No. 9/10/9 Nebraska (44-16) Hosts NCAA Lincoln Regional
(Friday, May 30 - Sunday, June 1)
(Hawks Field - 8,486 capacity)
Radio: Pinnacle Sports /Huskers.com
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Probable Starters
Fri. - #13 Quinton Robertson, RHP (8-2, 3.97 ERA)
Sat. - #36 Aaron Marsden, LHP (7-2, 2.64 ERA)
Regional Schedule
Friday, May 30
12:05 p.m. Nebraska vs. Eastern Michigan
7:05 p.m. Coastal Carolina vs. SMS
Saturday, May 31
11:05 a.m. Game 3 (L-Game 1 vs. L-Game 2)
3:35 p.m. Game 4 (W-Game 1 vs. W-Game 2)
8:05 p.m. Game 5 (W-Game 3 vs. L-Game 4)
Sunday, June 1
1:05 p.m. Game 6 (W-Game 4 vs. W-Game 5)
TBA* Game 7 (same teams as Game 6)
*- If necessary
Ticket Availability General Admission All-Session Passes are available at $46 apiece by calling (800) 8-Big Red or on the Internet at Huskers.com. Single-session passes, if available, would go on sale Friday morning at Hawks Field.
Huskers Host NCAA Regional this Weekend
Lincoln -- For the third consecutive season, the Nebraska baseball program has been selected as an NCAA Regional host, as the Huskers (44-16) will play host to the Lincoln Regional this weekend at Hawks Field.
Regional action begins Friday when Nebraska, the regional?s top seed, takes on fourth-seeded Eastern Michigan (32-26) beginning at 12:05 p.m. This marks the fifth straight season and eighth time in school history that Nebraska has participated in NCAA Regional play. The Huskers, who won the Big 12 regular-season title for the second time in three years, are a No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year. The Eagles are making their first NCAA appearance in 21 seasons after winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament title last weekend.
The second game of the evening, which is scheduled for a 7:05 start, features a pair of tournament-tested programs in Coastal Carolina (45-16), the regional?s No. 2 seed, and third-seeded Southwest Missouri State (35-23). The Chanticleers are making their third straight regional appearance, while SMS advanced to the regional title game in Lincoln last season before falling to the Huskers. All of the Huskers? postseason games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Jim Rose and Gary Sharp calling all the action.
As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly 5,000 all-session passes have been sold, with only general admission passes, which cost $46, available for presale purchase. Single-session tickets go on sale Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.
The Huskers look to bounce back after going 2-2 at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City last weekend. NU won its first two games, including a win over No. 16 Baylor, before falling twice to the Bears on Saturday, including a 14-inning contest - NU?s longest game in five years. It marked the first time in five years that the Huskers did not advance to the tournament title game.
Nebraska will look to continue its success in regional play, as the Huskers are 10-2 in NCAA Regional play the last four seasons, including a current nine-game winning streak dating back to 2000. This marks the third straight year that Nebraska has been a host, as Buck Beltzer Field was the site of the 2001 regional, while Hawks Field has played host in each of the past two years.
NCAA Notes
?- Nebraska will be making its fifth consecutive NCAA appearance and eighth in school history (1979, 1980, 1985, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003).
?- The Big 12 was well-represented in the tournament draw, as four schools (Baylor, Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M) were selected as No. 1 seeds, while Missouri makes its first postseason appearance since 1996 and is a No. 3 seed at the Starkville, Miss., regional. Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M were all chosen as regional hosts, as the Big 12 tied the SEC and the ACC for the most host sites among conferences.
?- Nebraska is a combined 13-9 against other NCAA Regional teams, including three wins over Baylor and two wins apiece over both Texas and Minnesota.
?- Nebraska is one of four teams nationally, and the only Big 12 team, to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Regional in each of the past four seasons, joining Stanford, Florida State and LSU.
Husker Title Talk
? - With Big 12 Conference regular-season crowns in both 2001 and 2003, Nebraska now joins Texas A&M (1998-99) as the league?s only two-time regular- season champions.
? - The Huskers have now won five league titles in school history (1929, 1948, 1950, 2001 and 2003) under four head coaches.
? - Nebraska?s 20 league wins marked only the third time that the Huskers had won 20 league games in a season. The 2000 squad holds the school mark with 21 conference wins. The .731 winning percentage was NU?s highest regular-season winning percentage in conference play since 1982 (15-5, .750).
