Huskers Welcome Nittany Lions to Hawks Field

Friday, May 13 (6:35 p.m. CT)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (5-1) vs. LHP Hedge (4-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, May 14 (2:05 p.m. CT)
Probable Starters: RHP Waldron (5-2) vs. RHP Biasi (5-4)
TV: NET
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, May 15 (11:35 a.m. CT)
Probable Starters: LHP Meyers (4-1) vs. RHP Hagenman (6-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Lincoln - After playing its last three Big Ten series on the road, the Nebraska baseball team (31-17, 11-7 Big Ten) hosts its final two series at Hawks Field, including this weekend's series against the Penn State Nittany Lions (26-23, 10-8 Big Ten). Nebraska ends the 2016 regular season with a three-game set against Indiana next week, and the series opens on Thursday, May 19.

The Huskers and Nittany Lions open their pivotal series on Friday night at 6:35 p.m., with NU's Derek Burkamper going against PSU left hander Nick Hedge. Saturday's game is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and Sunday's game has been moved to 11:35 a.m. because of Penn State's travel.

This weekend's series is very important when it comes to qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament, as the two teams are separated by just 1.0 game in the Big Ten standings. Nebraska enters the weekend tied with Michigan State for fourth place, while Penn State is in a three-way tie for sixth place with Ohio State and Maryland.

Nebraska enters the weekend with a .293 batting average, the fourth-best batting average during Big Ten play. On the other side the Nittany Lions own a 3.24 ERA, which ranks fourth during league play. During conference play PSU's defense has made 32 errors, which is tied with Purdue for the league high, resulting in 21 of its 79 runs being unearned.

The Huskers are 4-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions, with all four meetings taking place since NU joined the Big Ten. The teams first met at the 2012 Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, and the Huskers eliminated the Nittany Lions with a 12-3 victory. The teams first met for a league series in 2014 and the Husker swept the series at Hawks Field. The Huskers are scheduled to play a series at Penn State for the first time next season, as NU will end the 2017 regular season in State College.

How to Listen/Watch the Huskers
Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Nick Handley call all the action this weekend on the Husker Sports Network, including on Huskers.com and the Official Husker App.

All three games can be heard in Lincoln on 1400 AM and in Omaha on 590 AM. The games are also scheduled to be carried on TuneIn Radio.

Friday and Sunday's games will be streamed live on HuskersNSide (subscription required). Saturday's game will be carried statewide on NET and it will also be streamed live on BTN2Go.

Military Appreciation Weekend at Hawks Field
The Nebraska baseball team will hold Military Appreciation Weekend at Hawks Field during its series at Hawks Field. All active duty and veterans with a valid military I.D. will receive free admission to all three games this weekend.

A veteran of the armed forced will throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to each game.

On Sunday, the first 1,000 fans through the home plate entrance at Hawks Field will receive a free military themed Husker t-shirt.

Still a Close Race
The Huskers enter the weekend tied with Michigan State for fourth place in the Big Ten Conference, but NU holds the head-to-head tie breaker over the Spartans after winning the series at East Lansing last weekend.

Indiana enters the week at the top of the standing, but the Huskers are just 2.0 games back of the first-place Hoosiers. The regular season title is still very much up for grabs with two weeks to play, as seeds 1-through-8 enter the week separated by just 3.0 games.

If the Big Ten Tournament started today, both defending champion Illinois and Iowa, a NCAA Regional team last season, would be out of the Big Ten Tournament as they sit ninth and 10th, respectively, in the standings. But the Fighting Illini are just 1.0 game back of being in a four-way tie for sixth and the Hawkeyes are just 2.0 games back of a tie for sixth place.

Jake of All Trades
Sophomore Jake Meyers has worn many hats for the Huskers this year, including outfielder, starting pitcher and three-hole hitter. Meyers enters the weekend ranked second on the team with a .312 battering average over 46 games and he has a 1.74 ERA in six starts on the mound.

The last time a Husker started at least six games on the mound and hit in 40 more games was Alvie Shepherd in 1994. That season Shepherd went 2-5 with a 5.71 in 11 starts, while hitting .278 in 57 games at the plate. In 1993, Troy Brohawn went 13-0 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts and hit .329 over 58 games at the plate. Brohawn was a first-team All-American in 1993, was drafted in the fourth round of the 1994 MLB Draft by the Giants and played three seasons in the Majors.

Meyers has started on the mound for the Huskers in the finale of NU's last four weekend series and NU has won each of the sophomore's last three starts, including a home win over Nicholls State and road victories at Rutgers and Michigan State. In the three victories, Meyers has also hit third in NU's lineup and has helped his own cause, hitting .357 with two doubles, one home run, five runs scored and four RBIs in his last three starts on the mound.

In the victory over Nicholls State, Meyers not only tossed 7.0 shutout innings and got the win on the mound, but he also drove in the eventual game-winning run with a three-run homer. Meyers is the first Husker to homer and record a pitching win since April 21, 2009, when Adam Bailey hit a solo home run and tossed 2.2 innings of relief in his only pitching win as a Husker.

Sophomore Slugger
Sophomore Scott Schreiber enters the weekend with a team-high 11 home runs, which ties him for the Big Ten lead with three other players.

