Husker Tickets

Husker men are on a roll

The Nebraska basketball team seems to be getting hot at the right time, as the Huskers won their third straight conference game with a 63-45 win over Oklahoma Wednesday.

The crowd of more than 10,000 at the Devaney Sports Center saw a spirited defensive effort by the Huskers, who improved to 17-9 overall and 6-7 in the Big 12. Nebraska held Oklahoma scoreless for the first five minutes and limited them to a dozen points in the first half to win their sixth conference game in nine tries after an 0-4 start.

Nebraska played solid defense and forced five OU turnovers on their first six possessions, but struggled early on offense and missed six of its first seven shots. Oklahoma wouldn't score until the 15:02 mark of the first half, but Nebraska never trailed.

Nebraska led 12-8 in the first half and went on a 6-2 run, capped by a thunderous dunk by Ade Dagunduro to make it 18-10 with 8:20 to go in the first half. Nebraska pushed that lead to 22-10 and led 29-12 at half.

Oklahoma had a nice 6-0 run early in the second half to get as close as 13, but that was as close as the visiting Sooners could get as Nebraska kept pace and put Oklahoma away down the stretch. Four players finished in double figures, led by senior Aleks Maric with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Harley led the way with 17 points, Dagunduro added 13 and Paul Velander had a season-high 11 points.

The Huskers take to the road Saturday to face Oklahoma State in a 12:30 p.m. matchup. They play on the road Tuesday at Texas and close out the regular season at home against Colorado on Sunday, March 9.

Get your Husker basketball tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.

Baseball team opens home campaign Friday

The Nebraska baseball team plays its first home series of the 2008 season this weekend, playing host to UC-Riverside in a four-game series at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers open a 10-game homestand with the Highlanders, a team Nebraska saw last year during the NCAA regional tournament in Tempe, Ariz. UC-Riverside beat Nebraska 10-5 in the opening round, but Nebraska got revenge in the losers' bracket with an 11-1 win to eliminate the Highlanders.

The Huskers and Highlanders will play single games Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader on Saturday. Friday's game starts at 1:35 p.m., the Saturday doubleheader begins at 12:05 p.m. and Sunday's finale has a 1:05 p.m. start time.

Ticket Express has tickets available for all four games, as well as all the Husker home baseball games for the 2008 season. Get your Husker baseball tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Interesting week at home for Huskers

It will be an interesting week of activities in Lincoln as the Nebraska basketball and baseball teams both see action at home.

On Wednesday, the Husker men's basketball team plays host to Oklahoma in a key Big 12 showdown at 7 p.m. at the Devaney Center. The Huskers are on something of a roll right now, coming off back-to-back upsets of previously-ranked Kansas State and Texas A&M. A win Wednesday would help bolster the Huskers' chances of a postseason bid for the NIT and move them closer to consideration for the NCAA tournament as well.

Beginning Friday, the Nebraska baseball team debuts its 2008 edition for the home fans as they host UC-Riverside in a three-game series at Haymarket Park. The Huskers stumbled out of the gate to open the season over the weekend, losing two out of three to Stanford out in California. The Huskers will look to bounce back against a Riverside squad that reached the postseason last year and look to be an early contender for postseason play in 2008. Game times for the three-game series are Friday at 1:35 p.m., a Saturday doubleheader at 12:05 p.m., and the Sunday finale at 1:05 p.m.

Get your tickets for all the Husker home games at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Huskers get big win on the road

Beating ranked teams is starting to become old hat for the Nebraska basketball team, as they posted their second win over a ranked foe in as many tries Saturday.

The Huskers played well on both ends of the floor and escaped Reed Arena in College Station, Texas with a 65-59 win over 22nd ranked Texas A&M, improving the Huskers' record to 16-9 overall and 5-7 in the Big 12.

It was the first time Nebraska won back-to-back games over ranked teams since 1999 and was their first road win over a ranked team since beating Kansas that same season, and Nebraska did it with a great balanced attack.

