Dairy Queen Baseball Classic March 5 vs. No. 22 Florida State ^ L, 3-5 March 6 at Minnesota ^ (FSN) L, 1-3 March 7 vs. West Virginia ^ W, 13-6

Transcription

1 2004 University of Nebraska Baseball Weekly Release Baseball Contact: Shamus McKnight Office Phone: (402) Office Fax: (402) Cell Phone: (402) Release Date: April 1, Schedule Date Opponent Time Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta Feb. 20 vs. Northwestern! W, 19-3 Feb. 21 at New Mexico! W, 12-8 Feb. 22 vs. Kent State! W, 22-9 Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational Feb. 27 vs. Northwestern (La.) State % W, 8-4 Feb. 28 at No. 2 Rice % L, 2-4 Feb. 29 vs. No. 15 North Carolina % W, 10-4 Dairy Queen Baseball Classic March 5 vs. No. 22 Florida State ^ L, 3-5 March 6 at Minnesota ^ (FSN) L, 1-3 March 7 vs. West Virginia ^ W, 13-6 Aztec Invitational March 12 vs. San Diego # W, 5-4 (12 inn) March 13 vs. UCLA # L, 2-4 March 14 vs. San Diego State # W, 6-2 March 17 Western Illinois (DH) W, 5-3 March 17 Western Illinois (DH) W, 8-0 March 19 Boston College W, 10-1 March 20 Boston College W, 3-2 (10 inn) March 21 Boston College W, 10-1 March 23 at Creighton W, 7-3 March 26 Kansas * W, 3-2 March 28 Kansas * (DH) L, 9-12 March 28 Kansas * (DH) W, 13-3 (7 inn) March 30 Wisconsin-Milwaukee W, 10-0 March 31 Wisconsin-Milwaukee W, 9-0 April 2 at Kansas State * W, 8-0 April 3 at Kansas State * W, 4-0 April 4 at Kansas State * W, 9-5 April 5 New Mexico W, 7-3 April 6 New Mexico W, 14-7 April 9 Texas Tech * 6:35 p.m. April 10 Texas Tech * (NETV/CSTV) 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 * (FSN) 3 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 * (NETV/CSTV) 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 (NETV) 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; FSN - Fox Sports Net; CSTV - College Sports Television; NETV - Nebraska Educational Television. This Week in Husker Baseball Season Record (23-5, 5-1 Big 12) National Rankings (15/13/12/16 - as of April 6) Fri. (April 5) vs. New Mexico ( ) Hawks Field W, 7-3 Sat. (April 6) vs. New Mexico Hawks Field W, 14-7 Fri. (April 9) vs. Texas Tech (17-11, 1-4 Big 12) Hawks Field 6:35 p.m. Sat. (April 10) vs. Texas Tech Hawks Field 2:05 p.m. Sun. (April 11) vs. Texas Tech Hawks Field 1:05 p.m. Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches/NCBWA Pitching Matchups Fri. - NU (Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 5-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. TTU (Steven Thomas, Sr., RHP, 2-3, 3.89 ERA) Sat. - NU (Phil Shirek, Jr., RHP, 5-0, 1.76 ERA) vs. TTU (Dallas Braden, Jr., LHP, 1-3, 4.14 ERA) Sun. - NU (Justin Pekarek, Sr., RHP, 4-0, 4.71 ERA) vs. TTU (Michael McGowan, Jr., RHP, 2-1, 3.33 ERA) Media Information Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network and KRNU (Fri.-Sun.) TV: NETV/CSTV (Sat.) Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Live Stats: Huskers.com Internet Video Streaming: All three weekend games will be video streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department. Nearly every 2004 Husker baseball game will be shown live on HuskersNside. For more information on how to subscribe, log on to Huskers.com. No. 12 Huskers Play Host to Texas Tech this Weekend The Nebraska baseball team looks to extend its eight-game winning streak this weekend as the Huskers play host to Texas Tech at Hawks Field. The three-game series between the Huskers and Red Raiders commences Friday at 6:35 p.m. with afternoon tilts on both Saturday (2:05) and Sunday (1:05). Tickets for all three games are available by calling the NU Ticket Office at Big Red or at Hawks Field 90 minutes prior to first pitch. All three games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Jim Rose and Gary Sharp calling all the action, while Saturday s contest will be shown live state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television and tape-delayed on College Sports Television (Ch. 610 on DirecTV) with Kevin Kugler and Adrian Fiala. Live stats will also be available on Huskers.com all weekend. The Huskers are enjoying one of their fastest starts in history, as NU s 23-5 mark at the halfway point of the regular season is the best since 1983, when the Huskers shot out to a 26-2 start. NU has won 16 of its last 17 games after a 7-4 start on March 13. The Huskers, who were hovering in the mid-20s in the national polls in early March, made its biggest jump of the season, moving to as high as 12th nationally this week - their highest ranking of the season. NU opened the week with a pair of wins over New Mexico (7-3, 14-7), ending a stretch of nine games over 10 days. Nebraska leads the Big 12 with a 5-1 mark, just ahead of Oklahoma (7-2) and Texas (6-2), as only three teams are above.500 through the first three weeks of league play. Texas Tech comes to Lincoln with an record after defeating Howard Payne, 17-5, on Wednesday. The Red Raiders have faced a brutal early conference schedule, having faced Texas A&M, a team that has been in the top-10 for most of the season, and Texas, which is ranked No. 1 nationally this week, in their first two weekends of league play. The Huskers lead the all-time series, 14-11, and have won the regular-season series in each of the past four seasons. Last year, NU won 2-of-3 in Lubbock and have won eight of the past 10 meetings with the Red Raiders dating back to Leading Off - Nebraska s 23-5 start through 28 games is the best