Schreiber's 11 homers are the most by a Husker since 2011 when Cody Asche hit 12 and the most by a Husker sophomore since 2004 when Alex Gordon led the team with 18.

Count on Chesnut
Senior Jeff Chesnut rewrote the Nebraska record book on Monday, May 9, when he made his school record 88th career appearance. Chesnut broke Steve Hale's record with his team-high 26th appearance this season. Chesnut made a career-high 31 last year, which tied him for sixth on Nebraska's single-season chart.

Career Appearances
1. 88 Jeff Chesnut 2013-present
2. 87 Steve Hale 1999-03
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

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. Prior to ninth-inning walk-off loss at Rutgers on Friday, April 29, this season the Huskers had won 73 straight games when leading after the eighth inning.

Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 131-17 since the start of the 2012 season when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 137-9 when leading after seven innings and are nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 149-5 record.

Home Sweet Hawks
The Nebraska baseball team is celebrating its 15th season at Hawks Field in 2016. Since playing their first game at the park in 2002, the Huskers have posted a 317-115-1 (.733) record at the facility entering, including a 16-5 record this season.

The Huskers notched a .778 winning percentage at home last year, the highest home winning percentage since 2008 when Nebraska posted a .843 winning percentage with a 29-5-1 record. Nebraska has won 60% or more of its home games 12 times over the past 14 seasons, including each of the past six seasons. NU's worst home season at Hawks Field came in 2009 when the Huskers posted a 16-14 record (.533).

Longball
Nebraska's home run total is up in a big way this year, as they have hit 38 in 48 games after totaling 22 in 57 games last season. NU 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 11 from Scott Schreiber, six each from Jake Placzek and Ben Millers, and five from Ryan Boldt. Miller and Tanner Lubach tied for the team lead last season with four each.

Nebraska has 13 multi-homer games this season after notching two all of last year. Nebraska is 19-5 on the year when they hit a home run.

Score Early
In 48 games this year the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning 16 times. The Huskers are 13-3 on the year when they score a run in the first inning.

The Huskers are 25-7 this year when they score first in the game.

Double Digits
Nebraska has amassed double digit hits 24 times in 48 games entering Friday and is 19-5 when reaching the mark.

Last season the Huskers totaled 10 or more hits 23 times in 57 games and were 21-2 in those games.

Stolen Bases
Nebraska has been more active on the base paths this season, stealing 58 bases in 48 games, an average of 1.21 per game.

Ryan Boldt leads the team with 18 steals, the most by a Husker since 2005 when Alex Gordon stole 23 bags and Joe Simokaitis stole 18 bases.

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.

First Year Wins
True freshman Matt Waldron enters the week with a 5-2 record on the season, the most wins by a Husker true freshman since 2012 when Kyle Kubat went 5-1. With another win this season, Waldron would be the first true freshman to win six games in a season since 2005 when Johnny Dorn led the team with a 12-2 record.

Nebraska True Freshman Who Have Won At Least Six Game Since 2000
1. Johnny Dorn 12-2 (2005)
2. Jamie Rodrigue 9-4 (2000)
3. Brian Duensing 6-2 (2002)
Zack Kroenke 6-2 (2003)

Walk this Way
As of Thursday morning, senior Jake Placzek was tied for seventh in Division I with 47 walks. Michigan's Carmen Benedetti ranked second in the Big Ten and was ranked 20th nationally with 42 walks. Miami's Zack Collins, Mercer's Kyle Lewis and UTSA's Matt Hilston led the nationa with 54 walks each.

Adding in his eight hit-by-pitches, Placzek leads the Huskers with an on-base percentage of .456. Placzek would need to record a on-base percentage of .518 or better to crack NU's single-season top-10 list. Alex Gordon's .518 on-base percentage in 2005 ranks 10th.

Placzek has accounted for just under 27% of NU's 179 walks this year. Seven other Huskers have drawn double digit walks in 2016, but Jake Schleppenbach sits a distance second with 18 walks.

Placzek has drawn multiple walks in 13 games entering Friday, including three walks in a game four times this year.

Placzek needs 15 more walks this year to tie Todd Sears (62 - 1997) for 10th place on NU's single season walks list. Placzek has 103 career walks and needs 12 more walks in 2016 to enter NU's career walks list. Rich King and Steve Stanicek are tied for 10th with 115 career walks.

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 has since saved 11 games in 12 chances, including a pair of saves last weekend at Michigan State. For his efforts last week, Luensmann was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Luensmann already holds the freshman record at Nebraska for saves and is climbing Nebraska's single-season top-10 list. His next save would tie him with Josh Roeder (2014) for fourth on NU's single season list.

Seven of Luensmann's 11 saves have come during Big Ten play, which leads the league.

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
11 Chad Luensmann (Fr.) 2016
7. 10 Mike Bellows (Sr.) 1994
8. 9 Steve Boyd (Jr.) 1992
9. 8 Dylan Vogt (Sr.) 2013
8 Casey Hauptman (Sr.) 2011

Boldting Up the List
Recently named one of 60 players on the 2016 Gold Spike Award Midseason Watch list, Ryan Boldt 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 Wednesday ranked 21st all time at Nebraska with 215 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.

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. 215 Ryan Boldt 2014-Present
22. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14
23. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99
24. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97