Sek Henry hit a couple of 3-pointers down the stretch and shared scoring honors with Steve Harley. The two combined to score seven of Nebraska's final eight points and finished with 11 points apiece.

Henry came in and hit a key 3-pointer after freshman guard Cookie Miller went down with a sprained shoulder. He hit his second trey with just under 1:30 to go to give Nebraska the lead for good.

As a team, Nebraska hit 59 percent from the floor and got great help off the bench from Chris Balham, who hit 5-of-7 from the floor and finished with 10 points along with senior Aleks Maric.

The Huskers played well defensively, limiting the Aggies to 37.5 shooting in the first half and just under 42 percent for the game, giving Nebraska some much-needed momentum heading into the final days of conference play.

The Huskers return to action Wednesday, hosting Oklahoma in a 7 p.m. battle at the Devaney Sports Center. Get your Husker basketball tickets now at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Stanford takes two of three from Huskers

It was a soggy start to the season for the Nebraska baseball team, as they capped a three-game series with Stanford with a rain-soaked 4-2 loss Sunday at the Sunken Diamond.

The game was the completion of a game that started Saturday afternoon, but was suspended due to rain. The rain continued off and on throughout the day Sunday, making it tough for both teams to get into any kind of rhythm.

Nebraska took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but Stanford bounced back and got all their runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the final game of the three-game series.

Nebraska got its first run in the top of the fourth on a one-out double by Cody Neer, scoring Jake Opitz, who had opened the inning with a single. The Huskers scored a run in the eighth and had the tying runs on base, but Stanford closer David Stringer struck out Mitch Abeita to end the rally and then set the Huskers down in order in the ninth to get the save.

The two teams opened the season Friday with a doubleheader and split the two games. Stanford took the opener 17-7 before Nebraska came back for a 9-2 win.

In the opener, Stanford jumped out to an 8-0 lead after three innings and cruised to the win, handing Nebraska its first season-opening loss in seven years. Abeita hit a solo home run and Opitz drove in a pair of runs in the losing effort.

In the nightcap, D.J. Belafonte had a career-best four hits and four RBIs to lead Nebraska to the doubleheader split. He drove in all four runs with two outs as Nebraska scored all but one of its nine runs with two outs. Johnny Dorn pitched well in the win and became the eighth Husker to strike out 200 batters in a career as he struck out seven and allowed four hits and one unearned run over six innings.

The Nebraska baseball team opens the home part of its campaign this weekend with a three-game series against UC-Riverside beginning Friday, Feb. 29, at 1:35 p.m. at Haymarket Park. Get your Husker baseball tickets now at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Coaches pick Huskers sixth in Big 12 baseball poll

The Nebraska baseball team was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 Conference in a recent poll of conference coaches.

Texas was the runaway choice of the conference coaches, getting eight of 10 first-place votes. Missouri and Baylor each got a first-place vote and trail the Longhorns in second and third place, respectively. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. Colorado and Iowa State do not field baseball teams.

The Big 12 Coaches preseason poll is as follows:

1. Texas, 2. Missouri, 3. Baylor, 4. Texas A&M, 5. Oklahoma State, 6. Nebraska, 7. Kansas State, 8. Oklahoma, 9. Kansas, 10. Texas Tech.

The Huskers open the 2008 season Friday at Stanford. Their first home series starts Friday, Feb. 29, against UC Riverside. Get tickets for all Husker home baseball games at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Huskers upset K-State, face A&M on the road

The Nebraska men's basketball team got a big win at home Wednesday, upsetting 25th ranked Kansas State 71-64 at the Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers did a great job defensively in frustrating freshman phenom Michael Beasley. Although he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, he was largely ineffective throughout much of the game as the Huskers came out an played solid at both ends of the floor.

