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) Home Phone: (402) Cell Phone: (402) Release Date: May 13, 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 * W, 3-1 April 10 Texas Tech * (NETV/CSTV) L, 7-10 April 11 Texas Tech * L, 3-10 April 13 No. 10 Wichita State W, 7-4 April 16 at Missouri * L, 2-3 April 17 at Missouri * L, April 18 at Missouri * W, April 20 Creighton L, 4-6 April 23 at No. 1 Texas * L, 2-8 April 24 at No. 1 Texas * (FSN) L, 2-4 April 25 at No. 1 Texas * W, 4-3 April 27 Northern Colorado W, 4-3 April 28 Northern Colorado W, 13-7 April 30 No. 10 Texas A&M * W, 4-1 May 1 No. 10 Texas A&M * (NETV/CSTV) L, 2-4 May 2 No. 10 Texas A&M * L, 6-7 May 8 at No. 21 Oklahoma State * L, 4-7 May 9 at No. 21 Oklahoma State * L, 2-6 May 10 at No. 21 Oklahoma State * W, 9-1 May 11 Northern Iowa W, 15-6 May 12 Northern Iowa W, 5-2 May 14 at Baylor * 7 p.m. May 15 at Baylor * 7 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 (33-16, Big 12) National Rankings (--/--/23 - as of May 10) Tues. (May 11) Northern Iowa Hawks Field W, 15-6 Wed. (May 12) Northern Iowa Hawks Field W, 5-2 Fri. (May 14) Baylor (23-25, 10-9 Big 12) Waco, Texas 7 p.m. Sat. (May 15) Baylor Waco, Texas 7 p.m. Sun. (May 16) Baylor Waco, Texas 1 p.m. Note: All rankings are listed as follows: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly-ESPN Coaches Pitching Matchups Fri. - NU (Zach Kroenke, So., LHP, 7-2, 2.95 ERA) vs. BU (Sean Walker, Jr., RHP, 3-5, 3.79 ERA) Sat. - NU (Phil Shirek, Jr., RHP, 5-1, 3.33 ERA) vs. BU (Trey Taylor, Jr., LHP, 5-3, 3.22 ERA) Sun. - NU (TBA) vs. BU (Mark McCormick, So., RHP, 2-3, 2.87 ERA) Media Information Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Internet Video Streaming: Every remaining regular-season game will be video streamed live on HuskersNside, which is a subscription-based service of the Nebraska Athletic Department. For more information on how to subscribe, visit Huskers.com. Huskers Travel to Baylor in Key Big 12 Matchup One of the more intriguing series in the Big 12 takes place this weekend, as No. 23 Nebraska travels to Baylor for a three-game series at the Baylor Ballpark. The Huskers and Bears will face off in a pair of evening matchups on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (7 p.m.) before the series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Jim Rose and Gary Sharp calling all of the action and on the Internet on Huskers.com. Live stats will be available on Huskers.com, while a live video stream is available on HuskersNside, as every remaining regular-season game will be carried live on the premium site. Nebraska (33-16, Big 12) heads to Waco riding a modest three-game winning streak after sweeping a pair of mid-week contests against Northern Iowa (15-6, 5-2) at Hawks Field. This weekend s trip marks the Huskers final regularseason trip outside the state, as they look to make a late-season push before the Big 12 Tournament in Arlington, Texas, in two weeks. Baylor comes into the weekend looking to shed a two-game losing streak after dropping single games to UT-Arlington (3-4) and Texas State (4-7) earlier in the week. The Bears are overall, but are in sixth in the Big 12 with an 10-9 record, just ahead of Nebraska s league mark. The Huskers and Bears have been two of the Big 12 s top programs in recent years, combining for three of the league s past four regular-season titles (Nebraska in 2001 and 2003; Baylor in 2000) and each of the last six Big 12 Players of the Year, including former Huskers Matt Hopper (2003), Jed Morris (2002) and Shane Komine (2000). The Huskers and Bears have both made NCAA Regionals in each of the past five seasons, joining Texas as the only league schools to make that claim. The Huskers are looking to turn their fortunes around in Waco, as NU has won just one in seven tries since the Big 12 was formed, a 15-4 win during the 2002 season. Five of the last six losses in Waco since 2000 have been by three runs or less, including a trio of one-run setbacks. Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Saturday Time Change Saturday s game at Baylor has been moved from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to reduce conflict with Baylor s graduation ceremonies also slated Saturday. Bruce Named Academic All-District VII Junior outfielder Daniel Bruce was honored on Thursday, as he was a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District VII selection. The Omaha, Neb., native is hitting.253 in 47 games with seven homers and 30 RBIs. In the classroom, he carries a GPA in English and is bidding to become a twotime Academic All-Big 12 selection. Bruce is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and looks to become NU s ninth baseball Academic All-America since Alex the Ironman Third baseman Alex Gordon is the lone Husker to start all 49 games this season, and has been in the starting lineup the past 73 contests, dating back to April 23, This season, Gordon has played in of Nebraska s innings, sitting out the final two innings of NU s wins over Kent State (Feb. 22) and Boston College (March 21). The Huskers Bruise Brothers At first glance, the Huskers career hit-by pitch list looks very much like the 2004 lineup. Of the top 11 players on the all-time list (21 or more HBP), five are current players and a sixth is second-year volunteer assistant Brandt Vlieger NU hitters have been 87 times, 12 shy of the school and Big 12 record set in No. Mark Player Year Daniel Bruce Dave Crain Brandt Vlieger Bryan Schmidt Derek Dukart Corey Miller Jed Dalton John Grose Jake Mullinax Joe Simokaitis Alex Gordon 2003-

