Eric the Red Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 A preseason primer for baseball fans By CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star Friday, Jan 19, 2007 - 12:11:15 am CST When last we saw the Nebraska baseball team in action, the Huskers made a quick exit from the 2006 NCAA Tournament with an 0-2 showing against Manhattan and San Francisco at Haymarket Park. Since then, NU’s personnel losses have included: * Three underclassmen and two recruits to the major-league draft (pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Jared Cranston and Zach McAllister, outfielder Luke Gorsett and infielder Shane Lowe) * Two projected starters who were kicked off the team (outfielder Nick Jaros and third baseman Ryan Bohanan) Advertisement * All-Big 12 seniors Brandon Buckman at first base and closer Brett Jensen, and durable catcher Jeff Christy. And yet, as Mike Anderson’s fifth club gathers today for its first practice of the spring season, Nebraska is once again ranked among the nation’s best (No. 9 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 16 by Baseball America). With the opener — a Feb. 16 doubleheader against New Mexico at the Texas-Arlington Invitational — less than a month away, here is a question-and-answer rundown of some of the key issues. You’ve said the two positions most up for grabs are third base, where last year Jake Mort got a lot of time as a freshman, and at catcher, where you’ll be without Christy for the first time in three years. How do you see those competitions? “My goal,” Anderson said, “with those two positions, more than anything else, is … they’re all going to play at some point and we’ll try to put them in situations that they can play to their strengths.” Look for some kind of early rotation between sophomore Jeff Lanning, junior college transfer Mitch Abeita and junior Mark Hightower before Nebraska settles on more definite roles. At third, Jeff Tezak, a midyear junior college transfer, is expected to start off splitting time with Mort and another juco product, Craig Corriston. Another third baseman from last season, Steve Edlefsen, is concentrating on pitching. With Tezak being a lefty, Anderson is apt to platoon at the position. “All three are different,” Anderson said. “Tezak and Corriston are similar defensively. Mort is solid defensively, has struggled a little bit offensively, but he’s gotten better. Tezak and Corriston add something offensively. I’d like to get offense out of that position.” Tony Watson decided to come back after being drafted, which gives you a proven weekend starter. He posted great numbers (10-2, 2.78 earned-run average) mainly following Joba in the rotation last season, and now is on a lot of preseason All-America teams. Does he have to pick up his game in order to be a dominant No. 1 guy? “I think he’d be shocked by you even asking, because he’s done it,” Anderson said. “I think he’s there. (But) I wouldn’t concede that Tony will start every single first game. Johnny Dorn — both of them want to have that (series tone-setting mentality). It may be a situation where our best matchup might be on a Saturday with Watson in some tournaments. “But more than likely, we’d probably go Watson and Dorn, and we’ll see about (Drew) Bowman and (Charlie) Shirek, and everybody else. But I wouldn’t hesitate in putting Dorn in the No. 1 spot. We felt that way with Tony last year.” What’s the outfield look like? You parted ways with Jaros, and Bryce Nimmo ended last year in a major slump. “There’s four guys that I know can play (Nimmo, freshman DJ Belfonte, Andy Gerch and Nick Sullivan). Gerch, we’re going to let go (100 percent recovered from shoulder surgery in 2005). We’re still waiting to see whether Nick Sullivan’s thumb (a break on his nonthrowing hand suffered recently while skiing) is recovered. He might have a cast on a little longer. He was one of the top hitters this fall. I really liked him as a left-handed bat.” Nimmo and Belfonte are the candidates at center, and if both are swinging the bat well, one of them will see time in right. Gerch figures to be in left, with Sullivan playing both corner spots. Andrew Brown, a second-team all-league utility pick last year who is now at first, also would be an option. What kind of impact do you think the way last year ended will have before this team starts playing games? “The only effect it’ll have on them is the small amount of fans and media that will bring it back up. Other than that, it’s a new team, a new process. Forty percent of these guys don’t know what you’re talking about. “What’s hard to learn from is we got some things going in the Big 12 Tournament and then just didn’t play well for two games (in the NCAA regional) and that was it. I hope that hurts enough. I would like to think this team will hold it together if we don’t play well early, (or) if we play well early. We held it together all last year. We just didn’t play well (at the end).” What newcomers stand out most right now? We’ll give the coach a break here and take Belfonte, Tezak, Corriston, freshman middle infielder Brett Sowers and Thad Weber, a junior college first baseman, designated hitter and reliever. With the exception of Sowers, who will add depth to one of the nation’s top defensive shortstop-second baseman combos (Ryan Wehrle and Jake Opitz), all of these guys have a shot to be regulars in the lineup. “We believe one of our best young hitters is Sowers,” Anderson said. “He’s got a long ways to go, defensively, but he can hit. There might be a couple times where we’re not as strong up the middle because we’re playing Sowers to get him a little bit of time. There’s a lot of things we need to do early. We want him to have a great freshman year.” Why are the Huskers considered a top 10 team? Nebraska’s pitching rotation stands to be among the strongest in the country. Pitching coach Dave Bingham also likes experienced late-game relievers Zach Herr and Erik Bird, believes Weber and Edlefsen will make significant contributions out of the bullpen and has added a major left-handed arm in Bowman. Defensively, NU will be better than 2006 in the outfield and particularly strong up the middle. Offensively, the Huskers feel they’ll get enough power from Brown, Gerch and Wehrle (all right-handed hitters) to have the versatile attack Anderson prefers. If their short list of lefties produce, they’ll be tough outs throughout the lineup. “The personality, (I know). We’re still looking at a game performances,” Anderson said. “Until we truly start that, there’s still lots of things you have to learn. Using big-league baseball as an example, that’s why you have a 25-man roster, and why you have so many changes. “They make a spring training roster, they break camp and a week later they’re making small changes. And they make those throughout the year. We don’t make changes, but baseball, you can be as hot as hot can be and then. …” Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com. Quote Link to comment
hastingshusker Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Lets not get too overcinfident. Anderson has a lot of work to do to solidify some big issues last year. We have a young team. Instead of shooting for Omaha, how about we hope for winning a game in the Supers this year. We need these new guys to step in and step it up. Quote Link to comment
Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Lets not get too overcinfident. Anderson has a lot of work to do to solidify some big issues last year. We have a young team. Instead of shooting for Omaha, how about we hope for winning a game in the Supers this year. We need these new guys to step in and step it up. How bout instead of hoping to win just one game in the Supers........we win two and go to Omaha Quote Link to comment
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