? - NU Head Coach Mike Anderson became the second first-year skipper in school history to win a conference title, joining John Rhodes, who guided NU to the 1929 Big Six title.
? - NU has already reached the 40-win mark for the fifth consecutive year, the longest active streak in the Big 12. It is the second-longest streak in school history and the longest stretch since NU won 40 or more games for seven straight seasons (1979-1985).
Leading Off
? - Matt Hopper has continued Nebraska?s tradition of home run hitters, as the first baseman leads the Big 12 with 18 homers, one more than Baylor?s Chris Durbin. In each of the past three seasons, a Husker has led the league in homers (Matt Hopper and Dan Johnson, 2000; Dan Johnson, 2001; Jed Morris, 2002).
?- The 2003 Huskers now have a pair of college graduates in seniors Steve Hale and Matt Hopper. Both players participated in graduation ceremonies along with student assistant coach Brandon Eymann and former Huskers Will Bolt (1999-2002) and Brian Johnson (1998-99).
? - Nebraska has now scored in 326 straight games, dating back to an 8-0 shutout loss at Texas on May 3, 1998. The streak is tied for the fourth-longest streak in NCAA history, while NU broke the conference record of 269 set by Oklahoma State from 1985 to 1989 against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 22. Husker hurlers have pitched 23 shutouts in the same stretch, including a school-record six by senior left-hander Jamie Rodrigue. The Huskers have been held to only one run on 10 occasions during the streak.
? -One of the major reasons for NU?s success has been its conference road record. The Huskers continued that trend in 2003, winning three of four road series, including a three-game sweep of Oklahoma. Texas A&M was the only road team to take a series from the Huskers, winning 2-of-3 in College Station in March.
? -Since a four-game losing streak in mid-March (NU?s longest losing streak since the 1999 season), the Huskers have been playing at an .767 clip, going 33-10 since March 20, including an 8-3 mark away from Hawks Field.
?- Daniel Bruce has been on a tear the past month, hitting .400 (30-for-75) since April 20 to raise his batting average to .304.
?- Head Coach Mike Anderson is the winningest first-year coach in the program?s history, as his team is 44-16 entering NCAA play. The previous high water mark for a first-year Husker coach was John Sanders, whose 1978 Huskers compiled a 36-20 record. Only two of the league?s current 10 coaches - Oklahoma?s Larry Cochell and Oklahoma State?s Tom Holliday - won 40 or more games in their first season, posting records of 40-21 and 46-19, respectively. Anderson is the first Big 12 coach to win a conference crown in his first year as head coach.
?- The Huskers have scored runs in bunches, totaling at least three runs in an inning on 66 occasions, including a season-best seven runs in the eighth inning at Louisiana Tech on Feb. 22, and six runs against Western Illinois in the eighth inning on April 1.
? - One of the major reasons for NU?s pitching success under Rob Childress has been cutting down on walks, as NU leads the Big 12 with an average of 2.61 walks per nine innings. Husker hurlers are enjoying a 2.9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, striking out 439 and walking just 154 hitters this spring. Under Childress, NU has walked an average of fewer than three batters per game in each of the past three years, including a school-record low of 2.46 walks per game in 2000.
? - Including this week?s polls, the Huskers have been ranked in at least one of the national polls for the past 64 weeks, dating back to April of 2000.
?-A total of 16 former Huskers are currently listed on major or minor league rosters. The list is headed by two-time All-Star Darin Erstad of the World Champion Anaheim Angels, while Ken Harvey (Kansas City) and Troy Brohawn (Los Angeles) are also on MLB rosters. The trio was joined by Todd Sears, who was called up by Minnesota in late April. Five Huskers, Erstad, Harvey, Brohawn, Sears and Jamal Strong (Seattle) are currently on 40-man rosters.
NCAA Regional Rotation
Quinton Robertson will go for his team-high 10th win of the season in Friday?s opener against Eastern Michigan. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander from Richland, Miss., is 9-2 with a 3.90 ERA in 15 appearances, covering 83.0 innings. A first-team All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Robertson is second in the conference in wins and seventh in ERA. He has pitched six or more innings in each of his last 10 starts, dating back to March 15, and is holding opponents to a .263 average.
