No. 10/8/8 Nebraska (40-13, 18-6 Big 12)
vs. No. 21/16/14 Baylor (36-17, 14-10 Big 12)
Hawks Field at Haymarket Park
Friday-Sunday, May 16-18
(6:35 p.m.; 2:05 p.m.; 1:05 p.m.)
Event Coverage
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network/Huskers.com
Video Streaming: HuskersNside.com*
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Television: Nebraska ETV/College Sports TV (Sat.)
Friday Probables
NU - #36 Aaron Marsden, LHP (6-2, 2.70 ERA)
BU - #12 Steven White, RHP (6-3, 4.14 ERA)
Saturday Probables (Parents Day)
NU - #13 Quinton Robertson, RHP (8-1, 3.68 ERA)
BU - #28 Sean Walker, RHP (7-4, 4.93 ERA)
Baseball Card Set Giveaway on Saturday: The first 500 kids ages 12 and under will receive a set of 2003 Husker baseball trading cards, sponsored by Cook?s Foods and the Lancaster County Sheriff?s office.
Sunday Probables (Senior Day)
NU - #35 Phil Shirek, RHP (5-1, 2.63 ERA)
BU - #26 Mark McCormick, RHP (5-2, 5.55 ERA)
Note: Polls are listed in following order (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, Sports Weekly/ESPN)
* - Subscribers only. To sign up for HuskersNside, log on to Huskers.com and click the HuskersNside icon on the front page.
Ticket Availability Tickets for this weekend?s series against Baylor can be purchased by calling (800) 8-Big Red or on the Internet at Huskers.com.
No. 8 Huskers Battle for Big 12 Regular-Season Title vs. No. 14 Baylor
Lincoln -- The Nebraska baseball team can win its second Big 12 title in three seasons this weekend, as the eighth-ranked Huskers play host to No. 14 Baylor at Hawks Field. The series opens Friday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch before concluding with afternoon tilts on both Saturday (2:05) and Sunday (1:05). All three games will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Jim Rose and Gary Sharp calling all the action, while live video streaming of the weekend games is available on HuskersNside.com. Saturday?s game will also be televised state-wide on Nebraska ETV with Kevin Kugler and Adrian Fiala, while the game will also be carried nationally (College Sports TV; Ch. 610 on DirecTV)
Nebraska (40-13) comes into the weekend series on a four-game winning streak after posting a 9-5 win over Creighton in front of more than 11,000 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium Tuesday evening. NU, which has won 40 games for the fifth straight season, is tied with Texas for first place in the Big 12 with identical 18-6 records, one game ahead of third-place Texas A&M. While the Huskers host Baylor (36-17, 14-10) in Lincoln, the Longhorns and Aggies will square off this weekend as well, making for high drama in the final weekend of the season. Nebraska, which is guaranteed a top-three Big 12 finish, is the only team that controls its own destiny this weekend, as three wins this weekend give the Huskers the No. 1 seed in next weekend?s Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. NU holds the tiebreaker over Texas, but a three-way tie would give Texas A&M the top seed.
Baylor comes to Lincoln as the hottest team in the Big 12, as the Bears have won eight straight games after a 9-5 win over Southwest Texas on Tuesday evening. The weekend matchup features a Husker pitching staff that is 19th nationally in ERA (3.53 entering the week) trying to slow down a potent Bear offense that is ninth nationally in hitting (.333) and 13th nationally in runs per game.
What to Watch For
? - Nebraska?s 18 Big 12 wins are the third-highest single-season total in school history, trailing only the 2000 (21-9) and 2001 (20-8) Husker squads. A series win (2-of-3) would give the Huskers? their highest regular-season winning percentage since 1982 (15-5, .750), while a sweep would not only equal NU?s most-ever Big 12 wins, but also its best confernece winning percentage since 1980.
? - A Big 12 title would be the second in three years and fifth overall (1929, 1948, 1950 and 2001). NU Head Coach Mike Anderson would be 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.
? - Nebraska is looking for its 12th straight home series win over a Big 12 opponent dating back to a series loss to Missouri in March of 2001. The Huskers have won eight straight conference series in Hawks Field since the ballpark opened last season.
