Husker Tickets

Goodbye Big 12, Hello Big Ten

Today is a big day for fans who enjoy Husker tickets, as Nebraska says goodbye to the Big 12 Conference and hello to its new home, the Big Ten Conference.
It was shocking news a little more than a year ago when the Big Ten Conference announced that it was adding Nebraska to its lineup. Nebraska was a cornerstone member of the Big Eight Conference, which morphed into the Big 12 Conference in the mid 1990's, so the news that Nebraska was jumping ship was, to say the least, shocking.
The Husker athletics program felt it was being slighted in the BIg 12, a conference where it felt one member –- the University of Texas –- had flexed its muscles and had all but taken over the conference agenda.
Nebraska's sports programs experienced a rather acrimonious farewell on some campuses, with the likes of Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado – athletic programs  that were regularly dominated by Nebraska in many sports, most notably football – providing not-so-subtle going-away parties when Nebraska visited their schools in some sports.
The Husker athletic program's departure puts them in some pretty fast company. Traditional athletic powers such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State –- teams that the Husker football team might see only in a bowl game setting –- have become annual foes that will develop a new tradition of rivalries as the schools' sports teams battle for conference titles and national honors.
The move also gives Nebraska a new natural rival, as the University of Iowa will now become a regular opponent on the Husker schedule. This has football fans for both teams, in particular, excited about the annual battle for area bragging rights.
Whether it's football, basketball, volleyball or baseball, you can get great seats to see the Huskers in action as the newest members of the Big Ten Conference. Get your Husker tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.

Huskers leaving Big 12 for Big 10 in 2011

College sports may never be the same after the Husker athletic program makes its move to the Big 10 Conference.
The decision to make the move was approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, which unanimously approved a resolution announcing the school's intention to leave the Big 12 Conference at the end of the coming school year.
Nebraska's move was necessitated by school officials' concerns about the health of the Big 12 Conference. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the school could not be guaranteed the long-term status of the conference with the talk of conference shifts. He said Texas could not guarantee that it would share in future TV revenue, as there has been talk of the school forming its own revenue-generating TV network.
By moving to the Big 10, the Husker athletic program will receive the same amount of money it would get if it stayed in the Big 12 in 2011-12, and would eventually receive a full share of the mega-conference's revenue, which is expected to double that the Husker athletic department currently receives. If the conference expands to include schools like Rutgers or Notre Dame, that amount could rise considerably.
While the decision to move to the Big 10 is mainly a football decision, the move will have a positive impact on all Husker athletic programs. Nebraska will enjoy top-notch competition in sports like volleyball and basketball, and could become an instant contender in baseball. They will also face quality competition in other sports, like wrestling and track and field, and will also be a part of what is arguably the premier academic-oriented conference in the nation.
This will be the final year that Husker athletics will be involved in the Big 12, so Husker tickets will be a hot property for Nebraska fans this coming school year.
You can get great tickets to see the Huskers at Ticket Express -- where no Husker sporting event is ever sold out.

Big 12 or Big 10: Where are Huskers going?

The future of Husker athletics is a little unsettled after this past week's Big 12 Conference meeting in Kansas City, Mo.
The top item of discussion was expansion, particularly the ongoing speculation that Nebraska and Missouri might leave the Big 12 Conference to join the Big 10 Conference.
In past weeks, rumors have circulated that the Big 10 Conference was looking at expansion, and Nebraska and Missouri were among four or five teams that were being tabbed as potential suitors for the conference. The idea was to create a 16-team super-conference that would expand the Big 10 Conference's reach into big-market areas like New York City, Kansas City and St. Louis. In addition, bringing Nebraska into the mix would give the conference's new alignment additional relevance with its traditional place among college football's elite.
Late last week, a bigger bomb was dropped on the Big 12 meetings when reports surfaced that the Pac 10 Conference was prepared to offer membership to six Big 12 schools, including Texas and Oklahoma. Another report surfaced that officials from Ohio State and Texas were discussing the possibility of bringing Texas into the Big 10, but later reports indicated that the Texas Legislature was discussing legislation that would require any conference that wants Texas to offer membership to Texas A&M and Texas Tech as well.
The discussions regarding a change in conference affiliation would have far-reaching effects on Husker athletics, well beyond the football field. While the potential change in conferences is football-driven, the move would also have an effect on other high-profile sports as volleyball, basketball and baseball. The Husker athletics program would find themselves in better positions for success in some sports, such as baseball, but might find the going a little tougher in sports like basketball and volleyball.
Recent reports indicate that Nebraska and Missouri have until Friday, June 11, to make their intentions known as far as whether or not they plan on staying with the Big 12 or pursuing affiliation with the Big 10.
Don't forget, no matter what sport it is, you can get the best Husker tickets at Ticket Express -- where no Husker athletic event is ever sold out.

