Creighton @ Nebraska Game 2

[Eric the Red]

Game starts tonight at 6:30pm....game will be televised on Cox ch.3 in Omaha

[Eric the Red]

No. 4 Huskers Take on Creighton in Intrastate Battle

 

2006 Record (28-5, 10-2 Big 12)

National Rankings: 4 (CB) • 4 (BA) • 5 (Sports Weekly) • 3 (NCBWA)

 

Day Date Rank Opponent Location TV/Video Time

Tues. April 18 -/-/- Creighton (21-11) Hawks Field Cox TV/Huskers.com 6:35 p.m.

Wed. April 19 -/-/- Nebraska-Kearney (21-16) Hawks Field None/HuskersNside 1:05 p.m.

Fri. April 21 5/5/- Texas (27-12, 12-2 Big 12) Disch-Falk Field None/None 6:15 p.m.

Sat. April 22 5/5/- Texas Disch-Falk Field Fox Sports Net/None 2:06 p.m.

Sun. April 23 5/5/- Texas Disch-Falk Field None/None 1 p.m.

Polls are in the following order: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly

 

Pitching Probables

Tues.

NU- Charlie Shirek, Fr., RHP (1-1, 3.34 ERA, 35 IP)

Creighton - Jeff Daneff, Sr., RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP)

 

Wed.

NU -TBA

UNK - Paul Schleifer, Jr., LHP (2-2, 2.87 ERA, 37.2 IP)

 

Media Information

Tickets: General Admissiom Tickets are available at $7 (adults) and $5 (youth and seniors) for all home games and can be purchased by calling the NU Ticket Office or at Hawks Field 90 minutes before first pitch each day.

Live Stats: Huskers.com

Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network

Internet Radio: Huskers.com

Video Steaming: Huskers.com (Tues.)/HuskersNside (Wed.)

Television: Tuesday’s game is on Cox Cable (Ch. 3 in Omaha; Ch. 77 on Time Warner Cable; Charter Media)

 

No. 4 Huskers Take on Creighton in Intrastate Battle

The No. 4 Nebraska baseball team begins one of its busiest weeks of the season on Tuesday night when the Huskers host the Creighton Bluejays. Tickets are still available for Tuesday’s contest, but a large crowd is expected for the only regular-season meeting in Lincoln between the Huskers and Bluejays.

 

First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be carried by Cox Communications with Greg Sharpe, Paul Meyers and Kyle Peterson. The game will be carried in Omaha (Ch. 3), Time Warner Cable in Lincoln and surrounding communities (Ch. 77) and in the western part of the state on Charter Media (check local listing for channel).

 

For fans who can’t watch Tuesday’s contest, it can be heard across the state on the Pinnacle Sports Networks including KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, along with an Internet broadcast at Huskers.com.

Tuesday’s game is the first of five games this week for the Huskers, who come into Tuesday’s game riding a 10-game streak. NU hosts Nebraska-Kearney Wednesday before traveling to Texas for a weekend series that holds both Big 12 and national implications. The Huskers continued to climb in the national polls, moving from sixth to fourth in Baseball America, its highest ranking of the year, while staying fourth in Collegiate Baseball.

 

The Huskers, whose winning streak is the third-longest in the nation, come off of the Easter break after sweeping Texas A&M in front of record crowds over the weekend. NU pitchers tossed back-to-back complete games for the first time since last April, as NU has won its last eight Big 12 contests. The Huskers lead the Big 12 in ERA (3.07), while ranking third in hitting (.323) and second in fielding percentage (.976) in the latest Big 12 stats.

 

Nebraska has gotten production up and down the lineup in recent weeks, with infielder Steve Edlefsen (.615-1-3), Jake Opitz (.500-1-6) and Jake Mort (.500-0-2) all making big contributions during NU’s 4-0 week.

 

Creighton comes to Lincoln with a 21-11 record after dropping 2-for-3 at Southern Illinois over the weekend. The Bluejays were ranked the previous two weeks before dipping out of the polls with a 1-3 mark last week. Zach Daeges leads Creighton with a .391 average with eight homers and 35 RBIs.

