Huskers at Wildcats Tuesday on Fox College Sports

Tuesday, April 19 (6:35 p.m. CT)
Probable Starters: LHP Knutson (0-1) vs. RHP Wiley (2-1)
TV: Fox College Sports
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: None
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team (22-14, 7-5 Big Ten) will play the last game of a five-game road stretch on Tuesday night when it plays the Kansas State Wildcats (16-20, 3-9 Big 12) in Manhattan, Kan. Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox College Sports.

Tuesday will mark the second and final meeting between the two teams in 2016. The Huskers will look to even the season series after the Wildcats came into Lincoln and won 4-2 on Tuesday, April 5.

The Huskers hold a 165-114 advantage all-time against the Wildcats and have won three of the last four meetings, including both games last season.

The Huskers enter Tuesday on a five-game losing streak and are just 4-and-6 in their last 10 games. The Wildcats are 9-11 at Tointon Family Stadium this year, and are coming off a 2-1 series victory at West Virginia.

How to Listen/Watch the Huskers
Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call all the action Tuesday night on the Husker Sports Network, including on Huskers.com and the Official Husker App.

Tuesday’s game can be heard in Lincoln on 1400 AM and in Omaha on 590 AM. The game is also scheduled to be carried on TuneIn Radio.

Tuesday’s game will be carried on Fox College Sports.

Boldt Keeps Hitting
Ryan Boldt, a member of the 2016 Golden Spike Award watch list, became the 24th member of Nebraska’s 200-hit club on Sunday, April 10, with a single in the ninth inning against Northwestern. Boldt enters Tuesday tied for 22nd all time at Nebraska with 203 career hits.

Boldt is just the 15th player in school history to reach the mark in three seasons or less, and the first since his cousin, Pat Kelly, notched 212 hits from 2012-14.

Boldt broke onto the collegiate scene as a freshman in 2014 with a .311 average and 74 hits. He avoided a sophomore slump in 2015 by hitting .344 with 75 hits.

This season, Boldt is hitting .327 (54-for-165) with 16 multi-hit games, including 10 games with three-hits.

Other Huskers who have reached 200 or more hits in three seasons include: Darin Erstad (261), Paul Meyers (250), Matt Hooper (249), Mark Kister (242), Alex Gordon (240), Todd Sears (234), Ken Ramos (229), Curtis Ledbetter (223), John Cole (222), Jeff Leise (217), Pat Kelly (212), Will Bolt (205), Ken Harvey (203), Francis Collins (201).

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. 226 Austin Darby 2012-15
19. 223 Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05
20. 222 John Cole 1999-01
21. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14
22. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99
203 Ryan Boldt 2014-Present
24. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97

Stolen Bases
Nebraska has been more active on the base paths this season, stealing 45 bases in its first 36 games, an average of 1.25 per game. Ryan Boldt leads the team with 16 steals, the most by a Husker since 2006 when Bryce Nimmo stole 16 bases all season.

Last year the Huskers totaled 40 stolen bases in 57 games, an average of 0.7 stolen bases per game.

Nebraska last topped 60 stolen bases in a season in 2011 when they were 62-for-81.

Filthy Freshman
After career saves holder Josh Roeder graduated last year, the Huskers needed to find a new closer. It wasn’t a problem early on, as the Huskers didn’t have a save opportunity during their first 13 games.

That changed on Saturday, March 12, when the Huskers entered the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead and NU went to true freshman Chad Luensmann. The 6-4 right hander worked a scoreless ninth for his first career save. Luensmann now has seven saves on the year following saves in both wins over Northwestern last weekend.

Luensmann already holds the freshman record at Nebraska for saves and has entered Nebraska’s single-season top-10 list. His next save would tie him with Dylan Vogt (2013) and Casey Hauptman (2011) for eighth at NU.

Fives of Luensmann’s seven saves have come during Big Ten play, which leads the league. Overall on the year, Luensmann enters the week ranked fourth in the league in saves. Three pitchers are tied for first with eight saves.

Single Season Saves at Nebraska
1. 16 Brett Jensen (Jr.) 2005
2. 15 Josh Roeder (Sr.) 2015
3. 13 Brett Jensen (Sr.) 2006
4. 12 Josh Roeder (Jr.) 2014
5. 11 Thom Ott (Jr.) 2001
6. 10 Mike Bellows (Sr.) 1994
7. 9 Steve Boyd (Jr.) 1992
8. 8 Dylan Vogt (Sr.) 2013
8 Casey Hauptman (Sr.) 2011
10. 7 Travis Huber (Jr.) 2012
7 Matt Foust (Jr.) 2007
7 Tevis Arnold (Sr.) 1998
7 Dave Matranga (Sr.) 1991
7 Gary Nolting (So.) 1978
7 Chad Luensmann (Fr.) 2016

Double Digits
Nebraska has amassed double digit hits 19 times in 36 games entering Tuesday and is 14-5 when reaching the mark.

During NU’s current five-game losing streak the Huskers have totaled 10 or more hits just once.

Last season the Huskers totaled 10 or more hits 23 times in 57 games.