Not a great year for Huskers, but not a bad one

The 2007-2008 season is one that will not be forgotten very quickly for fans of Husker sports.

The one thing that may get lost in the cracks, though, is the fact that Nebraska won just one Big 12 Conference championship during the past athletic year. The volleyball team shared the title with Texas, marking the fewest conference titles won by Nebraska since joining the Big 12 Conference 12 years ago.

All in all, it wasn't a very good year for Husker athletics overall. Still, in spite of some of the ugly episodes of the previous 12 months -- the football fiasco and firing of athletic director leading the charge -- there were some good highlights this season for Big Red fans.

The women's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament and won a first-round matchup, marking just the second time in team history that they advanced to the second round. The Husker wrestling team finished in the top five nationally for the first time in over a decade, the track and field team was once again among the nation's best and the baseball team was ranked as high as No. 5 before a late-season slump took some of the shine off an otherwise-successful spring campaign.

In addition to the football team's worst record in almost half a century, season lowlights included the softball team finishing tied for last in the conference and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 14 years, the women's soccer team tied for last and missed the postseason tournament for the second straight year, and the women's gymnastics squad finished last at the conference meet and missed nationals after finishing in the top six nationally eight times in the previous nine seasons.

In the sweepstakes for the Big 12 conference, the Huskers scored 131 points and finished fourth behind Texas (178), Texas A&M (175) and Oklahoma (135). Texas A&M won the most conference titles this season, taking nine in all, while Texas was second with seven. Sweepstakes points are scored based on a school's finish in each sport (1st place is worth 12 points, 2nd place 11, etc.).

Athletic director Tom Osborne told the Omaha World-Herald that he is pleased with where the Husker athletic program is at right now and feels each team can be competitive nationally and at the conference level next season.

Huskers CWS hopes come crashing down

Even after a disappointing loss to UC Irvine on Saturday, the Husker baseball team still had hopes on Sunday morning that it could overcome the defeat and make its way to super regionals.

Those hopes were quickly and unceremoniously crushed by Oral Roberts pitcher Kelly Minissale, who pitched a two-hit gem in shutting out the Huskers 8-0 in regional action Sunday afternoon, ending hopes for the Huskers to make the short trip east to the College World Series.

The Huskers (41-16-1) got behind early and could never get a bead on Minissale, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and was dominant from the opening pitch.

Oral Roberts pounded Husker pitching for 15 hits in advancing to the regional final, led by Brendan Duffy's 3-for-3 effort with three runs scored. Oral Roberts scored a run in the opening inning and never looked back in bringing the Nebraska baseball team's season to a close.

It's been a great year for the Huskers, who weren't expected to finish higher than the middle of the pack in the Big 12 Conference this year. A great winning streak early in the year got them on the right track, and with some great pitching by the likes of Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber, Nebraska stayed in the conference race until the final weekend. Although the team picked the wrong time of year to go through a significant slump -- losing six of their final nine games -- the team has a lot to be proud of and hopefully they will be able to bounce back and be back in the thick of things in 2009.

Huskers fall 3-2 to UC Irvine

Nebraska dropped into the losers' bracket at its regional Saturday after suffering a 3-2 defeat to UC Irvine at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers, 41-15-1, now must beat Oral Roberts in Sunday's 1 p.m. game, then beat UC Irvine twice to advance to the super regional round. Nebraska would need a win Sunday against the Anteaters, then beat them again Monday to make it to the next stage of the tournament.

Johnny Dorn pitched well in a losing effort, but it was one mistake that wound up being the difference -- a solo homer by Ollie Linton in the sixth that broke a 2-2 tie. Other than that, Dorn was solid, allowing three runs on 11 hits in eight innings of work.

The Anteaters scored first in the second on an RBI double by Eric Deragisch. Nebraska bounced back with two in the third, coming off the bat of Jake Opitz. Opitz hit his third homer of the regional, a blast to right that gave the Huskers a 2-1 edge.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the third when Jeff Cusick singled home Linton to tie the game at 2-2. Both Dorn and UC Irvine pitcher Daniel Bibona settled into a solid pitcher's battle that was ultimately decided by Linton's blast.

Bats make some noise as Huskers get regional win

It wasn't pretty, but the Nebraska baseball team opened regional play Friday with a 13-10 win over Eastern Illinois in action at Haymarket Park.