In his last start, he avenged one of his two losses, holding No. 16 Baylor to two runs over six-plus innings, in NU?s 9-5 win over the Bears in the Big 12 Tournament over the weekend. He was Nebraska?s nominee for Big 12 Pitcher of the Week against Oklahoma State, as he threw his first complete game of the year in a 5-2 win on May 11. Robertson, whose previous long stint was seven innings, allowed two runs on 10 hits and did not walk a batter for the second straight outing. Robertson went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits in the Huskers? 6-2 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on May 3. At Texas Tech on April 26, the right-hander allowed one unearned run on five hits in a 6-3 Husker win. He scattered five hits and allowed just two balls out of the infield in his final five innings of work to earn his first win since March 29. Against seventh-ranked Texas on April 19, Robertson allowed two first-inning homers, but settled down, going six innings and scattering seven hits. He struck out three but did not get the decision in the 6-4 win against the Longhorns. At Oklahoma on March 29, he gave up six runs on six hits while striking out five Sooners in the Huskers? 8-6 victory. Robertson turned in a strong outing against Kansas State on March 22, going a then-career-high seven innings and striking out a season-high seven Wildcats in a 10-4 victory. At No. 22 Texas A&M on March 15, he suffered his only loss, allowing four runs ? one earned ? on just three hits in 4.1 innings. Against Minnesota in his first Division I start, Robertson allowed two hits in six innings, leading NU to a 15-2 win over the Golden Gophers.
A 17th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2001, Robertson spent the previous two seasons at Texarkana College, going a combined 15-3 with a 3.18 ERA. Last season, he was 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA, striking out 31 and walking 10 in 34 innings of work. Robertson was a second-team NJCAA All-American as a freshman, going 9-0 with a 3.45 ERA, helping Texarkana College to the 2001 NJCAA World Series.
Aaron Marsden makes his team-high 16th start of the season on Saturday against either Coastal Carolina or Southwest Missouri State. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound left-hander has been the ace of the Husker staff, earning first-team All-Big 12 and conference pitcher-of-the-year honors in 2003. The Grand Forks, N.D., native is 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA in a team-high 107 innings of work. He ranks in the top five in the Big 12 in every major pitching category, including first in complete games (four), second in strikeouts (107), third in ERA (2.78), fourth in opposing batting average (.240) and fifth in innings pitched (107), while his innings pitched (107.0, fifth) and strikeouts (107, fifth) already have earned him a spot on Husker single-season lists.
Marsden, who was rated 69th on Baseball America?s top 100 draft prospects list, turned in a solid performance in NU?s Big 12 opener against Kansas, scattering nine hits over eight innings of work. The left-hander fired his fourth complete game of the season against No. 14 Baylor on May 16, fanning a career-high 12 Bears in a 6-2 win. Marsden held a Baylor offense that was hitting .333 to just six hits in snapping a personal two-game losing streak. He is a perfect 7-0 against nationally ranked teams, including 4-0 this season, and had won 13 straight decisions before suffering back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette. Marsden got the no-decision against Oklahoma State on May 11, allowing five runs on 10 hits, while fanning six Cowboys in NU?s come-from-behind win. Against ULL on May 2, he allowed a pair of first-inning runs before settling down, as he allowed eight hits and struck out nine in eight innings of work. In the loss at Texas Tech, he allowed a career-high seven runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings of work. Marsden earned Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors for the second time this season after throwing a complete-game six hitter with 11 strikeouts against seventh-ranked Texas on April 18. Against No. 20 Missouri, he threw seven innings of scoreless ball while fanning 11 Tigers, but did not get the win, as NU gave up three runs in the ninth. His shortest start of his career came against Kansas on April 4, where he left after 1.1 innings because of tightness in his forearm. Against Oklahoma, Marsden shared Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors with Zach Kroenke, throwing a complete-game four-hitter, and striking out 10 Sooners in a 5-1 Husker win. Against No. 22 Texas A&M, Marsden pitched 7.2 innings of two-run ball in the Huskers? 3-2 win over the Aggies on March 14. He hurled 7.2 shutout innings, scattering four hits with eight strikeouts in NU?s 8-0 win over UW-Milwaukee on March 7 and had his best outing of the year, throwing eight innings of one-run ball and striking out 10 in the Huskers? 7-1 win over No. 14 Notre Dame on Feb. 28.