Get a Lead for the Bullpen
During Darin Erstad’s tenure at Nebraska, the Husker bullpen has done its job when it has a lead. Dating back to the 2014 season, the Huskers have won 70 straight games when leading after the eighth inning.

Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 123-16 since the start of the 2012 season when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 129-8 when leading after seven innings and are nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 139-4 record.

The last time the Huskers lost a game when leading going into the ninth inning was March 21, 2014, in Iowa City, Iowa. The Huskers held a 1-0 leading going into the bottom of the ninth, but the Hawkeyes rallied for a 2-1 walk-off victory.

Longball
Nebraska’s home run totals are up in a big way this year, as they have hit 31 in 36 games after totaling 22 in 57 games last season.

Nebraska last topped 30 home runs in a season in 2012, when they hit 47.

Nine different players have hit a home run this season, including a team-high eight from Scott Schreiber, six from Jake Placzek and five from Ben Miller. Miller and Tanner Lubach tied for the team lead last season with four each.

Nebraska already has 10 multi-homer games this season after notching two all of last year.

Nebraska is 15-5 on the year when they hit a home run.

The Huskers did change equipment prior to this season, as the team is swinging adidas bats this year after using Rawlings bats each of the last four years.

Costly Free Passes
In Nebraska’s 14 losses this season, walks by the NU pitching staff have been a big factor.

Entering Tuesday, Nebraska’s pitchers have walked 88 batters in NU’s 14 losses, an average of 6.3 walks per game. In the 14 losses, Nebraska has walked four batters or less just four times.

In NU’s 22 wins the NU pitching staff has issued 83 walks, an average of 3.8 walks per game.

Stretching the Pen
Nebraska’s bullpen has had to eat up innings on the weekend this year.

Through 33 games, Nebraska has had a starting pitcher go 7.0 innings of more just once. Derek Burkamper went 7.0 innings against Loyola Marymount on March 11.

Last season in 57 games, Nebraska had four starters combine to go 7.0 innings or more 17 times, including Kyle Kubat (8), Chance Sinclair (5), Burkamper (3) and Garett King (1).

Count on Chesnut
Senior Jeff Chesnut enters Tuesday ranked second all-time at Nebraska with 83 career appearances, including 21 this season and 31 last year. His 31 appearances in 2015 are tied for sixth on Nebraska’s single-season chart.

Steve Hale holds the school record with 87 career appearances from 1999-2003.

Career Appearances
1. 87 Steve Hale 1999-03
2. 83 Jeff Chesnut 2013-present
3. 82 Casey Hauptman 2008-11
4. 80 Brett Jensen 2004-06
5. 79 Dylan Vogt 2010-13
6. 78 Erik Bird 2006-09
78 Jeff Anderson 1981-84
8. 74 Zach Herr 2006-08
9. 73 Jonas Armenta 1994-97
10. 70 Jarod Bearinger 1996-99
70 John Lepley 1985-88

Score Early
In 36 games this year the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning 13 times. The Huskers are 11-2 on the year when they score a run in the first inning.

The Huskers are 17-4 this year when they score first in the game.

Walk this Way
As of Monday morning, senior Jake Placzek was tied for fourth nationally with 40 walks. Michigan’s Carmen Benedetti ranks second in the Big Ten and is tied for 13th nationally with 34 walks. Miami’s Zack Collins led the nation with 44 walks.

Adding in his five hit-by-pitch, Placzek leads the Huskers with an on-base percentage of .456

Placzek has accounted for just under 29% of NU’s 138 walks this year. Six other Huskers have drawn double digit walks in 2016, but Jake Meyers and Luis Alvarado are a distant second with 13 walks each.

Placzek has drawn multiple walks in 12 games entering Tuesday, including three walks in a game four times this year.

Placzek needs 22 more walks this year to tie Todd Sears (62 - 1997) for 10th place on NU’s single season walks list. Placzek has 96 career walks and needs 19 more walks in 2016 to enter NU’s career walks list. Rich King and Steve Stanicek are tied for 10th with 115 career walks.

Draft History
Eight members of the 2016 Husker baseball team have previously been drafted:

Luis Alvarado - 2014 (Boston Red Sox, 33rd Round)
Ryan Boldt - 2013 (Boston Red Sox, 22nd Round)
Derek Burkamper - 2013 (Boston Red Sox, 20th Round)
Sean Chandler - 2015 (Milwaukee Brewers, 32nd Round)
Colton Howell - 2015 (San Diego Padres, 27th Round)
Garett King - 2014 (New York Mets, 36th Round)
Chad Luensmann - 2015 (New York Mets, 39th Round)
Jesse Wilkening - 2015 (Arizona Diamondbacks, 28th Round)

Huskers in MLB
As of Thursday, April 7, six former Huskers were on MLB rosters. While many others are part of MLB organizations in the minor leagues

Cody Asche - Philadelphia Phillies (15-Day DL)
Joba Chamberlain - Cleveland Indians
Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals
Dan Jennings - Chicago White Sox
Michael Mariot - Philadelphia Phillies (15-Day DL)
Tony Watson - Pittsburgh Pirates