 

Nebraska won the first meeting of the season, 6-4, in front of a crowd of 12,276 on April 4. In that game, Brandon Buckman belted two homers, including a ninth-inning blast that broke a 4-4 tie, while Brett Jensen tossed 2.1 innings of relief for the win.

 

Leading Off

•-Nebraska has gotten off to fast starts, outscoring its opponents 36-7 in the first inning of games this season. In fact, NU has scored at least one run in the first inning of 13 of its last 19 contests.

• Nebraska’s .848 winning percentage is the best in the country heading into this week.

 

Best Division I Winning Percentage

Year Season 33-game Final Record

1. Nebraska 28-5 .8485

2. Florida State 33-6 .8462

Old Dominion 33-6 .8462

4. North Carolina 31-7 .8158

5. College of Charleston 30-7 .8108

 

•-After the series win over Texas A&M, NU is now as high as fifth in the latest simulated RPIs (warrennolan.com and Boydsworld.com). NU is 19-3 against teams rated in the top-100 of the RPI.

 

•-NU is off to one of its best starts in school history, as its 28-5 record is the second-best start after 33 games in school history, a game ahead of last season’s team that won a school-record 57 games. That fact is more impressive since NU has played one fo the most difficult preconference schedules in school history.

 

Best 33-game starts in school history

Year Season 33-game Final Record

1. 1983 31-2 44-15

2. 2006 28-5 ----

3. 2005 27-6 57-15

 

•-The first set of NCAA stats were released last Wednesday and junior right fielder Luke Gorsett ranks among the national leaders in four categories: homers/gm (0.50, first); slugging percentage (.858, second); RBIs/gm (1.29, 24th) and batting average (.407, 50th). Gorsett’s 14 homers also ranks sixth nationally in Division I.

 

National Home Run Leaders

No. Player Team Homers

1. Kellen Kulbacki James Madison 20

2. Michael Cowgill James Madison 17

3. Quinn Stewart Louisiana State 16

4. Steven Strausbaugh Western Carolina 15

Zach Clem Washington 15

6. Luke Gorsett Nebraska 14

6 Alex Buchholz Delaware 14

6 Allan Dykstra Wake Forest 14

www.boydsworld.com

 

•-Nebraska is one of only three schools in the country to rank in the top-10 in both ERA and fielding percentage in the first set of NCAA stats released Wednesday, joining Cal State Fullerton and South Carolina.

*-One of NU’s keys to success is the ability to run while shutting down other team’s running games. NU is second in the Big 12 with 61 stolen bases, including 21-of-26 in Big 12 play, and is allowing a league-low 16 stolen bases, including four in conference play.

•-Nebraska’s offense has been on a tear over the last three weeks, hitting .336 as a team over the last 16 games, including a season-high 24 hits at Iowa on April 11. The 24 hits against Iowa was NU’s highest single-game total since a school-record 35 hits against Chicago State on March 16, 1999.

•-Jeff Christy has been effective offensively and behind the plate in recent weeks. He is hitting .377 in his last 13 games, raising his average to a season-best .277.

•-Nebraska has held 25 of its first 33 opponents to four runs or less this season and its 3.5 runs allowed per game is fifth nationally.

 

Runs Allowed Per Game

No. Team Runs Allowed/Gm

1. Cal State Fullerton 2.9

2. Virginia 3.3

3. Connecticut 3.4

South Carolina 3.4

5. Nebraska 3.5

Vanderbilt 3.5

 

•-Nebraska has already sold out all the reserved and club seats at Hawks Field for the 2006 season. NU ranked sixth nationally in average attendance, averaging a school-record 4,984 fans per game in 2005. NU’s number is based on actual game attendance, not tickets sold.

•-Nebraska is one of only three teams in the country that returned two pitchers who won at least 10 games in 2005 (Oregon State and Miami of Ohio are the others).

•-Nebraska is one of only seven teams in all of Division I baseball to post team ERAs below 4.00 over the last four years, joining Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Oral Roberts, Rice, Texas and Wichita State. The Huskers were second nationally with a 2.69 team ERA in 2005.

