Huskers Travel to Ann Arbor for Three-Game Series

Friday, April 25 – 5 p.m. (CT)
Probable Starters: RHP DeLeon (4-2) vs. LHP Hill (2-4)
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (None)
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, April 26 – 1 p.m. (CT)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (5-1) vs. LHP Szkutnik (0-5)
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (BTDN, premium)
Radio: Husker Sports Network 

Sunday, April 27 – Noon (CT)
Probable Starters: LHP Bummer (4-2) vs. LHP McAnallen (2-3)
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (BTDN, premium)
Radio: Husker Sports Network 

Up Next for the Huskers
After not having a midweek gave for the first time in nearly two months, the Nebraska baseball team (26-16, 8-4 Big Ten) gets back on the field this weekend in Ann Arbor Michigan when it opens a three-game series against the Michigan Wolverines (18-22-1, 8-7 Big Ten) on Friday night at 5 p.m. (CT).

The Huskers will be looking to get back on a winning track after dropping 2-of-3 to Northwestern last weekend at Hawks Field. The series lost came after the Huskers had swept their past two Big Ten series at home against Ohio State and on the road at Minnesota.

After Friday’s night’s opener at the Wilpon Complex, the series continues at 1 p.m. (CT) on Saturday before wrapping up at Noon (CT) on Sunday.

The final two games of the series will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network (video.btn.com), subscription required.

Since the Huskers joined the Big Ten prior to the 2012 season, neither team has been able to defend its home field. Nebraska took 2-of-3 from the Wolverines in 2012 and then Michigan came into Lincoln last year and took 2-of-3 from the Huskers. The teams then met in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis last year, with the Husker winning, 11-2.

Nebraska enters the weekend sitting third in the Big Ten standings with a 8-4 conference mark, while Michigan is one spot behind in fourth place and 1.5 games back in the standings with an 8-7 record.

Huskers’ Weekend Rotation
For the third straight start Christian DeLeon went 9.0 innings last week, but was unable to pick up his third straight complete game, as the Northwestern beat the Huskers, 2-1, in 12 innings. DeLeon has gone at least 8.0 innings in each of his four Big Ten starts this season. DeLeon has thrown a Big Ten-high 75.0 innings over 10 starts in 2014, while Michigan State’s Justin Alleman ranks second with 67.0 innings pitched.

Saturday starter Chance Sinclair is coming off sixth start of at least 7.0 innings on the year. It came in a no decision, as he left with the game tied and the NU bullpen gave up a run in a 3-2 loss to Northwestern. With a 5-1 record on the year, Sinclair enters the weekend ranked third in the Big Ten with a 1.85 ERA.

Junior lefty Aaron Bummer is looking to bounce back on Sunday after lasting just 3.2 innings in last week’s 10-9 comeback win over Northwestern. It was Bummer’s second-shortest outing of the season, topping his 3.0 innings of work in his first appearance of the year against Oregon State. Prior to last weekend’s short outing, Bummer had gone at least 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts after not working into the seventh in any of his first five starts of the season.

On the Radio this Week
Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM and 94.5 FM in Lincoln - and live on the Internet at Huskers.com or the Official Husker App.

TV Coverage this Week
No TV coverage this weekend at Michigan.

Web Streams this Week
Michigan, Friday - None
Michigan, Saturday - BTDN (video.btn.com)
Michigan, Sunday - BTDN (video.btn.com)

Nebraska-Michigan History
Michigan enters the weekend with a one-game lead in the all-time series, but since Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference the Huskers lead the series, 4-3, including a victory at the 2013 Big Ten Tournament

The first ever meeting between the two programs came at the NCAA Tournament in 1980. Hosted in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines shutout the Huskers 7-0. After Nebraska beat BYU, 12-4, it got a rematch with the Wolverines, but lost again, 12-3.

The teams met for a pair of neutral site games in 1982 and then didn’t meet again until 2012 when the Huskers traveled to Ann Arbor for a three-game Big Ten series, where the Huskers won games one and three of the series.

The Wolverines got revenge last season by taking 2-for-3 from the Huskers in Lincoln, including a 19-9 win in the regular-season finale.

The Huskers bounced back four days late with a 11-2 win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament

Over the Past 10 Games for Nebraska

• Nebraska was 7-3, including a 4-0 road record.

