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Friday, March 13 (4:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (1-3) vs. RHP Murray (1-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Saturday, March 14 (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (2-0) vs. LHP Smeltzer (1-1)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Sunday, March 15 (1:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (1-1) vs. TBA
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Fresh off a pair of wins against Northern Colorado, the Nebraska baseball team (9-6, 0-0 Big Ten) continues its 16-game homestand with a three-game series against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (8-9-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) that starts on Friday afternoon.
Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. and will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. They are scheduled to meet on Saturday at 2:05 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The Eagles have yet to play a game outside of the state of Florida this season. They have played 16 of their 18 games at home, while their two road games were in Tampa and Miami.
After opening the season with a win at UNLV, senior Chance Sinclair has dropped his last three starts and will look to break the streak in Friday’s opener. Sinclair, who was 9-1 last season, will match up against junior right-hander Mike Murray, who is 1-2 on the year after posting a 13-1 record last season. The 6-3 Murray was the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year in 2014, and was also named a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger as well as a third-team All-American by both the NCBWA and ABCA. He has gone at least 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts, including 8.0 innings in a loss to Minnesota on Feb. 27.
Senior Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start Saturday for the Huskers and is 2-0 on the year, including wins in each of his past two starts. The Eagles are scheduled to start a left-handed pitcher also in freshman Devin Smeltzer. A native of Voorhees, N.J., Smeltzer is 1-1 on the year in four starts and has given up at least three runs in every start.
Sophomore Derek Burkamper is set to climb the hill for the Huskers in Sunday’s finale. Burkamper is coming off a loss to LSU where he struggled early, but allowed just four base runners and two hits over his final five innings of work. The Eagles have not yet announced a starting pitcher for Sunday.
On the Radio
Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln - and live on Huskers.com, the Official Husker App or the TuneIn Radio App.
TV Coverage
No TV coverage this week.
Web Streams
Friday’s game will be carried on HuskersNSide (subscription required). Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s games will be carried on BTN Plus (subscription required and more info at BTN2Go.com)
90 Yards
Senior Blake Headley nearly ran the length of a football field on four different occasions over two games against the Northern Colorado Bears, as Headley roped a pair of triples against the Bears on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The senior now has five triples this year after hitting two triples over his first three seasons at Nebraska, both came last season.
Through Wednesday, Headley is tied with North Florida’s Donnie Dewees and LSU’s Andrew Stevenson for the NCAA lead in triples this season.
Headley achieved the feat in back-to-back games after it only happened once for the Huskers last season when Michael Pritchard notched two triples in NU’s season-opening win against Pacific on Feb. 13, 2014.
Since 1998, Headley is only the fifth Husker to record two triples in a game and the only player to do it twice. The other four include, Pritchard (2014), Will Bolt (1999), Jeff Leise (2002) and Adam Shabala (2000).
Only two players in school history have ever hit three triples in a game. Dan Boever did it first in 1983 against Benedictine and Shawn Buchanan became the second player to do it against Wayne State in 1990.
17 Hits to Go
After Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly each joined Nebraska 200-hit club last season, senior Austin Darby is 17 hits away from becoming the program’s 23rd member.
If he joins the club, Darby would be the fourth Husker to join over the past three seasons, as Chad Christensen ended his career with 247 hits in 2013.
Prior to Christensen, Jake 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.
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. 251 Michael Pritchard 2011-14
6. 250 Paul Meyers 1984-86
7. 249 Joe Simokaitis 2002-05
8. 248 Jed Dalton 1992-95
9. 247 Chad Christensen 2010-13
10. 246 Darin Petersen 1992-95
11. 242 Mark Kister 1985-87
12. 240 Alex Gordon 2003-05
13. 238 DJ Belfonte 2007-10
14. 234 Todd Sears 1995-97
15. 231 Daniel Bruce 2002-05
16. 229 Ken Ramos 1987-89
17. 227 Jake Opitz 2005-08
18. 223 Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05
19. 222 John Cole 1999-01
20. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14
21. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99
22. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97
Confidence in the Pen
During Darin Erstad’s tenure at Nebraska, the Husker bullpen has done its job when it has a lead.
Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 84-11 since 2012 when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 86-6 when leading after seven innings and nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 95-4 record.
Double Digits
Last season the Huskers produced double-digit hits in 30 of their 62 games, including 14 of their 27 home games.
The Huskers were 25-5 when notching double-digit hits last season.
Through 15 games this season, the Huskers have notched double-digit hits four times and are a perfect 4-0 in those games.
