Huskers Open 2004 Season this Weekend

Transcription

1 2004 University of Nebraska Baseball Weekly Release Baseball Contact: Shamus McKnight Office Phone: (402) Office Fax: (402) Cell Phone: (402) Release Date: Feb. 17, Schedule Date Opponent Time Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta Feb. 20 vs. Northwestern! 11:30 a.m. Feb. 21 at New Mexico! 3 p.m. Feb. 22 vs. Kent State! Noon Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational Feb. 27 vs. Northwestern (La.) State % 1 p.m. Feb. 28 at Rice % 1 p.m. Feb. 29 vs. North Carolina % Noon Dairy Queen Baseball Classic March 5 vs. Florida State ^ 12:15 p.m. March 6 at Minnesota ^ 6:35 p.m. March 7 vs. West Virginia ^ 11 a.m. Aztec Invitational March 12 vs. San Diego # 9 p.m. March 13 vs. UCLA # 5:30 p.m. March 14 vs. San Diego State # 9 p.m. March 16 Western Illinois 2:05 p.m. March 17 Western Illinois 2:05 p.m. March 19 Boston College 2:05 p.m. March 20 Boston College 2:05 p.m. March 21 Boston College 1:05 p.m. March 23 at Creighton 2:30 p.m. March 26 Kansas * 2:05 p.m. March 27 Kansas * 2:05 p.m. March 28 Kansas * 1:05 p.m. March 30 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 6:35 p.m. March 31 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1:35 p.m. April 2 at Kansas State * 7 p.m. April 3 at Kansas State * 2 p.m. April 4 at Kansas State * 1 p.m. April 5 New Mexico 6:35 p.m. April 6 New Mexico 1:35 p.m. April 9 Texas Tech * 6:35 p.m. April 10 Texas Tech * 2:05 p.m. April 11 Texas Tech * 1:05 p.m. April 13 Wichita State 6:35 p.m. April 16 at Missouri * 6:30 p.m. April 17 at Missouri * 2 p.m. April 18 at Missouri * 1 p.m. April 20 Creighton 6:35 p.m. April 23 at Texas * 6:15 p.m. April 24 at Texas * 2 p.m. April 25 at Texas * 1 p.m. April 27 Northern Colorado 6:35 p.m. April 28 Northern Colorado 2:05 p.m. April 30 Texas A&M * 6:35 p.m. May 1 Texas A&M * 2:05 p.m. May 2 Texas A&M * 1:05 p.m. May 8 at Oklahoma State * 7 p.m. May 9 at Oklahoma State * 2 p.m. May 10 at Oklahoma State * 1 p.m. May 11 Northern Iowa 6:35 p.m. May 12 Northern Iowa 2:05 p.m. May 14 at Baylor * 7 p.m. May 15 at Baylor * 6 p.m. May 16 at Baylor * 1 p.m. May 18 vs. Creighton 7 p.m. May 21 Oklahoma * 6:35 p.m. May 22 Oklahoma * 2:05 p.m. May 23 Oklahoma * 1:05 p.m. May at Big 12 Tournament TBA June 4-6 NCAA Regionals TBA June NCAA Super Regionals TBA June at College World Series TBA All times listed are central Tournament Key:! - Baseball Fiesta; % - Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational; ^ - Dairy Queen Classic.; # - Aztec Invitational; * - Big 12 Conference Games; This Week in Husker Baseball Season Record (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) National Rankings (21/23/20- as of Feb. 16) Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta Fri. (Feb. 20) vs. Northwestern (1-2) Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park) 11:30 a.m. (CST) Sat. (Feb. 21) at New Mexico (0-0) Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park) 3 p.m. (CST) Sun. (Feb. 22) vs. Kent State (0-1) Albuquerque, N.M. (Lobo Field) Noon (CST) Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches/NCBWA Nebraska s Weekend Rotation Fri. - Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 6-2, 2.72 ERA in 03) vs. NU (Dan Konecny, RHP, 0-0, , 3.24 in 03) Sat. - Justin Pekarek, Sr., LHP, 2-1, 4.24 ERA in 03) vs. UNM (Danny Ray Herrera, Fr., LHP, NR) Sun. - Quinton Robertson, Sr., RHP, 10-2, 4.23 ERA in 03) vs. KSU (Jason Brunke, Jr., RHP, NR) Media Information Radio: None TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Internet Video Streaming: Both Friday and Saturday s games will be video-streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department. In addition, Sunday s game will be shown on a delayed basis upon the team s return to Lincoln Monday morning. Nearly every 2004 Husker baseball game will be shown live on HuskersNside. For more information and how to subscribe, log on to Huskers.com. Huskers Open 2004 Season this Weekend The Nebraska baseball team opens the 2004 campaign this weekend, as the Huskers travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta. The Huskers, who are ranked as high as 20th in the national polls (Sports Weekly/ ESPN Coaches) will open up tournament play on Friday morning against Northwestern (1-2) at 11:30 a.m. (CST) at Isotopes Park - the home of the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. On Saturday, Nebraska will take on the host Lobos (0-0) at 3 p.m. before concluding tournament play with Kent State (0-1) at Noon at Lobo Field. While none of this weekend s games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, live stats will be available for this weekend s games on Huskers.com, while live video-streaming of both Friday and Saturday s games will be on HuskersNside. This is the Huskers second trip to Baseball Fiesta in four years, as Nebraska took on the host Lobos, Utah and UNLV during the team s trip to Albuquerque in Of the current Husker roster, only pitchers Justin Pekarek, Mike Sillman and Dustin Timm were on the active roster on the Huskers previous trip to New Mexico. Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta Schedule Feb. 20 Nebraska vs. Northwestern 11:30 a.m. Feb. 20 Kent State vs. Northwestern 3 p.m. Feb. 21 Kent State vs. Northwestern 11:30 a.m. Feb. 21 Nebraska vs. New Mexico 3 p.m. Feb. 22 Nebraska vs. Kent State* Noon Feb. 22 Northwestern vs. New Mexico 12:30 p.m. *- played at Lobo Field; All others at Isotopes Field; All times listed are CST Leading Off - With his expected start on Friday, sophomore Zach Kroenke will become the Huskers fi rst opening day starting pitcher from Nebraska since Pat Leinen in Kroenke will hope to duplicate Leinen s success, as he allowed one hit in fi ve shutout innings of work. - The Huskers will be seeking their second straight winning opening weekend. The Huskers went 1-2 during their opening weekend for four straight years ( ) before turning it around with a 2-1 mark at the Round Rock Classic last spring. Yr. Record (Results) (W-New Mexico St; L-Oregon St. & SDSU) (W-Arkansas St.; L-Rice & Northwestern St.) (W-Lamar; Rice & Georgia Tech (W-New Mexico; L-Rice & Wake Forest) (W-SW Texas & UT-Pan Am; L-California) - Including this week s polls, the Huskers have been ranked in at least one of the national polls for the past 69 weeks, dating back to April of With three wins this weekend, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson could become the quickest Husker coach to win 50 games. Only three coaches in school history