• Michael Pritchard hit .500 (20-for-40) with six doubles, one triple, one homer and 10 RBIs

• Blake Headley posted six multi-hit game, including a trio of three hit games. Also posted a .488 on-base percentage

• Five Huskers had double-digit hits, including Michael Pritchard (20), Blake Headley (17), Jake Placzek (13), Steven Reveles (12) and Ryan Boldt (11)

• Nebraska produced 18 doubles, but also gave up 16 doubles to opposing hitters

• Nebraska pitchers totaled 62 strikeouts, while walking 34

• Nebraska posted a .309 batting average, while holding opponents to a .287 average

• Nebraska hit four of its nine homers for the year

Keep Grinding
If you could only use one word to describe Head Coach Darin Erstad, the word would be “grind”.

No matter what the score is, Erstad preaches to his team that they need to grind at-bats and stick to the team’s offensive approach.

A total of 11 times this year the Huskers have been behind or tied after six innings and have come back to win.

2/14 vs. Pacific  | Tied 3-3 after 6th, won 5-3

  - Scored twice in bottom of 7th

3/8 vs. St. Johns | Tied 6-6 after 7th, won 7-6

  - Walk off single by Taylor Fish

3/15 vs. UC Irvine | Tied 2-2 after 6th, won 7-4

  - UC Irvine took 3-2 lead top of 7th, Huskers responded with 3 runs bottom 7th and 2 in bottom 8th

3/19 vs. Creighton | Down 4-3 bottom 10, won 5-4

  - After NU tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Creighton took a 4-3 lead top of 10. Huskers answered with 2 in the bottom of the 10, including a walk-off single by Jake Placzek

4/1 vs. Ohio State | Down 2-0 after 7, won 3-2

  - Trailing 2-0 headed bottom of 8, Huskers scored 3 runs to win 3-2

4/2 vs. Ohio State | Down 3-0 after 7, won 4-3

  - Trailing 2-0 after 7, the Huskers scored 1 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th, including a walk-off single by Michael Pritchard to win 4-3

4/3 vs. Ohio State | Tied 1-1 after 8, won 2-1

  - With the game tied 1-1 after 4, the Huskers won the game 2-1 in the 9th on a walk-off single by Tanner Lubach

4/8 at Creighton | Down 2-1 after 7, won 4-2

  - Trailing 2-1 headed to the 8th, Huskers scored 3 runs and won the game 4-3

4/11 at Minnesota | Tied 6-6 after 7, won 8-6

  - After NU took a 5-0 lead after 2 innings, Minnesota tied the game 6-6 after 7. Huskers scored 2 in the top of the 9th to win 8-6

4/13 at Minnesota | Down 2-1 after 6, won 3-2 in 10

  - Down 2-1 after 6 innings, Huskers tied the game 2-2 in the top of the 7th. Huskers won the game 3-2 in 10 innings after scoring in the top of the 10th

4/19 vs. Northwestern | Tied 9-9 after 7, won 10-9

  - Tied 9-9 after 7 innings, Blake Headley delivered a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th and Josh Roeder picked up his 8th save of the year to avoid a sweep by the Wildcats

He’s Back
Michael Pritchard has been a hit machine during his career at Nebraska, producing 227 career hits. Earlier this season he fell into a slump, but has recently again found his stroke at the plate.

Pritchard was hitting .407 after the Huskers’ first two weeks of play and was at .373 after a 3-for-5 day against Northern Colorado on March 11, NU’s 14th game of the season.

Over his next 16 games, Pritchard went 9-for-60 with only two multi-hit games and saw his average fall to .261 on April 6.

Over his past 10 games entering Friday, Pritchard has raised his average 60 points to .321. He is 20-for-40 with six multi-hit games, including a career-high 5-for-5 night against Kansas State on April 15.

During the 10-game stretch Pritchard has six doubles, including one double four of his last six games entering Friday, and has notched 10 of his 31 RBIs on the season.

In 2014, Pritchard has eight multi-RBI games, the same amount he had during his first three seasons at Nebraska combined.

Rest the Pen
Senior Christian DeLeon tossed back-to-back complete games earlier this season, becoming the first Husker pitcher since Erik Bird to throw consecutive complete games. He has gone 9.0 innings in each of his past three starts, but last week’s game went to extra inning and DeLeon missed out on a third-straight complete game.

Since joining the Huskers last season, Christian DeLeon has made 24 starts for the Huskers, including 10 in 2014.

The senior has gone at least 6.0 innings 21 times, at least 7.0 innings 14 times and 8.0 or more innings 10 times.

DeLeon has gone 6.0 or more innings in his last nine starts this season, including 8.0 inning in five of his last six starts.

