010) vs. Michael Garber, Jr., RHP

Nebraska vs. Missouri State
Sean Yost, Jr., RHP (2-1, 6.21 ERA in 2010) vs. TBA

Huskers Travel to Lone Star State to Open 2011
This Week: The Nebraska baseball program begins its 105th season this Friday afternoon, as the Huskers travel to San Marcos, Texas for four games hosted by Texas State University. Friday's opener between Nebraska and Texas State is set for 3 p.m., while the Huskers will then meet Air Force (Saturday, 11 a.m.), Washington (Saturday, 7 p.m.) and Missouri State (11 a.m.).

On the Radio: Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Lane Grindle and Jeff Culhane call all of the action this weekend on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha - and on the Internet at Huskers.com. A complete list of Husker Sports Network affiliates can be found on page 5.

Preview: Nebraska is looking for a return to the postseason for the first time since 2008 after it finished last year 27-27 overall and missed the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in 12 years. The Huskers bring back 20 letterwinners, including six position starters and seven pitchers who had at least 10 appearances. The pitching unit also returns 39 of its 54 starts from 2010. The returnees include junior honorable-mention All-Big 12 selections Cody Asche and Kale Kiser. Asche, who will start at third base, hit .311 with 10 home runs last season, while Kiser hit .345 and had a .467 on-base percentage. Other experienced returnees expected to be in the lineup include catchers Cory Burleson and Patric Tolentino, middle infielders Bryan Peters and Chad Christensen, and outfielders Khiry Cooper and Josh Scheffert.

On the mound, right-hander Tom Lemke returns after going 5-4 with a 5.34 ERA in 14 starts as a freshman. The Huskers also have a very experienced reliever in senior Casey Hauptman, who ranked second on the team with 23 appearances in 2010. He had a 4.28 ERA and tallied three saves. Other returning starters include Tyler Niederklein, Khris Tate and Sean Yost.

In addition, Nebraska's incoming recruiting class was ranked 15th nationally by Collegiate Baseball.

Weekend Rotation
Friday vs. Texas State: #21 - Tyler Niederklein • So. • RHP • 6-2 • 203 • Omaha, Neb. (Millard West)

Tyler Niederklein will make his ninth career start when he takes the mound Friday afternoon to kick off the 2011 season • Will be the third Nebraska native in the last four years to start the season opener, joining Thad Weber (Friend, 2008) and Sean Yost (Lincoln, 2010) • Played for Fayetteville in the Coastal Plains League over the summer • Tied for a team-high nine starts for the SwampDogs, going 3-5 with a 6.08 ERA • Was 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA in 2010 • His freshman season was highlighted by a win at Baylor, throwing a career-long 5.2 innings and allowing only one earned run in a 6-2 Nebraska victory • Became the first Husker freshman to win his first Big 12 start since Johnny Dorn in 2005 • Went five innings in the season finale against Texas Tech, allowing four runs on five hits in a no-decision • Went 9-3 in his two varsity seasons at Millard West High School, helping the Wildcats to a pair of state tournament showings • Named first-team all-state by the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star as a senior, going 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA, as he fanned 53 over 51 innings while also hitting .304 with 24 runs scored • Became the first Millard West product to join the Huskers since Daniel Bruce (2002-05) • Is one of five Omaha natives on the NU pitching staff in 2011 • Has not declared a major, but carries a 3.158 GPA.

Saturday vs. Air Force: #23 - Jon Keller • Fr. • RHP • 6-5 • 231 • Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Xavier)
Freshman right-hander Jon Keller is a candidate to make an early collegiate debut if he is tabbed the starter Saturday morning against Air Force • One of three freshmen pitchers taken in the 2010 MLB Draft, Keller was selected in the 11th round by the Seattle Mariners • Showed strong signs in October's Red-White Series, as he started the finale and threw 5.0 innings, giving up four hits and two runs • Is friends with sophomore shortstop Chad Christensen, also of Cedar Rapids, Iowa • Produced a 12-6 record and ERA just above 1.50 over his last two prep seasons • As a senior, was named captain of the first-team all-state squad and earned the Iowa Sports Connection's Player-of-the-Year award after going 6-2 with a 1.75 ERA • Struck out 93 hitters in 56 innings in his final season after fanning 78 over 59.2 as a junior • Was a first-team all-metro and all-conference selection as a junior, going 6-4 with a 1.41 ERA • Turned in his best performance in the state playoffs fanning 10 over 6.1 innings of two-hit ball while also collecting three hits and scoring a pair of runs.