have ever won 50 games, but that shouldn t be that surprising since NU has only had four coaches (including Anderson) since Closing in on No. 50 (all totals reflect up to 50th win) Coach 50th Win Record Pct. Anderson Sanders 70th Van Horn 80th Sharpe 91st This weekend s trip to Albuquerque marks the fi rst of fi ve visits to professional Minor or Major League ballparks this season. The Huskers will also play in the Metrodome (Minnesota Twins), Petco Park (San Diego Padres), Rosenblatt Stadium (AAA Omaha Royals) and the Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers). - The Huskers have been inside entirely since opening spring drills on Jan. 24, but are hoping to get outside on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hawks Field before traveling on Thursday morning. - NU is the last of the 10 league teams to open the 2004 campaign and Friday s game marks Nebraska s latest season opener since By the time NU faces Northwestern on Friday, Texas will have played 10 times (9-0 entering Tuesday s game with Texas State) and Kansas will have played 15 games (7-7-1 entering Saturday s game against Creighton). Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

2 Head Coach Mike Anderson Mike Anderson is in his second season as Nebraska s head baseball coach, becoming the 23rd head coach in the program s history on June 21, Anderson has been associated with the NU program for a the last decade, serving as an assistant from the fall of 1994 until his promotion to head coach in Since joining the Nebraska staff in the fall of 1994, he has coached a total of 15 fi rst-team allconference honorees, while 19 of his former players have signed professional contracts. His most famous protege is current Anaheim Angel All-Star Darin Erstad, who earned fi rst-team All-America honors in 1995, when he was the fi rst overall selection in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Seven Huskers have been tabbed fi rst-team All- Americans under Anderson s tutelage, while four players Erstad (1995), Harvey (1999), Dan Johnson (2001) and Jed Morris (2002) have been fi nalists for various national player-of-the-year awards. In 2003, Anderson guided Nebraska to a record. After being picked fourth in the preseason by the league coaches, the Huskers won the Big 12 regular-season title with a 20-7 record, clinching the title on the fi nal day of the season. He became the second fi rst-year Husker coach to lead NU to a conference title and the fi rst since The Huskers led the Big 12 in hitting in each of Anderson s fi nal four seasons as an assistant coach, including a.338 team average the second highest in school history in The Huskers led the Big 12 in seven offensive categories in 2002, including batting average (.315), hits (753), runs scored (543), doubles (154), RBIs (491), sacrifi ce hits (49) and sacrifi ce fl ies (46). In 2001, Anderson coached a Husker offense that ranked in the top-10 nationally in both team average (.334) and runs per game (9.20), while also fi nishing second nationally in total hits (787) and runs scored (607). As the outfi elders coach, Anderson has coached three All-Americans and seven all-conference selections, including Jeff Leise, who was a fi rstteam All-American in 2002, while leading the Huskers to their second straight College World Series appearance. Anderson s commitment to his student-athletes also extends to the classroom. Over the past nine years, the Huskers have placed 40 players on the fi rst-team all-conference squad. Nebraska has had eight CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, including two in each of the past three seasons and 11 fi rstteam academic all-district selections in the past seven seasons. Before arriving in Lincoln in the fall of 1994, Anderson was the top assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo. He joined the Bears staff after four years as a head coach with the Northern Colorado Lab School. From 1983 through 1986, Anderson was an outfi elder at Northern Colorado for College Hall of Fame Coach Tom Petroff. Anderson was an eighth-round pick by the California Angels, spending four seasons with the Angels organization. Anderson earned a bachelor s degree in physical education from Northern Colorado in Anderson graduated from Eaton High School in Eaton, Colo., where he was a fi rst-team All-Colorado shortstop for Coach Jim Danley. Weekend Rotation (at Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta) Zach Kroenke (pronounced KRON-neck-ee) Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (4/10/03) 2003 NCAA Lincoln Regional All-Tournament Team Kroenke takes the hill in the Huskers season opener against Northwestern...becomes the fi rst sophomore to start a season opener since Jamie Rodrigue started the 2001 season opener at Rice...becomes the fi rst Nebraska native to start opening day on the mound since Omaha native Pat Leinen started against Wayne State on March 8, will make his fi rst start against a Big Ten team, but tossed four shutout innings of relief against No. 25 Minnesota last April Highlights: Was one of the Big 12 s top freshmen hurlers, going 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 59.2 innings...enjoyed nearly a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (35-to-19) while holding opponents to a.239 batting average... allowed three runs or less in 14 of his 15 appearances and combined on a pair of shutouts (Cal Poly and at Kansas)...shared Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors, going 2-0 in 11.2 innings in wins over Cal Poly and Oklahoma...tossed a complete-game six-hitter against Eastern Michigan in the 2003 NCAA Lincoln Regional...suffered losses against eventual CWS champion Rice (ranked No. 1 at the time) and CWS qualifi er Texas (at Omaha s Rosenblatt Stadium)...went 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two appearances, earning the start against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament and against Eastern Michigan in an NCAA elimination game. Prior: Ranked among the top 200 players in the nation according to Team One Baseball, pitching for Northwest High School in Omaha...earned fi rst-team All-Nebraska honors by the Lincoln Journal Star, going 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA, while leading the state with 90 strikeouts in 53 innings. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO Totals Justin Pekarek (pronounced puh-car-eck) 2004 Captain Seven-time Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll Member Fifth-year senior makes his long-awaited return to the Husker rotation against New Mexico on Saturday...returns to the site of his fi rst start (Isotopes Park was named Albuquerque Sports Stadium in 2001)...tossed four innings of one-hit ball against UNLV in his only start of the 2001 season before an elbow injury curtailed his development since then...chosen one of three captains (also catcher John Grose and second baseman Jake Mullinax) by a vote of his teammates after fall drills...enjoyed a breakthrough summer pitching for the Santa Barbara Foresters, compiling a 5-2 mark and a 1.41 ERA in leading the Foresters to a record and an appearance in the fi nals of the National Baseball Congress World Series...capped the fall with seven innings of one-hit ball during the Red/White World Series in October Highlights: Made nine appearances, going 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA in 17 innings. The left-hander made two starts and struck out 11 hitters on the season...earned his fi rst career win against Western Illinois on April 2, allowing three runs in fi ve innings of work...tossed a complete-game (6 IP because of rain) win against South Dakota, striking out fi ve and allowing one run in a 9-0 NU win Highlights: Missed the entire 2002 season after elbow surgery Highlights: Went 0-1 with a save and a 3.88 ERA in seven innings, covering three outings... struck out six and walked two, while holding opponents to a.125 average...earned a save in three innings of no-hit ball against Lamar on Feb made his only start vs. UNLV, allowing one hit in four innings in a 14-0 win over the Rebels...missed over three months with an elbow injury before taking the loss against Tulane in the CWS, allowing three runs in a 6-5 loss to the Green Wave Highlights: Redshirted. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO Totals Quinton Robertson 2004 NCBWA Preseason All-American (Third Team) 2003 First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) 2001 MLB 17th-round Draft Pick (New York Yankees) All-America candidate makes his 2004 debut against Kent State on Sunday...his 10 wins in 2003 were the most ever by a fi rst-year Husker pitcher and only All-Americans Shane Komine and Troy Brohawn won more games in a season at NU...has won seven of his last eight decisions (covering 11 starts) dating back to last season Highlights: Enjoyed one of the fi nest years a Husker newcomer has ever had...compiled a 10-2 record and a 4.23 ERA in 89.1 innings...tied for the Big 12 lead with 10 wins (also Texas J.P. Howell), a total which was the third-most in school history...ranked 10th in the Big 12 in opposing batting average (.270) and 12th in ERA...was second to Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Year Aaron Marsden in starts (14), innings pitched (89.1) and strikeouts (51)...had nearly a 2.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and went six or more innings in 12 of his 14 starts, including each of his fi nal 10...tossed a complete game against Oklahoma State on May 11, allowing two runs in a 5-2 win over the Cowboys...went a perfect 2-0 in two postseason starts, going six innings in wins over No. 16 Baylor in Oklahoma City and Eastern Michigan. Prior: Went a combined 15-3 with a 3.18 ERA at Texarkana (Texas) College..earned second-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2001, going 9-0 with a 3.45 ERA...drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 2001 MLB Draft. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO Totals Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

3 The Probable Husker Lineup John Grose C Sr. Henderson, Nev. Three-year starter and team co-captain for the second straight season...missed part of 2003 season with elbow injury, but is 100 percent entering season...hit.302 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 2003 in just 45 contests...led NU with 26 RBIs during fall drills...strong defensive presence behind the plate who excels at handling pitchers and controlling the running game...fi ery competitor who is a natural leader...split time with All-American Jed Morris in 2002, batting.384 with four homers and 38 RBIs...earned All-Big 12 Tournament honors and was on the NCAA Lincoln Regional All- Tournament team...was drafted in the 35th round of the 2001 draft by Atlanta and the 42nd round of the 2000 draft by the Chicago White Sox. Curtis Ledbetter 1B Jr. Lawrence, Kan. Returning fi rst-team All-Big 12 designated hitter who moves to fi rst base this spring...preseason NCBWA All-American who hit.348 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs in third in the Big 12 in both homers and slugging percentage (.647), while ranking in the top-20 in batting average...has two career multi-homer games (last vs. KSU on 3/20/03)...hit safely in 36 of his last 39 games, including a Big 12-leading 23-game hitting streak...went 6-for-7 with three homers and 21 RBIs with the bases loaded...had two homers in 2003 opener against Southwest Texas...redshirted in played one season of junior college ball at Garden City (Kan.) CC, batting.404 with 13 homers, 55 RBIs and 58 runs scored en route to honorable-mention Jayhawk League honors...drafted in the 39th round by the Cleveland Indians in the 2000 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Jake Mullinax 2B Sr. Hesperia, Calif. Senior co-captain who begins his second season as NU s starter at second...honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection who hit.320 with 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored...has excellent plate discipline with a.470 OBP and was hit by a team-high 17 pitches...closed 2003 on a team, hitting.480 (12-of-25) during the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Regional...selected to the NCAA Regional all-tournament team, batting.571 (8-for-14) with fi ve RBIs...hit.422 with team highs in homers (six) and runs scored (20) during the fall after hitting no homers in all of did not enroll until January of spent two seasons at Victory Valley Community College, batting.477 with nine homers and 37 RBIs to earn conference MVP honors in Joe Simokaitis SS Jr. St. Louis, Mo. Third-year starter who anchors one of the Big 12 s best infi elds...set a school mark with 194 assists in 2003 and committed just two errors in his fi nal 19 games...missed the fall after shoulder surgery, but is 100 percent...hit.293 with a homer and 39 RBIs in can hit at the top or bottom of the lineup...had 23 multi-hit games and led the nation with 16 sacrifi ce bunts in drove in 20 of his 39 runs with two