? - Nebraska has already reached the 40-win mark for the fifth consecutive season, the longest active streak in the Big 12. It isthe second longest streak in school history and the longest stretch since NU won 40 or more games for seven straight seasons from 1979 to 1985.
? - Nebraska will look to clinch a conference title at home for the first time in over 50 years. In 2001, the Huskers clinched the Big 12 title at Iowa State.
Busy Weekend on Tap
It will be a hectic weekend at Hawks Field, as this weekend marks the Huskers? final regular-season home games of the season. Saturday?s game will be shown state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television and will be simulcast nationally on College Sports TV (Ch. 610 on Direct TV). The Huskers will recognize the parents of the 2003 Huskers during pregame ceremonies, while the first 500 kids aged 12-and-under will receive a commerative 2003 Husker baseball card set, sponsored by Cook?s Ham and the Lancaster County Sheriff?s Department.
On Sunday, seniors Josh Birmingham, Steve Hale, Matt Hopper, Jeff Leise and Jamie Rodrigue will be honored in pregame ceremonies. The 2003 seniors have won a Big 12-high 188 games over the past four seasons, including two College World Series appearances, three Super Regionals, two Big 12 Tournament titles and the school?s first regular-season conference crown since 1950. With 188 wins over the past four years, the 2003 seniors rank second to last year?s class (190 wins) in terms of total wins.
In addition to the weekend series against Baylor, Haymarket Park will be busy as the Husker softball team will be hosting an NCAA Regional at Bowlin Stadium from Thursday to Sunday. Last season, the Huskers were the only NCAA program to have teams in both the College World Series in Omaha and the Women?s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Leading Off
? - Matt Hopper has continued Nebraska?s tradition of home run hitters, as the first baseman leads the Big 12 with 17 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).
? - On the injury front, the Huskers received word last month that sophomore left-hander Brian Duensing will not need Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. The Omaha, Neb., native will begin a rehabilitation program with the hope that he will be ready for the 2003 opener. Duensing, 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts, is eligible to receive a medical redshirt for this season. Senior left-hander Jamie Rodrigue had arthoscopic surgery on his right knee on May 4 and is doubtful for this weekend?s series. The senior co-captain could return to the mound in time for the Big 12 Tournament next week.
?- Catcher John Grose returned to catching duty for the first time since April 8, in Tuesday?s game against Creighton. The junior from Henderson, Nev., had a stress reaction in his right elbow that restricted him to DH duty the past month.
?- 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 319 straight games, dating back to an 8-0 shutout loss at Texas on May 3, 1998. The streak is the fifth-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 nine 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, which is ranked as high as ninth in this week?s polls, 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 .806 clip, going 29-7 since March 20, including an 8-3 mark away from Hawks Field.
?- Daniel Bruce has been on a tear the past three weeks, hitting .468 (22-for-47) since April 20 to raise his batting average to .308, his highest average since Feb. 14 - his first game of the season. The sophomore had a career-high four hits in Tuesday?s win over Creighton and had four hits, including two doubles and a homer against Oklahoma State over the weekend. His current stretch began at Rosenblatt Stadium on April 20 with a 3-for-4 effort against Texas.
?- Head Coach Mike Anderson is the winningest first-year coach in the program?s history, as his team is 40-13 entering this weeknend. 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 would be 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 60 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 2.38 walks per nine innings. Husker hurlers are enjoying a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, striking out 374 and walking just 123 hitters this spring, including 41 games with three walks or less. 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 62 weeks, dating back to April of 2000.
? - Nebraska is scheduled to play games in four major or minor league ballparks this season. The list includes the Dell Diamond (AA Round Rock Express), the Metrodome (Minnesota Twins), Rosenblatt Stadium (AAA Omaha Royals) and the SBC Bricktown Ballpark (AAA Oklahoma Redhawks), which will host the 2003 Big 12 Tournament. In addition, the Huskers? home park - Hawks Field at Haymarket Park - will host the Omaha Royals on May 19, marking the second straight year the facility has hosted a AAA game.
?-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 mid-April. Five Huskers, Erstad, Harvey, Brohawn, Sears and Jamal Strong (Seattle) are currently on 40-man rosters.
