Eric the Red Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 No. 3 Huskers Head to Oklahoma State Pitching Probables Saturday NU- Joba Chamberlain, Jr., RHP (5-3, 3.42 ERA, 55.1 IP) OSU - Jordy Mercer, Fr., RHP (5-0, 3.65 ERA, 12.1 IP) Sunday NU - Tony Watson, So., LHP (7-0, 2.84 ERA, 69.2 IP) OSU - Brae Wright, Sr., LHP (6-2, 4.41 ERA, 65.1 IP) Monday NU - Johnny Dorn, So., RHP (8-2, 3.14 ERA, 66.0 IP) OSU- Josh Fritsche, Jr., LHP (2-0, 5.40 ERA, 18.1 IP) Media Information Television: None Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription basis) Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network 1400 AM - Lincoln 1110 AM - Omaha 880 AM - KRVN Huskers.com Satellite Radio: SIRIUS (Ch. 147 on Saturday and Sunday) Live Stats: Huskers.com No. 3 Huskers Head to Oklahoma State Following a break for final exams, the Nebraska baseball team returns to the diamond this weekend for a three-game series at Oklahoma State. The series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium commences Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. and continues on Sunday (2 p.m.) and Monday (6:30 p.m.). All three games of the series will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, a 20-station network that includes KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, along with an Internet broadcast at Huskers.com. Saturday and Sunday’s games will also be carried on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Ch. 147), as a total of 15 regular-season games will be carried on SIRIUS. In addition, live video streaming of all three games will be available on HuskersNside, as nearly every regular-season game will be available on the site. The Huskers have been off since completing a series sweep of Texas Tech on Sunday with back-to-back 14-4 run-rule wins over the Red Raiders. The victories upped the Huskers’ record to 36-6 and kept NU in the Big 12 lead with a 15-3 record, percentage points ahead of Texas’ 16-4 league mark. With the sweep, NU’s third in six Big 12 series this season, the Huskers climbed to third in all four national polls on Monday and are one of three Big 12 teams (also Texas and Oklahoma) ranked in the top-10 nationally. NU comes to Stillwater with wins in 18 of its last 19 contests and riding a six-game winning streak, including wins over the three winningest college baseball coaches in school history. NU went 4-0 last week, averaging over 10 runs per game, and securing its first-ever home sweep over Texas Tech in the process. NU now begins a stretch where it plays seven of its next eight games on the road. The challenge for the Huskers is keeping that momentum against a surging Oklahoma State team that is 31-13 and has won its last nine contests. OSU has won its last three Big 12 series to move into fourth place in the conference race with a 10-8 record. At home, the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable, winning 23 of 25 games this season behind an offense that is tied for the Big 12 lead in hitting with a .327 average and has hit a Big 12-high 64 homers in 44 contests. OSU features two of the top hitters in the Big 12 in Deik Scram (.403) and Tyler Mach (.401), the only two players in the conference hitting over .400. The Huskers will counter with a pitching staff that leads the Big 12 with a 2.98 ERA and is holding opponents to a league-low .227 average. Nebraska will go for its 13th straight Big 12 series win this weekend, including its eighth straight away from Hawks Field, as it looks for just its fourth series win in Stillwater since 1958. Leading Off •-Nebraska’s .857 winning percentage is the best in the country heading into this weekend’s action, as only five schools in the country have an .800 winning percentage. •-Nebraska has gotten off to fast starts, outscoring its opponents 49-12 in the first inning of games this season. In fact, NU has scored at least one run in the first inning in 20 of its last 28 contests. •-Nebraska’s consecutive shutouts of Texas and Wichita State last month marked the first time ever that any school had posted consecutive shutouts against college baseball’s two winningest coaches (Texas’ Augie Garrido and Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson). •-After the sweep of Texas Tech, NU is now as high as fourth in the latest simulated RPI (warrennolan.com and Boydsworld.com). NU is 23-4 against teams rated in the top 100 of the RPI. As a league, the Big 12 is third in the RPI, as six of the 10 teams are in the top 50 and all are within the top 100 nationally. •-NU is in the midst of one of its best seasons in school history, as its 36-6 record is the second-best start after 42 games in school history, two games ahead of last season’s team that won a school-record 57 games. That fact is more impressive since NU has played one of the most difficult preconference schedules in school history. •-Nebraska is well represented in the latest NCAA stats released April 25. The Huskers rank in the top-20 in five team categories, including ERA (2.95, fifth), slugging percentage (.509, ninth), fielding percentage (.976, 11th), homers