Andy Gerch

[Eric the Red]

Gerch glad to be back

 

BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star

Nebraska’s Andy Gerch walked to the plate for the first time in three weeks last Saturday, and Husker fans who have gotten spoiled watching their team routinely whack opponents in Haymarket Park forgot about the importance of his ninth-inning at-bat.

 

NU, trailing 3-2 with two outs and nobody on, was staring at a series-opening loss to Texas Tech when Gerch was announced as a pinch hitter.

 

The news brought about an immediate standing ovation. Indeed, there stood the owner of one of the most dramatic homers in Nebraska history — a three-run, ninth-inning shot that put the Huskers ahead of Arizona State at last year’s College World Series.

 

Naturally, some folks hoped Gerch would go yard again and add to his lore. But the crowd’s response had nothing to do with those wishes.

 

 

NU's Andy Gerch. (LJS File)

 

It was their way of telling him he wasn’t alone in feeling the pain of his father’s recent death.

 

“To me, that was one of the most moving moments I’ve ever had here,” Husker coach Mike Anderson said. “Just incredible — that people would appreciate and understand. They know our team. They know what we’re going through with him.”

 

After a long battle with cancer, Terry Gerch died April 18. While it will be impossible for Andy not to often miss someone who received so much enjoyment from watching him play, the sophomore is feeling up to the challenge of adding his touch to an already strong Nebraska lineup.

 

It was evident in that ninth-inning at-bat.

 

“I just kind of told myself ‘Calm down. I’ve been there before. I’ve been in big situations, so don’t get too anxious and take what he gives you,’ ” Gerch said about remaining composed amid the ovation. “He gave me a walk, so ...”

 

So Nebraska got the tying run on base and eventually got it home before winning 4-3 in 11 innings.

 

Gerch — an outfielder who’s been reduced to a designated-hitter role because of pain in the right shoulder he had surgery on last summer — then went 6-for-8 with five RBIs and scored twice to help the Huskers beat the Red Raiders 14-4 in each of the final two games of the series.

 

With that production, he raised his batting average to .293 (22-for-75 in 22 games).

 

“It’s huge for us, because his bat is unstoppable, at times,” sophomore shortstop Ryan Wehrle said. “To see him hit balls all over the yard like that kind of reminds us of last year.”

 

Wehrle was speaking specifically of the postseason, when Gerch led NU with a .460 average and 16 RBIs. His efforts earned him spots on the Big 12 and College World Series all-tournament teams and led to an MVP honor during the NCAA regional in Lincoln.

 

“I hate to compare it to last year, because last year was just incredible how he got hot,” Anderson said. “Now, you’ve got (Brandon) Buckman and (Luke) Gorsett — if he starts hitting it and doing some of those things that somebody would back up Buckman, you could put him in a four spot and let him roll.

 

“Yeah, if he catches on fire, that’s exciting to think about.”

 

Because his shoulder needed rest, Gerch wasn’t on Nebraska’s active roster for its series against Texas A&M April 21-23, and the next weekend when the Huskers took over the Big 12 Conference lead playing at Texas, he was in Lincoln for his father’s funeral.

 

The following Monday, Gerch walked in the Nebraska baseball office and told assistant coach Andy Sawyers he wanted to work on his hitting before practice.

 

“With everything that went on, it was like a weight off that kid’s shoulders. We came and hit at noon, nobody was out here and I came back to the office and told Coach (Justin) Seely, ‘He’s back,’ ” Sawyers said. “All the problems (at the plate) earlier in the year were tied up into everything that was going on. And now he’s free and clear. He’s back, man.”

 

If not quite to the point of last season, when he hit .364, at least Gerch is regaining his confidence.

 

“I think a lot of it has to do with just going out there and kind of building on at-bats,” he said of finding a rhythm after a long layoff. “In the past, it’s kind of been where you don’t do good and then you kind of feel like ‘Oh, I’m going to struggle.’ Then (Saturday), I’m just trying to get a sense to be comfortable and then punch one through, and just kind of build on it from there. And then the confidence keeps going and you just start to see the ball.”

 

Gerch — who recently became a father — acknowledged the crowd’s support before his key ninth-inning at-bat last weekend gave him chills. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t afford to get caught up in his emotions.

 

“I don’t really know how hard it is, because I’ve never been through anything like that,” Wehrle said. “But he’s the type of person where he’s not going to let anything get him too down. He just loves coming out here and playing baseball.

 

“After all that’s happened to him, you can’t help but (hope for) anything but the best for him.”

 

Recruiting news

 

Nebraska has added two junior college players to its current recruiting class: Craig Corriston from Paris, Texas, and Thad Weber, from Hutchinson, Kan.

 

Corriston, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound utility player, is hitting .372 with six homers and 52 RBIs for a team getting ready for regional playoffs. He’s from the same school as current Husker Andrew Brown.

 

Weber, a Friend High graduate, was recently named the MVP of the Jayhawk West Conference. He leads his team with a .464 batting average and 61 RBIs, and on the mound is 9-0 with a 2.14 ERA. He’s coming off a complete-game, three-hit shutout that included a career-high 12 strikeouts in Hutchinson’s regional playoff opener.

 

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.

[Eric the Red]

Another Husker who is swinging a hot stick is sophomore Andy Gerch, who is hitting .623 (12-for-19) with two homers, four doubles, eight RBIs and eight runs scored over his last five contests.