Weekend Rotation
Aaron Marsden looks to break a two-game losing streak, as he takes the hill in Friday?s opener. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound left-hander has been the ace of the Husker staff, going 6-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 90 innings of work. He is ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in seven categories, including second in strikeouts (89) and complete games (3) and third in ERA and opposing batting average (.242), while holding a 5.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Marsden?s strikeout total ranks eighth on NU?s career list, while he is 10 innings away from becoming only the second Husker to throw 100 innings in back-to-back years (Shane Komine, 2000-01).
Marsden, who was rated 69th on Baseball America?s top 100 draft prospects list, had won 13 straight decisions before suffering back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette. Marsden got the no-decision in his last start agianst Oklahoma State, 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 against seventh-ranked Texas on April 18. He matched his career high with 11 strikeouts (also against Missouri on April 11), marking the fourth time this season he has struck out 10 or more batters in a game. 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. The Grand Forks, N.D., native 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.
Quinton Robertson will go for his team-high ninth win of the season against the Bears Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander from Richland, Miss., is 8-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 13 appearances, covering 71.0 innings. Robertson, who is second in the conference in wins and fifth in ERA, and has gone six or more innings in each of his last seven starts. In his last four starts, he is 3-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings of work.
In his last outing, Robertson was Nebraska?s nominee for Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, as he threw his first complete game of the year in a 5-2 win over Oklahoma State. 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, giving 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.
Sophomore right-hander Phil Shirek (SHEAR-ik) will make his eighth start of the year in the regular-season finale. The 6-3, 210-pounder from Minot, N.D., is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 15 appearances. He has struck out 40 in 54.2 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .189 batting average. Shirek, who was 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 18 appearances last season, has recently moved into the weekend rotation after being NU?s midweek starter for most of the season. Shirek earned his first Big 12 win on Monday, holding a potent OSU team to one run on four hits in seven innings of work. He turned in the best performance of his Husker career on April 29 over Creighton, allowing two hits in a career-high eight shutout innings as only one Bluejay advanced into scoring position. Shirek also notched victories over McNeese State, where he fired seven shutout innings and allowed three hits, Western Illinois, where he struck out a season-high six batters in five innings, and Cal Poly this season.
An honorable-mention freshman All-American from Collegiate Baseball in 2002, Shirek was the Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in the state of North Dakota in both baseball and football as a high school senior in 2001 and was the first NU signee from the state in baseball since current Anaheim Angels all-star Darin Erstad. During the 2001 American Legion tournament, Shirek turned in a 20-strikeout performance, breaking the national tournament record held by former Baltimore Orioles great Dave McNally.
Scouting Baylor
Baylor comes to Lincoln this weekend with a 36-17 record, including a 14-10 conference mark. Head Coach Steve Smith (334-197-1 in nine seasons at Baylor) and the Bears bring the Big 12?s most potent offense to town, as BU leads the conference with a .333 batting average and averages 8.5 runs per game. Junior outfielder David Murphy leads the conference with a .432 average, and also tops the league with 101 hits and ranking second with 69 runs scored . Senior outfielder Chris Durin leads the league with 80 runs scored, as BU had four of the league?s top 14 hitters in the latest conference stats.
Baylor leads the all-time series 11-7, but the Huskers have won six straight against the Bears outside of Waco. NU swept the series the last time the two teams met in Lincoln in 2001, while the Huskers have won all three meetings at the Big 12 Tournament. BU?s last win over NU outside Waco occurred in the 1997 season.
Tuesday Rewind
Tuesday (Nebraska 9, Creighton 5) - Daniel Bruce went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, leading the Huskers to a 9-5 win over Creighton in front of more than 11,000 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium. The sophomore keyed the Huskers? offensive attack with his four hits and added two stolen bases, as Nebraska jumped to an 8-0 lead before CU mounted a late comeback. Bruce had four of Nebraska?s 11 hits, while Drew Anderson matched a season high with three RBIs, as Nebraska completed the season sweep of the Bluejays and reached 40 wins for the fifth consecutive season. Zach Kroenke earned the win, throwing five shutout innings to improve to 5-2 on the season, while Pat O?Neil pitched the final 2.1 innings for his second save of the year.