2 Head Coach Mike Anderson Northern Colorado, 1990 (80-34 (.701) - 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 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. Probable Rotation vs. Baylor Zach Kroenke (pronounced KRON-neck-key) So. LHP Omaha, Neb. Overview: Kroenke seeks his team-high eighth win of the season in Friday s series opener...has made 12 starts, going 7-2 with a 2.95 ERA, while striking out 62 in 82.1 innings...ranks in the top 10 in the league in ERA (eighth), opponent batting average (.225, sixth) and complete games (two, fourth)...has pitched at least fi ve innings in 11 of his 12 starts and has allowed two runs or less in seven of his last nine outings dating back to March 12..will spend the upcoming summer pitching in the Cape Cod League for Harwich. Last Start: Kroenke took the loss in Saturday s opener with OSU, allowing career highs in hits (10) and runs (seven) over 6.1 innings in the Huskers 7-4 loss...allowed two homers - only the third and fourth surrendered and the fi rst time he allowed more than one homer in any appearance. 2004: Kroenke tossed his second complete game of the season, allowing three hits in a 4-1 victory over No. 10 Texas A&M on April 30...retired the fi rst 13 hitters and fanned four in a 108-pitch gem...suffered his fi rst loss of the season, allowing six runs on nine hits in just 3.1 innings at No. 1 Texas (4/23)...went eight solid innings against Missouri, allowing two runs on seven hits, but did not factor into the decision in NU s 3-2 loss...allowed two runs in the second then allowed only two base runners in his final six frames...turned in a strong eight innings against Texas Tech, scattering seven hits and allowing one run in a 3-1 victory (4/9)...fanned nine and held the Red Raiders scoreless over his last seven innings...earned Big 12 honors against Kansas State, allowing one hit in a complete-game win over the Wildcats (4/2)...struck out seven and allowed one runner in scoring position as he faced one batter over the minimum...tossed the first 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 7.1 innings (3/19)...struck out eight and allowed one hit over the fi rst 6.1 innings...struck out a career-high 11 Wildcats, including six straight, in 6.1 innings of work against Northwestern in the season opener (2/20). 2003: 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-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 and No. 1 Rice and CWS qualifi er Texas (at Rosenblatt Stadium). Prior: Ranked among the top 200 players in the nation according to Team One Baseball, Kroenke pitched for Northwest High School in Omaha...earned fi rst-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. Overview: Junior who has been in the Huskers weekend rotation for most of the 2004 campaign and makes his ninth start of the season (27th of his career) on Saturday...is 5-1 with a 3.33 ERA, while holding foes to a.257 average...ranks 12th in the Big 12 in ERA and has allowed nine extra base hits in 51.1 innings of work...is 14-6 in 48 career appearances, striking out 126 in career innings...his 14 wins and 26 career starts are the most of any current Husker and needs two more starts to rank 10th on NU s career list. Last Outing: Pitched well in a no-decision against Oklahoma State on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings - his longest outing since March : Shirek suffered his first loss of the year, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits in four innings vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (5/1)... Turned in a strong start at No. 1 Texas, taking a shutout into the sixth, but did not factor in the decision (4/24)...allowed two runs on three hits, while fanning four Longhorns...went fi ve-plus innings in a 4-0 shutout of Kansas State (4/3)...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 seven-inning win against Kansas (3/28)...scattered seven hits and struck out a career-best 10 Jayhawks...allowed one run on four hits over six innings in a 10-1 win over Boston College (3/21)...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. 2003: Compiled a 5-3 record with a 3.90 ERA in 18 games, including 10 starts...held opponents to a.227 average in 62.1 innings...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...struck out two and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced. 2002: 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 (QB) 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...younger brother, Charlie, signed a National Letter-of-Intent with NU last November. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO TOTAL Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