Last season, Marsden earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, going 8-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his first season as a Husker. He made 20 appearances, including 13 starts, and threw 100.0 innings in 2002. During the summer, he pitched in the Northwoods League, going 8-2 with a league-low 1.60 ERA and was chosen as the league?s best overall prospect. He also earned second-team Summer All-America honors from Baseball America.
Nebraska?s NCAA History
The Huskers are making their eighth NCAA appearance in school history this weekend, dating back to the 1979 season. NU made three trips from 1979 to 1985 before stringing together its current five-year streak.
In 2002, the Huskers? season culminated in the school?s second straight CWS appearance. Nebraska swept through its regional, posting wins over Wisconsin-Milwaukee (7-2), Marist (9-1) and Southwest Missouri State (14-3) to set up a Super Regional showdown with Richmond, which had upset No. 7 national seed Wake Forest. After splitting the first two games, NU broke a 5-5 tie with five runs in the eighth inning - highlighted by Justin Seely?s grand slam - to punch their second straight trip to Omaha. At the CWS, the Huskers lost both games on the opponents? final at-bat, an 11-10 loss to Clemson in the opener, before South Carolina eliminated NU with a 10-8 victory.
In 2001, the Huskers capped the most successful season in school history by earning a berth in the College World Series in Omaha. Although the Huskers lost a pair of one-run decisions to Cal State Fullerton (5-4) and Tulane (6-5). The Huskers, who were the No. 8 national seed, played host to an NCAA Regional for the first time, defeating Northern Iowa (16-6) and Rutgers (5-4, 14-10) to advance to a Super Regional for the second time. The Huskers took on Rice, blanking the Owls 7-0 in the opener before rallying for a 9-6 win in 10 innings the following day in front of a then-school record crowd of 5,484 in the final game in Buck Beltzer Stadium history.
In 2000, Nebraska earned the No. 1 seed at the NCAA Regional at Minneapolis and defeated Butler (2-1), Minnesota (4-1) and Wichita State (8-1) to advance to the NCAA Super Regional at Stanford. The Huskers won the opener against the Cardinal, but lost the final two games to finish one win away from the CWS.
In 1999, the Huskers made their first NCAA Regional appearance under Van Horn, traveling to Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Nebraska lost its regional opener to Mississippi State (18-14), before rebounding with a win over Bowling Green (10-5). The Huskers were eliminated by Mississippi State (13-7).
Nebraska made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1979 at the Northeast Regional, where the Huskers lost to St. John?s (5-0) and defeated Navy (13-4) before being eliminated by Connecticut (15-0). In NU?s second NCAA appearance in 1980 at the Midwest Regional, the Huskers defeated BYU (12-0), before losing to Michigan (7-0). Nebraska stayed alive by defeating BYU (12-4), before being eliminated by the Wolverines (12-3).
The Huskers made their only other NCAA appearance at the 1985 West I Regional Tournament, where they defeated Pepperdine (4-2), before losing to Stanford (9-8) and Pepperdine (7-6) to close the tournament.
Big 12 Tournament Rewind
Wednesday (Nebraska 9, Kansas 4): Jake Mullinax tied a Big 12 record with four hits and scored twice, leading the Huskers to a 9-4 win over Kansas in Wednesday?s opener. Mullinax?s first career four-hit day tied him with Texas? Dustin Majewski and Oklahoma State?s Scott Kirby for the tournament?s single-game mark. The Huskers second baseman led an 18-hit attack - NU?s best performance since April 4 - as seven players had at least two hits and drove in at least one run. Aaron Marsden picked up his second straight win, scattering nine hits while fanning six in eight innings to improve to 8-2 on the season. The left-hander allowed four runs, but finished strong by retiring 10 of the last 11 Jayhawks he faced.
Thursday (Nebraska 9, Baylor 5): Alex Gordon went 3-for-5 with four RBIs to lead the Huskers to a 9-5 win over Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. The freshman from Lincoln tied career bests in both hits and RBIs and delivered the game?s biggest hit, a two-run triple in the seventh off reliever Abe Woody. Gordon led the Huskers? 10-hit effort, while NU got a strong start from Quinton Robertson, who allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings. Mike Sillman fanned the final two batters after the Bears loaded the bases in the ninth to pick up the save. John Grose drove in a pair of runs, while Matt Hopper went 1-for-4 with four runs scored, as NU built a 9-2 lead before Baylor?s comeback.
