Huskers Host Michigan to Open Big Ten Play

Friday, March 20 (6:35 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (2-3) vs. LHP Adcock (2-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, March 21 (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (3-0) vs. RHP Nutof (1-1)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, March 22 (11:05 a.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (2-1) vs. TBA
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network

After playing 20 non-conference games to start the season, the Nebraska baseball team (14-6, 0-0 Big Ten)   is set to open Big Ten Conference play this weekend when they host the Michigan Wolverines (11-8, 0-0 Big Ten) for a three-game series at Hawks Field.

Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., Saturday’s game is set for 2:05 p.m. and the series concludes on Sunday at 11:05 a.m.

The Huskers and Wolverines have played 15 games all-time and the Huskers hold a 8-7 advantage in the series. 11 of the 15 games have come since 2012 when the Huskers joined the Big Ten Conference, and during that time frame the Huskers are 7-4 against the Wolverines, including a 2-0 record at the Big Ten Tournament.

This weekend’s match comes right in the middle of Nebraska’s 16-game home stand and the Huskers enter Friday a perfect 7-0 at Hawks Field this year. The Wolverines have played all 19 of their games away from Ann Arbor, as they won’t play their first home game until Tuesday, March 24, against Bowling Green. The Wolverines are 4-4 in true road games this year, with 11 of their 19 games played at neutral sites.

Senior Chance Sinclair is scheduled to start for the Huskers on Friday night and he will face sophomore lefty Brett Adcock. Last season, Sinclair pitched the second game of NU series at Michigan and gave up just one unearned run over 7.1 innings in a 3-1 win. Adcock saw 1.0 inning of relief in the series finale, giving up two runs on two hits, while striking out two.

Senior Kyle Kubat is set to start on Sunday and will look to improve to 4-0 all-time against the Wolverines. The 6-1 Kubat started each of Nebraska’s two wins over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, including a career-high 8.2 inning outing last season in Omaha. Michigan is set to counter with freshman right hander Ryan Nutof. A native of South Elgin, Ill., Nutof is 1-1 on the year in five starts with a 2.67 ERA over 27.0 innings of work. Nutof has given up 15 hits and walked 15, while striking out 19.

Sophomore Derek Burkamper will start on Sunday for the Huskers, it will be his sixth career start and his first during league play. Burkamper has gone at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts and will be looking for his second straight win. The Wolverines have yet to announce a starter 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 or the Official Husker App. Saturday’s game will also be carried on the TuneIn Radio App.

TV Coverage
No TV coverage for games between Nebraska and Michigan.

Web Streams
All three games this weekend will be streamed live on HuskersNSide (subscription required).

Kubat’s Success Against Michigan
Entering the weekend, Saturday starter Kyle Kubat is 3-0 in four career starts against the Wolverines, including a pair of wins at the Big Ten Tournament. In 27.2 innings against the Wolverines, Kubat has allowed six runs on 19 hits, while striking out 23 with a 1.63 ERA.

2014 Big Ten Tournament (8.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) - Win
2013 Big Ten Tournament (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K) - Win
2013 in Lincoln (6.0 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) - No Decision
2012 at Ann Arbor (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) - Win

14 Hits to Go
After Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly each joined Nebraska 200-hit club last season, senior Austin Darby is 14 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 90-11 since 2012 when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 93-6 when leading after seven innings and nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 102-4 record.

Year  Lead after 6     After 7      After 8
2012              31-5         29-3          31-2
2013              20-3         25-2          28-1
2014              28-3         27-1          31-1
2015              11-0         12-0          12-0

Not Nice to Steal
Senior catcher Tanner Lubach enters Friday with 37 career runners caught stealing, which ranks third all-time at Nebraska. He is one caught stealing away from moving into a tie for second place.

Cory Burleson (2009-12) holds the school record with 46 runners caught stealing, while current volunteer assistant Jeff Christy ranks second with 38 runners caught stealing in just two years behind the plate in 2005 and 2006.

Like Your Chances with Sinclair
Even though Chance Sinclair has taken three losses this season, 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 11-4, including a perfect 6-0 record during Big Ten play.

During his career, the right-hander has gone 6.0 or more innings in 15 of his 21 starts, including 11 outings of at least 7.0 innings or more, including a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State in 2014.

Last season in eight starts during league play, Sinclair went less than 6.0 innings just once, while going at least 7.0 innings six times.

Miller’s Time
Sophomore Ben Miller has been a key cog in NU’s offense this season. A left-handed hitter from Clive, Iowa, Miller ranks second on the team with 17 RBIs in 20 games, four more than the 13 RBIs he totaled in 29 starts last season.

Cruise with Chesnut
Entering the weekend, junior Jeff Chesnut has been one of NU’s top bullpen arms, the Omaha native is 3-0 in a team-high 10 appearances.

In 14.2 innings of work, Chesnut has allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks, while striking out nine.

Going back to last season, Chesnut has allowed just one earned run in his last 17.1 innings over 13 appearances.

Experienced Lefty
Senior Kyle Kubat has five starts under his belt in 2015 and enters his start on Saturday against Michigan with 33 career starts on the mound, which ranks 11th all time at Nebraska. The lefty from Waterloo, Neb., started eight games in each of his first two seasons at NU before making 12 starts last year.

Kubat will tie Tony Watson (2005-07) and Cliff Faust (1977-80) for ninth on the career list when he makes his 35th career start.

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).

8-Straight
Nebraska enters Friday’s series opener on a seven-game winning streak. The Huskers posted an eight-game winning streak late in the 2014 season, and it was the longest streak by a Husker team since 2008 when NU rolled off 14 straight wins from Feb. 29 - March 18.

Husker Nation Packs the Park
Husker fans posted a three-day attendance of 17,083 last weekend during NU’s series with Florida Gulf Coast, which easily broke the previous facility record of 14,885 for a non-conference series at Hawks Field.

The previous mark was set in 2006, when the Huskers opened their home schedule with a three-game series against Alabama.

During the first seven games on NU’s 16-game homestand the Huskers have posted an attendance mark of 27,772 (Avg. 3,967). Last season over 25 dates the Huskers posted a home attendance of 81,044 (Avg. 3,241).

Get the Hits
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 20 games this season, the Huskers have notched double-digit hits six times and are a perfect 6-0 in those games.

The Huskers are 9-1 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.

Close the Door
After playing his freshman season at Louisburg College in North Carolina, Josh Roeder joined the Huskers in 2013 and helped solidify the back end of NU’s bullpen.

During the 2013 season, Roeder saw most of his action in a setup role to Dylan Vogt, but did collect six saves. Roeder took over the closer role in 2014 and saved 12 games.

Already with seven saves in seven chances this season, Roeder enters Friday ranked second in NU history with 25 career saves and needs seven more saves in 2015 to break Brett Jensen’s school record of 31 saves.

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 .341 (15-for-44) with a two home runs and five multi-hit performances over his past 11 games.

More importantly, Lubach has struck out just three times over the past 12 games, after notching nine strikeouts through his first six games of the season.