3 Scouting Baylor Baylor enters this weekend s series with a record (10-9 Big 12) after falling to Texas-Arlington, 4-3, on Tuesday and Texas State, 7-4, on Wednesday at home. Steve Smith ( in 10 seasons) has led Baylor to six straight NCAA Regionals, including a Super Regional appearance last spring when they lost to LSU in three games. Offensively, the Bears have six starters above.300, including Reid Brees, who is at.343 with 12 doubles. Michael Griffin tops BU in doubles (14), homers (eight) and RBIs (36), while Josh Ford also has eight homers and 29 RBIs. BU s strength is pitching, where it us second in the Big 12 with a 3.24 ERA, and features a balanced staff with eight pitchers earning at least two wins. Trey Taylor is 5-3 with a 3.22 ERA, while Sean Walker is 3-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 73.2 innings. Baylor holds a edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1938, including a slim edge since the beginning of the Big 12 in The home team has won the regular-season series in each of the past four seasons, as NU took 2-of-3 in Lincoln in in all, the teams split six meetings in 2003, as Baylor knocked off the Huskers with a pair of wins in the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. Husker Career Totals vs. Baylor Team Comparison Huskers... Category... Baylor Games Batting Average , At Bats... 1, Runs/Game Hits/Game Home Runs Stolen Bases ERA Innings Runs Allowed/Game Strikeouts Walks Hits Allowed/Game Errors Fielding Percentage Last Season vs. Baylor May 16: (Nebraska 6, Baylor 2) - Aaron Marsden fired a complete-game six hitter, leading the Huskers to a 6-2 win in the series opener. The junior from Grand Forks, N.D., struck out a career-high 12 hitters, while tossing his fourth complete game of the year. Marsden held a Bear offense that was ranked ninth nationally in hitting to just six hits. Alex Gordon went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Jeff Leise had two hits and a pair of RBIs. May 17: (Baylor 7, Nebraska 1) - Sean Walker allowed one run in six innings, while Baylor cruised to a 7-1 victory. Walker held NU to seven hits, as Bubbs Merrill s RBI single in the second accounted for all of the Huskers scoring. NU finished with nine hits, including three by Joe Simokaitis and two by Matt Hopper, but could not capitalize, hitting into three double plays and stranding seven runners. Quinton Robertson allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings to take the loss for the first time in nine starts. May 18: (Nebraska 7, Baylor 6) - Nebraska claimed its second Big 12 regular-season title with a 7-6 comefrom-behind win. Alex Gordon s bases loaded walk with two outs in the eighth inning scored Jake Mullinax with the winning run. Mullinax reached on third baseman Paul Witt s throwing error to start the rally before walks to Jeff Leise and Matt Hopper loaded the bases. The Huskers, who trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, scored two runs when Joe Simokaitis ground ball went through Witt s legs for an error with one out and runners on second and third to tie the score. NU scored seven runs on just six hits, as Matt Hopper was the only Husker to manage two hits, including his 18th homer of the season. Mike Sillman fired 1.2 shutout innings to pick up his first win of the year. May 22 (Nebraska 9, Baylor 5) - Alex Gordon went 3-for-5 with four RBIs to lead the Huskers to a 9-5 win over Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Gordon tied career bests in both hits and RBIs and delivered the game s biggest hit, a two-run triple in the seventh off reliever Abe Woody. Gordon led the Huskers 10-hit effort, while NU got a strong start from Quinton Robertson, who allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings. Mike Sillman fanned the final two batters after the Bears loaded the bases in the ninth to pick up the save. May 24 (Baylor 7, Nebraska 5) - The Huskers went 14 innings - their longest game in five years - but fell to Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament. Steve Hale and Mike Sillman turned in a heroic bullpen effort, holding BU to just two infield hits in nine innings before the Bears scored twice in the 14th. Sillman went 5.1 innings - his longest outing in over two years - but suffered the loss after Hale tossed 4.1 innings of no-hit relief. The Huskers spotted BU a 5-0 lead, but scored three in the fourth before Alex Gordon s two-run homer in the eighth tied the score. May 24 (Baylor 6, Nebraska 2) - Nebraska was held to a season-low two hits in a 6-2 loss to Baylor. The loss, NU s second of the day to the Bears, ended the Huskers hopes for a fourth Big 12 tourney title. Alex Gordon, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Bubbs Merrill accounted for all of NU s offense, as BU scored six unanswered runs. Phil Shirek took the loss, allowing five runs in 2.1 innings. Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO Schoeninger Sillman Robertson Becker Kroenke Shirek Timm Year Avg GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB ATT Gordon Bruce Simokaitis Steele Grose Ledbetter Mullinax 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 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 Office Baseball Office 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...1,696-1, 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 Office Phone... (402) McKnight s Cell Phone... (402) Pressbox Phone...(402) McKnight s ... smcknight@huskers.com Sports Information Fax... (402) 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 Hus1ker 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) (.760) Totals (.817) Noting the Husker Hitters John Grose C Sr. Henderson, Nev. Three-year starter and two-year co-captain...career.339 hitter who is hitting.193 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 42 games...johnny Bench Award candidate is a strong defensive presence and excels at handling pitchers and controlling the running game...thrown out nearly 33 percent of base stealers this season and has helped NU s pitchers rank fourth in the Big 12 in ERA...has eight multi-hit games with six coming in league play...is hitting.313 with two homers and five RBIs in his last four games...went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs on Tuesday vs. Northern Iowa...was 2-for-12 vs. No. 21 OSU last weekend, going 2-for-4 with a homer on Sunday and driving in NU s goahead run in Monday s win...was 3-for-11 with four RBIs in three games at Missouri...had two hits and drove in three runs in the finale - all in the Huskers eight-run fifth, becoming the first Husker to have two hits in an inning since drove in a career-high five RBIs - including a grand slam - vs. New Mexico (4/5)...went 6-for-12 with a homer and three RBIs vs. Kansas with three multi-hit games...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...chosen 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 DH who moved to first base in preseason All-American who has been solid, batting.308 with eight homers and 51 RBIs...has a team-high 11 game-winning RBIs and is hitting.382 with runners in scoring position...former JC catcher who is excellent at first, making one error in 379 chances (.997)...is 9-for-15 with three homers and 30 RBIs in his career with the bases loaded...ranks among team leaders with 15 multi-hit games and 15 multi-rbi games...has been solid over the last six weeks, hitting.346 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in his last 27 games...hitting a team-best.351 in league play with five homers and 19 RBIs...had two hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in four runs in Tuesday s win over Northern Iowa..went 3-for-11 vs. Oklahoma State including two hits in Monday s win...went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (5/2)..had three hits, a homer and three RBIs vs. Northern Colorado (4/28)...Big 12 Player of the Week after hitting.564 in four games (April 12-18)...was a blistering 8-for-12 with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs vs. Missouri...matched his career high with four hits at MU (4/17)...was 5-for-12 with a homer vs. Texas Tech, including a three-hit performance (4/10)...hit.429 (6-for-14) with 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...had three hits and drove in three runs in NU s 7-3 win at Creighton (3/ 23)..went 2-for-5 with three RBIs vs. No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...hit.348 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs in 2003, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors...played one year at Garden City 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 has been a linchpin at second in hitting.347 with eight homers and 33 RBIs...second on the team in hits (61) and homers (8) and is third in doubles (12) and RBIs (33)...has excellent range, committing five errors in 202 chances (.975 pct.)...is second on the squad with 17 multi-hit games and third with eight multi-rbi contests...is 6-for-10 with two homers and six runs since Monday after ending an 0-for-16 dryspell...was 4-for-6 with a homer and four runs scored vs. UNI...had two hits, including a homer, in Monday s win at OSU...went 4-for-12 at No. 1 Texas, including a three-hit effort with two RBIs (4/25)...had a career-long 12-game hit streak April 2-20, batting.378 (17-for-45) with two homers and 11 RBIs...was 3-for-12 at Missouri, but broke a 9-all tie with a ninth-inning RBI double in the finale...went 3-for-3 and reached base all five times he batted vs. New Mexico (4/5)...was 5-for-13 vs. KSU with two hits in each of NU s first two contests...2-for-5 with three RBIs in the opener against KSU (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 drove in a career-high four runs vs. West Virginia (3/5), including a three-run inside-the-park homer...tied or set then-career high in hits (4), RBIs (3) and runs scored (4) vs. Kent State (2/22)...honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection who hit.320 with 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored in spent two seasons at Victory Valley CC, 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...hitting.283 with a homer, 30 RBIs and 13 doubles...has been effective in the clutch, hitting.355 with runners in scoring position and has been stellar in the field, committing eight errors in 203 chances (.961)...had 16-game errorless streak (3/7-4/6) and has one miscue in his last 15 contests...had two doubles in 13 at-bats vs. No. 21 OSU, including a two-run double on Monday...was 3-for-11 with four RBIs vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, including a game-winning three-run homer in the opener (4/30)...delivered a game-winning two-run single in the ninth in a 4-3 win over Northern Colorado (4/28) batted a team-high.400 (4- for-10) at Texas, including a 2-for-3 effort in the finale...had three hits and two RBIs at Missouri (3/17)...went 8-for-12 with five RBIs vs. Boston College, including two three-hit games...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 at the Minnesota Tourney...hit.400 (4-for-10) with two doubles at Rice Tourney...has 12 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 his 441 assists rank fifth on NU career charts (the highest three-year total on the list)...led the nation with 16 sacrifice bunts in 2003 and his 30 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 CWS...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. Golden Spikes Watch List member and Big 12 Player-of-the-Year candidate...named Dick Howser Award semifinalist on Friday...Midseason All-American by Baseball America and Team USA invitee...paces the Big 12 in on-base (.511) and slugging percentage (.807), total bases (142) and walks (39)...is second in the league in all three triple crown categories ( ), as well as runs (55), doubles (18) and triples (4)...hitting.409 with runners in scoring position and.377 with 27 RBIs with two outs...also paces NU in both multi-hit (22) and multi-rbi games (17), including seven games of four or more RBIs...has reached safely in 47 of 49 games...went 3-for-5 with a homer, three walks and four runs vs. Northern Iowa..hit.500 with two RBIs vs. No. 21 Oklahoma State last weekend...went 3-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs vs. Northern Colorado (4/28)...was 4-for-12 with a homer and two runs scored at No. 1 Texas...went 5-for-12 at Missouri, including a four-rbi contest (4/17)...went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs vs. No. 10 Wichita State (4/13)...notched a career-high five RBIs vs. New Mexico (4/6)...went 5-for-8 with a homer and six RBIs in two games vs. UW-Milwaukee...all-tournament selection at Minnesota, hitting.455 with four doubles and four RBIs tied school record with three doubles vs. West Virginia (3/5)..hit a team-best.455 at Rice Tourney...had first career multi-homer day and drove in five runs vs. Northwestern (2/20)...freshman All-American in 2003 ( ) and Big 12 all-tournament selection, hitting in four games...three-time first-team all-state selection at Lincoln Southeast, hitting.483 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs & 2002 Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year...father (Mike, NU) and 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.319 with 36 runs scored and a team-high 11 stolen bases in 41 games...splits time with Braden Keith in left and also is used as a DH...opened the year in the leadoff spot and gets on base 50 percent of the time to open an inning...had reached safely in his first 18 contests before the streak was snapped on April 3...reached base safely 10 straight times over a two-game span earlier this week..had three hits and matched highs in runs (4) and stolen bases (3) in Tuesday s win over Northern Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

5 Noting the Husker Hitters Iowa...hit.500 (5-for-10) with four runs scored at No. 21 Oklahoma State over the weekend...had three hits, two runs, a walk and a HBP, reaching base all five times in Monday s win...broke up Zach Jackson s perfect game with a ninth-inning infield single vs. Texas A&M (5/1) had two hits in NU s 4-2 loss to No. 1 Texas (4/24)...had three hits and drove in all three runs vs. Texas Tech (4/10)...has 10 multi-hit games, including two of NU s five hits vs. UCLA (3/ 13)...earned all-tournament honors at Minnesota, hitting.500 (5-for-10) with five runs scored...went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases vs. WVU (3/7)...had two hits and drove in both of NU s runs against No. 2 Rice and Wade Townsend (2/28)...scored a season-high four runs in a 12-8 win over New Mexico (2/21)...redshirted in hit.397 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 16 steals at Neosho County CC in 2002, earning all-region honors. Colin Shockey OF Jr. LaVista, Neb. Two-way performer who could play any position except for catcher and is the Huskers leadoff hitter...batting.305 with 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored and an OBP of has 14 multi-hit games, hits.384 