since the 1983 squad opened the year with a 26-2 mark, highlighted by a school-record 26-game winning streak. It marks only the sixth time in school history that NU won 22 of its first 28 games. Best Starts in School History (28 games) Year Record Final Record Nebraska tossed four consecutive shutouts from March 30 to April 3, marking only the second time in school history that NU has blanked four straight opponents and the first since a four-game stretch in 1977 and NU had never tossed four straight shutouts in a single season before last week. In fact, the four shutouts nearly equaled all of last season s total of five. - Nebraska has opened April with five straight wins, which should not be surprising since the Huskers have traditionally played well in April. Over the last four-plus years (2000-present), NU is (.767), including a 49-8 mark at Hawks Field. - The Huskers have won a league-best 10 straight conference series, dating back to last March. At home, the streak is even more impressive as NU is 10-0 in Big 12 series since Hawks Field opened in the spring of The Huskers have a streak of 13 straight series wins at home dating back to the final season at Buck Beltzer Stadium. - The Huskers have been perched in the national polls for the past 76 weeks, dating back to April of To put that in perspective, the only current Husker to have been on a team that was unranked in his career is fifth-year senior Justin Pekarek, who was redshirting in Nebraska is (.851) since moving into Hawks Field at the start of the 2002 season. - NU s.978 fielding percentage is on pace to break the school record of.971 set in 1994 and 1995, as NU has put together a pair of streaks of 45 or more consecutive innings of error-free baseball.

2 Head Coach Mike Anderson Northern Colorado, 1990 (70-23 (.753) - Second Season) 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 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. Rotation vs. Texas Tech Zach Kroenke (pronounced KRON-neck-ee) So. LHP Omaha, Neb. 2004: Kroenke seeks his team-leading sixth win of the season in Friday s series opener...has made seven starts, going 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA, while striking out 43 in 47.2 innings of work...averages nearly a strikeout per inning and ranks among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (sixth) and opponent batting average (.194, fourth)...is even better in league play, going 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA, while holding opponents to a league-low.125 average...has pitched at least fi ve innings in all seven starts and is 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA over his last four starts, covering 29 innings...earned Big 12 honors against Kansas State in his last start, allowing one hit in a complete-game win over the Wildcats...struck out seven and allowed one runner in scoring position as he faced one batter over the minimum...tossed the fi rst individual one-hitter since Aaron Marsden tossed a one-hitter vs. Texas A&M in was solid against KU, holding the Jayhawks, who led the Big 12 in hitting with a.346 average, to fi ve hits over six-plus innings in a 3-2 win (3/26)...was dominant against Boston College, allowing one run in a season-high 7.1 innings of work (3/19)...struck out eight and allowed one hit over the fi rst 6.1 innings...turned in a strong performance against San Diego (3/12), allowing one run on six hits and taking a shutout into the seventh...allowed three runs on fi ve hits in 5.1 innings in a no-decision against No. 22 Florida State (3/5)...scattered fi ve hits and allowed four runs in seven-plus innings against Northwestern State on Feb struck out a career-high 11 Wildcats, including six straight, in 6.1 innings of work against Northwestern in the season opener (2/20) Highlights: Was one of the Big 12 s top freshman hurlers, going 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 59.2 innings...enjoyed nearly a 2-to-1 strikeout-towalk 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-ofthe-Week honors, going 2-0 in 11.2 innings in wins over Cal Poly and Oklahoma...tossed a complete-game sixhitter 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, Kroenke pitched for Northwest High School in Omaha...earned first-team All-Nebraska honors from 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 TOTAL Phil Shirek (pronounced SHEAR-ik) Jr. RHP Minot, N.D. 2004: Junior who has been impressive early in the season...is 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA, while holding foes to a.243 average...has won his last fi ve appearances, including four straight starts, and ranks second in the Big 12 in ERA...has allowed three-extra base hits in 30.2 innings...is 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA since moving into the weekend rotation...went fi ve-plus innings in his last start in a 4-0 shutout of Kansas State on Saturday...allowed just three hits in helping the Huskers to a fourth straight shutout...had one of the best outings of his career in a complete-game win against Kansas on March 26...struck out a career-best 10 Jayhawks and scattered seven hits in a game that was shortened to seven innings because of the Big 12 run-rule...scattered four hits and allowed one run in a 10-1 win over Boston College (3/21)...struck out three Eagles and allowed one hit in final three innings...pitched well in the series finale at San Diego State in PETCO