per game (1.29, 11th) and batting average (.325, 15th). Individually, Luke Gorsett ranks among the national leaders in homers per game (18th) and slugging percentage (30th). Other Huskers ranked in the top-30 nationally include Brandon Buckman, who is 18th in homers per game, Johnny Dorn, who is 24th nationally in wins and Ryan Wehrle, who is 29th in doubles per game (.40) •-Nebraska has committed one error or less in 33 of its first 42 contests, including 13 games without an error. •-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 68 stolen bases, including 26-of-36 in Big 12 play, and has allowed a league-low 27 stolen bases. •-While NU’s pitching has been as good as advertised for most of the 2006 campaign, NU’s offensive numbers have been among the Big 12 leaders in most categories. The Huskers’ .325 team average is on pace for NU’s best team average since the 2001 CWS team hit .334. •-Nebraska has held 32 of its first 34 opponents to four runs or less this season and its 3.4 runs allowed per game ranks third nationally. •-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 and are currently fifth in the latest NCAA rankings released on May 2. •- The Huskers are 12-2 in games decided by two runs or less this season. •-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. The Huskers are averaging 4,249 fans per game this spring, including four of the 20 largest crowds in school history. •-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 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 173 games dating back to the start of the 2004 campaign. The streak is the longest in the Big 12, while NU has scored in 504 of the last 505 games dating back to the 1998 season. •-NU already has 12 come-from-behind wins this season, including a trio of three-run deficits, most recently against Texas Tech on April 29. •-Junior right fielder Luke Gorsett saw his 19-game hit streak dating back to March 25 snapped against Wichita State on April 26. His hit streak was the longest in the Big 12 in 2006 and tied for the ninth longest in school history. Last Time Out Sunday (NU 14, Texas Tech 4): Ryan Wehrle had three hits and drove in a career-high six runs as No. 4 Nebraska completed a sweep of Texas Tech with a 14-4 victory on Sunday. Wehrle went 3-for-4 with a homer to highlight a 13-hit eruption, as the Huskers (36-6, 15-3 Big 12) scored in every inning but the second, as the game was called because of the 10-run rule after Brandon Buckman’s homer to lead off the eighth. In addition to Wehrle, Andy Gerch and Andrew Brown also matched season highs with three hits apiece and combined to score four runs. All of the offense was more than enough for right-hander Johnny Dorn, who allowed three earned runs over seven innings of work to improve to 8-2 on the season. Scouting Oklahoma State Under third-year coach Frank Anderson (103-62 at OSU), the Cowboys are playing their best baseball of the season and bring a nine-game win streak into this weekend’s series with the Huskers. The strength of the OSU club is an offense that is hitting .327 and ranks in the top-10 nationally in homers and slugging percentage. Third baseman Tyler Mach has been one of the Big 12’s top performers, as he is making a strong bid for the league’s triple crown by hitting .401 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs. He is one of six every day starters above the .300 mark, while Deik Scram tops the league with a .403 average. On the mound, left-hander Brae Wright leads a balanced OSU staff with a 6-2 record and is among the Big 12 leaders with three complete games. In all, 11 pitchers have at least one win, including five each by Charles Benoit and Jordy Mercer. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 107-68, but Nebraska posted its second sweep in three years in 2005, handing OSU consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1976 in the final two meetings. The Cowboys took 3-of-4 meetings in 2004, inlcluding a series win in Stillwater. Two Former Huskers Set to Graduate Former Husker baseball players Daniel Bruce and Phil Shirek are among the 54 current or former student-athletes set to graduate from the University of Nebraska over the weekend. A four-year starter in the outfield and an All-Big 12 selection, Bruce earned first-team Academic All-America honors in 2005 and will graduate with a degree in English. Shirek, a four-year starter on the mound who posted an 18-7 record during his Husker career, will graduate with a degree in biological sciences and hopes to attend dental school in the fall. Of the eight seniors in the 2005 class, seven have received their degrees while Joe Simokaitis is currently in professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs organization. Huskers Rank Among Nation’s Best Nebraska has been among the nation’s top programs over the past few years. The Huskers rank fifth nationally in wins in that stretch, highlighted by three College World Series appearances (2001, 2002, 2005). In Big 12 play, the Huskers have shown that same consistency, ranking first or second in the Big 12 in five of the last