with runners on base and has been hit by a team-high 15 pitches...went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in Wednesday s win over Northern Iowa...his two-run double on Saturday was his only hit in 12 at-bats vs. OSU last weekend...was 3-for-9 with four walks vs. No. 10 Texas A&M...had a career-high four hits with two doubles at Missouri (4/17)...went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and pitched the final 1.1 innings for his first win in the finale at MU (4/18)...was 5-for-13 vs. Texas Tech, including a tworun single in the finale (4/11)...had two hits and pitched a scoreless ninth vs. New Mexico (4/6)...was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and tossed a perfect inning of relief against Boston College (3/19)...had a three-hit effort vs. West Virginia (3/7)...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 2003 to earn first-team all-league honors...twotime all-state honoree at Ralston HS for his dad, Curt, hitting.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 who is hitting.253 with seven homers and 30 RBIs...is second on the team in runs scored (46), third in homers (7) and is hitting.360 with runners in scoring position...also has been hit 14 times, increasing his school mark to 56...named first-team Academic All-District VII with a GPA in English...hit.364 with a homer and five RBI at OSU, including a key grand slam in Monday s win...was 2-for-8 vs. No. 10 Texas A&M...was 3-for-12 at Texas including a homer off UT ace J.P. Howell...had two hits and scored twice in NU s win over Wichita State (4/13)...went 2-for-4 and matched his career best with four runs vs. New Mexico (4/6)...was 3-for- 6 against UW-Milwaukee, including a homer and two RBIs...hit.444 with five runs scored against KU...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)...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. New Mexico (2/21) and scored four runs vs. Northwestern (2/20)...hit.311 with six homers and 33 RBIs in Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2002 ( )...three-time allstate selection at Millard West, batting.448 with 48 RBIs as a senior. Braden Keith OF Fr. Elbert, Colo. Freshman who has been NU s fourth outfielder/dh...is batting.290 with a homer, 11 RBIs and 22 runs in 36 games...hitting.391 in two-out situations...started the final two games vs. OSU, driving in a run in Sunday s loss before going 2-for-4 with a sacrifice - his eighth of the season - in Monday s win...had a sacrifice fly and a key ninth-inning sacrifice in NU s 4-3 win vs. N. Colorado (4/27) was 2-for-12 with two walks and three runs scored at Missouri...had two hits and an RBI vs. No. 10 Wichita State (4/13)...went 4-for-9 vs. New Mexico, including a three-hit day in the finale (4/6)...was 2-for-4 with an RBI in his start vs. KSU (4/4)...came off the bench for two hits - including a two-run homer - against KU (3/28)...had two hits and a pair of RBIs vs. UW-Milwaukee (3/30)...went 3-for-5 with four runs vs. Kent State (2/22)...was three-time All-Colorado selection at Falcon HS...first-team all-state outfielder who hit.600 with five homers, 28 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in Chad Steele C So. Omaha, Neb. Sophomore who is hitting.253 wth 17 RBIs in 33 contests...usually catches against right-handers, but can DH and play outfield...has drawn 12 walks and 10 of his 22 hits are doubles...went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs on Tuesday vs. UNI...came off the bench for an RBI single vs. Northern Colorado (4/28)...was 2-for-5 with a walk and stolen base vs. Texas Tech...was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs vs. New Mexico (4/6)...went 2-for-4 with three RBIs against UW-Milwaukee (3/30)...came off the bench for two doubles in NU s win over KU (3/28)...had a pair of hits in the opener against W. 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...two-time All-Nebraska performer at Omaha Gross HS, batting.487 with 22 RBIs during his senior season. Beau Sullivan 1B Jr. Woodward, Okla. Junior college transfer who is a backup at first base...enters the weekend with a.235 average, one homer and eight RBIs in 20 games...has appeared in three games since April 4...was 3-for-6 with a double and two runs scored vs. UW-Milwaukee...drove in a pair of runs at Creighton (3/23)...hit.333 vs. Boston College, including a 10th-inning RBI single in a 3-2 win over the Eagles (3/20)...went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs 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.) JC, hitting.316 with nine homers and 52 RBIs to earn all-regional honors. Al Smith 1B/DH Fr. Omaha, Neb. Freshman who has been a valuable reserve in his first year at NU...hitting.296 with a homer and three RBIs in 18 games...delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in Tuesday s win over Northern Iowa...went 2-for-6 and was hit by a pitch as he played in all three games vs. No. 1 Texas...hit twice in his only two plate appearances vs. Creighton (4/20)...went 1-for-1 with an RBI double at Missouri (4/17)...went 