Park, allowing two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings in his first start of the season (3/14)...tossed 4.2 innings of relief vs. West Virginia to pick up the win (3/7)...faced one over the minimum through his first four innings against the Mountaineers..also made scoreless relief outings vs. No. 15 North Carolina and Kent State...pitched for Harwich in the Cape Cod League, going 0-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 10 outings last summer Highlights: Compiled a 5-3 record with a 3.90 ERA in 18 appearances, including 10 starts...held opponents to a.227 average in 62.1 innings of work...earned his first career Big 12 win, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings against Oklahoma State on May 12, helping the Huskers to a series sweep over the Cowboys...was dominant in a win over Creighton on April 29, tossing eight shutout innings and allowing one runner to reach scoring position. He struck out two and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced...pitched at least fi ve innings in fi ve of his 10 starts in Highlights Tabbed a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, going 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 18 appearances. Prior: NU s first signee from North Dakota since current Anaheim Angels All-Star Darin Erstad...Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in the state of North Dakota in both baseball and football as a high school senior...broke the American Legion national tournament record with 20 strikeouts in a regional game, eclipsing the national tournament record held by former Baltimore Orioles great Dave McNally. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO TOTAL Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

3 Rotation vs. Texas Tech Justin Pekarek (pronounced puh-car-eck) Sr. LHP Staplehurst, Neb. Senior Justin Pekarek looks for his fi rst Big 12 win, as he takes the hill in Sunday s series finale...fi fth-year senior who is 4-0 with a 4.71 ERA in eight outings, including seven starts...has a 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, walking ony six hitters in 36.1 innings of work...has already topped his entire career totals in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts, as he is fully recovered after two years of elbow injuries...has pitched exceptionally well in his last fi ve outings, going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 23 strikeouts (and only two walks) in 24 innings, while holding hitters to a.167 average...received a no-decision against KSU on Sunday, allowing three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings...turned in the fi nest outing of his career against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, tossing six innings of no-hit ball in NU s 10-0 win (3/30)...struck out a career-high seven Panthers and retired the last 16 batters he faced...earned the win at Creighton, fanning six in a career-best 6.1 innings of work in NU s 7-3 win (3/23)...retired 12 straight Bluejays at one point, while setting personal bests in innings and matching his strikeout high as a Husker...scattered three hits over fi ve scoreless innings against Western Illinois (3/17), striking out four in the Huskers 8-0 win...came out of the bullpen against UCLA, tossing two scoreless innings in a 4-2 loss to the Bruins (3/13)...struck out a career-high six Mountaineers against West Virginia on March 7, but allowed four runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings...turned in one of the best outings of his career against No. 15 North Carolina on Feb earned the win against the Tar Heels, allowing four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work...retired 14 of 15 Tar Heels at one point, including 11 straight entering the sixth inning...allowed fi ve runs on six hits in 3.1 innings at New Mexico (2/21) before leaving with a 6-5 lead...chosen one of three captains 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 NBC World Series Highlights: Went 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA in 17 innings of work...earned his fi rst career win against Western Illinois on April 2, allowing three runs in fi ve innings...tossed a complete-game (6 IP because of rain) win against South Dakota, striking out fi ve and allowing one run...missed all of 2002 season after elbow surgery Highlights: Went 0-1 with a save and a 3.88 ERA in three outings, holding opponents to a.125 average...earned a save in three innings of no-hit ball against Lamar...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 TOTAL Last Season vs. Texas Tech Game 1 (Texas Tech 16, NU 9): Matt Wells homered and drove in a career-high four runs, but Nebraska fell to the Red Raiders, 16-9, in the series opener. The sophomore catcher went 2-for-4, including his second homer of the year, but Texas Tech took control of the game with a nine-run sixth inning off three Husker pitchers. Curtis Ledbetter also had two hits, including a three-run homer, but NU starter Aaron Marsden allowed seven runs - fi ve earned - on nine hits in 5.1 innings to suffer his fi rst loss since March of 2002 Game 2 (NU 6, Texas Tech 3): Quinton Robertson allowed one unearned run in seven innings, as Nebraska evened the series with a 6-3 win. Robertson, who improved to 6-1 on the season, struck out four and scattered fi ve hits, matching his longest outing of the year. Nebraska, which had 12 hits, took advantage of three Red Raider errors, converting them into four unearned runs. Brandon Fusilier and Jeff Leise had three hits each to pace the Husker offensive attack. Game 3 (NU 8, Texas Tech 4): Nebraska belted four homers and got strong relief performances from Steve Hale and Mike Sillman, as the Huskers took the rubber game of the series over Texas Tech with an 8-4 win. Jeff Leise, Matt Wells, Matt Hopper and Joe Simokaitis all homered, accounting for seven of the Huskers eight runs. Wells two-run shot in the sixth broke a 3-all tie and highlighted a three-run inning for the Big Red. Hale threw 3.1 innings of three-hit ball for the win, while Sillman fi red 2.2 innings of no-hit ball, escaping a two-on, one-out situation in the seventh, en route to his fi rst career save. 