Saturday vs. Air Force: #26 - Dylan Vogt • So. • RHP • 6-2 • 193 • Omaha, Neb. (Millard South)
Sophomore right-hander Dylan Vogt (pronounced VOTE) has been one of the most talked about players of the offseason as he had made a push to earn a start opening weekend • Earned three appearances as a true freshman and is looking for a more prominent role on the NU pitching staff in 2011 • Started and earned a win in the Red-White Series, as he pitched the White team to a Game 1 victory by throwing 4.0 innings and giving up two runs and two hits • Was teammates with Kurt Farmer for Lake Erie in the Great Lakes League last summer • Led the Monarchs in saves (8) as he made 13 appearances and finished 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA • Tossed a scoreless inning of relief at Creighton on May 18, 2010 as part of NU's 21-5 victory over the Bluejays • Struck out three over two innings of work against North Dakota on March 31, 2010 • Made his Husker debut against Northern Colorado on March 24, 2010, allowing one run on three hits over two innings • Has a good baseball background, as he was coached by former Husker Mike Sillman and comes from the same Millard South program as NU senior Casey Hauptman and Major Leaguer Brian Duensing • Named first-team Super State by the Lincoln Journal Star (utility) and second-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald (infielder) as a senior at Millard South, going 6-3 with a 1.97 ERA on the mound, while also hitting .368 with 16 RBIs as the team's starting shortstop.

Saturday vs. Washington: #30 - Tom Lemke • So. • RHP • 6-8 • 228 • Phoenix, Ariz. (NW Christian)
Right-handed sophomore Tom Lemke could be Nebraska's top starter in 2011 after he had one of the best freshmen campaigns in the Big 12 Conference last season • Had shutouts over Texas A&M and Oklahoma en route to a 5-6 record with a 5.34 ERA • Tied for the team lead in starts with 14 • Played for Santa Barbara in the California Collegiate League over the summer • Went 3-1 for the Foresters with a 3.15 ERA while not allowing a home run in 34.1 innings • Drafted in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers, which was the highest an incoming Husker pitching prospect had been selected in the last two decades • His two complete-game shutouts in 2010 were the most by a Husker since 2002 • Tied with Texas' Cole Green for the league lead in shutouts and was third in complete games, as he was one of only three freshman pitchers on any Big 12 top-10 pitching list • Became the first Husker freshman in over a decade to start and win in the opening weekend, as he fanned six over five shutout frames at Fresno State on Feb. 22, 2010 • Was one of the top pitchers in the state of Arizona during his prep career at Northwest Christian High School, going 25-9 with a 2.01 ERA, striking out 333 in 193.2 career innings • Tossed 13 complete games, including seven shutouts, while holding hitters to a .151 average.

Sunday vs. Missouri State: #8 - Sean Yost • Jr. • RHP • 6-7 • 210 • Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest)
Sean Yost will make his 14th career start this Sunday against Missouri State • Was drafted in the 24th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, but chose to continue his Husker career • Has bulked up during his career, adding 40 pounds since he arrived on campus in the fall of 2007 • Started last year's season opener at Fresno State and went 3.2 innings while giving up two runs in a no-decision • Has been used as a starter, reliever and closer during his first two seasons • Pitched the White team to a Game 2 victory in the Red-White Series, going 6.0 shutout innings and striking out six while giving up two hits • Has had strong summer campaigns, most recently earning a start in the California Collegiate All-Star Game • Produced a perfect 3-0 record for San Luis Obispo with a 2.70 ERA in five starts • Stepped into the weekend rotation midway through the 2009 season and went 2-5 with a 6.02 ERA in 18 appearances, fanning 48 over 55.1 innings • Named to the Northwoods League All-Star game in 2009 • As a redshirt freshman in 2009, threw a complete-game shutout of Baylor - the first nine-inning shutout by a Husker rookie since 2000 to earn him Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors • Redshirted in 2008 and spent the summer playing for the Beatrice Bruins • Rated by Baseball America as the top high school player in Nebraska for the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft • Named first-team Super-State by the Lincoln Journal Star after putting up a 6-2 record with a 2.09 ERA over 53.2 innings as a senior at Lincoln Southwest High School.