six seasons, including a Big 12-best three regular-season titles (2001, 2003, 2005). Here is a list of top-two finishes by league schools over the last six years. Its All About Winning...Series Nebraska’s 15-3 conference start is its best since the 2001 season and matches the Huskers’ best-ever start in Big 12 play. The Huskers have won their first six Big 12 series for the first time in school history and now have won its last 12 Big 12 series dating back to the 2005 season. NU’s series win at No. 5 Texas two weeks ago marked the Huskers’ seventh straight road series win. Last season, the Huskers won every conference road series for the first time since 1938. The Buck Starts Here After hitting just three homers in his first 197 at-bats at Nebraska, senior first baseman Brandon Buckman has enjoyed a power surge over the past two months. He began the stretch with his first career multi-homer game against Minnesota on March 5, capping his second career four-hit day with a towering blast into the upper deck in the Metrodome. Since then, Buckman, who was hitting .200 at the time, is hitting at a .397 clip with 11 homers and 43 RBIs over his last 31 contests. He also has six game-winning RBIs for NU in that stretch, including his ninth-inning homer to beat No. 22 Creighton in front of over 12,000 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium on April 4. On the season, Buckman enters the weekend hitting .355 with 14 homers and a team-high 46 RBIs, ranking second in the Big 12 in homers, fourth in slugging percentage (.663), sixth in total bases (110), seventh in RBIs (46) and 18th in hitting. Cool Hand Luke Junior college transfer Luke Gorsett has quickly made a name for himself as one of the Big 12’s top newcomers and a fan favorite at Hawks Field this spring. The junior from Denver enters the weekend hitting .374 (10th in the Big 12) and ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 in homers (14, second), slugging percentage (.712, third) and total bases (116, first). He is 18th nationally in homers per game and 30th in slugging according to this week’s NCAA rankings. Gorsett has had a pair of double-digit hit streaks, including a 19-gamer dating back to March 26 that was snapped last week. He had 11 multi-hit games and five game-winning RBIs during that 19-game streak, including his first career multi-homer game at Kansas State on April 2. Earlier this month at Missouri, he picked up a pair of game-winning RBIs, including a 13th-inning double against Missouri on April 8. Gorsett began the season with a 12-game hit streak, including a binge of seven homers in a nine-game stretch. In 2005, Gorsett was a first-team NJCAA All-American at Garden City (Kan.) Community College, hitting a national-best 24 homers and driving in 71 runs. The Huskers’ Dynamic Duo The pairing of Buckman and Gorsett in the middle of the Husker lineup has provided Nebraska with one of the nation’s most productive duos. In fact, Nebraska is one of only three schools in the nation to have two players with at least 14 or more homers. In addition, it is only the fourth time since 1990 - and the first time since 2000 - that NU has featured two players with as many as 14 homers. What a Difference a Year Makes Ryan Wehrle has emerged as one of the catalysts at the top of the Husker lineup and is making a bid to become the first Husker shortstop to earn first-team all-conference honors since 1985. On the season, Wehrle is eighth in the Big 12 with a .380 average while chipping in five homers and 40 RBIs. He is tied for second in the Big 12 with 16 doubles and among NU’s team leaders in both runs scored (38, first) and stolen bases (11, second). He was a catalyst to NU’s perfect 4-0 week last week, hitting .471 with a homer and 11 RBIs. He added four doubles and finished with an .882 slugging percentage. Wehrle capped the weekend sweep of Texas Tech with a 3-for-4 effort with six RBIs in NU’s 14-4 win on April 30. Last month, he was named Big 12 Player of the Week after hitting .591 over a five-game stretch, including his first career four-hit game against Northern Colorado on March 29. Quote Link to comment
HSKRNOKC Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Rained like heck in Stillwater tonight. Tomorrow doesnt look very good . Quote Link to comment
Foppa Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Rained like heck in Stillwater tonight. Tomorrow doesnt look very good . Nope...neither did NU Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 7, 2006 Author Share Posted May 7, 2006 Huskers lose 5-4, even though they were winning 4-1 through 7, I beleive. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 7, 2006 Author Share Posted May 7, 2006 Heard the Huskers got f'd today. Quote Link to comment