2-for-5 in two starts vs. New Mexico (4-5/6)...was 1-for-3 with a career-high three walks vs. New Mexico (4/6)...enjoyed his best weekend against Boston College, going 2-for-4 with a homer and a walk in two games...two-time All-Nebraska selection at Omaha Westside, 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.194 with four RBIs in 16 contests...walked and scored a run in his lone appearance vs. Northern Iowa on Tuesday...played in all three games vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, scoring twice, including a seventh-inning walk in the series opener...enjoyed his first three-hit day while driving in a run vs. Northern Colorado (4/28)...drove in a career-high two runs vs. New Mexico (4/6)...was 1-for-3 with a double and three runs scored vs UW-Milwaukee (3/31)... earned honorable-mention all-state 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...hitting.176 with two RBIs in 14 games...excels at getting on base (.391 OBP), drawing five walks in just 25 plate appearances...grounded into a double play in his lone at-bat vs. Northern Iowa on Tuesday...went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit double vs. Northern Colorado (4/28) enjoyed his best day as a Husker against Kansas, going 1-for-1 with two walks and a sacrifice in a 3-2 win (3/26)...was 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the nightcap vs. Western Illinois (3/17)...drove in his first career RBI against No. 15 North Carolina (2/29)...earned second-team all-state honors at Thurston (Ore.) High School, hitting.400 with eight homers and 18 RBIs...was recruited by Division I schools in baseball, wrestling and football. 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 Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com

6 - With two weeks remaining in the regular season, sophomore third baseman Alex Gordon is looking to become the Big 12 s first triple crown (average, homers and RBIs) winner. Gordon is second in the league in hitting, homers and RBIs, as he is hitting.386 with 16 homers and 67 RBIs. The last conference player (Big Eight/SWC) to lead the league in all three categories in a single season was Oklahoma State s Pete Incaviglia ( ) in Big 12 Triple Crown Category Leaders (since 1997) Year Avg HR RBI 1997 Demarco-KU (.429) Dillon-TTU (33) McNamara-OSU (93) 1998 Leimbek-ISU (.413) Fry-MU (27) Carter-BU (86) 1999 Harvey-NU (.478) Holt-A&M (34) Matthews-OSU/Holt (105) 2000 Gautreaux-OSU (.400) Johnson/Hopper (21) Eiguren-TTU (76) 2001 Dobbs-OU (.428) Johnson-NU (25) Johnson-NU (86) 2002 Majewski-UT (.401) Morris-NU (23) Morris-NU (90) 2003 Murphy-BU (.413) Hopper-NU (22) Majewski-UT (85) - Throughout 2004, the Huskers have bolted to fast starts, outscoring opponents in the opening inning of games and over the first three innings. - One trait the 2004 Huskers have shown is the ability to win close games, as Nebraska s six one-run wins not only equals the entire 2003 team s total, but is the most since the 1998 season. One-Run Games since 1998 Year Record Gordon looks to extend Nebraska s streak of Big 12 home run champions, as he is third in the league with 16 round trippers, two behind Travis Metcalf of Kansas for the league lead. A Husker has led the Big 12 in homers in each of the past four seasons, dating back to the 2000 season (Matt Hopper and Dan Johnson, 2000; Dan Johnson, 2001; Jed Morris, 2002; Matt Hopper, 2003). While Gordon adds his legacy to an impressive list of Husker sluggers, he also looks to become the first Husker third baseman to earn first-team all-conference accolades since Derek Dukart in Gordon s performance not only potentially puts him among the favorites for league honors, but also compares very favorably to NU s last two Big 12 Players of the Year (Jed Morris in 2002 and Matt Hopper in 2003). In addition, Ken Harvey s numbers from the 1999 season when he was Smith Award and Golden Spikes finalist are included below. Stats After 47 Games Player, Year Avg. Runs HR RBI SLG. OBP Gordon, Hopper, Morris, Harvey, Jesse Boyer reached safely in 10 straight plate appearances in wins over Oklahoma State and Northern Iowa earlier this week, while he swiped four bases and scored six runs in that stretch. Boyer is batting.471 over NU s last five games. - One of the strengths of the Huskers in 2004 has been the play of their defense. NU is second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally with a.975 fielding percentage, a pace that would break the school mark of.971 set in 1994 and The Huskers are Husker Baseball Notes vs. Baylor 19-3 this season when they play errorless baseball. NU has had a pair of stretches of at least 45 innings without an error, including a 63.1 inning stretch in March - the longest stretch in over 20 years. - Shortstop Joe Simokaitis is rapidly climbing NU s career fielding lists. With 443 assists entering the Baylor series, he needs eight more assists to move past Kurt Eubanks (450, ) for sole possession of fourth place on NU s career list. Simokaitis has committed one error in his last 16 games, as he fielding at