Scouting Texas State
The Bobcats are the defending Southland Conference champions after going 38-22 overall with a 23-10 league record in 2010.  Texas State was in position to earn the automatic NCAA postseason berth, but dropped the tournament title game to Lamar and was not selected as an at-large bid to the field of 64.

The Bobcats return six starters from last year's team and had four selected to the All-Southland Conference preseason squad, including outfielder Bret Atwood (.346-0-36), third baseman Kyle Kubitza (.354-11-58), pitcher Carson Smith (10-4, 3.10) and designated hitter Jeff McVaney (.350-10-44). Smith is not in the projected starting rotation this weekend, as the Huskers are set to face right-hander Mitchell Pitts. Pitts was 6-1 with a 4.61 ERA in 2010. He struck out 39 hitters and walked 10 in 54.2 innings or work, including seven starts.

Head coach Ty Harrington begins his 12th season at Texas State. A 1989 graduate of Texas, Harrington is 376-274 during his tenure in San Marcos.

Series History: Nebraska is 2-1 all-time against Texas State, although the Bobcats won the last meeting in 2005. The Huskers went on to a school-record 57 wins and a College World Series berth that season.

Scouting Air Force
Air Force is looking to recover from a 13-42 campaign in 2010, as it finished sixth in the Mountain West with a 3-20 league mark.

The Falcons return five position starters this spring, including nine pitchers who have starting experience. Outfielder Nathan Carter is Air Force's top returnee, as the senior hit .309 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs last season. Sean Carley is the projected starter to face Nebraska. The sophomore was 3-5 in 12 starts with a 11.46 ERA last season.

Maj. Mike Kazlausky begins his first year as head coach of his alma mater. Kazlausky was an assistant coach for the Falcons for six seasons.

Series History: The Huskers lead the all-time series against Air Force, 3-0. The schools have not met since 1987, when NU defeated the Falcons in Lincoln.

Scouting Washington
The Huskies finished last season with a 28-28 record, including an 11-16 mark in Pac-10 play to finish ninth.

Washington returns four position starters this season, including center fielder Pierce Rankin. He hit .272 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs in 2010. The Huskers will see junior Michael Garber on Saturday evening. The right-hander is a transfer from Sierra College and will be making his first Division I start. Garner was a first-team All-Big 8 Conference selection in 2010, going 6-5 with a 3.11 ERA.

The Huskies are led by Lindsay Meggs, who will be starting his second year at UW. Meggs spent 13 seasons at Chico State and three at Indiana State. He is 643-335-4 in his 17 years of collegiate coaching.

Series History: Nebraska is 4-3 all-time against Washington. The Huskers won the first four meetings, while the UW had taken the past three, including the most recent two during the 1997 season.

Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State was 21-34 overall with a 6-15 record in Missouri Valley play last season as it finished eighth in the league standings.

The Bears return five position starters this season, but will field a young roster that includes 12 newcomers. One of Missouri State's top returnees is second baseman Kevin Medrano, as the first-team all-conference pick hit .410 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. Center fielder Aaron Conway also returns after hitting 11 round-trippers and producing a .286 average. The Bears have not announced a starting rotation for this weekend's games in San Marcos.

Head Coach Keith Guttin is in his 29th season at Missouri State. The veteran coach is 959-607 during his tenure. In 2003, Guttin led Missouri State to the school's first-ever College World Series appearance. The Bears won the Lincoln Regional last season before upsetting Ohio State in the Super Regional.