Saturday (Baylor 7, Nebraska 5) - The Huskers went 14 innings - their longest game in five years - but could not avoid the upset in falling to Baylor Saturday afternoon. Husker relievers Steve Hale and Mike Sillman turned in a heroic bullpen effort, holding BU to just two infield hits in nine innings before the Bears broke through with a pair of runs in the 14th. Sillman, who had not allowed an earned run since March 19, went 5.1 innings - his longest outing in over two years - but suffered the loss. Hale, who came in for Zach Kroenke, kept the Huskers in the game with 4.1 innings of no-hit relief. The Huskers spotted BU a 5-0 lead led, but came back to score three in the fourth before Alex Gordon, who had two hits and three RBIs, tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Saturday (Baylor 6, Nebraska 2) - Nebraska was held to a season-low two hits in a 6-2 loss to Baylor late Saturday evening. The loss, NU?s second of the day to the Bears, ended the Huskers? hopes for a fourth Big 12 title in the last five years. Alex Gordon, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Bubbs Merrill accounted for all of NU?s offense, as BU scored six unanswered runs after NU jumped to a 2-0 lead. Phil Shirek took the loss, allowing five runs in 2.1 innings, but the Huskers got a strong performance from senior Jamie Rodrigue, who allowed one run in 3.2 innings of relief in his first action since May 30.
Against the Regional Field
Nebraska is a combined 5-3 against the regional field all-time, as the Huskers are 2-1 against Eastern Michigan, 3-2 against Southwest Missouri State and have never met Coastal Carolina on the diamond. The Huskers and SMS met in the 2002 NCAA Lincoln Regional title game, with the Huskers pulling out a 14-3 victory. In that game, Jeff Leise tied a career high with four hits to power a 17-hit Nebraska attack, as NU scored in each of the final six innings. Along with Leise?s four hits, Matt Hopper smashed a three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to break open the game for the Huskers, who scored in each of the final six innings. Joe Simokaitis, who tied a career-high with three hits with a 3-for-5 performance and drove in three runs in the win.
Husker Sweep Major Big 12 Awards
Nebraska claimed a clean sweep of the major Big 12 honors announced Monday by the conference office. Senior first baseman Matt Hopper and junior pitcher Aaron Marsden swept the Player and Pitcher-of-the-Year awards, respectively, while Head Coach Mike Anderson was tabbed by his peers as the Big 12 Coach of the Year. It marked only the second time since 1997 that one school has swept the major honors in one year. Hopper is third player of the year in the past four seasons, joining 2000 winner Shane Komine and 2002 winner Jed Morris. Komine, who was selected as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2001, joins Marsden as NU?s only Big 12 Pitchers of the Year.
The duo led a contingent of nine Huskers on the various All-Big 12 teams. Hopper, Marsden, designated hitter Curtis Ledbetter and pitcher Quinton Robertson were all tabbed first-team honorees. With the selection, Hopper became the first player in school history to be a three-time all-conference selection. Jeff Leise was NU?s second-team honoree, while John Grose, Jake Mullinax, Joe Simokaitis and Alex Gordon were all honorable-mention selections.
Two Huskers Claim Academic All-America Honors
A pair of Husker baseball players were honored Tuesday, as Jeff Leise and Aaron Marsden were selected as Verizon First-Team Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Both players were selected to the 11-member first-team, as 2003 marks the first time Nebraska has ever had two selections on the first team. It also marks the third straight season that two Husker baseball players have earned Academic All-America honors, as the duo claimed the 12th and 13th baseball awards in school history.
Leise received one of the highest honors a baseball player can receive, as he was chosen the Verizon Academic All-American of the Year for the second straight season, becoming the first Husker male athlete to be selected as a two-time All-American of the Year. He follows Arizona State?s Casey Myers, who was the Baseball Academic All-American of the Year in 2000 and 2001, as the only players to repeat as All-Americans of the Year. Leise becomes the fourth Husker to ever receive the honor, joining fellow double-winners Janet Kruse (1990-1991, volleyball), Karen Jennings (1992-1993, women?s basketball) and Virginia Stahr (1988-89, volleyball).