Aleks Maric had his seventh straight double-double, finishing with 15 points and 17 rebounds, but it was the efforts of Steve Harley that helped the Huskers to the big win. He finished with a game-high 20 points, hitting 9-of-12 from the field and sinking a couple of free throws in the closing seconds to help seal the deal for the 15-9 Huskers (4-7 Big 12).

It was a competitive first half between the two teams, and Kansas State got a 3-pointer from Clent Stewart to take a 45-44 lead early in the second half before Nebraska reclaimed the lead for good with a 7-0 run.

Beasley scored eight straight points for the Wildcats to help cut the visitors' deficit to two points, but Ryan Anderson and Chris Balham both converted three-point plays and the Huskers hit their free throws down the stretch to hold off a Wildcat comeback.

The Huskers now have a stretch of three tough road games in their next four outings. They play at 22nd ranked Texas A&M Saturday at 3 p.m., and return home Wednesday, Feb. 27, to face Oklahoma at the Devaney Sports Center at 7 p.m. Get your Husker tickets at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Husker baseball opens 2008 campaign Friday

Nebraska baseball fans are going to see a young and talented team take the field this season as the Huskers open the campaign Friday with a four-game set at Stanford.

Nowhere will the Huskers' youth show more than on the pitching mound, as the Huskers lost seven pitchers to the major league draft and saw two other recruits sign contracts to play professionally.

What the Huskers lack in experience, though, they make up for in talent. Eight of the nine freshman pitchers on the roster were first-team all-state selections last year, and the transfer of Div. I pitchers Cody Neer from Florida and Joe Hatasaki from Arizona State will give Nebraska some veteran experience to go with four-year starter Johnny Dorn, who was 10-3 last year.

Dorn, Dan Jennings and Thad Weber return from last year's staff and should see challenges from several newcomers, including junior college transfer Aaron Pribanic and incoming freshmen Matt Freeman, Casey Hauptman and Sean Yost. Jennings may move from the bullpen to the starting rotation this year. He threw over five innings of relief in the regional championship game against Arizona State and pitched well enough in summer ball to earn a shot at a starting role.

Weber was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds last summer, but opted to return to Nebraska. He had three saves last year and pitched for the MINK League champion Beatrice Bruins this summer, going 7-0 with a 0.78 earned-run average.

The addition of Pribanic and Hatasaki should also aid the Husker staff. Pribanic was 6-1 at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College and led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts last year, while Hatasaki made four appearances for an Arizona State team that reached the College World Series in 2007.

The Husker pitchers will have some quality help behind the plate with the return of Mitch Abeita, who developed into the Huskers' starting catcher after spending 40 games behind the plate last year. He hit .286 and was playing well until an injury prematurely ended his season. He'll be pushed by transfers Drew Gray and Cody Neer.

In the infield, senior Jake Opitz will provide some quality leadership for the Huskers. A three-year starter, Opitz will anchor second base for the fourth straight year and is coming off a year where he hit .278 and had a team-best 48 RBIs. He is a solid defensive player and will help solidify the infield along with senior Jeff Tezak at shortstop. Newcomers Ben Kline and Dan Johnston also should see some time in the middle this year, and both are quality in-state talents that should develop into future stars for the Huskers.

The corner positions will be a mix of youth and experience. At third base, Jake Mort and Craig Corriston will anchor the hot corner. Mort was solid on defense despite a shoulder injury and batted .207 last year. At first base, Corriston, Neer and Tyler Farst may platoon for much of the season while coach Mike Anderson tries to figure out which one to go with as an everyday starter. Corriston hit .320 with five homers and 41 RBIs last year, so he could be the eventual starter there.

In the outfield, speedsters Bryce Nimmo and D.J. Belfonte will lead the way. Nimmo was on the 2005 CWS team and had a team-best 13 stolen bases and scored 30 runs last year while hitting out of the No. 8 spot. His range makes him one of the top outfielders in the Big 12 Conference and he will lead a solid outfield unit.