Series History: The Huskers and Bears are an even 5-5 in 10 all-time meetings. Formerly Southwest Missouri State, MSU and NU last met in 2009 when the teams split a pair of games in Huntsville, Texas.

Leading Off

• -Nebraska is 6-2 in season openers under Head Coach Mike Anderson following last year's 7-5 loss at Fresno State. The Huskers took a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth, before the Bulldogs' Jordan Ribero ended the game with a two-out, two-homer in the bottom half of the inning. In 2009, NU opened the season with a 15-inning victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Huskers have won seven of their last nine season openers since 2002. The only teams to defeat NU in that stretch are Stanford (2008) and Fresno State (2010). The Cardinal reached the College World Series that season, while the Bulldogs claimed the national championship.

-The Huskers have played February games in the state of Texas in seven of the past eight years. Nebraska is 17-7 in those opening-month contests.

-This is the first time Nebraska has opened the season in the state of Texas since 2007. That year, the Huskers went 3-1 with wins over New Mexico, Texas-Arlington and Illinois State.

Season-Opening Trips Under Anderson
Year         State (City)                        Record
2010         California (Fresno)              1-3   
2009         Louisiana (Lafayette)           2-1-1
2008         California (Stanford)            1-2
2007         Texas (Arlington)                3-1
2006         South Carolina (Charleston)3-1
2005         Hawaii (Hilo)                      5-0
2004         New Mexico (Albuquerque)3-0
2003         Texas (Round Rock)           2-1

-The Huskers bring back one of its most experienced teams in a while, as 20 letterwinners are back for the 2011 campaign. It is the second-highest number of returning letterwinners in the past 11 years.

What's Back - Offense
Category            At-Bats          Runs Hits   HR     RBIs SB
Total back from 2010     1,018   195   296    24      173   18
Percentage         54%    52%    52%  40%   50%   46%

Compared with 2010 Season Opener
Category            At-Bats          Runs Hits   HR     RBIs SB
Total back from 2010     1,163   223   327    28      187   32
Percentage         62%    64%    62%  58%   61%   63%

What's Back - Pitching
Category                  Wins   Starts  IP        K
Total back from 2010 20       39       308.0    231
Percentage               74%    72%    66%     65%

Compared with 2010 Season Opener
Category                  Wins   Starts  IP        K
Total back from 2009 20       44       365.1    274
Percentage               80%    81%    76%     76%

-Of the 32 players on this weekend's travel roster to San Marcos, 12 could see their first action as Huskers, including seven true freshmen (Michael Pritchard, Colton Bickerstaff, Jon Keller, Tyler King, Tanner Krietemeier, Nick Miller and Brandon Pierce).

Several true freshmen could see playing time this weekend, including Keller, who is a possibility to start Saturday's game against Air Force. In Coach Mike Anderson's tenure, four true freshmen have earned season-opening starts in the past eight years.

Freshmen Opening Day Starters Since 1999
Year       Freshman           Pos.
2008       Ben Kline            SS
2007       DJ Belfonte         RF
2005       Ryan Wehrle       2B
2003       Alex Gordon        3B
2002       Joe Simokaitis     SS
2000       Matt Hopper*      DH
1999       Will Bolt              2B
1999       Shane Komine     SP
*-Redshirt freshman

-Tyler Niederklein is bidding to end a couple of streaks on Friday afternoon. He is bidding to be the first Husker right-hander to win a season opener since Steve Fish in 1996. In fact, since 1991, only one Nebraska native has won a season opener (Zach Kroenke in 2004). Niederklein hails from Omaha, where he starred at Millard West High School.

-Nebraska was 24-4 when leading after six innings last year, but just 2-19 when trailing after six. The Huskers are hoping for some solid relieving roles in senior Casey Hauptman and freshman Brandon Pierce, a 26th-round draft pick from Gunter, Texas.

-NU has 124 come-from-behind wins under Mike Anderson since 2003. The Huskers had 10 come-from-behind wins last season, including overcoming a 10-run deficit against North Dakota on March 30 and a four-run deficit against Southeast Missouri State on May 8.