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 NU/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...1,687-1, Years in NCAA Tournament... Eight...(1979, 1980, 1985, ) Conference Titles...Five...(1929, 1948, 1950, 2001 and 2003) NCAA Tournament Record College World Series Appearances (2001 and 2002) Media Information Baseball SID...Shamus McKnight McKnight s Offi ce Phone... (402) McKnight s Cell Phone... (402) Pressbox Phone...(402) McKnight s ... smcknight@huskers.com Sports Information Fax... (402) Website... Huskers.com Husker Career Totals vs. Texas Tech Year ERA W L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO Robertson Shirek Sillman Kroenke Schoeninger Becker Year Avg GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB ATT Bruce Gordon Grose Ledbetter Mullinax Simokaitis Steele Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes 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) (.917) Totals (.852) Noting the Husker Hitters John Grose C Sr. Henderson, Nev. Three-year starter and team co-captain for the second straight season...career.339 hitter who is off to a slow start, hitting just.179 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 22 contests...hitting.250 with both homers and 10 RBIs over his last 13 games, dating back to March 14...strong defensive presence behind the plate who excels at handling pitchers and controlling the running game...has thrown out 40 percent of base stealers this season and has allowed just three stolen bases since Feb drove in a career-high five RBIs - including the first grand slam of his career - on Monday vs. New Mexico...snapped an 0-for-13 stretch with a single in Sunday s finale vs. KSU...went 6-for-12 with a homer and three RBIs vs. Kansas with multihit games in all three contests...was hit twice and stole a base vs. Creighton (3/23)...went 2-for-8 against Boston College, including a pair of runs scored...went 2-for-7 with a pair of RBIs at New Mexico...went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored vs. Kent State...hit a career-high three times and scored twice vs. Northwestern...hit.302 with four homers and 22 RBIs in split time with All-American Jed Morris in 2002, batting.384 with four homers and 38 RBIs...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 first-team All-Big 12 designated hitter who moved to first base this spring...preseason All-American who hit.348 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs in enters the weekend with a.283 average with two homers and 28 RBIs...tied with Alex Gordon for the team-lead with seven game-winning RBIs, including four in the last seven games...is hitting.357 (10-for-28) with two homers and 11 RBIs in six games since returning to the lineup after a shoulder injury...went 3-for-9 vs. New Mexico during the mid-week series...hit.429 (6-for-14) wtih two homers and seven RBIs vs. KSU...homered in each of the first two games before going 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the finale...was hitting.351 with 10 RBIs over his last 10 games before suffering a shoulder injury in the series opener vs. KU and missing three games...solid defensive first baseman who has not made an error in 193 chances...had three hits and drove in three runs in NU s 7-3 win at Creighton (3/23)...went just 2-for-12 with an RBI vs. Boston College...went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs vs. SDSU (3/14)...came off the bench for a pinch-hit two-run single vs. UCLA (3/13)...had three hits vs. West Virginia (3/7)...went 2-for-5 with three RBIs vs. No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...also drove in three runs vs. New Mexico (2/21)...is 9-for-11 with three homers and 29 RBIs with the bases loaded during NU career...has two career multi-homer games (last vs. KSU on 3/20/03)...played one year at Garden City (Kan.) CC, batting.404 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs...drafted in the 39th round by Cleveland in the 2000 MLB Draft, Jake Mullinax 2B Sr. Hesperia, Calif. Senior co-captain who is NU s returning starter at second...enters the weekend with a.382 average (fifth in the Big 12) with four homers, 21 RBIs and a team-high 11 sacrifices...ranks second in hits (39) and third in homers, runs scored (28) and doubles (nine)...has hit between second and fourth in the lineup this season...is the only player in the Big 12 hitting.350 or better with five or more sacrifices and has excellent range at second...is hitting.500 (8-for-16) with four RBIs and and four runs scored in his last four games...went 3-for-3 and reached base all five times he batted vs. New Mexico on Monday...was 5-for-13 vs. KSU last