Belfonte had a great freshman year, hitting .307 with a team-best 46 runs scored. He was ranked first or second in seven team categories last year and drew twice as many walks as strikeouts.

The Huskers have a challenging schedule this year that includes 27 games against teams that made the NCAA regional tournament. They open the season Friday with a four-game set at Stanford, a traditional Pac 10 powerhouse that is looking to rebuild and recapture some of its past glory. Nebraska's first home series comes the following weekend, as they take on a UC-Riverside team that reached the NCAA tournament last year.

The Huskers' home opener at Haymarket Park is a four-game set with UC-Riverside beginning Friday, Feb. 29, with single games Friday and Sunday afternoon and a doubleheader on Saturday. Husker baseball tickets are on sale at Ticket Express, where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Huskers home after tough loss at ISU

The Nebraska men's basketball team is looking forward to returning home to the friendly confines of the Devaney Sports Center after a tough weekend loss on the road.

Nebraska held Iowa State to its lowest first-half point total in 60 years, but couldn't keep the Cyclones from coming back to post a 60-52 win Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.

Nebraska led 24-11 at halftime, but the Cyclones went on an 8-0 run to start the second half and the dam seemed to break as the Huskers couldn't contain their hosts in the final 20 minutes.

The Huskers went on an 11-0 run in the first half to take a 16-4 lead and extended it to 22-9 on a Cookie Miller 3-point shot with 4:00 to go in the opening half. Nebraska held Iowa State without a field goal for over 10 minutes until the Cyclones scored a late basket to trim the deficit to 13 at intermission.

It took Iowa State just over four minutes of the second half to match their first-half output, and they took the lead for good with 11:50 to go on a 3-pointer by Adam Huluska and a basket by Jiri Hubalek to make it 30-27.

Iowa State eventually turned a 24-11 halftime deficit into a 39-30 lead midway through the second half, and Nebraska could get no closer than four points after that. The loss dropped Nebraska to 14-9 overall and 3-7 in Big 12 play.

The Huskers are home Wednesday for a Big 12 matchup against a talented Kansas State team. Tipoff is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. You can see the game in person, though, with tickets from Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

All Husker baseball games on the radio

For the first time in team history, the Nebraska baseball team will have all of its games broadcst on the radio this season.

The announcement was made by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln late last week, and the Husker Sports Network will carry all of the Huskers' 55 regular-season games, starting with the season opener Friday, Feb. 22 at Stanford.

A total of 27 stations across the state will carry Nebraska baseball broadcasts this year. The list of stations is as follows:

AM Stations
Ainsworth -- KBRB 1400
Alliance -- KCOW 1400
Beatrice -- KWBE 1450
Chadron -- KCSR 610
Columbus -- KJSK 900
Falls City -- KTNC 1230
Fremont -- KHUB 1340
Grand Island -- KRGI 1430
Hastings -- KHAS 1230
Holdrege -- KUVR 1380
Kearney -- KGFW 1340
Lexington -- KRVN 880
Lincoln -- KLIN 1400
North Platte -- KODY 1240
Ogallala -- KOGA 930
Omaha -- KFAB 1110
Scottsbluff -- KNEB 960
Sidney -- KSID 1340
Superior -- KRFS 1600
Valentine -- KVSH 940
West Point -- KTIC 840

FM Stations
Aurora -- KRGY 97.3
Broken Bow -- KBBN 95.3
Fremont -- KFMT 105.5
McCook -- KSWN 93.9
Norfolk -- KNEN 94.7
Superior -- KRFS 103.9

Nebraska is the only Big 12 program and one of a handful across the country with its own baseball radio network. The network will also carry a weekly show with coach Mike Anderson, scheduled for Mondays at 7 p.m. beginning March 17.

The Huskers open the season Feb. 22 at Stanford, and their first home series will be a three-game set with UC-Riverside on Friday, Feb. 29. Get your Husker baseball tickets, both home and away, at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.