-The Huskers are 78-10 dating back to 2008 when they out-hit an opponent and have won nearly 90 percent of their games since 2003 when out-hitting an opponent. Last season, NU was 25-4 when out-hitting opponents. The Huskers are also 25-8 when reaching double-figures in hits, but just 2-19 when held to nine hits or less.

Huskers to Be Tested Again in 2011
A total of 32 home games at Hawks Field and 16 contests against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams highlight the 2011 schedule. The 56-game schedule includes 14 home games in the month of March, including a pair of non-conference series against 2010 NCAA runner-up UCLA and 2008 NCAA champion Fresno State.

"We feel like we've put together a schedule that is going to be one of the top schedules in our conference," Anderson said. "I thought we had one of the toughest last year, and I think we have a chance to do that again."

The home segment of the schedule begins March 2, when Nebraska hosts Nebraska-Kearney. From March 4 to 6, the Huskers welcome 2010 NCAA runner-up UCLA for its first three-game series of the year, while 2008 NCAA champion Fresno State heads to Lincoln the following week for a three-game set from March 11 to 13. Nebraska plays eight of its remaining nine games in the month of March at Hawks Field. The only road contest during that stretch is a midweek non-conference match-up at Kansas State on March 16.

"A nice thing about our schedule is that we play 32 home games," Anderson noted. "We're in a cycle where the schedule can benefit us that way. Thirty-two home games can make a difference."

The Big 12 slate guarantees to be challenging as always, as five league foes are ranked in the preseason top 25.

Eight Draftees on 2011 Roster
For the second straight year, Nebraska's 2011 roster boasts a total of eight Huskers who have been previously selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Nebraska's eight draft selections ranks in a third-place tie in the Big 12.

Drafted Huskers
Player                  Round     Team                      Year
Khiry Cooper         5th         Los Angeles-AL        2008
Kash Kalkowski     48th        Tampa Bay             2008
Tom Lemke          10th        Texas                     2009
Ryan Hander        39th        Los Angeles-NL       2009
Sean Yost            24th        Boston                    2010
Brandon Pierce      26th        Pittsburgh               2010
Logan Ehlers         8th         Toronto 2010
Jon Keller             11th        Seattle                    2010

Drafted Players by Big 12 School
No.     School              Player
1.       Texas                 16
2.       Oklahoma State    12
3.       Baylor                  8
          Nebraska              8
          Kansas State        8
          Texas A&M           8
7.       Kansas                 7
8.       Oklahoma             5
9.       Texas Tech          4
10.     Missouri               3

Huskers From Around the Nation
The 2011 Huskers come from 12 states across the nation. Nebraska natives comprise nearly one-third of the opening-day 35-man roster, while the Huskers also have six Texas natives returning to the Lone Star State this week in addition to five players from Colorado.

Nebraska-11
Texas-6
Colorado-5
Missouri-3
Illinois, Iowa-2
Louisiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma-1

Season Tickets On Sale Now
The Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office announced last month that a limited number of reserved season tickets for the 2011 season are on sale now. In its 10th year at Hawks Field, Nebraska will play 32 home games this spring.

Reserved seating for the 32-game home schedule can be purchased by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or by visiting the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office (located directly west of Memorial Stadium) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Due to determining seat location, these reserved season tickets cannot be purchased on Huskers.com.) The limited reserved seating is currently available in the following areas - upper and lower deck, club seats, home run terrace (right field) and handicapped accessible seats. The reserved season tickets are $310, while the club seating is $403.

General admission season tickets are also on sale ($186 adults; $124 youth/seniors) and can be purchased here on Huskers.com, by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or by visiting the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.

Join the Husker Home Run Club at Oklahoma
The Husker Home Run Club is sponsoring a bus trip to Norman, Okla., to support the baseball team against Big 12-preseason favorite Oklahoma on Friday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.

For more information and to download a registration form for the bus trip, please log on to huskerhomerunclub.com or contact Ed Bolejack at 402-617-5913.

Next Up
The Huskers will return to the state of Texas next week for a four-game set in Huntsville. Nebraska will take on Sam Houston State twice in addition to a pair of games against Northern Colorado.