The Huskers will open regional play Friday afternoon against Eastern Illinois, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska coach Mike Anderson announced Wednesday that he will run Dan Jennings up the hill for the opener, leaving staff ace Johnny Dorn's arm available for a possible second-round game against UC Irvine.
Jennings has pitched well for the Huskers, going 6-3 with a 2.95 earned-run average. He also has four saves in 14 relief appearances and pitched over 30 consecutive scoreless innings at one point this season. Jennings pitched well in relief at last year's regionals, and it will be interesting to see if he can give Nebraska a better effort than the five-walk performance in six innings against Baylor at the Big 12 tournament.
In past years, the Huskers have led with their ace in regional play. Joba Chamberlain got the nod in 2005 and 2006, and Shane Komine got the nod during the Huskers' regionals leading up to their first College World Series appearances in 2000 and 2001.
If the Huskers can win their first two and get to the finals, it is presumed that Thad Weber would get the starting nod for the championship game Sunday afternoon.
Comments