Daniel Bruce Season 2003

Honors & Awards

• 2005 Second-Team All-Big 12
• 2005 Second-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America
• 2005 First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District VII
• 2005 First-Team Academic All-Big 12
• 2005 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
• 2005 Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship
• 2004 First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District VII
• 2004 First-Team Academic All-Big 12
• 2003 Lincoln Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-America Nominee
• 2003 First-Team Academic All-Big 12
• 2002 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
• 2002 Big 12 All-Freshman Team
• Eight-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Fall 2001; Fall/Spring 2002; Fall/Spring 2003; Fall/Spring 2004; Spring 2005)

2005: Senior Daniel Bruce was one of two three-year starters (also shortstop Joe Simokaitis) that returned for the 2005 season • Bounced back from a 2004 season where he battled an elbow injury to post career-highs at the plate • Notched career-bests for a season in batting average (.322), hits (74), doubles (22), at bats (230) and stolen bases (nine) while tying a career-high with two triples •  Tied for the team-lead in doubles and was second on the team with 10 hit-by-pitches, third on the team in batting average and total bases (115), and fourth on the team in hits, runs scored (47), slugging percentage (.500), stolen bases and at bats • On March 12, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored in the nightcap of a doubleheader against SDSU • Went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI in a 15-4 win over Northern Colorado on March 15 • Stole two bases in a March 18 win over Seton Hall to go with two hits and two runs scored • Drove in two runs and scored twice to lead the Huskers to a 9-4 win over Kansas on March 27 • Paced the Husker attack by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored in a victory over Oklahoma State on 
April 1 • Went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Huskers to a 6-4 win over Texas A&M on April 17 • Had a career-best 15-game hit streak, stretching from April 9 to May 6 • Recorded three singles and an RBI in a May 13 win over Texas Tech • Had his best game of the season on May 28 against Missouri in the Big 12 Tournament by notching two RBIs and a career-high four hits, including a triple and the game-winning RBI single • Recorded two doubles, two runs scored and a stolen base against Creighton to help the Huskers secure the NCAA Lincoln Regional title • Went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Nebraska's CWS loss to Florida on June 19 • In the May Finished as a career .294 hitter with 24 homers and 139 RBIs in 245 career contests • Graduated as the Huskers' all-time leader with 67 career hit-by-pitches, finished tied for second place in career doubles with 55 and was third in games played with 245 games.

2004: Started for the third straight season in right field, batting .243 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 56 games • Ranked second on the team in homers, runs scored (51) and hit-by-pitches (15) while stealing 8-of-9 bases • Hit .339 (19-for-56) with runners in scoring position • Recorded 11 multi-hit games and was fourth on the team with nine multi-RBI contests • Paced the Husker outfielders with four assists • Batted .226 with three homers, 13 RBIs and 20 runs scored in conference play • Homered and drove in three runs in all three games at the Lobo Invitational (2/20-22) • Scored four times vs. Northwestern in the season opener and had multi-hit games against New Mexico and Kent State • Finished the weekend hitting .462 with three homers, nine RBIs and eight runs scored • Broke a 4-all tie with a 12th inning homer against San Diego at Petco Park • Hit .444 with five runs scored against Kansas, as he went 3-for-3 and reached all five times in a 12-9 loss on March 28 • Picked up a pair of hits and matched his career high with four runs vs. New Mexico on April 6 • Had two hits and scored twice in a win over No. 10 Wichita State (4/13) • Went 3-for-12 at No. 1 Texas with a homer off UT ace J.P. Howell in the series opener • Hit .364 with a homer and five RBIs at No. 21 Oklahoma State, including a grand slam in the finale • Was 2-for-5 with a double and triple vs. Creighton at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium • Hit just .125 in three Big 12 Tournament games.

2003: Overcame a sluggish start and starred down the stretch to help the Huskers to a Big 12 title • Batted .311 with six homers and 33 RBIs in 61 games, making 44 starts • Finished among team leaders in several offensive categories, including hit-by-pitches (14, second), stolen bases (eight, third) and on-base percentage (.415) • Was tough with runners in scoring position, hitting .400 (22-for-55), as his total was nearly 100 points above his season total • led NU’s outfielders and ranked among the Big 12 leaders with six outfield assists, while committing four errors in 125 total chances • Batted .205 in his first 25 games, but caught fire down the stretch, hitting .396 over his last 26 games • Had 11 of his 16 multi-hit games after April 20, including a four-hit game with two stolen bases against Creighton at Rosenblatt Stadium on May 13 • Hit .239 in Big 12 play, but closed strong by batting .353 (12-for-34) in his final 10 conference tilts • Turned in his best series against Kansas, hitting .333 in three games, including a four-RBI effort on April 4 • Carried a season-long 11-game hitting streak into the postseason before it was snapped in NU’s elimination loss to Baylor at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City • Closed the season on a tear, batting .375 (6-for-16) with three homers, six RBIs, four hit by pitches, five walks and seven runs at the NCAA Lincoln Regional, earning a spot on the all-tournament team • Spent the summer playing for the Santa Barbara Foresters, helping the team to a runner-up finish in the 2003 National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita • Hit .291 with two homers, 23 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 44 games en route to team MVP honors.

2002: Turned in an outstanding freshman campaign, helping the Huskers to 47 wins and a berth in the College World Series in 2002 • Named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, batting .299 with five homers and 41 RBIs in 59 contests • Ranked among team leaders in several categories, including runs (53, third), doubles (17, fourth), RBIs (41, fifth), on-base percentage (.419, fifth) and slugging percentage (.481, fifth) • Broke NU’s single-season record for hit-by-pitches with 28 - the sixth-highest total in NCAA history - topping Corey Miller’s school record of 24 in 1996 • Proved to be a clutch performer, batting .357 (5-for-14) with a homer and 14 RBIs with the bases loaded and hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position • Recorded 14 multi-hit games, including three-hit efforts at Minnesota on March 19, and against Texas Tech on March 23, when he scored three times • Broke into the starting lineup early on and responded with an 11-game hit streak March 1-23 • Batted .272 with two homers, 14 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 24 league games, including 21 starts • Enjoyed his best series against No. 13 Texas A&M, hitting .571 (4-for-7) with five runs scored and an on-base percentage of .750 in the three-game sweep • Performed well in the postseason, hitting .310 (9-for-29) with a homer, five RBIs and eight runs scored in eight games • Tied a season best with three hits in the Super Regional finale vs. Richmond • Capped his frosh campaign by hitting .333 in two CWS games, including a two-run homer vs. South Carolina.

Millard West High Shool: Was a three-time all-state selection for Coach Frank Ryan at Millard West • Preseason All-American who batted .448 and led the state with 48 RBIs, helping the Wildcats to a state runner-up finish and a national ranking in 2001 • Ranked among the state leaders in doubles (15, second), triples (six, second), runs scored (48, fourth) and steals (18, fourth) • Established a state record with 27 homers (including high school and American Legion), while driving in 112 runs as a junior • Also played football (earning second-team all-state honors at wide receiver) and basketball at MWHS, leading the team to a state semifinal appearance in 2000 on the gridiron • Named a finalist for state high school athlete of the year by both of the state’s major papers • Tabbed the B’nai B’rith Scholar-Athlete of the year in the Omaha area in 2001 • Chose NU over Texas, Minnesota and Nebraska-Omaha.

Personal: Born on Oct. 3, 1982, in Lincoln • Parents are Dave and Marilyn Bruce • Has one brother (Micah) and two sisters (Sarah and Jessica) • Grandparents are Roger and Mary Ghormley • Majors in English, where he carries a 3.866 GPA.

Career Statistics