weekend with two hits in each of NU s first two contests...2-for-5 with three RBIsin the opener against KSU on Friday (4/2)...went 4-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs against Kansas, homering in both ends of Sunday s twinbill split...matched his career high with four RBIs in a 12-9 loss to KU (3/28)...had three hits and scored twice vs. Creighton (3/23)...led NU with a.429 average (6-for-14) in San Diego, including three-hit games vs. USD and SDSU...was 4-for-12 at Minnesota and had three hits and drove in a career-high four runs vs. West Virginia (3/5), including a three-run inside-the-park homer, the first by a Husker since tied or set then-career high in hits (4), RBIs (3) and runs scored (4) vs. Kent State (2/22)...has a.976 fielding percentage, committing three errors in 123 chances...honorable-mention All- Big 12 selection who hit.320 with 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored in 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 infields...is hitting.340 with 17 RBIs, seven doubles and a team-high seven stolen bases...has been effective in the clutch, hitting.406 with runners in scoring position and has been stellar in the field, committing four errors in 112 chances...went 16 games without an error from March 7 to April 6...had two hits in the opener vs. Kansas State and went 3-for-13 vs. KSU...went 8-for-12 with five RBIs vs. Boston College, posting three-hit games the first two games of the series...had three hits, including a ninth-inning RBI single off BC ace Chris Lambert and drove in four runs in the series finale...went 5-for-13 with three runs scored at the Minnesota Tourney...hit.400 (4-for-10) with two doubles and two runs scored at Rice Tourney...has 10 multi-hit games, including a career-best four-hit day vs. Kent State (2/22)...hit.293 with a homer and 39 RBIs in set a school mark with 194 assists in led the nation with 16 sacrifice bunts in his 29 career sacrifices are the most by any active Division I player (20th all time)...hit.236 with 16 RBIs as a freshman, helping NU to the College World Series...attended St. Mary s High School in St. Louis, the same alma mater of former Major Leaguers Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola. Alex Gordon 3B So. Lincoln, Neb. Returning starter at third who ranks among the Big 12 s top performers...golden Spikes Watch List member who is second in the Big 12 in hitting (.392), while leading the conference in both slugging percentage (.852) and on-base percentage (.515)...is second in the league in both homers and RBIs, third in total bases (87) and fifth in walks (23)...leads NU in nearly every category, including hits (40), runs (33), doubles (10), triples (2), walks (23) and game-winning RBIs (seven)...hitting.442 with runners in scoring position and.432 with 18 RBIs in two-out situations...also paces NU in both multi-hit (13) and multi-rbi games (13)...has seven homers and 23 RBIs in his last 12 games...drove in a career-high five RBIs, including the second grand slam of his career, vs. New Mexico on Tuesday...was held in check by KSU, going 4-for-13 with two RBIs...went 5-for-8 with a homer and six RBIs vs. UW-Milwaukee..went 4-for-11 against Kansas, including a two-run homer in the finale (3/28)...broke a two-all tie with a seventh inning homer at Creighton (3/23)..had two hits and drove in four runs vs. BC (3/21)...went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs vs. Western Illinois (3/17)...all-tournament selection at Minnesota, hitting.455 (5-for-11) with four doubles and four RBIs..tied school record with three doubles vs. WVU (3/5)..hit a team-best.455 at Rice tourney, including a homer and three RBIs in the win over Northwestern State (2/27)...had first career multihomer day and drove in five runs vs. Northwestern (2/20)...hit.319 with seven homers and 48 RBIs to garner Freshman All-America honors in three-time All-Nebraska selection at Lincoln Southeast HS, hitting.483 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs during his career & 2002 Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year...his father (Mike, NU) and older brother (Eric, Nebraska-Omaha) played collegiate baseball. Jesse Boyer OF Jr. Littleton, Colo. Junior college transfer who has been spark plug in his first season at NU, hitting.311 with 23 runs scored and an on-base percentage of had reached safely in his first 18 contests before the streak was snapped in Saturday s win over Kansas State...ranks among the team leaders with a.441 on-base percentage...dnp vs. New Mexico...went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored vs. UW-Milwaukee on March 31 after missing two games with an elbow bruise...was 1-for-6 with three runs scored against Kansas, as he left the finale after being hit by a pitch on his elbow...had a double vs. Creighton (3/23) after missing four contests with a groin injury...saw a team-high 10-game hit streak snapped in the series opener vs. KU...has five multi-hit games, including two of NU s five hits vs. UCLA (3/13)...hit.308 with a.471 on-base percentage at San Diego...earned all-tournament honors at Minnesota, hitting.500 (5-for-10) with five runs scored and three stolen Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

