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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.

Huskers draw Eastern Illinois in first round

Nebraska will host one of 16 four-team regionals in the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament and will open the tournament with Eastern Illinois on Friday.

The 40-14-1 Huskers will face an Eastern Illinois team that finished the year under .500 (27-28) but won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament to earn the automatic bid. The two teams will square off at 1:05 p.m. at Haymarket Park as the first of two games in the four-team, double-elimination bracket.

The other first-round matchup should be interesting, as second seed UC Irvine (38-16) meets third-seeded Oral Roberts (46-12) in a 7:05 p.m. battle. UC Irvine had a storybook run to the College World Series last year and is one of the more dangerous No. 2 seeds in the field coming out of the Big West Conference. They will take on a solid Oral Roberts squad that finished as Summit League tournament champs to earn the automatic trip to the tournament.

The winner of this bracket will likely have a very steep mountain to climb in super regionals, as the winner will face the survivor of the Baton Rouge, La., regional, hosted by LSU. Odds are that the host Tigers -- winners of 20 consecutive games -- will be the team to come out of that regional, making a trip to Omaha for the Lincoln regional survivor a very tough ticket.

This is how the entire 64-team field looks:

Left Bracket

At Coral Gables, Fla. -- 1. Miami (47-8) vs. 4. Bethune Cookman (36-20), 2. Missouri (38-19) vs. 3. Ole Miss (37-24)

At Ann Arbor, Mich. -- 1. Arizona (38-17) vs. 4. Eastern Michigan (25-32), 2. Michigan (45-12) vs. 3. Kentucky (42-17)

At Raleigh, N.C. -- 1. North Carolina State (38-20) vs. 4. James Madison (38-17), 2. South Carolina (38-21) vs. 3. Charlotte (43-14)

At Athens, Ga. -- 1. Georgia (35-21-1) vs. 4. Lipscomb (32-28), 2. Georgia Tech (39-19) vs. 3. Louisville (41-19)

At Fullerton, Calif. -- 1. Cal State Fullerton (37-19) vs. 4. Rider (29-26), 2. UCLA (31-25) vs. 3. Virginia (38-21)

At Stanford, Calif. -- 1. Stanford (33-21-2) vs. 4. UC Davis (34-22), 2. Pepperdine (36-19) vs. 3. Arkansas (34-22)

At Stillwater, Okla. -- 1. Oklahoma State (42-16) vs. 4. Western Kentucky (33-25), 2. Wichita State (44-15) vs. 3. TCU (43-17)

At Tallahassee, Fla. -- 1. Florida State (48-10) vs. 4. Bucknell (29-22-2), 2. Florida (34-22) vs. Tulane (37-20-1)

Right Bracket

At Cary, N.C. -- 1. North Carolina (46-12) vs. 4. Mount St. Mary's (21-32), 2. UNC Wilmington (42-15-1) vs. 3. Elon (43-16)

At Conway, S.C. -- 1. Coastal Carolina (47-12) vs. 4. Columbia (22-28), 2. East Carolina (40-19) vs. 3. Alabama (34-26)

At Lincoln, Neb. -- 1. Nebraska (40-14-1) vs. 4. Eastern Illinois (27-28), 2. UC Irvine (38-16) vs. 3. Oral Roberts (46-12)

At Baton Rouge, La. -- 1. LSU (43-16-1) vs. 4. Texas Southern (16-32), 2. Southern Miss (40-20) vs. 3. New Orleans (42-19)

At Houston Texas -- 1. Rice (42-13) vs. 4. Sam Houston State (37-23), 2. Texas (37-20) vs. 3. St. John's (41-14)

At College Station, Texas -- 1. Texas A&M (43-16) vs. Illinois-Chicago (34-20), 2. Dallas Baptist (37-17) vs. 3. Houston (39-22)

At Long Beach, Calif. -- 1. Long Beach State (37-19) vs. 4. Fresno State (37-27), 2. San Diego (41-15) vs. 3. California (33-19-2)

At Tempe, Ariz. -- 1. Arizona State (45-11) vs. 4. Stony Brook (34-24), 2. Vanderbilt (40-20) vs. 3. Oklahoma (34-24-1)

Huskers 1-2 at Big 12, get NCAA host bid

Nebraska failed to win the Big 12 championship, going 1-2 in pool play with losses to Baylor and Oklahoma State.

And while the Huskers stumbled down the stretch in losing five of their last six, they still had a solid season that allowed them to be one of the 16 host sites for the NCAA Div. I baseball tournament.

The Huskers will host Eastern Illinois (27-28) in the first round at Haymarket Park on Friday, while UC Irvine (38-16) and Oral Roberts (46-12) will play in the other half of the four-team, double-elimination bracket that runs through Sunday.

The Huskers carry a 40-14-1 record into the tournament and will be in one quarter of the 64-team bracket that includes seventh-seeded LSU. The Tigers are the hottest team in the country, winners of 21 straight games, and would be the host team if they win their regional. The Tigers will face Texas Southern in the first round, while New Orleans and Southern Miss battle in the other half of the bracket.

The Huskers' regional series will run Friday through Sunday, and you can get your tickets to see the Huskers in action at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Huskers get Big 12 win, end four-game slide

Nebraska desperately needed a comeback to shake its four-game slide. Johnny Dorn needed a solid effort to end a string of five no-decision outings.

Both got what they needed Friday, as Nebraska kept its Big 12 hopes alive with a 5-2 win over Kansas State Friday afternoon at the Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Dorn pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and got some great help from Jake Opitz as the Huskers snapped its four-game losing streak. The win left them in the hunt for a shot at the conference championship game, as they need to beat Oklahoma State today and have Kansas State defeat Baylor to reach the championship game in the eight-team pool-play tournament.

Opitz had a huge game with three hits and three RBI's, hitting a two-run homer in the seventh that provided the final margin of victory and give the Huskers their 40th win of the year. Jake Mort also had three hits and added a pair of runs scored.

The game was tied 2-2 after the Wildcats scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, but Tyler Farst's RBI single in the fifth gave the Huskers the lead for good. That was enough for Dorn, who struck out three and moved into second place on the Huskers' all-time list in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. The Huskers reached the 40-win plateau for the 17th time in school history and the eighth time in the last 10 years.

Nebraska plays Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The Cowboys bombed Baylor 14-3 to give all four teams in the pool identical 1-1 records. Oklahoma State will advance to the championship with a win over Nebraska, while the other three teams in the pool will need a win and help from the team it defeated earlier. In Nebraska's case, that means a Husker win followed by a Kansas State win over Baylor.