The Husker bats broke out in a big way as the Huskers hit a season-high four home runs to overcome a shaky performance by the Husker pitching staff in front of 6,367 fans. Nebraska (41-14-1) pounded out 16 hits and scored in every inning except the second to advance to this evening's 6:05 p.m. game against UC Irvine, a 9-7 winner over Oral Roberts in the other regional matchup.

Haymarket Park seemed more like a launching pad than a baseball park, as the two teams combined for seven home runs on the day. The Huskers launched the first bomb when Jake Opitz hit the first of his two round-trippers in the bottom of the first to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.

Eastern Illinois came back in the third on a two-run homer by Zach Skidmore off starter Dan Jennings to tie the game, but Nebraska reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning on D.J. Belfonte's sacrifice fly, scoring Mitch Abeita to make it 3-2.

The upstart Panthers responded with three runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead, but Nebraska came right back when Abeita plated a pair with a single to right to tie the game and Tyler Farst drilled a long bomb to center field to give Nebraska the lead for good at 7-5.

After a Jake More sacrifice fly in the fifth, Abeita hit an RBI single to give Nebraska a 9-5 lead. Eastern Illinois made a game of it, though, with two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit in half at 9-7.

Once again, the Husker bats responded when Craig Corriston singled home belfonte, who led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple. Opitz followed with his second home run of the game and Corriston added a two-run blast in the eighth to give Nebraska a 13-7 advantage.

Eastern Illinois made it interesting in the ninth, as Alex Gee hit a three-run homer to bring the Panthers within three. The fourth-seeded Panthers could get no closer, though, as the Huskers held on for the win.

Eastern Illinois plays Oral Roberts in an elimination game this afternoon at 1:05 p.m., while the Huskers meet up with the Anteaters at 6:05 p.m. tonight. Johnny Dorn is expected to get the ball on the hill, so it should be a good matchup tonight as the Huskers try to advance toward a trip to the College World Series.

Huskers to open regionals today

If Mother Nature cooperates, the first round of NCAA Div. I baseball regional action at Haymarket Park should go off without a hitch this afternoon.

Nebraska is scheduled to open tournament play against Eastern Illinois at 1:05 p.m., but there is a chance that morning and early-afternoon showers could delay action.

If the skies stay dry, the Huskers will send Dan Jennings up the hill to throw the tournament opener, a change from past years when the staff ace would open the Huskers' tournament action. Johnny Dorn is expected to pitch the Huskers' Saturday game against either UC Irvine or Oral Roberts.

The 7:05 p.m. game should be an interesting one as the Anteaters and Golden Eagles match wits. UC Irvine was the darling of last year's College World Series, going deep into the tournament in their first appearance. Oral Roberts, however, is a team with experience in regional play and could prove to be a tough nut for the Anteaters to crack in the opening round.

Sunny skies are expected for the weekend, so the rest of the tournament should go off as scheduled. Friday's losers will play at 1:05 p.m., while the winners play at 7:05 p.m. The losers' bracket final is Sunday afternoon, with the winner advancing to the finals. If a second championship game is needed, that would be played on Monday.

Ticket Express has all-session tickets available for the regional in Lincoln. Order your tickets online or call the Ticket Express office at (800) 817-2820.

Huskers to start Jennings vs. Panthers

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.

Looking at the Lincoln Regional

Nebraska hosts one of 16 regional tournaments for the NCAA Div. I baseball championships, with Eastern Illinois, UC Irvine and Oral Roberts making the trip to Haymarket Park for this weekend's double-elimination tournament.

Here's a summary of the four teams playing in this weekend's regional in Lincoln:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Who are they? -- The Huskers are the top seed in the region and carry a 40-14-1 record into this weekend's tournament.

Looking back -- Nebraska was looking like a Big 12 Conference champion and top-eight national seed toward the end of the year, but a late-season slump took care of both opportunities.

On the mound -- Coming into the season, the Huskers were looking at a probable rebuilding year on the mound with a young pitching staff, led by senior Johnny Dorn (6-1, 2.38). But the Nebraska arms have pitched far beyond their youth, with Thad Weber (8-4, 5.67), Dan Jennings (6-3, 2.95) and Aaron Pribanic (3-4, 4.42) developing into solid starters. Zach Herr and Mike Nesseth have also come on and pitched well in relief.

At the plate -- Offensively, the Huskers aren't loaded, but just get the job done. They are led by senior infield Jake Opitz, who batted .335 with eight homers and 45 RBI's this season. Catcher Mitch Abeita has been equally solid behind, and at, the plate, leading the offense with 10 homers and 46 RBI's. The Huskers have been consistent up and down the lineup, with Bryce Nimmo, Nick Sullivan and D.J. Belfonte playing crucial roles. First baseman Craig Corriston has also performed well despite missing almost a month with a knee injury.

