Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball
| Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Overall record | 2,166–1,573–19 (.579) |
| University | University of Nebraska-Lincoln |
| Head coach | Darin Erstad (7th season) |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Location | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Home stadium |
Hawks Field (Capacity: 8,500) |
| Nickname | Cornhuskers |
| Colors |
Scarlet and Cream[1] |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 2001, 2002, 2005 | |
| NCAA regional champions | |
| 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 1948, 1950, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 | |
| Conference champions | |
| 1929, 1948, 1950, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2017 | |
The Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team is a member of the Big Ten Conference in the NCAA, and is currently coached by Darin Erstad. The program started in 1889.
Nebraska has been to 17 NCAA baseball tournaments and advanced to four super regionals (2000, 2001, 2002, and 2005) and three College World Series (2001, 2002, and 2005). The Cornhuskers have claimed seven regular season conference championships (1929, 1948, 1950, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2017) and four conference tournament championships (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005). They have had eighteen 40-win seasons, with nine since 1999, as well as three 50-win seasons.
Nebraska's all-time record is 2,166–1,573–19 (.579) overall and 830–791–2 (.512) in conference play. Since 1999, the Cornhuskers are 703–389–2 (.645). The program's record in Big 12 play was 215–189–1 (.533), and is 88–54–1 (.619) through six years in the Big Ten era. The Cornhuskers won their first Big Ten championship in 2017.
Facilities
Hawks Field
From 1979 through 2001, the Cornhuskers played at Buck Beltzer Stadium, where they went 527–137 (.794). Buck Beltzer seated 1,500 and had an AstroTurf infield and grass outfield. The stadium was shoehorned into a very tight space; right field was adjacent to the south end zone of Memorial Stadium, and first base was across a frontage road from an overpass leading to Interstate 180. The final game at Buck Beltzer was on June 2, 2001, when the Cornhuskers completed a sweep of Rice to win an NCAA super regional and advance to the College World Series for the first time.
On July 30, 1999 the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced plans for a new baseball facility, Haymarket Park, which included both Hawks Field and a softball stadium. Hawks Field is named after one of the primary donors that contributed to its construction, and Haymarket Park is named because of its location in Lincoln's historic Haymarket District.[2] The Cornhuskers are 340–121–1 (.737) since opening the park on March 5, 2002 with a 23–1 win over UNK. Nebraska is 16-0 in home openers at Hawks Field, continuing their streak of 39 straight home opener wins dating back to the 1979 season.[3]
Hawks Field is often said to be among the finest ballparks in college baseball. Its capacity is 8,500, with 4,500 seats and berms in the outfield. Hawks Field is the first collegiate venue to use the SubAir system to heat and cool the field year-round and was selected as the best playing surface in the country in each of its first six years. In 2003 and 2007, Hawks Field won the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Collegiate Baseball Field of the Year Award, the only park to win the award multiple times. Nebraska has ranked in the top 25 for average attendance every year at Hawks Field.[2]
An LED videoboard was installed in 2012 which nearly tripled the size and resolution of the ballpark's original video screen. The widescreen display is 17 feet tall and 34 feet wide, allowing Nebraska's HuskerVision department to display introductions for each player, highlights, and live crowd shots during the game.
Alex Gordon Training Complex
The $4.75 million Haymarket Park Indoor Practice Facility is specifically designed for the baseball and softball teams to practice year-round. It has 18,000 square feet of climate-controlled practice space that allows for working on all phases of the game. The space can be configured to utilize as many as six spacious batting cages.
The cages can also be retracted to open up all of the 120-foot by 150-foot space for live game simulation. The entire facility is netted, allowing for the Cornhuskers to take live batting practice. The field turf surface looks and feels like real grass, and the field includes anchors to lock down bases for use during practices.
