Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The bubble hasn't burst yet for Nebraska
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Despite what transpired over the weekend in Columbia, Mo., it's too soon to push the panic button on the Nebraska baseball team just yet.
Sure, the Cornhuskers could've helped themselves out greatly in terms of national perception by winning just one of the three games against a No. 12-ranked Missouri squad. Or, simply not getting blown out 22-9 in last Saturday's game against the Tigers would probably have helped matters.
However, in a sport like baseball where every team truly is capable of beating every other team on a given day and hot and cold streaks are commonplace, it's a bit radical to think that Nebraska's bid to earn a national seed will be completely dashed by one weekend. The Huskers (39-12-1) are No. 7 in the country in the pseudo-RPI rankings posted at www.warrennolan.com, have a winning record against top-50 RPI teams and still managed to win seven of nine series in Big 12 Conference play.
When the NCAA selection committee puts its collective head together, it will presumably consider a team's total body of work as well as the competition it faced. If so, both factors would seemingly be in favor of the Huskers, especially if they can put together a good showing this week in the Big 12 Tournament.
Sure, the Cornhuskers could've helped themselves out greatly in terms of national perception by winning just one of the three games against a No. 12-ranked Missouri squad. Or, simply not getting blown out 22-9 in last Saturday's game against the Tigers would probably have helped matters.
However, in a sport like baseball where every team truly is capable of beating every other team on a given day and hot and cold streaks are commonplace, it's a bit radical to think that Nebraska's bid to earn a national seed will be completely dashed by one weekend. The Huskers (39-12-1) are No. 7 in the country in the pseudo-RPI rankings posted at www.warrennolan.com, have a winning record against top-50 RPI teams and still managed to win seven of nine series in Big 12 Conference play.
When the NCAA selection committee puts its collective head together, it will presumably consider a team's total body of work as well as the competition it faced. If so, both factors would seemingly be in favor of the Huskers, especially if they can put together a good showing this week in the Big 12 Tournament.
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
BASEBALL: Baylor coach gives NU nod over Texas A&M
While most coaches tend to shy away from handicapping matchups between other conference opponents, Baylor's Steve Smith didn't hold back in his analysis of this weekend's key Big 12 series between Nebraska and Texas A&M.
In short, Smith said he gives No. 5-ranked Nebraska the nod this weekend based on home-field advantage and pitching experience. The No. 6 Aggies are scheduled to start freshman Brooks Raley on Friday, freshman Barret Loux on Saturday and sophomore Clayton Ehlert Sunday. The Huskers counter with senior starters Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber, followed by a junior in Sunday starter Aaron Pribanic.
Nebraska is 26-2-1 this season when playing at Haymarket Park in Lincoln.
"A&M is very good offensively, but I think it will be a real test for the two freshman starters on the mound to go to Lincoln in a series of this magnitude," Smith said Thursday during the Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "That will be a challenge for them. I think Nebraska is extremely tough, mentally -- they compete really well -- and they've got two seniors on the mound and they're playing at home.
"When I was asked that question before, that's kind of how I worked it out. I would give the advantage to Nebraska."
A&M swept Smith’s Baylor squad during the regular season, losing to the Aggies 2-1 at College Station, Texas, before falling 11-1 and 13-12 in 11 innings the next two days in Waco, Texas, during the mid-April series. The Bears lost two of three at home to Nebraska the following weekend as the Huskers swept a doubleheader 6-4 in 10 innings and 14-1 in seven innings on April 26 before the Bears claimed the series finale 8-3.
In short, Smith said he gives No. 5-ranked Nebraska the nod this weekend based on home-field advantage and pitching experience. The No. 6 Aggies are scheduled to start freshman Brooks Raley on Friday, freshman Barret Loux on Saturday and sophomore Clayton Ehlert Sunday. The Huskers counter with senior starters Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber, followed by a junior in Sunday starter Aaron Pribanic.
Nebraska is 26-2-1 this season when playing at Haymarket Park in Lincoln.
"A&M is very good offensively, but I think it will be a real test for the two freshman starters on the mound to go to Lincoln in a series of this magnitude," Smith said Thursday during the Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "That will be a challenge for them. I think Nebraska is extremely tough, mentally -- they compete really well -- and they've got two seniors on the mound and they're playing at home.
"When I was asked that question before, that's kind of how I worked it out. I would give the advantage to Nebraska."
A&M swept Smith’s Baylor squad during the regular season, losing to the Aggies 2-1 at College Station, Texas, before falling 11-1 and 13-12 in 11 innings the next two days in Waco, Texas, during the mid-April series. The Bears lost two of three at home to Nebraska the following weekend as the Huskers swept a doubleheader 6-4 in 10 innings and 14-1 in seven innings on April 26 before the Bears claimed the series finale 8-3.
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
LINCOLN -- More than 80,000 people piled into Memorial Stadium Saturday for Nebraska's 15th and final practice of the spring season. Yes, we're talking about practice, man. Practice.
