two new players

[huskerfan500]

from LJS

 

Huskers gain players from other schools

BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Jan 03, 2008 - 11:10:21 pm CST

Cody Neer and Joe Hatasaki are just as surprised as anyone that they’re about to go to college and play baseball at Nebraska.

 

Neer, the starting catcher as a sophomore at Florida last season, and Hatasaki, a left-handed pitcher who came to Arizona State in 2006 as a top-100 national recruit, had no plans of leaving their current schools when practice began this fall.

 

But Florida has a new coaching staff and Hatasaki had second thoughts about his plans to attend a junior college before returning to ASU next year, and, well, now they’re Huskers.

 

“I just saw snow for the first time,” said Neer, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder from Orlando, Fla., who just arrived in Lincoln.

 

Added Hatasaki, a high school Al-American at Mountain View, Calif., who has come back from “Tommy John” elbow surgery: “My Christmas was changed. I got a lot of jackets and long-sleeve shirts.”

 

Of course, both players are hoping their best holiday gift will turn out to be their new home. Both are eligible to play this season.

 

Last year, Neer started 36 games behind the plate for the Gators, and another five at other spots. He finished with a .271 batting average that included a team-best 12 doubles and 33 RBIs (fifth-most on the team). In Southeastern Conference play, Neer’s average went up to .310.

 

But after the Gators finished 29-30, coach Pat McMahon was fired and Neer ended up being uncomfortable this fall with the direction that new coach Kevin O’Sullivan was taking. Neer asked for his scholarship release and looked at Texas, Wichita State and a couple of California schools before deciding on Nebraska, which had recruited him out of high school.

 

“I come here looking forward to catching every day or playing first base, whatever helps the team,” said Neer, who was a first-team all-stater at Orlando’s Edgewater High and led the state with a .528 batting average, 42 RBIs and 8 homers. “I know (returning catcher Mitch) Abeita had a broken leg (at the end of last year), but I’m sure he’s the returning starter and I’ll just come in and work hard.”

 

This summer, Neer made the National Baseball Congress All-America team while playing for Havasu, Ariz.

 

Coincidentally, that’s also the time of year when Hatasaki found his Nebraska connection, as he and Husker redshirt freshman Joe Broekemeier were teammates in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

 

During a break in fall practice, Hatasaki decided he needed to throw more innings than he was going to get this spring at Arizona State, and had decided to transfer to Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College with the hope of playing at ASU in 2009. He mentioned that to Broekemeier, who wished him luck, but also must have passed that nugget along to NU coaches.

 

Come late November, Hatasaki found himself being asked again about his intentions of leaving ASU, and the next thing he knows, he’s convinced Nebraska is where he needs to be.

 

“I know they’re short on lefties and I was a starter at ASU, so I think the idea they have (is for me to be) a mid-week guy at the beginning of the season and see how things go from there,” Hatasaki said.

 

Last season with the Sun Devils, the 5-10 lefty pitched just six innings over four games, and had no record with a 10.50 earned-run average.

 

At Mountain View High, he was ranked by Baseball America as one of the top 50 sophomores after compiling a 10-1 record that included 104 strikeouts. He then suffered his arm injury before his junior season, but a year later, rebounded to be named to the 2006 PlayStation All-America team.

 

Hatasaki said this fall was the first time that he’s felt like he’s had the same kind of velocity and command as before he was hurt, and noted that he’s especially excited about working with first-year NU pitching coach Eric Newman.

 

“The reputation of Nebraska’s program was appealing, but at ASU they don’t have a pitching coach,” Hatasaki said. “When I talked to Coach Newman I said, ‘Look, I’ve had no instruction for the past year, and I need that.’ And he was, ‘Well, that’s how I work.’

 

“This came out of the blue, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

 

The catcher is proven and will be a great addition, but the pitcher coming off of surgery is hard to tell but hopefully can help NU some games.

 

Hopefully this season will be better than last year and no off field incidents. If so I think it is time for TO to take a hard look at the baseball program and possibly make changes

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Could be two quality pick ups to push the team to the next level this season.