a.960 clip on the season. - The Huskers have scored five or more runs in an inning 11 times in 2004, spanning a total of 10 games, including five-run innings on Monday and Tuesday. Big Innings (Five or more Runs in an Inning in 2004) No. Inn. Opponent Date Result 8 3rd Northwestern Feb. 20 W 8 5th Missouri April 18 W 7 5th New Mexico April 6 W 7 1st North Carolina Feb. 28 W 5 1st Northwestern Feb. 20 W 6 2nd Kent State Feb. 22 W 5 3rd Boston College March 21 W 5 5th Kansas-2 March 28 W 5 8th Kansas State April 2 W 5 6th Oklahoma State May 10 W - Fifth-year senior Justin Pekarek enjoyed a busy weekend, earning a diploma and his third win over a ranked opponent. Pekarek, a business management major who missed graduation ceremonies because of NU s series at Oklahoma State, earned the win in Monday s finale, tossing 4.1 shutout innings of relief. Pekarek, who had two career wins prior to this season, is 6-1 on the year and also enjoyed wins over No. 15 North Carolina, No. 1 Texas and is 6-1 on the season. He has not allowed a run in his last four appearances dating back to April In Tuesday s win against Northern Iowa, pitcher Mike Sillman made his Husker debut in right field in the ninth inning, marking the first time since high school that the Omaha native has been used in the field. - The Huskers have been ranked in the national polls for the past 81 weeks, dating back to April of Second baseman Jake Mullinax was chosen as the Husker Power Baseball Lifter of the Year prior to the May 2 game against Texas A&M. He was chosen by a vote of his teammates after lowering his body fat percentage from 19 percent to 10 percent and gaining seven pounds of mass. He also increased his vertical jump 2.5 inches and improved his Performance Index 215 points. Mullinax beat out finalists Alex Gordon, Zach Kroenke and Phil Shirek for the award. Last Time Out NU picked up a pair of mid-week wins, getting strong starts from freshmen Brad Furnish and Jon Klausing to sweep Northern Iowa at Hawks Field. Tuesday (Nebraska 15, Northern Iowa 6) - Jesse Boyer had three hits and scored four times while Curtis Ledbetter and John Grose belted homers in Nebraska 15-6 win over Northern Iowa. Boyer went 3-for-4 and matched season highs in runs and stolen bases (three). While Boyer paced the Huskers 17- hit outburst, Ledbetter went 2-for-4 with a homer, a three-run blast in the first, and four RBIs, while Grose had two hits, including his fifth round tripper of the year, and drove in two runs. Six different Nebraska Baseball Weekly Notes Huskers.com Huskers had at least two hits, including three each by Boyer and Jake Mullinax, while five players drove in two or more runs, helping NU to its highest run total since Feb. 22. Brad Furnish was the beneficiary of NU s offensive outburst, scattering six hits over a career-high 5.2 innings to improve to 3-0. Wednesday (Nebraska 5, Northern Iowa 2) - Jon Klausing allowed two runs over six-plus innings to earn his first collegiate win, as No. 23 Nebraska downed Northern Iowa, 5-2, Wednesday afternoon. Klausing scattered five hits and struck out a careerhigh five Panthers to improve to 1-0 on the year. The Huskers managed just five hits off three Panther pitchers, but received solo homers from Alex Gordon, his 16th of the year, and Jake Mullinax, who also scored twice in the victory. Colin Shockey and John Grose also drove in runs in the victory. Gordon Invited to USA National Team Trials Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon was one of 19 players invited by USA Baseball to participate in the USA National Team Trials June in Durham, N.C. Gordon was one of three Big 12 players invited, joining the Texas duo of J. Brent Cox and Taylor Teagarden. An additional 17 players will be invited later in the spring for the 20-man final roster. Gordon is bidding to become Nebraska s first Team USA player since Paul Meyers was selected in Gordon Stacks Up at Third One of the main reasons for the Huskers offensive firepower has been the play of third baseman Alex Gordon. The sophomore 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 last month, also paces NU in multi-hit games (22) and multi-rbi efforts (17) and has been walked a teamhigh 39 times. 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, Nebraska Gaby Sanchez, Miami Brad McCann, Clemson Josh Fields, Okla. State Michael Griffin, Baylor Neil Sellers, E. Kentucky Brett Carroll, Middle Tenn. St Eddy Martinez-Esteve, FSU Updated as of 5/12 Ledbetter on a Tear Junior first baseman Curtis Ledbetter has been nearly unstoppable since returning to the lineup on March 31. The 6-3, 220-pound junior first baseman is hitting.346 with all eight of his homers and 34 RBIs over the last 27 games, raising his season totals to He was named the Big 12 s Offensive Player of the Week on April 19, batting.563 with two homers, three doubles and five RBIs in four games. Ledbetter also leads the Huskers in game-winning RBIs with 11, including a three-run shot vs. Northen Iowa on Tuesday.. Charting Ledbetter Date GP Avg. HR RBIs SLG OBP Before 3/ Since 3/