outs and hit.329 with runners in scoring position...his 25 career sacrifi ces entering 2004 are the most by any active Division I player...hit.236 with 16 RBIs and nine sacrifi ces as a freshman, helping NU to the College World Series...former all-state shortstop at St. Mary s High School in St. Louis, the same school that also produced former Major League stars Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola. Alex Gordon 3B So. Lincoln, Neb, Returning starter at third base who ranks among the Big 12 s top performers...ranked No. 28 among the nation s top-50 sophomores by Baseball America entering spent the summer playing for Beatrice, hitting.348 while topping the Bruins in homers (eight), RBIs (38) runs scored (33) and walks (19)...batting.319 with seven homers and 48 RBIs in 2003 to garner Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball...paced NU in with a.416 average with runners in scoring position and with two outs (.354)...reached safely in 56 of 61 games, including 19 multi-hit games...six of seven homers either tied games or put NU ahead...three-time All-Nebraska selection at Lincoln Southeast where he hit.483 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs during his high school career...named Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year in both 2001 and tabbed one of the top-100 seniors in the country by Baseball America in his father (Mike, NU) and older brother (Eric, Nebraska-Omaha) played collegiate baseball. Jesse Boyer OF Jr. Littleton, Colo. Junior college transfer who will make his debut this weekend in New Mexico...spent last summer playing for Rochester (Minn.) of the Northwoods League, batting.299 with 34 runs scored, 20 stolen bases and a.481 OBP in 40 games to earn all-league honors...hit.438 with seven walks and nine runs scored during Red/White Series in the fall...redshirted in one of fi ve fi nalists for 2003 Husker Power Baseball Lifter of the Year...batted.397 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 16 stolen bases at Neosho (Kan.) County CC in 2002, earning all-region and all-conference honors. Colin Shockey OF Jr. LaVista, Neb. Junior college transfer who is the likely replacement for former All-American and three-year starter Jeff Leise...versatile player who could play infi eld, outfi eld or pitch (listed as utility on roster)...hit.316 with seven runs scored and an OBP of.481 during the Red/White Series...hit.374 with 55 stolen bases in two years at Iowa Western CC - the same school that produced former NU All-American Dan Johnson...batted.375 with 39 steals in 42 attempts as a sophomore earning fi rst-team all-league honors..two-time all-state honoree at Ralston HS for his dad, Curt...hit.453 while going 7-2 with a 2.07 ERA as a senior. Daniel Bruce OF Jr. Omaha, Neb. Third-year starter who could see time in both right and center...academic All-America candidate with a GPA in English...spent last summer with the Santa Barbara Foresters, hitting.291 with two homers, 23 RBIs and 13 stolen bases, while helping the Foresters to the title game of the NBC World Series...hit.311 with six homers and 33 RBIs in 61 games...closed 2003 on a tear, batting hit.396 over his fi nal 26 contests...hit.375 with three homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored during the NCAA Lincoln Regional and was selected to the all-tournament team...earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors in 2002, batting.299 with fi ve homers and 41 RBIs...set a school record and tied the Big 12 mark for hit by pitches with 28..a three-time All-Nebraska selection at Millard West High School, batting.448 with 48 RBIs as a senior. Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Nebraska Baseball Quick Facts Location... Lincoln, Neb. Population ,681 Founded Enrollment... 25,000 Nickname... Cornhuskers/Huskers Colors... Scarlet and Cream Conference...Big 12 Chancellor...Harvey Perlman, J.D. Head Coach...Mike Anderson Record at Nebraska/Years /Second Alma Mater...Northern Colorado (1990) Associate Head Coach... Rob Childress Alma Mater... Northwood (1990) Assistant Coach...Andy Sawyers Alma Mater... Nebraska (1998) Volunteer Coach...Brandt Vlieger Alma Mater... Nebraska (2002) Graduate Manager...Will Bolt Alma Mater... Nebraska (2003) Baseball Offi ce Baseball Offi ce Fax Baseball Secretary... Renee Brinkman Athletic Trainer... Josh Cohen Strength Coach... Mike Arthur Equipment Manager...Mike Mason Facility... Hawks Field at Haymarket Park Baseball Main Press Box Capacity...8, Season Information 2003 Record Big 12 Record (Finish) (1st) Big 12 Tournament Record: (t-third) NCAA Postseason: Home Record: Away Record: Neutral Record: Letterwinners Returning/Lost...17/12 Position Starters Returning/Lost...7/2 Pitchers Returning/Lost... 9/5 Husker Baseball History First Year of Baseball Overall All-Time Record...1, Years in NCAA Tournament... Seven...(1979, 1980, 1985, ) Conference Titles...Five...(1929, 1948, 1950, 2001 and 2003) NCAA Tournament Record College World Series Appearances...2 (2001 and 2002) Nebraska Baseball Media Information Baseball SID...Shamus McKnight McKnight s Offi ce Phone McKnight s Cellular Phone McKnight s ... smcknight@huskers.com Sports Information Fax Website... Huskers.com

4 Welcome to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park The 2002 season marked the debut of the Huskers new home Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The field is named in memory of Myrna Hawks, as the Hawks family was one of the major benefactors in the Haymarket Park project. In March of 2000, Howard and Myrna Hawks guaranteed the unfunded portion of UNL s $10.6 million commitment to the baseball/softball complex, which enabled the University to move forward in a joint venture with the City of Lincoln and NEBCO, Inc., the owners of the Lincoln Saltdogs in the Northern League. The University retained the right to name the field and on Feb. 23, 2002, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the name of Hawks Field. It was formally dedicated in pregame ceremonies against Kansas on April 28, The ballpark includes 4,500 chairback seats, 16 suites, a Diamond View Lounge and a Sub-Air system that allows the field to grow grass nearly year-round. The park is one of only three fields in the country that uses this state-of-the-art heating system (Invesco Field at Mile High and Safeco Field are the others). Other highlights of the complex include a 1,400-square feet clubhouse for the Husker baseball program, a video board/ scoreboard in right center field, the Buck Beltzer Playgound for kids down the right field line and numerous restrooms and concession stands. Hawks Field, as well as the adjacent Bowlin Stadium the 2,500-seat softball stadium which opened in the fall of 2001 are both located inside Haymarket Park, a 32-acre complex that includes both stadiums as well as the plaza area and 2,000 parking stalls. The 2002 season marked the first time since World War II that the Huskers did not play at the former sight of Buck Beltzer Stadium on the Nebraska campus. Top-10 Crowds at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park No. Att. Opponent Date 1. 