Did you know? -- Nebraska has been almost unstoppable at home this season, winning 27 of 30 games at Haymarket Park. Their home record is third best among the 16 regional hosts.

Chances to advance -- Because of their success at home, we like the Huskers' chances of moving on to super regionals, but UC Irvine could stand in their way.

UC Irvine Anteaters

Who are they? -- The Anteaters tied for third in a very tough Big West Conference this year, going 38-16 on the season to earn the No. 2 seed here.

Looking back -- UC Irvine was the darling of last year's College World Series, coming up one game shy of the finals. They came back this year with a vengeance, starting the year 16-1 under veteran coach Mike Gillespie.

On the mound -- The 'Eaters have a very solid pitching staff, led by junior righthander Scott Gorgen (10-3, 1.90). They also have some solid arms in Daniel Bibona (8-3, 3.10) and Bryce Stowell (7-2, 3.04), and Eric Pettis has put out plenty of fires with a team-best 15 saves.

At the plate -- UC Irvine isn't known for their power, but they get the job done at the plate. Junior infielder Ben Orloff leads the team with a .356 batting average and Ollie Linton leads the team with 37 stolen bases. Nobody on the UC Irvine roster has hit more than 10 home runs, with catcher Francis Larson leading the team with seven homers and 39 RBI's.

Did you know? -- Gillespie recently won his 800th game as a Div. I head coach, a career that has spanned 21 seasons. He is 801-487-2 in his career.

Chances to advance -- These boys know what it takes to get to Omaha, and they will definitely give Nebraska a run for their money. If Nebraska doesn't make it out of this regional, it will be thanks to the Anteaters.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Who are they? -- Third-seeded Oral Roberts has been a traditional mid-major tourney team over the years, and continued their postseason success with a 46-12 record and the Summit League regular-season and tournament championships.

Looking back -- The Golden Eagles have been one of those quality teams that fly under the radar every year, but they have been a very consistent team that has beaten the likes of fellow tourney teams Arkanasas and Dallas Baptist. They come into the regional riding a 12-game winning streak.

On the mound -- Carlos Luna has been almost untouchable for the Golden Eagles this year. He leads the staff with a 12-0 record and 3.15 earned-run average. Jerry Sullivan is a strikeout machine with 104 K's in 17 appearances, and Michael Jarman has been a quality starter with an 11-2 mark this year.

At the plate -- Brian Van Kirk leads the team with a .421 average and, the Summit League tournament MVP is their big bat with 17 homers and 72 RBI's this year. Ryan Groth (.357) and Ben Petralli (.351) have both been solid at the plate as well, and Brendan Duffy has 15 stolen bases this season.

Did you know? -- Oral Roberts has won 11 consecutive league tournament championships, the third longest conference tournament championship streak in NCAA Div. I history.

Chances to advance -- It comes down to pitching depth, and Oral Roberts has enough that they could make things difficult for the higher two seeds. It's not often that a No. 3 seed survives a regional, but the Golden Eagles certainly have the talent to do it.

Eastern Illinois Panthers

Who are they? -- The Panthers are one of those teams that can make things interesting for opposing teams, and as the No. 4 seed they'll be looking to play the upset card every time out this weekend after a 27-28 campaign.

Looking back -- Eastern Illinois stumbled out of the gate, losing their first seven games of the season. They caught fire at the right time, however, and swept through the Ohio Valley Conference tournament with wins over top-Seeded Jacksonville State and second-seeded Samford to earn the automatic bid.

On the mound -- Josh Mueller (6-7, 4.26) and Tyler Kehrer (1-5, 4.55) are the top two starters for the Panthers, while Mike Recchia (2-1, 5.66) has developed into a solid contributor on the mound. Scott Foley (3-2, 3.71) has a team-leading six saves.

At the plate -- Jordan Tokarz (.293, 4 HR, 42 RBI) was the conference tournament MVP after going 9-for-19 with six extra-base hits in four games. Brett Nommensen (.397, 4 HR, 30 RBI) is the team's leading hitter and has 18 stolen bases on the year.

Did you know? -- The last time Eastern Illinois played in the NCAA tournament was 1999, and they upset highly-ranked Arizona in regionals before being eliminated.

Chances to advance -- To be honest, Eastern Illinois is just happy to be here. Considering the quality of the three higher seeds, anything beyond a two-and-'cue would be considered a success for this team.