•-Nebraska is one of only six programs nationally to reach the College World Series in three of the past five seasons, joining Cal State Fullerton, Miami, South Carolina, Stanford and Texas. The Big 12 is the only league with more than one team in that group.

•- Nebraska has scored at least one run in each of its last 164 games dating back to the start of the 2004 campaign. The streak is the longest in the Big 12, while NU has scored in 495 of the last 496 games dating back to the 1998 season.

•-NU already has nine come-from-behind wins this season, including overcoming a four-run deficit at Missouri on April 9.

•-Tuesday’s game will show off the talent among Nebraska high schools. In all, 35 players on the two teams are from the state of Nebraska. In addition, both teams have several former sets of high school or junior college teammates on their respective rosters.

 

NU-Creighton Connections

Garden City (Kan.) CC

NU - Luke Gorsett

CU - Curtis Smith and Ryan Urzendowski

Omaha Skutt HS

NU - Zach Herr

CU - Ryan Urzendowski, Pat Kleine

Omaha Creighton Prep HS

NU - Mike Harmelink

CU - John Nowaczyk, Ben Mancuso,

Jeff Daneff, Mark Wellwood

Barton (Kan.) County CC

NU - Steve Edlefsen

CU - Andrew Small

Goddard (Kan.) HS

NU - Ryan Bohanan

CU - Chad Ogden

Elkhorn HS

NU - Mark Hightower

CU - Zak Moore

Omaha Westside HS

NU - Drew Schwab

CU - Darin Ruf, Ross Sinclair

Lincoln Pius X HS

NU - Andy Gerch

CU - Justin Mosley

 

Last Time Out

Saturday (NU 6, TAMU 0): Behind a complete-game shutout from Johnny Dorn, No. 4 Nebraska completed a weekend sweep of Texas A&M with a 6-0 victory on Saturday afternoon. Dorn (6-2) tossed a 109-pitch gem, striking out seven without a walk and scattering eight hits for his sixth win in seven starts. While Dorn held the Aggie bats in check, Nebraska totaled 11 hits, including two by Jeff Christy, whose three-run homer in the fifth off of Texas A&M starter Kyle Thebeau turned a 1-0 lead into a four-run cushion.

 

Friday (NU 4, TAMU 3): Tony Watson tossed a five-hit complete game, leading Nebraska to a 4-3 come-from-behind win on Saturday in front of a school-record crowd of 8,757 at Hawks Field. Watson (6-0) fired the first complete game of his career, scattering five hits and striking out six in a 120-pitch performance. He allowed all three runs in the fifth, but held the Aggies scoreless and retired seven of the final eight hitters he faced. Jake Opitz was the offensive hero for the Huskers, scoring Ryan Wehrle with one out in the eighth to break a 3-3 deadlock.

 

Thursday (NU 5, TAMU 4): Joba Chamberlain matched a season high with 11 strikeouts while Brandon Buckman went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, as Nebraska jumped to a 5-0 lead and held on in the series opener. Chamberlain (5-2) allowed one run on four hits over 6.1 innings of work. Buckman provided the game’s big hit, a three-run homer in the first. NU was forced to withstand a furious Aggie comeback, as Texas A&M scored twice in the ninth and had the tying runner on second before Brett Jensen fanned Craig Stinson to end the game and earn his seventh save.

 

Baseball Doubleheader Set for Tuesday

College baseball fans will have a chance to see two games for the price of one on Tuesday. Hawks Field at Haymarket Park will host a day-night twinbill, with Nebraska-Kearney taking on Hastings at 12:30 p.m. before the Huskers and Bluejays square off at 6:35 p.m. There is no admission charge for the UNK-Hastings contest.

 

Scouting Creighton

Under third-year coach Ed Servais (104-52 at CU), the Bluejays are 21-11 on the season and were ranked the last two weeks before dropping out of the polls this week. Creighton, which won 48 games in 2005, rebounded from an 0-3 start to post 15 consecutive wins before dropping 2-of-3 against Bradley to open MVC play. The Bluejays, who also have a win over nationally ranked Vanderbilt, took 2-of-3 from Wichita State and Illinois State before dropping 2-of-3 at Southern Illinois to dip to 6-6 in MVC play.