8,569 vs. Richmond# 6/9/ ,481 vs. Richmond# 6/8/ ,474 vs. Richmond# 6/7/ ,456 vs. SMS 6/1/ ,917 vs. SMS* 6/2/ ,891 vs. Marist* 6/1/ ,879 vs. Texas 4/18/ ,631 vs. UW-Milwaukee* 5/31/ ,581 vs. SMS* 5/31/ ,498 vs. Baylor 5/18/03 # - NCAA Super Regional; * - NCAA Regional Year-by-Year Record at Hawks Field Year Record (.853) (.829) Totals (.841) Nebraska Briefly Under the direction of second-year coach Mike Anderson, the Huskers will begin their quest for a sixth straight NCAA Regional appearance and school s third trip to the College World Series in the last four years. Nebraska returns a total of 17 letterwinners (eight position players and nine pitchers) from a squad that compiled a record and won the school s second Big 12 regular-season title in three years. Despite having to replace the Big 12 s Player of the Year (senior Matt Hopper) and Pitcher of the Year (junior Aaron Marsden - a third-round pick of Colorado) from a year ago, the Huskers bring back seven position starters, including All-Big 12 designated hitter Curtis Ledbetter, who will move full-time to first base this spring. Ledbetter, who split time with Hopper at first last spring, is the only new face in an infield that returns two-year starting shortstop Joe Simokaitis, senior co-captain Jake Mullinax and third baseman Alex Gordon. All three were honorable-mention All-Big 12 selections in 2002, while Gordon was a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was named the league s Freshman of the Year by the Waco Tribune. The outfield will be anchored by returning starter Daniel Bruce, who has started the past two years in right. Junior college transfer Colin Shockey and junior Jesse Boyer, who redshirted last season, are among several contenders to flank Bruce in the Husker outfield. The Huskers also return the services of senior co-captain John Grose, a two-year starter behind the plate. On the mound, Nebraska welcomes back a majority of its staff from a year ago, including Quinton Robertson, who went 10-2 and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. In addition to Robertson, a veteran starting rotation returns nearly intact from last year with sophomore Zach Kroenke, junior Phil Shirek and sophomore Brian Duensing, who redshirted in NU also has the services of senior closer Mike Sillman, returning relievers Tim Schoeninger and Jeremy Becker and a host of newcomers who could vie for mound time early on. Blending Youth and Experience Of the 30 players on this weekend s travel roster, nearly half (14 of 30) will be making their first trip on the travel squad. While NU will bring 10 freshmen (eight true freshmen and redshirt freshmen Kevin Belcher and Andy Lomax), NU also has five seniors, including third-year starting catcher John Grose. The co-captain is one of three players who are third-year starters (also outfielder Daniel Bruce and shortstop Joe Simokaitis). The following a class breakdown of this weekend s travel roster. Class Breakdown for New Mexico Trip Class Total Freshmen 8 Redshirt Freshmen 2 Sophomores 6 Juniors 9 Seniors 5 Looking at this Weekend s Tournament Field Northwestern comes into the tournament with a 1-2 record after spending last weekend at the Oakland A s Classic. The Wildcats sandwiched a 3-2 win over Washington State around losses to Pacific (15-11) and San Francisco (10-4). Under Coach Paul Stevens ( in 17 years), the Wildcats return 18 of 24 letterwinners from last season s squad. The strength of the Wildcats is their pitching staff led by junior J.A. Happ. The southpaw is a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree, going 7-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts a year ago. Shortstop Jon Mikrut, who doubles as the squad s closer, hit.317 with 14 doubles a year ago. Nebraska is just 1-4 all-time against the Wildcats, although the teams have not met since the 1996 season, when Northwestern won both meetings between the teams (13-10, 13-9). New Mexico is in a similar situation as the Huskers, as both teams open their 2004 campaigns this weekend. Rich Alday ( in 15 years) and the Lobos finished the 2003 season with record and a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. UNM returns just 11 letterwinners from last season, but six are returning starters from an offense that was third nationally in batting average (.346) and runs per game (9.9 per game). Shortstop Josh Mader is the Lobos top returnee after hitting.357 with seven homers and 47 RBIs last season. Nebraska leads the all-time series 12-7, winning the two most recent matchups in 2001 and The 2002 matchup in Houston was an epic 13-inning battle that Nebraska won on Jeff Leise s RBI single. The two teams will tangle in Lincoln on April 5-6 for a non-conference series at Hawks Field. Kent State heads to New Mexico with an 0-1 record after losing to Kentucky, 3-2, in its opener on Feb. 13. The Golden Flashes had their other two scheduled games in South Carolina canceled by inclement weather. Head Coach Rich Rembielak ( in 11 seasons) welcomes back seven starters among his 14 returning letterwinners from a team that went and won the Mid-American Conference regular-season title with a 16-4 mark. KSU features a potent duo in outfielder/dh Adam Crowder, who hit.368 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs en route to third-team All-America honors, and senior first baseman Chad Kinyon, who batted.343 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs. While Sunday s matchup will be the first ever between the Huskers and Golden Flashes, Nebraska is familiar with the Mid-American Conference, having played Eastern Michigan during last June s NCAA Regional at Hawks Field. Huskers Picked Third by League Coaches Nebraska was picked third in the Big 12 in a poll of the conference coaches before the season. NU, which went and won the Big 12 regular-season title, was picked behind Texas, which had 81 total points and nine of the 10 first-place votes, and Baylor, which had 67 points. Nebraska and Texas were the only schools to receive a first-place vote. The complete poll is listed below. Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll No. School (First-Place Votes) Pts. 1. Texas (9) Baylor Nebraska (1) Texas A&M Oklahoma State Oklahoma Texas Tech Kansas Missouri Kansas State 9 Note: Coaches could not vote for their own teams Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