History
Coaching history
| Years | Coach | Record | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1889–91 | C.D. Chandler | 4–5 | .444 |
| 1892–93 | Charles Stroman | 3–2–1 | .583 |
| 1897 | E.N. Robinson | 8–5–1 | .607 |
| 1898 | F.B. Ryons | 6–4 | .600 |
| 1901 | Mike Henderson | 9–11 | .450 |
| 1902 | Geo P. Shidler | 17–8 | .680 |
| 1904 | J.H. Bell | 10–3 | .769 |
| 1906 | S.S. Eager | 5–12–1 | .306 |
| 1919–21 | Paul Schissler | 20–14 | .589 |
| 1922 | Owen Frank | 12–4 | .750 |
| 1923 | Scotty Dye | 4–4 | .500 |
| 1923 | Earl Carr | 2–8 | .200 |
| 1924-25 | William G. Kline | 18–15 | .545 |
| 1929–30 | John Rhodes | 12–12–1 | .632 |
| 1931 | W.H. Browne | 2–10 | .167 |
| 1933–41 | W.W. Knight | 38–92 | .292 |
| 1942 | A.J. Lewandowski | 3–11 | .214 |
| 1946 | Frank Smagacz | 9–7 | .563 |
| 1947–77 | Tony Sharpe | 394–388–6 | .503 |
| 1978–97 | John Sanders | 767–453–1 | .629 |
| 1998–2002 | Dave van Horn | 214–92 | .699 |
| 2003–11 | Mike Anderson | 337–196–2 | .632 |
| 2012– | Darin Erstad | 211–141–1 | .599 |
- Head coaches are not available from 1899, 1900, 1905, and 1907–1912. Nebraska did not field a team in 1903, 1913–1918, 1926–1928, 1932, and 1943–1945.[4]
John Sanders (1978–1997)
John Sanders compiled a 767–453–1 record in his 20 years. He had only two losing seasons, including his final one.[5] He produced three NCAA Tournament teams, making his first appearance in 1979 and following with postseason berths in 1980 and 1985. Sanders' final year leading the Cornhuskers was 1997, when the program transitioned from the Big Eight into the Big 12. He was fired following the season.
Dave van Horn (1998–2002)
Nebraska experienced a remarkable turnaround under Dave van Horn, who compiled a record of 214–92 and led the team to three straight Big 12 Tournament championships in his five-year tenure. He posted a 16–3 mark in four years of Big 12 Tournament play and a 15–9 record in the NCAA Tournament.
van Horn was chosen as the ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2000 and earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors before his selection as NCAA Coach of the Year by Baseball America in 2001.
Following the 2002 College World Series, Nebraska's second consecutive CWS appearance, van Horn left to coach his alma mater Arkansas, where he remains as of the 2018 season.
1998–2000
van Horn was hired just 35 days before the 1998 season and led the Huskers to a 24–20 record and a seventh-place finish in the Big 12.
In 1999, the Cornhuskers won the Big 12 Tournament championship, marking the school's first conference title of any kind since 1950 and reached their first NCAA tournament since 1985. They finished with a 42–18 record. Ken Harvey was named to the all-conference first team and Shane Komine was the Big 12's freshman of the year.
The 2000 Huskers became the first team in school history to advance to a super regional in the NCAA tournament, but fell one game shy of the College World Series. Dan Johnson, Justin Cowan, Matt Hopper, and Shane Komine earned first-team Big 12 honors. Komine was the Big 12 Player of the Year, Dan Johnson was the newcomer of the year, and Matt Hopper was the freshman of the year.
2001 : 1st CWS
In 2001, the Huskers were ranked as high as no. 4 in the nation, starting the season in the top 10 for the first time in school history. They started 2–3 but won their next 13 games. They won the school's first regular-season conference title since 1950 with a 20–8 mark in Big 12 play, highlighted by a series win over Texas and sweeps of Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. Nebraska went 4-0 in the Big 12 Tournament to win it for the third consecutive year, becoming the first team to win Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. They were the no. 8 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted a regional for the first time in school history, defeating Northern Iowa and Rutgers. They advanced to a super regional and swept a Rice team that beat the Huskers 16–2 in the season opener. In the school's first appearance in the College World Series, Nebraska lost 5-4 to no. 1 Cal State Fullerton and 6-5 to no. 5 Tulane.
The 2001 Huskers finished with a 50–16 record, their second straight 50-win season. They went 23–4 at home, including victories in the final nine games at Buck Beltzer Stadium. The Huskers ranked in the top 10 nationally with a .334 average and 9.20 runs per game, and led the Big 12 in ten categories, including average, runs, walks, home runs, and stolen bases. The team produced four All-Americans: Shane Komine, Dan Johnson, John Cole and Matt Hopper. They also produced six All-Big 12 first-team players: Komine, Johnson, Cole, Hopper, Thom Ott, and Jeff Leise. Komine was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.[6][7]
2002 : A new home
2002 was the first year that Nebraska played at Hawks Field. The Cornhuskers swept seven teams during the season and ended the year on an 11-game win streak until losing to Texas in the Big 12 tournament final. Dave van Horn picked up the 200th victory in his Nebraska career with a 4–3 win over Cal Poly on May 10. Nebraska hosted a regional and advanced for a third straight year, outscoring opponents Southwest Missouri State, Marist, and UW-Milwaukee 30–6 in three consecutive victories. They hosted Richmond in the Super Regionals and won the series 2–1, advancing to Omaha for the second straight season, but were defeated by Clemson and South Carolina in their two College World Series games.
Nebraska finished with a 47–21 record. Cornhuskers batters were hit by pitches 95 times in 66 games, a total which is not only a school record, but the tenth-highest total in NCAA history. Jed Morris was named to the All Big-12 team, became the Big 12 Player of the Year, and was the first catcher in school history to earn All-America honors. Jeff Leise also earned All-American and All-Big 12 honors. Aaron Marsden was the only other Husker to be on the All-Big 12 team.[8] After the 2002 season, van Horn left to accept the head coaching job at his alma mater, Arkansas; Mike Anderson became head coach after 8 seasons as assistant coach.