With the all the hype associated with the first glimpse of the Bo Pelini-coached Cornhuskers, it was almost easy to forget that the Red-White spring "game" was -- and always has been -- a glorified scrimmage. Indeed, it may have been a little shocking for unsuspecting novices who shelled out in the neighborhood $100 for a ticket to see coaches on the field, reds and whites mixed together on special teams units and a few small pockets of empty bleachers on the north and south ends of the stadium for the 24-14 Red team victory.
But then realize that Saturday's proceedings weren't so much about a game or a scrimmage as much as it was an event. This was Nebraska fans, largely united again under the leadership of athletics director Tom Osborne, turning out to show their support and give a hurting program a collective hug.
"I thought it was a pretty special atmosphere out there," Pelini said. "Obviously, I want to thank the fans and everybody who came out today. That's something, obviously, I've never been a part of before and I don't know if any of these coaches have -- that kind of turnout and passion and enthusiasm for the spring game."
With the all the hype associated with the first glimpse of the Bo Pelini-coached Cornhuskers, it was almost easy to forget that the Red-White spring "game" was -- and always has been -- a glorified scrimmage. Indeed, it may have been a little shocking for unsuspecting novices who shelled out in the neighborhood $100 for a ticket to see coaches on the field, reds and whites mixed together on special teams units and a few small pockets of empty bleachers on the north and south ends of the stadium for the 24-14 Red team victory.
But then realize that Saturday's proceedings weren't so much about a game or a scrimmage as much as it was an event. This was Nebraska fans, largely united again under the leadership of athletics director Tom Osborne, turning out to show their support and give a hurting program a collective hug.
"I thought it was a pretty special atmosphere out there," Pelini said. "Obviously, I want to thank the fans and everybody who came out today. That's something, obviously, I've never been a part of before and I don't know if any of these coaches have -- that kind of turnout and passion and enthusiasm for the spring game."
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sports Illustrated gets into the fray
First it was the New York Times, then came The Sporting News and now Sports Illustrated has jumped into the fray of examining the new-look, but old-school approach with Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne hiring Bo Pelini to be the head coach. SI's take on the Big Red shakeup, headlined "Nebraska Lost, Nebraska Found" will be in this week's edition of the magazine and is posted on the Web site.
With an Associated Press story about Nebraska fans paying $95 a ticket for the spring game going national -- we've heard rumors of people paying more -- and 100 recruits scheduled to be in Memorial Stadium Saturday, the Cornhuskers have to be please with the mostly positive pub they've been getting around the country.
Expect another round of similar stories in August.
With an Associated Press story about Nebraska fans paying $95 a ticket for the spring game going national -- we've heard rumors of people paying more -- and 100 recruits scheduled to be in Memorial Stadium Saturday, the Cornhuskers have to be please with the mostly positive pub they've been getting around the country.
Expect another round of similar stories in August.
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
COLLEGE BASEBALL: NU-Creighton game postponed
OMAHA -- Tuesday night's baseball game between ninth-ranked Nebraska and Creighton at Rosenblatt Stadium has been rescheduled and will now be played at 6:30 p.m. on April 23.
The change was made due to the cold weather forecast for Tuesday night, which could see the temperature dip into the 30s. Future games between Creighton (18-7) and Nebraska (21-4-1) on April 22 (in Lincoln) and May 13 (in Omaha) will not be affected by the change.
The April 23 game will be broadcast on television by WOWT's 6.20 (Cox Channel 120) and on MyTV (Ch. 110 on Time Warner Cable and Ch. 17 on DirecTV) as well as on the Husker Sports Radio Network.
All tickets, media credentials and parking passes already distributed for the game should be kept and will be honored when the April 23 game takes place.
The Huskers will return to action this weekend, as they begin a three-game series with Texas Tech. Friday’s first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and tickets for all three games this weekend can be purchased at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.
The change was made due to the cold weather forecast for Tuesday night, which could see the temperature dip into the 30s. Future games between Creighton (18-7) and Nebraska (21-4-1) on April 22 (in Lincoln) and May 13 (in Omaha) will not be affected by the change.
The April 23 game will be broadcast on television by WOWT's 6.20 (Cox Channel 120) and on MyTV (Ch. 110 on Time Warner Cable and Ch. 17 on DirecTV) as well as on the Husker Sports Radio Network.
All tickets, media credentials and parking passes already distributed for the game should be kept and will be honored when the April 23 game takes place.
The Huskers will return to action this weekend, as they begin a three-game series with Texas Tech. Friday’s first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and tickets for all three games this weekend can be purchased at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
Huskers ink three-game series with Southern Mississippi
LINCOLN -- Nebraska announced on Monday that it has agreed to a three-game football series with Southern Miss, with games scheduled in Lincoln during the 2012 and 2015 seasons, along with a 2013 contest in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The first game in the series will be played on Sept. 1, 2012, in Lincoln, and will mark the Huskers' season opener. The Huskers will travel to Southern Miss for a game on Sept. 7, 2013, with the final meeting in the three-game contract set for Sept. 5, 2015.