5 Noting the Husker Hitters bases...went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases vs. WVU (3/7)...went 3-for-11 with five RBIs at the Rice tourney...had two hits and drove in both of NU s runs against No. 2 Rice and Wade Townsend (2/28)...scored a seasonhigh four runs in a 12-8 win over New Mexico (2/21)...redshirted in batted.397 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 16 stolen bases at Neosho (Kan.) County CC in 2002, earning all-region honors. Colin Shockey OF Jr. LaVista, Neb. Versatile player who could play INF, OF or pitch...hitting.333 with 13 RBIs, 23 runs scored and an OBP of.483 (5th in the Big 12)...has been in the lead-off spot in recent weeks, as NU is 11-1 with Shockey at the top of the lineup...hit safely in 19 of 25 games, including a three-hit effort vs. West Virginia (3/7)...is hitting.409 with runners on base and has five sacrifices...has been hit by pitches a team-high 14 times...suffered an injury to his foot after fouling off a pitch on Saturday, but played the following day...had two hits vs. New Mexico on Monday and pitched a scoreless ninth on Tuesday...hit 500 with four runs scored vs. UW-Milwaukee...went 3-for-11 with three runs scored vs. Kansas, including two hits in the series opener...went 4-for-12 with two doubles and five runs scored vs. Boston College...was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and tossed a perfect inning of relief in the opener (3/19)...went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs vs. Northwestern (2/20)..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 in 2003 to earn first-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 in right field...hitting.289 with five homers and 21 RBIs...is second on the team in homers and third in RBIs...hitting.412 with runners in scoring position...has been on a tear since moving into the No. 2 spot in the lineup on March 19, hitting.346 (18-for-52) with 18 runs scored over his last 14 games...has been hit 11 times, increasing his school record to 51...went 2-for-4 and matched his career best with four runs scored vs. New Mexico on Tuesday...went 3-for-12 with two RBIs vs. KSU, including the go-ahead hit in the finale...was 3-for-6 against UW-Milwaukee, including a homer and two RBIs...hit.444 (4-for-9) with five runs scored against Kansas...went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and reached base all five times vs. KU (3/28)...had three hits and scored twice vs. Creighton (3/23)...drove in three runs in the series opener vs. Boston College...broke a 4-all tie with a 12th inning homer vs. USD (3/12)...homered and drove in three runs in each of NU s first three games...had three hits vs. UNM and scored four runs vs. Northwestern in the opener...academic All- America candidate with a GPA in English...hit.311 with six homers and 33 RBIs in earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors in 2002 ( )...set a school record and tied the Big 12 mark with 28 hit by pitches...a three-time All-Nebraska selection at Millard West High School, batting.448 with 48 RBIs as a senior. Al Smith 1B/DH Fr. Omaha, Neb. True freshman who has been a valuable reserve in his first year at Nebraska...enters the weekend hitting.267 with a homer and five walks in nine games...went 2-for-5 in two starts vs. New Mexico...was 1-for-3 with a career-high three walks on Tuesday vs. New Mexico...has not played in either Big 12 series...had his best weekend against Boston College, going 2-for- 4 with a homer and a walk in two appearances...belted his first career homer in the opener against the Eagles...was a twotime All-Nebraska selection at Omaha Westside High School, batting.500 with seven homers and 47 RBIs as a senior. Tyler Vaughn INF Fr. Colorado Springs, Colo. Freshman who provides solid depth across the infield...enters the weekend hitting.143 with three RBIs scored in 11 contests...drove in a career-high two runs vs. New Mexico on Tuesday...was 1-for-3 with a double and three runs scored vs UW-Milwaukee (3/31)...had his first career hit and drove in his first run vs. UWM...earned honorable-mention All-Colorado honors in 2003, batting.492 with four homers, 17 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Johnny Bowden C Fr. Springfield, Ore. Freshman who is the Huskers third catcher and enters the Texas Tech series hitting.166 with two RBIs and three runs scored in 11 games...has an eye for getting on base (.444 OBP), drawing five walks in just 20 plate appearances...enjoyed his best day as a Husker against Kansas in NU s Big 12 opener, going 1-for-1 with two walks and a sacrifice in a 3-2 win (3/ 26)..went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the nightcap vs. Western Illinois (3/17)...drove in his first career RBI in a start against No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...earned second-team All-Class 4A honors at Thurston (Ore.) High School, hitting.400 with eight homers and 18 RBIs as a senior...was recruited by Division I schools in baseball, wrestling and football. Chad Steele C So. Omaha, Neb. Sophomore who is hitting.267 wth 14 RBIs in 21 contests...usually catches against right-handers and also sees time at DH and can play left field...has a good eye at the plate, drawing 10 walks and is second on the squad with nine doubles...has been on a tear as of late, going 7-for-12 with five doubles and eight RBIs in his last five games...went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs vs. New Mexico on Tuesday...was 1-for-3 in a start vs. KSU on Saturday...went 2-for-4 with three RBIs against UW-Milwaukee (3/30)...came off the bench for a