Mike Anderson (2003–2011)
In his 9 seasons, Mike Anderson guided the Huskers to a 337–196–2 record. He was awarded the Big 12 Coach of the Year Award in 2003 and 2005.[9] His Big 12 tournament record was 13–10 and his NCAA Tournament record was 12–10.
2003–2004
The Huskers were better than expexcted in Mike Anderson's first year. Despite being picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll, Nebraska won 11 of their first 13 games. They won 8 of 9 conference series, going 20–7 and winning the Big 12. The Cornhuskers hosted a regional but were eliminated by Southwestern Missouri State. They ended the season 47-18.
Matt Hopper became an All-Big 12 honoree for the third time and was the Big 12 Player of the Year. Aaron Marsden was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Curtis Ledbetter and Quinton Robertson also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. Alex Gordon earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors and was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.[10]
In 2004 Nebraska finished 36–23, and a disappointing eighth in the Big 12 with a conference record of 11–16. It was the first time since 1999 that Nebraska did not finish in the top two of the conference. The Cornhuskers' May 16 loss at Baylor marked the first time the team had been swept in league play since 2000. After going 1–2 in the Big 12 tournament, Nebraska missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.
Cornhusker pitchers issued a league-low 2.77 walks per nine innings and the team went at least 45 innings without an error three separate times. They scored five or more runs in an inning 12 times over an 11-game span. Alex Gordon was the lone Husker All-American.[11]
2005 : Husker history
2005 was the best season in school history. Nebraska started off the season by sweeping a five-game series over Hawaii-Hilo, and followed by winning 20 of the next 23 games. They won 8 of their 9 conference series, losing their only series to Texas 2-1. The Cornhuskers won the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships, despite losing the first game of the tournament. The Huskers swept through the regionals and super regionals, defeating Miami 2-0 to advance to the College World Series for the third time in five years. They beat Arizona State for the first CWS win in program history, but lost the next two games to Florida and Arizona State.
Nebraska's 57 wins in 2005 were more than any other team, and the .791 winning percentage was the highest in school history. They had two 11-game win streaks during the season, one during non-conference play and one throughout the postseason. The Huskers finished 33–4 at Hawks Field, breaking the single-season school record for home wins (29- 1980, 1988, 2002, 2003). NU's starting pitchers won 15 straight decisions, a streak broken by ace Johnny Dorn’s loss to Florida on June 19 in the College World Series. Nebraska led the Big 12 and ranked second nationally in ERA.
Alex Gordon won Big 12 and National Player of the Year and was an All-American. Johnny Dorn won the Freshman Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, became a Freshman All-American, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. Joba Chamberlain was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. Tony Watson was a Freshman All-American. Curtis Ledbetter earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.[12]
The End of the Big 12: 2006–2011
Nebraska spent much of the 2006 season in the top 5 nationally, and looked poised to make it back to Omaha for the College World Series. They were ranked as high as no. 2 and swept three Big 12 series. However, the Cornhuskers lost 8 of their last 11 regular season games and lost in the conference tournament final. They hosted a regional but were upset in back-back games, ending with a 42–17 record. Brandon Buckman, Ryan Wehrle, Luke Gorsett, Tony Watson, and Brett Jensen earned first-team All Big 12 honors.
Collegiate Baseball tabbed the Huskers ninth in their 2007 preseason poll. The team started strong but quickly slumped and ended with a 14-13 conference record, placing fourth in the Big 12 and qualifying as the third seed in the Tempe Regional. They went 2–1 before being defeated by Arizona State in the championship game, finishing the season 32–27.[13]
With eight pitchers from 2007 leaving for the MLB draft, Nebraska's 2008 team was the youngest in Mike Anderson's tenure. The Huskers started the season 11–3 and went 17–9–1 in conference play. From February 29 to March 18, the Huskers won 14 straight games, their longest streak since 2000. Despite a strong regular season, Nebraska went 2-4 in postseason play and lost a home regional. They went 29–5–1 at home and 11–9 away from Hawks Field. They were ranked as high as no. 5 and ended in third place in the Big 12. Jake Opitz, Mitch Abeita, and Johnny Dorn were selected to the All-Big 12 first team.[14] Dorn earned third-team All-American honors.[15]
2009 was a disappointing season for the Cornhuskers. At 25-28-1 overall and 8-19 in conference play, it was the worst season since 1997. It was the first time Nebraska didn't make the Big 12 tournament, and the first time since 2004 they didn't make the NCAA tournament. The 2010 (27-27) and 2011 (30-24) Huskers improved but also failed to make any sort of postseason appearance.