The games in 2012 and 2013 are the second non-conference games scheduled for those seasons. Nebraska previously agreed to a home-and-home series with UCLA that will send Nebraska to Pasadena in 2012, with the Bruins playing in Memorial Stadium in the 2013 season. The Nebraska-USM game in 2015 is the first non-conference game on the Huskers’ 2015 schedule.
"Southern Miss has an outstanding football program with a tradition of taking on top programs around the country," Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne said. "We had a competitive three-game series with them a few years back and this should be another challenging set of games for our football team against a good opponent."
The three-game series with the Golden Eagles will mark the second such agreement between the two schools, following three games between 1999 and 2004. Nebraska defeated USM in Lincoln in 1999 and was victorious at Hattiesburg in 2003, before the Golden Eagles knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln in 2004. The three recent games are the only meetings between the two schools on the gridiron.
Southern Miss is coming off a 7-6 season in 2007, including a trip to the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The Golden Eagles have been to a bowl game in nine of the past 11 seasons and 2008 will mark the debut of first-year head coach Larry Fedora.
Nebraska has completed its non-conference schedules through the 2010 season, and Big 12 Conferences schedules are set through 2015.
The first game in the series will be played on Sept. 1, 2012, in Lincoln, and will mark the Huskers' season opener. The Huskers will travel to Southern Miss for a game on Sept. 7, 2013, with the final meeting in the three-game contract set for Sept. 5, 2015.
The games in 2012 and 2013 are the second non-conference games scheduled for those seasons. Nebraska previously agreed to a home-and-home series with UCLA that will send Nebraska to Pasadena in 2012, with the Bruins playing in Memorial Stadium in the 2013 season. The Nebraska-USM game in 2015 is the first non-conference game on the Huskers’ 2015 schedule.
"Southern Miss has an outstanding football program with a tradition of taking on top programs around the country," Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne said. "We had a competitive three-game series with them a few years back and this should be another challenging set of games for our football team against a good opponent."
The three-game series with the Golden Eagles will mark the second such agreement between the two schools, following three games between 1999 and 2004. Nebraska defeated USM in Lincoln in 1999 and was victorious at Hattiesburg in 2003, before the Golden Eagles knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln in 2004. The three recent games are the only meetings between the two schools on the gridiron.
Southern Miss is coming off a 7-6 season in 2007, including a trip to the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The Golden Eagles have been to a bowl game in nine of the past 11 seasons and 2008 will mark the debut of first-year head coach Larry Fedora.
Nebraska has completed its non-conference schedules through the 2010 season, and Big 12 Conferences schedules are set through 2015.
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Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tipoff time set for NU men's NIT game at Mississippi
LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Cornhuskers will try to keep their men's basketball season alive on Monday when they travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Mississippi Rebels in the second round of the 2008 Mastercard National Invitation Tournament.
The game time has been set for an 8 p.m. tipoff and the contest will be seen nationally on ESPNU. It will be the Huskers' second telecast on ESPNU this season, as Nebraska defeated Arizona State (62-47) in Lincoln in December on the network.
Nebraska is coming off a first-round win over Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Huskers held the 49ers 22 points below their season average as they shot less than 32 percent from the field to let Nebraska run away with the 67-48 victory.
It was the eighth time this season, including the third time in the past seven games, that NU has held an opponent to less than 50 points. The Huskers, who own a 20-12 record, rank among the top 13 teams in the country in scoring defense, allowing 59.9 points per game.
Mississippi earned a chance to host its second straight NIT game after defeating UC Santa Barbara 83-68 at Tad Smith Coliseum. Ole Miss owns a 22-10 record with the win Wednesday and is 15-2 at home this season. The Rebels are led by freshman Chris Warren's 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.
The game time has been set for an 8 p.m. tipoff and the contest will be seen nationally on ESPNU. It will be the Huskers' second telecast on ESPNU this season, as Nebraska defeated Arizona State (62-47) in Lincoln in December on the network.
Nebraska is coming off a first-round win over Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Huskers held the 49ers 22 points below their season average as they shot less than 32 percent from the field to let Nebraska run away with the 67-48 victory.
It was the eighth time this season, including the third time in the past seven games, that NU has held an opponent to less than 50 points. The Huskers, who own a 20-12 record, rank among the top 13 teams in the country in scoring defense, allowing 59.9 points per game.
Mississippi earned a chance to host its second straight NIT game after defeating UC Santa Barbara 83-68 at Tad Smith Coliseum. Ole Miss owns a 22-10 record with the win Wednesday and is 15-2 at home this season. The Rebels are led by freshman Chris Warren's 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.
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