5 Duensing, Timm Look for Happy Returns Pitchers Brian Duensing and Dustin Timm head into the 2004 campaign after missing most of last season with injuries. Duensing was the Huskers top hurler before suffering an elbow injury last March. The southpaw from Omaha went 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four appearances, striking out 24 hitters in 22 innings. Duensing, who tossed a complete-game six-hitter against No. 7 Wake Forest in his final healthy start, missed the final three months of the year and received a medical hardship. The injury did not require surgery and he will work out of the bullpen during the non-conference slate. Timm is making a remarkable return after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last March. He made two appearances before the surgery, striking out seven of the 12 hitters he faced in 3.1 innings of work, A former draft pick of the Kansas City Royals, the fourth-year junior is on the travel roster and is available this weekend. Four Huskers Honored by Dallas Morning News Four Huskers were honored by the Dallas Morning News in the publication s preseason All- Big 12 team. Junior Curtis Ledbetter (DH), Joe Simokaitis (SS) and Quinton Robertson (RHP) were chosen for the first team, while Jake Mullinax (2B) was the lone Husker chosen for the second team. Nebraska and Texas were the only schools to have more than two first-team selections. Gordon Lauded by Baseball America Sophomore third baseman Alex Gordon earned a pair of honors by Baseball America, in the publication s preseason issue. The Lincoln native was the only Husker chosen to its preseason All- Big 12 team. Gordon, who batted.319 with seven homers and 48 RBIs last season, was also chosen No. 28 among the nation s top-50 sophomores, as the magazine listed to the top-50 prospects in each class. Bruce Voted Best Outfield Arm in Big 12 Junior outfielder Daniel Bruce was voted as having the best defensive arm in the Big 12 in a poll of conference coaches for baseball America. The Omaha native had a team-high six outfield assists in 2003, and has nine outfield assists in his two seasons as a Husker. Bruce, who could see time in both center and right field, batted.311 with six homers and 33 RBIs as a sophomore Roster Features Seven Drafted Huskers Nebraska s 2004 roster boasts a total of seven Huskers who have been selected in the annual Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The list is led by senior co-captain John Grose, who was drafted in both 2000 (Chicago White Sox, 42nd) and 2001 (Atlanta Braves, 35th). A complete list of previously drafted Huskers is below. Player Round Team Year Brandon Fusilier 45th Seattle 2001 John Grose 35th Atlanta 2001 John Grose 42nd Chicago-AL 2000 Brett Jensen 45th Baltimore 2003 Curtis Ledbetter 39th Cleveland 2000 Quinton Robertson 17th New York - AL 2001 Dustin Timm 41st Kansas City 2000 Tony Watson 23rd Florida 2003 Huskers Face Daunting 2004 Schedule This weekend s tournament begins what Coach Anderson calls the toughest pre-conference in school history. After this weekend, NU embarks on a six-game stretch that includes matchups with defending national champion Rice, Super Regional qualifiers North Carolina and Florida State as well as Minnesota and San Diego. In all, NU faces five NCAA qualifiers in a seven-game stretch, as the Huskers play their first 12 games away from Hawks Field. In all, Nebraska will play 17 games against 2003 NCAA qualifiers, including nine against teams that reached the Super Regionals last spring. Huskers Honored for Academic Work A total of 15 Husker baseball players were honored last week with selection to the Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll. The Husker baseball players were among 286 Nebraska student-athletes who were recognized for their success in the classroom. The honorees are led by junior outfielder Daniel Bruce, who completed the fall semester with a 4.0 GPA in English. The Omaha native is a CoSIDA Academic All-America candidate and carries a cumulative grade-point average. Other upperclassmen honored include senior captains John Grose, Justin Pekarek and Jake Mullinax and fellow senior Mike Sillman and former pitcher Jamie Rodrigue, who is completing his degree in physical education. Four true freshmen were also among the honorees, including catcher Johnny Bowden, pitchers Matt Foust and Jon Klausing and infielder Al Smith, as they all had 3.0 GPAs during their first semester on campus Big 12 Commissioner s Fall Honor Roll Player Yr. Major Becker, Jeremy Jr. Agricultural Engineering Belcher, Kevin Fr. Undeclared Bowden, Johnny Fr. History Bruce, Daniel* Jr. English Duensing, Brian So. English Education Foust, Matt Fr. Undeclared Grose, John Sr. Business Admin. Klausing, Jon Fr. Undeclared Ledbetter, Curtis Jr. News Editorial Mullinax, Jake Sr. Special Ed./Coaching Pekarek, Justin Sr. Management Rodrigue, Jamie - Physical Ed./Coaching Sillman, Mike Sr. Business Admin. Smith, Al Fr. Undeclared Timm, Dustin Jr. Communication Studies Chatting with Curtis Featured on Huskers.com Follow the 2004 campaign through the eyes of first baseman Curtis Ledbetter, as the junior will be keeping a weekly diary on Huskers.com. For more details and where fans can send in questions, go to the baseball page and click the Chat with Curtis icon on the left side. Next Up for the Huskers The Huskers continue their opening month of travel, as they head to Houston, Texas, for the Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational, Feb The Huskers will take on defending national champion Rice, Super Regional qualifier North Carolina and Northwestern State during the three days of tournament action. All three games will be video streamed live on Huskers.com. Husker Baseball on the Pinnacle Sports Network The University of Nebraska and Pinnacle Sports Productions have announced that a minimum of 42 regular-season Husker baseball games will be broadcast this season, beginning with the March 6 contest against Minnesota. Pinnacle Sports will carry the Huskers final two games in Minneapolis and all three games from