 

Offensively, Creighton is led by senior Zach Daeges, who is hitting .391 with eight homers and 35 RBIs. He is one of three CU players to drive in at least 30 runs, joining Chris Gradoville (.299-9-35) and Darin Ruf (.303-3-30) while Chase Odenreider (.330-3-27) gives CU six everyday starters above .300. On the mound, Creighton will throw right-hander Jeff Daneff on Tuesday in his second start after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury.

 

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 60-41-2, and has won 9-of-12 meetings since Mike Anderson took over in 2003. The Huskers have won the last three matchups, including the first of three meetings this season on April 4

[DaveH]

Wish I could be there!

[Jarred04]

Time Warner channel 77 in Lincoln.

[kc_husker]

Huskers win 4-2

What is that 11 in a row.

I want a sweep at Texas but if we take 2 of 3 down there look the

f#*k out.

[DaveH]

What was the deal with the infield fly and the ambidextrous pitcher/switch hitter?

[Eric the Red]

The Huskers wrap up the five-game homestand on Wednesday, as they take on Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

 

Well keep this pointless game here in this thread

[Eric the Red]

The Huskers wrap up the five-game homestand on Wednesday, as they take on Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

 

Well keep this pointless game here in this thread

Jaros Leads Huskers to 15-2 Victory

 

Lincoln – Nick Jaros hit two homers and drove in four RBIs, while six Husker pitchers held Nebraska-Kearney to just four hits, as No. 4 Nebraska posted a 15-2 victory Wednesday afternoon.

 

Jaros, who had missed NU’s last three contests with a hand injury, paced a 19-hit Husker attack with his first career four-hit game, belting his third and fourth homers of the season and driving in career-high four RBIs, as the Huskers improved to 30-5 on the season heading into a weekend Big 12 showdown with No. 5 Texas.

 

The 30-5 mark is the second-best record after 35 games in school history, as NU has won its last 12 contests, the second-longest winning streak in the country.

 

Jaros was one of three Huskers who picked up four-hit days in the win, as right fielder Nick Sullivan went 4-for-5 with his first career homer, while Brandon Buckman went 4-for-5 and drove in a career-high five runs. Andrew Brown also drove in three runs, including a two-run single in the first, as the Huskers scored there in the inning and cruised to the win.

 

“The kids came out and swung the bats,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “Our purpose today was to hopefully score some runs early and get on top and be able to use some pitchers.”

 

Sophomore left-hander Jon Klausing picked up the win, allowing one hit over three shutout innings as each of the pitchers worked on a pitch count. Klausing, who improved to 3-0, struck out a pair and retired the final nine hitters he faced after allowing a leadoff single to Cole Archer to open the game.

 

The Huskers jumped out to a 10-0 lead after five innings, allowing NU to empty the bench in the later innings. In all, three freshmen started while eight freshmen saw action in Wednesday’s victory.

 

The Huskers took advantage of a Loper error in the first, leading directly to a trio of Husker runs. With two outs, consecutive singles by Gorsett and Buckman started the rally before Sullivan’s grounder was misplayed by Archer to load the bases. Brown then made UNK pay for the miscue, driving in a pair of runs before Jake Opitz made it 3-0 with an RBI single.

 

Schleifer, the first of four UNK hurlers, allowed three runs on five hits to drop to 2-3 on the season, as Nebraska-Kearney fell to 21-18.

 

Nebraska broke the game open in the fourth, scoring five times, including a two-run triple by Buckman and back-to-back homers by Sullivan and Brown to take an 8-0 lead. Jaros’ first homer of the game in the fifth made it 10-0 before Buckman’s 12th round tripper of the season, a three-run blast to right center, pushed the lead to 13-0.

 

UNK scored a pair of runs in the eighth off reliever Dan Jennings to avert the shutout, but Jaros got both runs back in the bottom of the frame with his second two-run homer of the day.

 

The Huskers begin a three-game series at No. 5 Texas on Friday evening, with a first pitch set for 6:15 p.m. The game will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including KFAB 1110 in Omaha, 1400 AM in Lincoln and 880 KRVN in Lexington and on Huskers.com.