HSKRNOKC Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 Heard the same on the local news. They didnt show any footage. At ten they will show it. Said that a homerun got taken away from us. Final 7-6. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 8, 2006 Author Share Posted May 8, 2006 Huskers Drop Game Two to OSU Stillwater, Okla. – Deik Scram’s three-run, eighth-inning homer sparked a four-run rally, as Oklahoma State rallied for a 7-6 victory over No. 3 Nebraska Sunday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. Scram’s homer off of NU reliever Charlie Shirek was the go-ahead shot, as the Cowboys (33-13, 12-8 Big 12) rallied from a 6-3 deficit and held on as the Huskers seemingly regained the lead in the ninth on a two-run homer by Luke Gorsett, only to have the call overruled. Trailing 7-6, Wehrle’s one-out single off OSU reliever Jordy Mercer started a Husker threat. Two batters later, Gorsett hit a 1-2 pitch off the screen down the left field line. Home plate umpire Chris Koskey called the ball fair after a short delay, to the delight of the Huskers and to the ire of the OSU bench and the majority of the 2,461 fans at the ballpark. OSU coach Frank Anderson immediately ran on to the field in protest, setting off the first of two long arguments on the call. Following the argument, the umpires met and reversed Coskey’s initial ruling, prompting another argument which saw NU Head Coach Mike Anderson get ejected. “The home plate umprire called it fair,” Mike Anderson said. “I saw a home run and it looked fair.” “I didn’t get to see if the ball was fair or foul,” said Gorsett, who was rounding first as the call was made. “I got a change-up low and a got out in front of it.” NU still had an opportunity to win the game in the ninth, as Gorsett singled to right to put runners on the corners. Mercer then ended NU’s rally, striking out Andy Gerch, who had two hits including his first homer since Feb. 19, to end the game and snapping NU’s streak of 12 straight Big 12 series wins dating back to last April. Bryce Nimmo and Jake Opitz had three hits apiece, as the Huskers outhit OSU, 15-10, but was done in by four homers which accounted for six of the Cowboys’ seven runs. Shelby Ford had three hits, including a pair of solo homers, while Tyler Mach also had three hits in the victory. Shriek, who came in relief of starter Tony Watson in the sixth and got NU out of a jam, was crusiing, retiring the first five hitters he faced entering the eighth. After a Corey Brown single, Ford hit a seeing-eye single between first and second to put two on with no outs. Mach pulled OSU with 6-4 with an RBI single to left before Scram sent a 0-1 pitch over the fence in right center, the first homer Shirek (3-2) had allowed in 50 innings this season. Despite the loss, NU Coach Mike Anderson is optimistic that the Huskers’ respond the series finale on Monday. “Every year, you are going to lose some games, including some which are heartbreakers, but if we are going to lose games, I’m glad it is with this team because they will repond in a great way tomorrow,” Anderson said. Nebraska jumped out in the first, taking advantage of a Mercer error to plate a pair of runs. A pair of singles and a fielder’s choice put runners on first and third with two outs before Brandon Buckman stole second to put both Husker runners in scoring position. Gorsett then hit a smash to short, which was misplayed by Mercer to allow both runs to score. NU continued to threaten, as Gerch was hit by a pitch before Opitz singled off OSU starter Brae Wright to load the bases, but Jeff Christy lined out to left to end the inning. The Cowboys got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first on a solo homer off the bat of Ford, only the third homer Watson has allowed in 70 innings this season. Oklahoma State used the long ball to regain the lead in the bottom of the third, as Corey Brown and Ford hit back-to-back one-out homers off Watson, including the second of the game for Ford, whose blast cleared the 25-foot high net in left. Nebraska opened the sixth with some power hitting of its own, as Gerch opened the frame with a solo homer that caromed off the top of the fence in left center. Opitz then followed with a homer of this own to left center, his second of the year and the third time NU has hit back-to-back homers this season. Watson settled down after the third, as he allowed six hits over 5.2 innings and left with a 4-3 lead after the Huskers pushed across two runs in the sixth. Wehrle’s efforts helped the Huskers add another run in the seventh. With one out, Wehrle singled to center, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by OSU catcher Matt Clarkson. Two batters later, Gorsett plated Wehrle with a single to left, chasing OSU starter Brae Wright after 6.2 innings. The Huskers pushed the lead to 6-3 off reliever Oliver Odle in the eighth on Christy’s RBI single. Consecutive singles by Gerch and Opitz put runners on the corners before hit a ball up the middle to score Gerch. The Huskers and Cowboys will conclude the series Monday night at 6:30 p.m. The game will carried across the state on the Pinnacle Sports Network and on Huskers.com. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 8, 2006 Author Share Posted May 8, 2006 Cowboys Slip Past Nebraska Deik Scram's three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Oklahoma State past Nebraska 7-6 on Sunday afternoon, extending the Cowboys' winning streak to 11 games. Oklahoma State (33-13, 12-8 Big 12 Conference) is on its longest winning streak since the 1998 season and has won four straight league series. Nebraska (36-8, 15-5) led 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Consecutive singles by Corey Brown, Shelby Ford and Tyler Mach pulled the Cowboys within 6-4 before Scram hit a pitch by Nebraska reliever Charlie Shirek (3-2) over the wall in right-centerfield. The Cornhuskers thought they had taken the lead in the ninth inning when, with two outs and a runner on first base, Luke Gorsett lined a shot down the left-field line and over the wall. Umpires originally ruled the ball a home run but reversed themselves after conferring. Gorsett eventually singled but Oklahoma State reliever Jordy Mercer struck out Andy Gerch to end the game, record his second save and make a winner out of Brett McDonald (1-0). The teams combined for six home runs, four by Oklahoma State. Ford had two of the homers, raising his season total to 10. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 8, 2006 Author Share Posted May 8, 2006 Cowboys rally to beat Huskers ... again By the Lincoln Journal Star Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 09:48:37 pm CDT Deik Scram’s three-run eighth-inning homer fueled a four-run rally and the Cowboys survived some ninth inning fireworks as Oklahoma State beat No. 3 Nebraska 7-6 on Sunday in Stillwater, Okla. With two out and one on in the ninth, Nebraska’s Luke Gorsett hit a 1-2 pitch from OSU reliever Jordy Mercer down the left field line. Home plate umpire Chris Koskey, after a short delay, ruled it a home run. After OSU coach Frank Anderson ran on to the field to challenge the call, the umpires consulted and overruled Coskey’s ruling, saying Gorsett’s drive was a foul ball. Nebraska coach Mike Anderson argued the change and was ejected. “The home plate umpire called it fair,” Anderson said. “I saw a home run and it looked fair.” Advertisement “I didn’t get to see if the ball was fair or foul,” said Gorsett, who was rounding first as the call was made. “I got a change-up low and a got out in front of it.” “After the call, we got together as a crew to discuss the situation,” said crew chief Curtis Alexander. “As a crew, we knew the ball was foul so we put the runner back at first with a 1-2 count on the batter in the top of the ninth.” Returning to the plate, Gorsett eventually singled to right to put runners on the corners. Mercer then struck out Andy Gerch to end the game. The Cowboys (33-13, 12-8 Big 12) started their eighth inning rally with three consecutive singles off Husker reliever Charlie Shirek, including Tyler Mach’s run-scoring hit. The next batter was Scram, who hit an 0-1 pitch over the fence in right center. It was the first homer allowed by Shirek in 50 innings of work this season. Nebraska (36-8, 15-5) scored two unearned runs in the first for an early lead. With two on and two out, Gorsett hit a smash to Mercer, who started the game at shortstop. Mercer misplayed the ball, allowing both runners to score. The Husker threat continued as NU loaded the bases on a hit batsman and a single, but Jeff Christy lined out to left end it. Shelby Ford hit a homer off Husker starter Tony Watson in the bottom of the first to cut the lead. OSU took the lead in the third when Corey Brown and Ford hit back-to-back solo homers. Nebraska retook the lead in the sixth with solo shots by Gerch and Jake Opitz. The Huskers scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to set the stage for Scram’s heroics and the arguments in the ninth. Nebraska’s Watson allowed six hits over 52/3 innings. Shirek (3-2) took the loss. OSU’s Brett McDonald recorded one out in the eighth for his first win. Mercer picked up his second save. “Every year, you are going to lose some games, including some which are heartbreakers, but if we are going to lose games, I’m glad it is with this team because they will respond in a great way tomorrow,” Anderson said. The series concludes tonight at 6:30. The game will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 9, 2006 Author Share Posted May 9, 2006 Huskers up 4-2 in the 5th Quote Link to comment
Foppa Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 Huskers salvage one tonight, 10-6 win...but it didn't come easy...Jensen gave up a 3-run homer to keep it interesting, but the NU bats came alive when they needed to. Freaking OSU is really coming on strong late in the season. Quote Link to comment
HSKRNOKC Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 They are tough at home, thats for sure. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted May 9, 2006 Author Share Posted May 9, 2006 Jensen secures victory for NU The Nebraska baseball team discovered something on the way to salvaging the finale of its three-game series with a 10-6 win Monday night over Oklahoma State. Apparently, this Brett Jensen guy can pitch a little. The All-America closer shuts down an Oklahoma State rally to help the Huskers avoid a sweep. Quote Link to comment
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