the Aztec Invitational at Petco Park in San Diego to kick off the 2004 broadcast schedule. The broadcast team of Jim Rose and Gary Sharp will carry all 27 Big 12 contests and non-conference matchups against Wichita State, Creighton, Minnesota, West Virginia, UCLA, San Diego State, San Diego, Boston College, UW-Milwaukee, New Mexico, Northern Colorado and Northern Iowa. The games can also be heard live on the Internet by accessing Nebraska s home page at Huskers.com. As of press time, Pinnacle Sports Productions had put together a 21-station baseball network, including stations KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington. Pinnacle Sports Productions is in its eighth year producing and marketing live broadcasts of University of Nebraska football, men s and women s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball games. Pinnacle was first awarded the rights on Feb. 9, The University renewed the Pinnacle contract in the fall of 2003, which extends the contract to July 31, In addition to broadcasting Husker games, Pinnacle Sports also provides Sports Nightly, a daily, live call-in show focusing on NU athletics and other area sports. The show runs from 6 to 8 p.m. (central) on Pinnacle s statewide network. Pinnacle Sports Productions is owned by Paul Aaron of Elkhorn, Neb., and Dale Jensen of Phoenix, Ariz. Pinnacle Sports Productions Baseball Network Station Frequency City KBRB 1400 AM Ainsworth KCOW 1400 AM Alliance KWBE 1450 AM Beatrice KCNI 1280 AM Broken Bow KHUB 1340 AM Fremont KTNC 1230 AM Falls City KRGI 1430 AM Grand Island KUVR 1430 AM Holdrege KGFW 1340 AM Kearney KRVN 880 AM Lexington KLIN 1400 AM Lincoln KSWN 93.9 FM McCook KNEN 94.7 FM Norfolk KODY 1240 AM North Platte KOGA 930 AM Ogallala KFAB 1110 AM Omaha KNEB 960 AM Scottsbluff KSID 1340 AM Sidney KVSH 940 AM Valentine KTIC 840 AM West Point KAWL 1370 AM York Contact local Pinnacle Network Stations for broadcast availability Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

6 The Last Time... A Nebraska Hitter Had... 8 At Bats in a Game: Patrick Johnson/Alvie Shepherd vs. Washington, March 20, At Bats in a Game: Adam Stern vs. Oklahoma State (game 2), May 6, Hits in a Game: Matt Hopper vs. Iowa State, April 29, Hits in a Game: Jake Mullinax vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, Runs in a Game: Craig Moore vs. Chicago State, March 16, Runs in a Game: Matt Hopper vs. Oklahoma State, May 6, Doubles in a Game: Curtis Ledbetter vs. South Dakota, April 23, Triples in a Game: Jeff Leise vs. Western Illinois, March 26, 2002 Grand Slam: Matt Hopper, vs. Missouri, April 12, 2003 A Pinch-Hit Home Run: Dan Johnson vs. Wichita State, May 29, 2000 Hit For the Cycle: Mel Motley vs. Nebraska-Kearney, May 11, RBI in a Game: Todd Sears vs. Washington, March 20, RBI in a Game: Gabe Garcia vs. Nebraska-Omaha, April 30, RBI in a Game: Matt Hopper, vs. Missouri, April 12, RBI in a Game: Brandon Eymann at Minnesota, March 19, Total Bases: Curtis Ledbetter (10) at South Dakota, April 23, Walks in a Game: Jim Bailey vs. Chicago State, March 16, Walks in a Game: Matt Hopper vs. Nebraska-Kearney, March 11, Strikeouts in a Game: Matt Hopper, vs. Baylor, May 24, 2003 Stole Home: Daniel Bruce vs. Texas A&M, March 16, Stolen Bases: John Cole vs. Texas-San Antonio, Feb. 26, Stolen Bases: Daniel Bruce vs. South Dakota, April 23, HRs in a Game: Dan Johnson vs. Southern Utah (game 1), March 6, HRs in a Game: Matt Hopper vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, HRs in an Inning: Matt Hopper vs. Western Illinois, April 18, 2000 HRs in Consecutive At Bats: Matt Hopper vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, 2003 An Inside-the-Park Home Run: Will Bolt vs. Texas A&M, April 21, 2000 Extra-Base Hits in an Inning: Daniel Bruce (2B, 2B) at Minnesota, March 19, Hits in an Inning: Jeff Leise (1B, 3B) vs. UT-Pan American, April 23, HBP in a Game: Daniel Bruce vs. Minnesota, April 30, HBP in a Game: Jake Mullinax vs. Baylor, May 18, 2003 Led Off Game with Home Run: Jeff Leise vs. Creighton, April 29, 2003 A Walk-Off Home Run: Matt Hopper vs. Missouri, April 12, 2003 Four Sacrifice Bunts in Game: Andrew Sawyers vs. Kansas State, April 4, 1998 (NCAA Record) A Nebraska Pitcher Had... A complete game - 9 innings: Zach Kroenke vs. E. Michigan, May 31, 2003 A complete game - less than 9 inn.: Aaron Marsden vs. SMS (8 inn.), May 31, 2003 A complete game (by a freshman for 9 inn.): Zach Kroenke vs. E. Michigan, May 31, 2003 Consecutive complete games - 9 innings: Aaron Marsden vs. Kansas State and Oklahoma, March 21-28, 2003 Consecutive complete games - 7 innings: Jamie Rodrigue, Kansas State and Oklahoma, 2000 (game one) A shutout - 9 Innings: Brian Duensing vs. Wake Forest, March 1, 2003 A shutout - less than 9 innings: Aaron Marsden, vs. Texas A&M (8 inn.), March 17, 2002 Consecutive Shutouts: Shane Komine vs. Iowa State, April 28, 2000, and at Texas, May 6, 2000 A combined shutout 9 Innings: Phil Shirek (8.0) and Justin Pekarek (1.0), vs. Creighton, April 29, 2003 A shutout (by a freshman): Jamie Rodrigue vs. Iowa State, April 30, 2000 A Three-pitch inning: Pete Lythgoe vs. Minnesota, Feb. 16, 1998 Hit Five Batters in a Game: Shane Komine vs. Nicholls State, Feb. 19, 1999 Hit Four or more Batters in a Game: Shane Komine vs. Nicholls State, Feb. 19, Strikeouts in a Game: Aaron Marsden (12) vs. Baylor, May 16, 2003 A 2-Hit Game: Brian Duensing (2), Dustin Timm (0) and Mike Sillman (0) vs. Texas-Pan American, Feb. 15, 2003 A 1-Hit Game: Aaron Marsden vs. Texas A&M, March 17, 2002 An Individual No-Hitter - 9 Innings: Richard Geier vs. Kansas, April 20, 1954 An Individual No-Hitter - 7 Innings: Anthony Kelley vs. Oklahoma, April 5, 1981 A Combined No-Hitter: Tom Bergan (3), Casey Deskins (3), Troy Brohawn (1), Steve Boyd (2) vs. Peru State, March 6, 1993 Nebraska Had Runs: 50 vs. Chicago State, March 16, Runs: 22 at Kansas State, March 30, Hits: 20 vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, Doubles: vs. Southern Utah, March 6, Strikeouts: at Oklahoma, March 31, Walks: at Texas Tech, April 26, Triples: vs. Texas-Pan American, April 24, HRs: vs. Chicago State, March 16, HRs: vs. Southern Utah (1), March 6, HRs: vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, Walks: 11 vs. Nebraska-Kearney, March 11, Stolen Bases: 10 vs. Peru State, May 6, 1996 Allowed less than Three Hits: 2 vs. Texas-Pan American, Feb 15, 2002 Shut out General: vs. SMS (7-0), June 1, 2003 Shut out At Home: vs. SMS (7-0), June 1, 2003 Shut out On the Road: at Texas (8-0), May 3, 1998 