pair of doubles in NU s 13-3 win over Kansas (3/28)...had a pair of hits in the opener against Western Illinois (3/17)...sparked NU s win over Kent State, going 2-for-5 with a career-high three RBIs (2/22)...appeared in 26 games as a redshirt freshman, batting.278 with four RBIs...made 15 starts and had an on-base percentage of took a medical redshirt in 2002 after having shoulder surgery in the fall of was a two-time All- Nebraska performer at Omaha Gross High School, batting.487 with 22 RBIs during his senior season. Beau Sullivan 1B Jr. Woodward, Okla. Junior college transfer who has seen the majority of action at first base because of injuries..enters the weekend with a.250 average with a homer and eight RBIs in 17 contests...batting.318 (7-for-22) in two-out situations and is second on the squad with two sacrifice flies...went hitless in 10 at-bats vs. KSU...had been on a tear before that series, hitting.357 with six RBIs in his previous nine contests...was 3-for-6 with a double and two runs scored vs. UW-Milwaukee...drove in a pair of runs in NU s 7-3 win at Creighton (3/23)...hit.333 vs. Boston College, including a 10th-inning RBI single in a 3-2 win over the Eagles...went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored in the nightcap against Western Illinois (3/17)...homered and drove in two runs in NU s victory over Kent State (2/22)...played two seasons at Seminole (Okla.) Junior College, where he hit.316 with nine homers and 52 RBIs to earn all-regional honors. Braden Keith OF Fr. Elbert, Colo. Freshman who has made a name for himself as the Huskers fourth outfielder..is hitting.365 with a homer, eight RBIs and 15 runs scored in 20 contests...leading NU in hitting with runners in scoring position (.538) and with two-outs (.600)...missed a week after a hamstring injury, but is hitting.440 with a homer and six of his eight RBIs in the last seven contests...went 4-for-9 vs. New Mexico, including a three-hit day on Tuesday...was 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday s finale at KSU...came off the bench for two hits, including a two-run homer, in the series finale with KU (3/28)...had two hits and a pair of RBIs vs. UW-Milwaukee (3/30)...went 3-for-5 with four runs scored in his first career start vs. Kent State (2/22)...was three-time All-Colorado selection for Coach Blaine Miller at Falcon High School...hit over.480 in each of his four years at FHS, driving in 105 runs during his prep career...first-team All-Colorado outfielder who hit.600 with five homers, 28 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes 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. 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. 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 that runs from 6 to 8 p.m. (central) on Pinnacle s statewide network. 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

6 Scouting Texas Tech Under long-time Head Coach Larry Hays ( in 18 years at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders come to Lincoln with an mark after winning a mid-week game on Wednesday. Tech, which had made eight straight NCAA appearances until the streak was snapped in 2003, brings a balanced offense to town, as the team is hitting.312 with six starters batting above.330, including Josh Brady s team-high.367 average. The Red Raiders rank second in the league in both homers (62) and homers (41). Brady leads Texas Tech in nearly every offensive category, including homers (10) and stolen bases (15) while ranking second in stolen bases. Michael Mask is also above.350 with nine homers and a team-high 44 RBIs. On the hill, 11 pitchers have at least one of the Red Raiders 18 wins. Closer Steve Gooch is 3-0 with a team-best two saves. as Texas Tech is holding teams to a.270 average. Nebraska has won eight of the past 10 meetings to take a slim lead in the series that dates back to The teams met only five teams before the Big 12 was formed in Last season, NU took 2-of-3 in Lubbock en route to their second league crown in three years. Team Comparison Offense Huskers...Category... Red Raiders 28...Games Batting Average At Bats... 1, Runs/Game Hits/Game Home Runs Stolen Bases Pitching/Defense Huskers...Category... Red Raiders ERA Innings Runs Allowed/Game Strikeouts Walks Hits Allowed/Game Errors Fielding Pct Last Time Out Nebraska jumped right back into action after the Kansas State series, taking two games from New Mexico earlier this week. With the wins, NU won eight of nine games during a nine-game, 10-day stretch. Monday (Nebraska 7, New Mexico 3) John Grose homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead No. 12 Nebraska to a 7-3 win over New Mexico Monday evening at Hawks Field. The senior belted a third-inning grand slam off New Mexico reliever Karsten Gaarder the first of Grose s career - as Nebraska jumped to a 7-2 lead and cruised to its seventh straight victory and 15th win in the last 16 games. While Grose provided most of the offensive firepower, Quinton Robertson and Brad Furnish combined to allow just one earned run and fan a season-high 14 Lobos without a walk. Robertson (3-4) went the first 5.2 innings for his second straight win, allowing three runs one earned - on nine hits, as he matched his career high with seven strikeouts. Furnish then closed the door, fanning a career-best seven Lobos in 3.1 innings of no-hit Husker Baseball Notes vs. Texas Tech relief for his first career save. Second