Big 12 Conference

[Eric the Red]

Big 12 Conference

 

NU Sports Information

 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — A total of 11 Nebraska baseball players were honored by the Big 12 Conference on Thursday, as the league office announced the 2006 All-Big 12 Team.

 

 

Associated Press

 

Nebraska's Ryan Wehrle earned the nod as the first-team All-Big 12 shortstop.

The team, chosen by a vote of the league's coaches earlier this week, included five Huskers who received first-team All-Big 12 honors. First baseman Brandon Buckman, shortstop Ryan Wehrle, right fielder Luke Gorsett, starting pitcher Tony Watson and closer Brett Jensen were all first-team selections, giving the Huskers' their highest number of first-team honorees since 2001. The five first-team selections also matches NU's best mark in school history.

 

Buckman collected first-team honors by hitting .333 with 14 homers and a team-high 49 RBIs. The senior from Monument, Colo., is third in the Big 12 in homers and ranks among the league leaders in slugging percentage (.581) and RBIs (49). His selection marks the sixth time in the last eight seasons that a Husker first baseman has earned first-team honors.

 

Wehrle received the league's nod as the top shortstop after hitting a team-high .364 with seven homers and 44 RBIs. Wehrle is second in the Big 12 with 19 doubles and tops NU in runs scored (45) and hits (75). The Papillion, Neb., native is the first Husker shortstop to garner first-team honors since Larry Mims in 1985, and only the third Husker shortstop to earn first-team all-league honors dating back to 1958.

 

Gorsett was honored after putting together one of the best seasons by a Husker newcomer in recent years. The Denver, Colo., product is hitting .356 with a team-high 15 homers and 48 RBIs, ranking among the Big 12 leaders in homers, slugging percentage and batting average. He is also a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award this season.

 

Watson, who hails from Grimes, Iowa, has been one of the Big 12's top performers throughout the 2006 campaign, his first in the Huskers' starting rotation. Watson is 9-1 with a 3.05 ERA, fanning 63 in 88.1 innings of work this season. The sophomore left-hander is third in the Big 12 in wins and among the conference leaders in innings, strikeouts and ERA.

 

Jensen rounds out the first-team honoree, collecting his first honor this spring. The Eagle Grove, Iowa, native is 5-0 with 11 saves and a 2.85 ERA in a team-high 24 appearances. Jensen, who is on the closer of the year watch list, is second in the league and ranks among the national leaders in saves.

 

In addition to the five first-team honorees, Andrew Brown (utility) and Johnny Dorn (starting pitcher) were both chosen as second-team honorees, while Jake Opitz (second baseman), Jeff Christy (catcher), Nick Jaros (outfield) and Andy Gerch (designated hitter) were all honorable-mention picks.

 

All-Big 12 Team

First Team

1B — (tie) Brandon Buckman, Nebraska; Chance Wheeless, Texas

2B — Jared Schweitzer, Kansas

3B — Tyler Mach, Oklahoma State

SS — Ryan Wehrle, Nebraska

C — Zach Dillon, Baylor

OF — Luke Gorsett, Nebraska; Drew Stubbs, Texas; Roger Kieschnick, Texas Tech

DH — (tie) Jacob Priday, Missouri; Hunter Harris, Texas

UTIL — Jordy Mercer (SS-P), Oklahoma State

SP — Nathan Culp, Missouri; Tony Watson, Nebraska; Kyle McCulloch, Texas

RP — Don Czyz, Kansas; Brett Jensen, Nebraska

 

Player of the Year — (co) Tyler Mach, Oklahoma State; Drew Stubbs, Texas

Pitcher of the Year — Kyle McCulloch, Texas

Newcomer of the Year — Tyler Mach, Oklahoma State

Freshman Player of the Year — OF Roger Kieschnick, Texas Tech

Freshman Pitcher of the Year — Miles Morgan, Texas Tech

 

Second Team

1B — Kevin Smith, Oklahoma

2B — Russell Raley, Oklahoma; Shelby Ford, Oklahoma State

3B — Jared Goedert, Kansas State; Ryan Rohlinger, Oklahoma

SS — Beamer Weems, Baylor; Ritchie Price, Kansas

C — Matt Smith, Texas Tech

OF — John Allman, Kansas; Gus Milner, Kansas; Chuckie Caulfield, Oklahoma; Corey Brown, Oklahoma State; Keanon Simon, Oklahoma State; Carson Kainer, Texas

DH — Deik Scram, Oklahoma State

UTIL — Andrew Brown, Nebraska; Aaron Reza, Oklahoma

SP — Johnny Dorn, Nebraska; Daniel McCutchen, Oklahoma; Steven Guerra, Oklahoma; Brae Wright, Oklahoma State

RP — Austin Wood, Texas; Hart Hering, Texas A&M

 

Honorable Mention: Baylor — OF Seth Fortenberry; SP Ryan LaMotta; Kansas — SP Kodiak Quick; Kansas State — OF Joe Roundy; OF Barrett Rice; Missouri — OF Evan Frey; OF Zane Taylor; SP Max Scherzer; RP Travis Wendte; Nebraska — 2B Jake Opitz; C Jeff Christy; OF Nick Jaros; DH Andy Gerch; Oklahoma — C Jackson Williams; Oklahoma State — SP Matt Gardner; Texas A&M — SS Jose Salazar; Texas Tech — 2B Willie Rueda; SP Miles Morgan.

[hootin' annie's goatfarm]

as of today, the b12 conference has been eliminated, w/ ou losing to rice in the super regionals, so there will not be any area/regional/conference schools to cheer for in omaha.

 

oh well, there is always next yr - go NU!