Hopper Wraps Up Record-Setting Career
One of the major catalysts of the Huskers? offensive output has been first baseman Matt Hopper. The senior from Golden, Colo., has been putting together a season worthy of All-America consideration, leading the Huskers in hitting (.374), homers (18), RBIs (59), walks (47), slugging percentage (.682) and on-base percentage (.496). Hopper tops the Big 12 in homers, walks and slugging percentage and ranks among the league leaders in eight offensive categories. A first-team All-Big 12 honoree, Hopper was selected as the league?s player of the year on Monday, joining former All-Americans Darin Erstad, Shane Komine and Jed Morris as the fourth Husker to ever earn the honor.
A four-year starter, Hopper has etched his name in NU?s career record book several times in 2003, becoming the school?s all-time leader in hits, homers, RBIs, runs scored and total bases. He became the Big 12?s all-time hit leader at Oklahoma on March 30, breaking Rick Park?s conference record of 282 hits between 1997 and 2000, and became the conference?s RBI leader against Kansas on April 4, breaking the mark held by Texas Tech?s Josh Bard (1997-99). He added to his list of achievements on April 20 against Texas when he broke the Big 12?s home run record held by Oklahoma?s Casey Bookout (1997-99).
After seeing his 2002 season end at the Super Regional because of an injury, Hopper wasted little time getting back into the swing of things. Against Louisiana Tech, the 6-4, 220-pound first baseman went 6-for-9 (.667) with three homers, six RBIs, seven walks and seven runs scored, finishing the series with an on-base percentage of .812 and a slugging percentage of 1.667. In his first day back, he reached base all 10 times and drove in five runs in a doubleheader split against Louisiana Tech. Hopper continued his early-season tear at the Dairy Queen Baseball Classic in Minneapolis, going 6-for-14 with four runs scored to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Hopper had only three official at-bats against UW-Milwaukee, but made the most of them, going 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and four runs scored in the sweep of the Panthers. Hopper provided nearly all of the Huskers? offense at Texas A&M, going 6-for-13 (.462) with three homers, four RBIs and four runs scored. Against Missouri, Hopper went 3-for-13, but keyed Saturday?s comeback from an 8-1 deficit, belting two homers, including a three-run game winner in the 10th, and driving in a career-high seven runs. Against seventh-ranked Texas, Hopper went 4-for-11 with two homers and six RBIs, highlighted by a three-run homer that broke a 3-all tie in Saturday?s 6-4 win to earn national player-of-the-week honors from College Baseball Insider.com. At Texas Tech, Hopper went 3-for-14 with four runs scored, helping NU remain in contention for its second Big 12 title in three years. He had two hits against Creighton on April 29 before going 3-for-5 with three RBIs against No. 25 Minnesota the following day. Hopper carried the Husker offense against Oklahoma State, going 7-for-9 with six RBIs and five walks for an .857 on-base percentage to a three-game sweep of the Cowboys. Hopper continued his torrid pace against Baylor, going 5-for-10 with three walks, before going just 2-for-14 with six runs scored at the Big 12 Tournament last weekend.
A two-time All-Big 12 selection and first-team All-American in 2001, Hopper missed all of the fall after off-season shoulder (right) and hand surgeries (left), but began working out with the team at the start of practice in January. In 2002, Hopper was plagued by injuries, batting .309 with nine homers and 49 RBIs. Originally recruited to Nebraska as a pitcher, Hopper played third base as a redshirt freshman before becoming NU?s DH/first baseman in 2001, backing up fellow All-American Dan Johnson. Hopper shined in his first full season at the position in 2002, committing three errors in 549 attempts for a .995 fielding percentage.
Leise is the Center (fielder) of Attention
The Huskers have the benefit of one of the nation?s top leadoff hitters in senior All-American Jeff Leise. The Omaha, Neb., native returned for his senior season after being selected in the seventh round by the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. Leise?s return to NU for his senior season marked the highest selected draftee to return to Nebraska since Gene Stohs was selected in the third round of the 1972 Draft.