The three times DeLeon hasn’t gone at least 6.0 innings have come in his first appearance each season as well as the series opener against Northwestern in 2013.

Hitting the Century Mark
Junior Pat Kelly became the 43rd Husker since 1986 to notch 100 RBIs for their career last weekend when he drove in a run in the first game of a doubleheader with Northwestern.

Kash Kalkowski (123), Chad Christensen (118) and Josh Scheffert (113) all joined the club last season. Prior to the three, Cody Asche was the last to join in 2011, ending his career with 135 RBIs

Matt Hopper is the only Husker to ever top the 200-RBI mark, with a school-record 271 RBIs.

Like Your Chances with Sinclair
Junior Chance Sinclair has been a key addition to the Husker pitching staff in 2014 with his 5-1 record and an ERA of 1.85 ERA, which ranks 79th nationally and third in the Big Ten

A transfer from Neosho County CC, Sinclair has gone 6.0 or more innings in eight of his 10 starts, including five 7.0-inning outings and a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State.

Multi-Hit Machine
Blake Headley has been on a multi-hit tear of late, with six multi-hit performances in his last eight games, including five of his last six games.

Over the last eight games Headley is 16-for-30 and has raised his batting average from .284 to .344.

Lean on Hirsch
Zach Hirsch has been one of Nebraska’s best arms out of the bullpen in 2014.

The one-time starter has made a team-high 19 appearances, all out of the pen, in 2014 and holds a 1.44 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .200 average over 31.1 innings of work. He also ranks second on the team with 36 strikeouts, one behind Christian DeLeon’s 37 strikeouts

The senior lefty had a streak of 14.1 innings of scoreless relief before Minnesota scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game 6-6 last weekend.

Hirsch has 13 appearances where he has thrown at least an inning and hasn’t given up a run, and hasn’t given up a hit in eight of those appearances.

Join the Club
Senior Michael Pritchard joined Nebraska’s 200-hit club on Friday, March 21, with a first inning single at Iowa.

Pritchard became the 21st player in school history to join the club and enters Friday tied with Jake Opitz (2005-08) for 16th in school history with 227 hits.

Junior Pat Kelly has a good shot at joining the list before the end of the season as well, as he enters Friday with 184 career hits. Last season Kelly totaled a team-high 85 hits on the year, and with 48 hits this season Kelly is on pace to join the list by the end of 2014.

Last season, Chad Christensen became the 20th player in Nebraska history to join the 200-hit club with his walk-off single in the bottom of the 16th inning against Northwestern on Friday, March 29.

Prior to Christensen, Opitz was the last Husker to join the club in 2008.

Matt Hopper holds the school record with 338 career hits and is one of just two players in school history to have topped 300 hits. Jeff Leise sits second on the career charts with 305 career hits.

NU 200-Career Hit Club

 

1.   338    Matt Hopper      2000-03

2.   305    Jeff Leise          2000-03

3.   281    Will Bolt            1999-02

4.   261    Darin Erstad      1993-95

5.   250    Paul Meyers      1984-86

6.   249    Joe Simokaitis  2002-05

7.   248    Jed Dalton        1992-95

8.   247    Chad Christensen 2010-13

9.   246    Darin Petersen   1992-95

10. 242    Mark Kister        1985-87

11. 240    Alex Gordon      2003-05

12. 238    DJ Belfonte       2007-10

13. 234    Todd Sears       1996-97

14. 231    Daniel Bruce      2002-05

15. 229    Ken Ramos       1987-89

16. 227    Jake Opitz         2005-08

     227    Michael Pritchard 2011-present

18. 223    Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05

19. 222    John Cole         1999-01

20. 203    Ken Harvey       1997-99

21. 201    Francis Collins   1995-97

Huskers in MLB
Seven former Huskers were on MLB rosters for Opening Day, with Cody Asche (Phillies) and Andrew Brown (Mets) both hitting home runs.

Michael Mariot became the 35th former Husker to reach the Majors when he was called up by the Kansas City Royals on April 7. Mariot made his MLB debut in Minnesota on April 11 with 2.0 inning so relief against the Twins.

According to Baseball America, as of April 9, 2014 Nebraska was tied for fourth nationally with Cal, Miami and Stanford, all with eight former players in MLB.

Arizona State led the list with 11 players, while Long Beach State was second with 10 and North Carolina ranked third with nine players.

The Big Ten Conference ranked sixth with 15 players. Minnesota ranked second in the league with three players