The Huskers are 5-1 this year when out-hitting their opponent. The only loss came against LSU, when the Huskers out hit the Tigers, 9-8, but lost 4-2.
Last season, Nebraska was 32-3 when they out hit their opponent, with losses coming against Oregon State, as well as both of NU’s losses to Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Tournament.
Pitcher’s Best Friend
Since 2012, the Huskers are tied with Fresno State for 12th in the nation with 180 double plays turned, including 16 this season though 15 games. Mississippi State leads the nation since 2012 with 222 double plays.
Double Plays Since 2012
1. Mississippi State 222
2. Georgia Tech 205
3. Southern Miss 201
4. Washington State 198
Oregon State 198
6. Arkansas 199
7. Notre Dame 191
8. Florida State 190
9. Tulane 186
10. New Mexico 185
11. East Carolina 182
12. Fresno State 180
Nebraska 180
14. Siena 173
Tanner Turning the Corner
Tanner Lubach didn’t get off to the start he wanted in his senior year, going 0-for-18 to start to the season.
Lubach broke the dry spell with a double that nearly left the park against BYU on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Since the double against the Cougars, Lubach is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with a home run and four multi-hit performances over his past seven games.
More importantly, Lubach has struck out just twice over the past eight games, after notching nine strikeouts through his first six games of the season.
Like Your Chances with Sinclair
Even though Chance Sinclair is coming off three straight losses, after losing just one game last season, fans should feel confident with him on the mound Friday night.
A third-team All-American and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten performer last season, Sinclair has a career record of 10-3, including a perfect 6-0 record during Big Ten play.
Sinclair dropped a tough 2-1 decision to unbeaten Texas A&M last weekend in Houston at the Houston College Classic. The senior took the loss, but did all he could to keep the Huskers in the game, going 8.0 inning and retiring 17 straight Aggies at one point in the game.
During his career, the right-hander has gone 6.0 or more innings in 14 of his 20 starts, including 10 outings of at least 7.0 innings or more, including a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State in 2014.
Miller’s Time
Sophomore Ben Miller has been a key cog in NU’s offense this season. The left-handed hitter from Clive, Iowa, Miller ranks second on the team with 14 RBIs, one more than the 13 RBIs he totaled in 29 starts last season.
Young Guns
Through 15 games this season the Huskers have seen six freshmen pitchers take the mound. The six newcomers have combined for 29.2 innings of work over two starts and 16 relief appearances.
The six freshmen have shown early success as well, as three of them have yet to allow a run, while the group holds an ERA of 1.85.
Over the past three seasons combined the Huskers had a total of nine freshmen see time on the mound, including three in 2012, two in 2013 and four in 2014.
Experienced Lefty
Senior Kyle Kubat has four starts under his belt in 2015 and enters his start on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast with 32 career starts on the mound, which ties him for 11th all time at Nebraska. The lefty from Waterloo, Neb., started eight games in each of his first two seasons before making 12 starts last year.
His 33rd career start on Saturday will give him sole possession of 11th on the NU career list.
If Kubat starts at least 12 games in 2015 he will become the first Husker since Johnny Dorn to make at least 40 career starts. Dorn ranks second all-time at Nebraska with 58 career starts from 2000 to 2003.
Since 2000, only four pitchers at Nebraska have made at least 40 career starts, including Shane Komine (59), Dorn (58), Jamie Rodrigue (53) and Zach Kroenke (41).
Welcome Home
After one season at Hutchinson CC, sophomore infielder Jake Schleppenbach returned to Lincoln to play for the Huskers. The Pius X graduate has been a welcome addition to the 2015 squad, as he has filled a defensive hole at second base left by Pat Kelly and he ranks third on the team with a .327 batting average (18-for-55).
Schleppenbach hit in the bottom third of the lineup over the first six games of the year, before moving to the leadoff spot in on Saturday, Feb. 21, a 9-1 win over BYU. The sophomore made the most his opportunity with a 3-for-5 performance and a pair of runs scored.
Since moving to the leadoff spot the Huskers are 6-3, and Schleppenbach is tied with Ryan Boldt for the team lead with 10 runs scored.
14th Season at Hawks Field
The Nebraska baseball program is celebrating its 14th year at Hawks Field. Entering Friday’s series opener with Florida Gulf Coast, the Huskers are 282-103-1 (.732) since opening the park on March 5, 2002 with a 23-1 win over Nebraska-Kearney.