baseman Jake Mullinax had a three-hit night and reached base all five times, while center fielder Colin Shockey went 2-for-4 with a walk, as the Huskers had nine hits off four Lobo pitchers. Tuesday (Nebraska 14, New Mexico 7) Alex Gordon had two hits, including a grand slam, and matched his career high with five RBIs, as No. 12 Nebraska posted a 14-7 win over New Mexico on Tuesday. Gordon belted his 11th homer of the season to highlight a seven-run fifth inning, propelling the Huskers (23-5) to their eighth straight win. He was one of five Huskers to record multiple-hit days, as Curtis Ledbetter and Chad Steele also had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Daniel Bruce went 2-for-4 with four runs scored. Braden Keith led NU s 15-hit attack with three hits and scored twice, as all nine starters had at least one hit. Tim Schoeninger (3-0) struck out four in 1.2 innings for the win in relief of starter Jon Klausing, while Brett Jensen, Jeremy Becker and Colin Shockey all tossed scoreless innings of relief. Gordon Makes Case at Third One of the reasons for the Huskers quick start has been the play of third baseman Alex Gordon. The sophomore from Lincoln has been a steady force in the middle of the Husker lineup, leading the Big Red in nearly every offensive category. Gordon, who was named to the Golden Spikes Watch List on Wednesday, also paces NU in multihit games (13) and multi-rbi efforts (13) and has been walked a team-best 23 times. He also tied Curtis Ledbetter for the team lead with seven gamewinning RBIs in The following is a comparison of Gordon against the preseason All-American third basemen picked by national publications. Comparing Gordon with Preseason All-Americans Name, School GP Avg. HR RBI Slg. OBP Alex Gordon, NU Gabby Sanchez, Miami Brad McCann, Clemson Josh Fields, Okla. St Michael Griffin, Baylor Neil Sellers, E. Kent Brett Carroll, MSTU Eddy Martinez-Esteve, FSU Pitchers Set Big 12 Mark Last week, the Nebraska pitching staff established a record with 43.1 scoreless innings. The record, which included 42 complete innings and parts of two others, broke the Big 12 record of 41 set by Texas in In all, the Husker pitchers tossed a pair of one-hitters, a three-hitter and a five-hitter before Kansas State scored a run in the fourth inning of NU s win. Oklahoma held the Big Eight record with 31 straight scoreless innings in 1971, while Arizona State set the NCAA mark with 64 straight scoreless innings back in Ouch! Husker hitters have been hit at an alarming rate over the first half of the season. Nebraska hitters have been hit 64 times, including 15 games of three or more. The Huskers have been hit 39 times over the last 14 games, including a season-high six times against UW-Milwaukee on March 30. Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Colin Shockey leads the Huskers with 14 HBPs, while Daniel Bruce been hit 11 times, increasing his school record to 53 in 146 career games. At the current rate, NU s projected 56-game regular season total would be 128, breaking the NCAA record of 125 set by Nevada in NCAA Hit-by-Pitch Marks Team Year Games HBP Nevada Long Beach State Arizona State Long Beach State San Jose State Nebraska Checking the Calender Nebraska s game on April 24 at Texas has been moved to a 3 p.m. start (originally 2 p.m.) because the game will be televised on Fox Sports Net. The Huskers game against the Longhorns is one of three Big 12 regular-season games on Fox Sports Net this spring. It is one of four upcoming Husker games on TV this spring, as matchups with Texas Tech (April 10), Texas A&M (May 1) and Creighton (May 18) will also be televised. Huskers are Making Sacrifices Nebraska made sacrifice hits an art form through the early part of the year, ranking second in the Big 12 with 36 sacrifices. Jake Mullinax leads NU with 11 sacrifices, while Daniel Bruce (six), Braden Keith (four) and Joe Simokaitis (four) have combined for 24 of the Huskers 36 sacrifices. Of those, NU has enjoyed great success, as 26 of the sacrifices have led directly to runs. NU had a league-best five sacrifice hits against both New Mexico (Feb. 20) and San Diego State (March 14). The NCAA and Big 12 record for sacrifices in a season is 126 by Texas in NCAA Sacrifice Bunt Record (Game) No. Team vs. Opponent Date 6 UAB vs. Houston April 8, Tennessee Tech vs. Georgia Tech May 3, Many Times (last NU vs. SDSU) March 14, 2004 Thou Shall Not Steal on Husker Catchers Nebraska s catching duo of John Grose and Chad Steele have combined to throw out 12 of 25 would-be base stealers this season. Grose, who was limited by an elbow injury last spring, has thrown out 40 percent of runners, while Steele has thrown out 57 percent in 14 attempts. The 13 stolen bases given up by NU is the lowest in the Big 12. NU Shows Outstanding Penmanship Nebraska s bullpen corps has proven to be among the Big 12 s best over the first half of the season. Husker relievers are a combined 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 94.1 innings of work. NU is 8-of-9 in save opportunities and has allowed just 14 of 59 inherited runners to score. The bullpen has allowed just 13 extra-base hits and opponents are hitting just.225 on the season. In all, six pitchers have at least one save, while Brett Jensen (2-of-10), Dustin Timm (2-of-12), Tim Schoeninger (3-of-10) and Jeremy Becker (0-for-12) have combined to allow just 7-of-44 (16 percent) of runners to score.