Through the first few weeks of Big 12 play, Nebraska has been in a league of its own.
The Huskers have series wins over Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, but the road series win over Texas is the most impressive mark on their schedule.
While Nebraska hopes to stay on cruise control, Oklahoma State hopes to win its second home series against a ranked team. In last week's action, the Cowboys surprised many with a road series win over Missouri.
For those reasons and more, Nebraska-Oklahoma State is the Rivals.com National Series of the Week.
Series of the Week: No. 6 Nebraska at No. 19 Oklahoma State
Offense
EDGE: It shouldn't come as a surprise that Oklahoma State has the better offense. Throw in the fact that the Cowboys will be at home this weekend and you have a recipe for success. While OSU is hitting .317 as a team, the Huskers enter the weekend hitting .287 as a team. The Pokes are led at the plate by third baseman Matt Hague and shortstop Jordy Mercer. Hague is hitting .355 with four homers and 32 RBIs, while Mercer is hitting .352 with six homers and 30 RBIs. Outfielder Donnie Webb has been a pleasant surprise, while first baseman Rebel Ridling leads the team in the power department with seven homers.
Pitching
EDGE: Oklahoma State has been pleased with weekend starters Andrew Oliver and Tyler Lyons, but Nebraska has the Cowboys beat in this department. Senior right-handed pitcher Johnny Dorn continues to dominate, while Aaron Pribanic and Thad Weber also have been impressive. Pribanic is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work. He has also struck out 35 and walked 16, while opponents are hitting him at a .242 clip. Weber is 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 47 innings of work. He has also struck out 44 and walked 14, while opponents are hitting .236 off him. If Nebraska's pitching is on track, they're tough to beat.
Fielding
EDGE: The toughest category to choose from, the Cowboys have a slight edge with a .967 fielding percentage. By comparison, Nebraska enters the weekend with a .966 mark. The Pokes have one of the nation's top two-way players with shortstop Jordy Mercer. Veteran first baseman Rebel Ridling has also done a nice job in the field, while Tyrone Hambly and Thomas Belza have split time at second base. Neither team is exceptional in the field, and that could come into play as the weekend progresses.
Coaching
EDGE: It's tough to choose between Nebraska's Mike Anderson and Oklahoma State's Frank Anderson, but we're giving the edge to the Anderson in Nebraska. The Huskers reached the College World Series in 2005. Anderson also guided the Big Red to a 42-17 finish in 2006 and a Regional Championship berth last season. Oklahoma State also made a splash last season with a Super Regional appearance. Still, the Nebraska Anderson has a CWS appearance, and that trumps everything.
Intangibles
EDGE: The Huskers have a wealth of experience with Johnny Dorn, Mitch Abeita and others leading the charge, but Oklahoma State has motivation and a home-field advantage. The Cowboys have two series losses in conference play (Kansas State and Baylor), but both were on the road. In their only conference home series thus far, the Pokes took two of three from No. 20 Texas A&M. OSU is a tough team to beat at
home, and don't be surprised if Nebraska finds that out the hard way this weekend.
Nebraska will win if
The Huskers will win this series if two things happen this weekend – the weekend starters perform at a high level and the offense shows more consistency. Nebraska has one of the nation's top weekend rotations, while the offense has been somewhat inconsistent. Nick Sullivan, Mitch Abeita, Jake Opitz and Bryce Nimmo continue to impress at the plate, while the rest of the lineup must improve. Still, the Huskers have the pitching to go the distance.
Oklahoma State will win if
If Oklahoma State weekend starters Andrew Oliver and Tyler Lyons pitch like they did against Missouri last weekend, the Cowboys should experience success this weekend. Oliver allowed two runs in seven innings against the Tigers, while Lyons allowed two runs in a complete game performance. The Pokes always seem to score runs at home, so the pitching staff will be the key to the series.
X-factor
Give me Nebraska senior right-handed pitcher Johnny Dorn. Dorn has been phenomenal this season, and must set the tone against the Cowboys Friday night. The veteran pitcher is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 46 2/3 innings of work. He has also struck out 48 and walked 12, while opponents are hitting him at a .191 clip. If Dorn is able to win the series opener, it takes a load of pressure off fellow weekend starters Aaron Pribanic and Thad Weber.
The pick
Rogers' pick: Oklahoma State wins series 2-1.