Back-to-Back Homers: Matt Hopper/Alex Gordon vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, 2003 Three Consecutive Homers: Jed Dalton/Darin Erstad/Derek Dukart vs. Iowa State, May 15, Homers in an Inning: vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, Grand Slams in a Game: Dan Wright/Jeff Leise vs. Western Ill., April 19, 2000 Struck out 15+ Batters: 15 vs. Texas A&M, March 15, 2002 Rallied from a 10-0 deficit: vs. Iowa St., April 29, 2000 (W in 10 inn.) Rallied from a deficit of five runs or greater: vs. Missouri, April 12, 2003 (trailed 8-1 in the seventh before winning 11-9 in 10 innings) Been held to 2 or fewer hits: vs. Baylor, May 24, 2003 A Player Ejection: Joe Simokaitis at Rice, March 18, 2003 An Anderson Ejection: vs. Baylor, May 17, 2003 A Childress Ejection: at Arkansas, March 15, 2000 A Sawyers Ejection: vs. Eastern Michigan, May 31, 2003 Turned a Triple Play: vs. Minnesota, Feb. 16, Errors in a Game: vs. Kansas State, March 11, Errors in a Game: vs. Oklahoma, April 2, Errors in a Game: at Sam Houston State, March 19, 2003 Won both games of Doubleheader: vs. Oklahoma State, May 11, 2003 Lost both games of Doubleheader: at Texas A&M, April 3, 1999 Run-Ruled an Opponent: at Kansas (W, 13-0, 7 inn.), April 5, 2003 Run-Ruled by an Opponent: at Oklahoma St. (L, 0-12, 7 inn.), April 24, 1998 Scored in every inning (9 inn.): vs. Texas Tech (W, 12-8), May 23, 2002 Scored in every inning (7 inn.): vs. Neb.-Kearney (W, 15-3), April 13, 1999 A Nebraska Opponent Had... A Grand Slam: Vito Chiaravoloti, Richmond, June 8, 2002 A No-Hitter: Jim Maddock, Missouri (13-0), May 3, 1981 A One-Hitter: Matt Smith, Oklahoma State, April 24, Home Runs: Dell Lindsey, Texas A&M, April 2, Home Runs: Ryan Goleski, Eastern Michigan, May 30, 2003 Back-to-Back Homers: Hunter Brown/Matt Fox, Rice, Feb. 9, 2001 Team Hit 9 HR in a Game: at Missouri, April 1, Hits in a Game: 4 by Josh Ford, Baylor, May 18, RBI in a Game: 7 by Lee Leskowski, Missouri, April 14, Runs in an Inning: Georgia Tech (10 in the 5th), Feb. 11, 2001 A Pinch-Hit Homer: Jason Schick, Centenary, March 16, 2001 A Complete Game (9 innings): Bob Zimmerman, SMS, June 1, 2003 Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

7 Alphabetical Roster No. Player Pos. B/T Ht. Wt. D.O.B. Cl. Hometown (High School/Previous School) 42 Becker, Jeremy** LHP L/L /19/1981 Jr. Scottsbluff, Neb. (Scottsbluff) 37 Belcher, Kevin OF R/R /18/1984 R-Fr. Lake Forest, Ill. (Lake Forest) 9 Bowden, Johnny C R/R /14/1985 Fr. Springfield, Ore. (Thurston) 8 Boyer, Jesse OF L/L /18/1982 Jr. Littleton, Colo. (Columbine/Neosho County CC) 12 Bruce, Daniel** OF R/R /3/1982 Jr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard West) 18 Duensing, Brian** LHP L/L /22/1983 So. Omaha, Neb. (Millard South) 36 Foust, Matt RHP R/R /8/1984 Fr. Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley West) 20 Furnish, Brad LHP L/L /19/1985 Fr. Lucas, Texas (Allen) 14 Fusilier, Brandon* OF R/R /3/1981 Sr. Coppell, Texas (Coppell/Navarro College) Gerch, Andy OF R/R /14/1983 Fr. Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X/Arkansas) 3 Gordon, Alex* INF L/R /10/1984 So. Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast) 21 Grose, John** C R/R /16/1981 Sr. Henderson, Nev. (Green Valley/Chandler-Gilbert CC) 31 Harmelink, Mike RHP R/R /1/1983 R-Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep) 33 Jensen, Brett RHP R/R /29/1983 So. Eagle Grove, Iowa (Eagle Grove/Iowa Central CC) 6 Keith, Braden OF L/L /6/1985 Fr. Elbert, Colo. (Falcon) 22 Klausing, Jon LHP L/L /28/1985 Fr. Arvada, Colo. (Pomona) 34 Kroenke, Zach* LHP R/L /21/1984 So. Omaha, Neb. (Northwest) 15 Ledbetter, Curtis* 1B/OF R/R /26/1981 Jr. Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence/Garden City CC) 46 Lomax, Andy C R/R /30/1984 R-Fr. Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln) 17 McDonald, Mike LHP L/L /11/1985 Fr. Wichita, Kan. (South) 5 Mullinax, Jake* INF R/R /13/1982 Sr. Hesperia, Calif. (Sultana/Victor Valley College) 39 Pekarek, Justin** LHP R/L /4/1980 Sr. Staplehurst, Neb. (Seward) 51 Pike, Matthew RHP R/R /29/1984 Fr. Pueblo, Colo. (Centennial) 13 Robertson, Quinton* RHP R/R /18/1981 Sr. Richland, Miss. (Sylvan Hills/Texarkana College) 23 Schoeninger, Tim* RHP R/R /7/1984 So. Denver, Colo. (Mullen) 35 Shirek, Phil** RHP R/R /5/1983 Jr. Minot, N.D. (Minot) 10 Shockey, Colin OF/RHP L/R /18/1982 Jr. LaVista, Neb. (Ralston/Iowa Western CC) 44 Sillman, Mike*** RHP R/R /3/1981 Sr. Omaha, Neb. (Millard South) 2 Simokaitis, Joe** INF R/R /27/1982 Jr. St. Louis, Mo. (St. Mary s) 32 Smith, Al 1B/OF R/R /16/1984 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Westside) 4 Steele, Chad* C/OF L/R /18/1983 So. Omaha, Neb. (Gross) 16 Sullivan, Beau 1B/OF L/L /24/1982 Jr. Woodward, Okla. (Woodward/Seminole JC) 38 Timm, Dustin* RHP R/R /7/1981 Jr. Yutan, Neb. (Yutan) 11 Vaughn, Tyler INF R/R /21/1985 Fr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Rampart) 30 Watson, Tony LHP L/L /30/1985 Fr. Grimes, Iowa (Dallas Center-Grimes) 24 Zander, Phil RHP R/R /7/1983 Fr. Kaukauna, Wis. (Kaukauna) *- letters earned 27 Mike Anderson - Head Coach 29 Rob Childress - Associate Head Coach 7 Andy Sawyers - Assistant Coach 41 Brandt Vlieger - Volunteer Assistant Coach 1 Will Bolt - Graduate Manager Numerical Roster 2004 Nebaska Baseball Alphabetical Roster - Complete Roster No. Player Letters Pos. 2 Simokaitis, Joe ** INF 3 Gordon, Alex * INF 4 Steele, Chad * C/OF 5 Mullinax, Jake * INF 6 Keith, Braden OF 8 Boyer, Jesse OF 9 Bowden, Johnny C 10 Shockey, Colin OF/RHP 11 Vaughn, Tyler INF 12 Bruce, Daniel ** OF 13 Robertson, Quinton * RHP 14 Fusilier, Brandon * OF 15 Ledbetter, Curtis * 1B/OF 16 Sullivan, Beau 1B/OF 17 McDonald, Mike LHP 18 Duensing, Brian ** LHP 20 Furnish, Brad LHP 21 Grose, John ** C No. Player Letters Pos. 22 Klausing, Jon LHP 23 Schoeninger, Tim * RHP 24 Zander, Phil RHP 30 Watson, Tony LHP 31 Harmelink, Mike RHP 32 Smith, Al 1B/OF 33 Jensen, Brett RHP 34 Kroenke, Zach * LHP 35 Shirek, Phil ** RHP 36 Foust, Matt RHP 37 Belcher, Kevin OF 38 Timm, Dustin * RHP 39 Pekarek, Justin ** LHP 42 Becker, Jeremy ** LHP 44 Sillman, Mike *** RHP 46 Lomax, Andy C 51 Pike, Matthew RHP Gerch, Andy OF Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Pronunciation Guide Player Brian DUENSING Brandon FUSILIER John GROSE Zach KROENKE Justin PEKAREK Tim SCHOENINGER Phil SHIREK Joe SIMOKAITIS Coach Brandt Vlieger Pronunciation DONE-zing FEWSH-a-leer GROSS KRON-neck-ee Puh-CAR-eck SHIN-ing-er SHEAR-ik Sim-oh-KITE-tis Pronunciation VLEE-ger