Hopper Shatters School and Big 12 Records in 2003
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 Big 12 Player-of-the-Year consideration, leading the Huskers in hitting (.384), homers (17), RBIs (57), walks (39), slugging percentage (.705) and on-base percentage (.502). Hopper tops the Big 12 in homers and slugging percentage and ranks among the league leaders in eight offensive categories.
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. Three weeks ago 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 on Tuesday before going 3-for-5 with three RBIs against No. 25 Minnesota. Last weekend, Hopper carried the Husker offense, going 7-for-9 with six RBIs and five walks for an .857 on-base percentage to a three-game sweep of Oklahoma State. On Tuesday, Hopper went 1-for-3 with three runs scored in NU?s 9-5 win over Creighton.
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 .341 with seven homers and 31 RBIs. He tops the Huskers in hits (74), triples (seven) and stolen bases (17), while ranking second in runs scored (47). Leise had reached safely in his first 26 games before going 0-for-4 against Kansas on April 5 and has reached safely in 47 of 50 contests this season. A career .352 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. Last weekend, Leise went 5-for-11 (.455) with five runs scored, while playing sterling defense, helping the Huskers to a sweep over the Cowboys before getting two hits in his return to Omaha in Tuesday?s win over Creighton.
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 2002 with a 3.85 GPA in psychology. He joins junior right-hander Aaron Marsden on Baseball America?s top-100 draft-eligible players list for the upcoming draft.
Tough to Get the Led (Better) Out
One of the biggest surprises in the conference has been the emergence of sophomore Curtis Ledbetter. The Lawrence, Kan., native has become one of the top hitters in the Big 12 in 2003 after redshirting last year. On the season, the 6-3, 200-pounder is hitting. 357 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs, as he is second in the Big 12 in slugging percentage (.695) and is third in the conference in home runs.
Ledbetter turned heads in his first game as a Husker, belting two homers in a 9-6 win over Southwest Texas in the season opener. It 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 a team-high .379 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in his last 33 games. Ledbetter had a 23-game hitting streak, the longest by a Husker in eight seasons, that stretched from March 23 until April 30, and 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 25. Against OSU last weekend, Ledbetter hit .364 (4-for-11) with three RBIs in the series sweep.
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 five homers and 34 RBIs. He ranks among the top conference freshmen in hitting and on-base percentage (.447), while he has reached in 46 of his first 40 games as a Husker.
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 4.61 ERA in a team-high 21 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 2.22 ERA in 12 appearances after shutting out Creighton over five innings to earn his fifth win of the year. He shared Big 12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors last month, 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 6-2 with a 2.70 ERA entering Friday?s start against Baylor, 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 had 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 53-8 (.869) in that span, including a 37-3 mark against unranked teams. This season, NU is 24-3 at Hawks Field, including a 7-1 record against ranked opponents and a 10-1 mark against Big 12 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 last weekend. NU has four last at-bat wins, including consecutive wins over No. 20 Missouri last month and Sunday?s opener against Oklahoma State. One major reason is the fan support the Huskers receive at home. NU is averaging 3,856 fans per home date this season, as NU drew 16,417 fans for the three-game series against Missouri in early April. Last month, NU drew 20,905 for a three-game series against Texas, including a Hawks Field regular-season record of 6,879 for Friday?s opener. Reserved seats are sold out for this weekend?s games, but general admission seating is available by calling 800-8-Big Red.
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.
Leise Looks to Repeat Top Academic Honor
Senior Jeff Leise will try to become the second straight college baseball player to repeat as the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the year on the diamond. The outfielder from Omaha Creighton Prep carries a 3.79 cumulative GPA in psychology and looks to follow in the footsteps of Arizona State?s Casey Myers, who was tabbed as college baseball?s top student-athlete in both 2000 and 2001. Leise will look to become the fourth Husker athlete (among all 23 of NU?s sports) to repeat as Academic All-American of the Year in their respective sports, joining Karen Jennings (1992-1993, women?s basketball), Virginia Stahr (1988-89, volleyball) and Janet Kruse (1990-1991, volleyball).
Marsden Named Husker Power Male Athlete of the Year
Junior All-America candidate 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