Leise, a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America and Collegiate Baseball, has lived up to the lofty expectations, batting .337 with seven homers and 33 RBIs. He tops the Huskers in hits (83), triples (seven) and stolen bases (19), while ranking second in runs scored (55). Leise had reached safely in his first 26 games before going 0-for-4 against Kansas on April 5 and has reached safely in 53 of 57 contests this season. A career .350 hitter, he passed Will Bolt to move into sole possession of second place on NU?s all-time hit list on April 30, and he trails only teammate Matt Hopper on the school?s list.
Earlier this season, Leise was selected as the MVP of the Dairy Queen Baseball Classic, hitting .467 with two homers, two triples, six RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. Leise batted .429 (6-for-14) with four runs scored in the sweep of Kansas State. Leise missed the Cal Poly series with an eye injury that required seven stitches, but came back with a 5-for-14 effort and three stolen bases against Oklahoma. He provided a spark against Missouri, going 6-for-12 with three runs scored and three RBIs - all coming on a three-run homer in Sunday?s 7-6 come-from-behind win. Against Oklahoma State, Leise went 5-for-11 (.455) with five runs scored, while playing sterling defense, helping the Huskers to a sweep over the Cowboys.
In 2002, Leise earned first-team All-America honors from the ABCA, batting .371 with 12 homers, 51 RBIs and 25 stolen bases, while committing three errors in 168 total chances in the field. In the classroom, he is just as impressive, as he was selected as the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in both 2002 and 2003, becoming only the second college baseball player to earn back-to-back honors since the program was started.
Tough to Get the Led (Better) Out
One of the biggest surprises in the conference has been the emergence of sophomore Curtis Ledbetter, as the sophomore earned first-team All-Big 12 honors at DH after redshirting last year. The 6-3, 220-pounder from Lawrence, Kan., is hitting .341 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs, as he is third in the Big 12 in slugging percentage (.653) and fifth in the conference in home runs. Ledbetter, who missed the Big 12 Tournament with a shoulder injury turned heads in his first game as a Husker, belting two homers in a 9-6 win over Southwest Texas on Feb. 14. They would be his only homers for over a month, until he came off the bench to belt a pair of round trippers against Kansas State on March 21. Since then, he is hitting .354 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in his last 36 games. Ledbetter had a 23-game hitting streak, the longest by a Husker in eight seasons, that stretched from March 23 until April 30. He has filled in at first base and left field in addition to his designated hitter duties. Last month, he was named the Big 12?s co-Player of the Week, going 9-for-16 with two homers and nine RBIs in five games, as six of his nine hits went for extra bases. He tied a school record with three doubles in a 4-for-4 effort against South Dakota on April 23.
True Freshmen Making Immediate Impact
While only three true freshmen are on the Huskers? active roster, each has played a significant role in the Huskers? success in 2003. Third baseman Alex Gordon is batting .325 with six homers and 47 RBIs. He ranks among the top conference freshmen in hitting and on-base percentage (.435), while he has reached in 52 of his first 57 games as a Husker. Gordon played an instrumental part in NU?s series win over Baylor, getting the game winning RBIs in both of the Husker wins. On Friday, he delivered a two-run single off Steven White in the first, giving Aaron Marsden all the offensive support he would need in NU?s 6-2 win. On Sunday, his eighth-inning bases loaded walk scored Jake Mullinax with the decisive run in NU?s 7-6 win that clinched the Big 12 title. Last week, Gordon continued his hot hitting at the Big 12 Tournament, batting .350 (7-for-20) with a homer and nine RBIs en route to all-tournament team honors. Gordon tied career highs in both hits (three) and RBIs (four) in Thursday?s win over Baylor, while his two-run eighth-inning homer on Saturday tied the game before the Huskers lost in 14 innings.
On the mound, Tim Schoeninger and Zach Kroenke have been major contributors on a pitching staff that is second in the Big 12 in ERA. Schoeninger is 4-2 with a team-high five saves and a 4.50 ERA in a team-high 23 appearances out of the bullpen. His five saves rank eighth in the Big 12 and is the highest total by a conference freshman. Kroenke is 5-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 13 appearances, including nine starts. Kroenke shared Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors with Aaron Marsden in early April, as he went 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in victories over Cal Poly and Oklahoma in a span of five days.
Husker Trio Garnering Pro Attention
A trio of Husker baseball players were among the Baseball America/Prospect Plus ranking of the top-200 college players eligible for the 2003 player draft. Junior left-hander Aaron Marsden, who is 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA entering the NCAA Regional, was the Huskers? top-rated pro prospect, as he placed 69th on the list. Center fielder Jeff Leise (85th) and first baseman Matt Hopper (180th) joined Marsden on the preseason list. All three players have been drafted during their college careers, while Leise was picked in the seventh round of the 2002 MLB Draft, while Marsden (34th, Cleveland) and Hopper (36th, San Francisco) were taken in the 2001 Draft. Over the past five seasons, NU has had nine players drafted in the top-10 rounds.
NU Looks to Continue Home Success
The Huskers have been nearly unbeatable at Hawks Field since it opened in 2002, going 55-9 (.859), including a 37-3 mark against unranked teams. NU finished the 2003 regular season with a 26-4 at Hawks Field, including a 9-2 record against ranked foes. The Huskers have enjoyed a pair of 10-game winning streaks this season and had not dropped a series at Hawks Field until Louisiana-Lafayette took 2-of-3 from NU in early May. NU has five last at-bat wins, including consecutive wins over No. 20 Missouri last month and wins over Oklahoma State and Baylor in May.
One major reason is the fan support the Huskers receive at home. NU is averaging 4,075 fans per home date this season, highlighted by a regular-season record crowd of 18,358 for the series with Baylor two weeks ago. It marked the third series this season that has drawn more than 15,000 fans, as NU drew 20,905 for a three-game series against Texas in mid-April, including a Hawks Field regular-season record of 6,879 for Friday?s opener, and 16,417 for a three-game set with Missouri.
In 2002, the Huskers finished their inaugural season at Hawks Field with a 29-5 record, including a 9-4 mark against ranked foes. NU had winning streaks of 15 games ? the highest total since winning 24 straight in 1988 ? and 10 games during the season, while the 29 home wins tied the school record set in 1980 (29-1) and 1988 (29-5).
Drafted Huskers
The 2003 Huskers boast 10 players who have been previously selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. The list is led by junior catcher John Grose, who has been selected on two occasions. Seniors Jeff Leise (7th round by Anaheim in 2002) and Matt Hopper (36th round by San Francisco in 2001) were selected while at Nebraska, but decided to return for the 2003 season. The list also includes four newcomers who were drafted out of junior college, including junior right-hander Quinton Robertson, who was chosen in the 17th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.
Huskers Also Excel in the Classroom
Nebraska placed a league-high six first-team selections on the academic All-Big 12 team released on May 13. The 47-member list is highlighted by senior Jeff Leise and junior Aaron Marsden, as both players were also chosen to the Verizon Academic All-America team. This marks the third time that Leise, who carries a 3.79 GPA in psychology has been chosen to the academic All-Big 12 squad, while it marks the first appearance for Marsden, who has a 3.95 GPA in business administration. In all, four of Nebraska?s five seniors earned academic all-conference recognition, including left-handed pitcher Jamie Rodrigue, who garnered his second first-team award, and Matt Hopper, who was chosen for the first team for the first time in his career. Other first-team selections included outfielders Drew Anderson and Daniel Bruce, while Curtis Ledbetter and Josh Birmingham were second-team honorees.
Nebraska?s six first-team selections were one more than runner-up Baylor and Oklahoma State and marked the second time in the last three seasons that NU recorded the highest number of first-team honorees. In all, NU placed eight members on the academic All-Big 12 team, a total that trailed only Oklahoma?s nine academic All-Big 12 honorees. During the spring semester, 20 of the 39 players had GPAs of 3.0 or better, including 4.0 GPAs by Aaron Marsden and Daniel Bruce.
Marsden Named Husker Power Male Athlete of the Year
Aaron Marsden was selected as the Husker Power Male Athlete of the Year on April 16. Marsden became the first baseball player in the 25-year history of the award to earn the coveted honor, which covers all of Nebraska?s sports. The junior from Grand Forks, N.D., added 14 pounds of muscle, as the 6-foot-6, 225-pounder improved his score in five of the six testing categories. He lowered his time in both the 40- and 60-yard dash to 4.97 (from 5.11) and 6.97 (7.31), respectively, while improving his hang clean lift from 245 pounds to 260 pounds and his squat from 328 pounds to 350 pounds. He earned the honor in team voting over juniors Jesse Boyer, Joe Gullion and sophomore Joe Simokaitis.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