Darin Erstad (2012–present)
New coach, new conference
Before moving to the Big Ten Conference, Mike Anderson and the entire coaching staff were terminated on May 22, 2011, after going 82–79–1 and missing the Big 12 tournament in Anderson's last three seasons.[16] The University of Nebraska hired former Husker and Major League All-Star Darin Erstad as head coach on June 2, 2011 after one season as a volunteer assistant coach.[17] A few days later, Ted Silva was hired as pitching coach[18] as well as former Huskers Will Bolt as associate head coach[19] and Jeff Christy as volunteer assistant coach.[20]
2012–2013
The Huskers made the postseason for the first time in four years in 2012, qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament and going 1-2, but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
In 2013, the team played a difficult nonconference schedule to begin the season, with series against ranked opponents Cal State Fullerton and Texas. Largely due to this aggressive scheduling, the team started 0-7, its worst start since 1976.
On April 16 on the 2013 season, Nebraska threw a combined no-hitter against no. 12 Arkansas and former Huskers head coach Dave van Horn. The Cornhuskers won the game 3-0, using three pitchers to complete the eighth no-hitter in program history. Nebraska ended the season with the #31 RPI in the country, but its 29-30 record did not allow for a postseason bid.
2017: Big Ten Champions
Following a 35–20–1 overall record and a conference 16–7–1 record, the Cornhuskers finished the season as Big Ten champions. Nebraska would receive the #1 seed in the 2017 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, but lost to Maryland in the second round.
Results by season
| Conference champion | Tournament champion | Conference and tournament champion |
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Final rank |
NCAA Tournament | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent (1889–1925) | ||||||||
| 1889 | C.D. Chandler | 1–2 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1890 | C.D. Chandler | 2–3 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1891 | C.D. Chandler | 1–0 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1892 | Charles Stroman | 0–2–1 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1893 | Charles Stroman | 3–0 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1897 | E.N. Robinson | 8–5–1 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1898 | F.B. Ryons | 6–4 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1899 | 8–4 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1900 | 8–12 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1901 | Mike Henderson | 9–11 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1902 | Geo P. Shidler | 17–8 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1904 | J.H. Bell | 10–3 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1905 | 5–16–1 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1906 | S.S. Eager | 5–12–1 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1907 | Ducky Holmes | 5–11–1 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1908 | Billy Fox | 4–12–2 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1909 | Billy Fox | 12–14 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1910 | 7–7–1 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1912 | 3–0 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1919 | Paul Schissler | 5–3 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1920 | Paul Schissler | 7–6 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1921 | Paul Schissler | 8–5 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1922 | Owen Frank | 12–4 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1923 | Scotty Dye Earl Carr | 6–12 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1924 | W.G. Kline | 10–8 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1925 | W.G. Kline | 8–7 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Big Six Conference (1929–1947) | ||||||||
| 1929 | John Rhodes | 12–5–1 | 10–5 | 1st | – | – | ||
| 1930 | John Rhodes | 9–7 | 7–5 | 3rd | – | – | ||
| 1931 | W.H. Browne | 2–10 | 2–8 | 6th | – | – | ||
| 1933 | W.W. Knight | 3–1 | – | |||||
| 1934 | W.W. Knight | 5–9 | – | – | ||||
| 1935 | W.W. Knight | 4–12 | 2–7 | 5th | – | – | ||
| 1936 | W.W. Knight | 3–11 | 2–9 | 5th | – | – | ||
| 1937 | W.W. Knight | 5–12 | 4–9 | 4th | – | – | ||
| 1938 | W.W. Knight | 7–8 | 5–5 | 4th | – | – | ||
| 1939 | W.W. Knight | 5–13 | 4–6 | 3rd | – | – | ||
| 1940 | W.W. Knight | 4–12 | 3–9 | 5th | – | – | ||
| 1941 | W.W. Knight | 2–14 | 2–8 | 6th | – | – | ||
| 1942 | A.J. Lewandowski | 3–11 | 3–6 | 5th | – | – | ||
| 1946 | Frank Smagacz | 9–7 | 9–5 | 2nd | – | – | ||
| 1947 | Tony Sharpe | 6–9–1 | 6–7 | 4th | – | |||
| Big Seven Conference (1948–1959) | ||||||||
| 1948 | Tony Sharpe | 17–6 | 14–3 | 1st | – | |||
| 1949 | Tony Sharpe | 9–13 | 7–10 | 7th | – | |||
| 1950 | Tony Sharpe | 16–8 | 11–3 | 1st | – | |||
| 1951 | Tony Sharpe | 10–5 | 5–4 | 3rd | – | |||
| 1952 | Tony Sharpe | 13–7 | 8–5 | 7th | – | |||
| 1953 | Tony Sharpe | 12–5–2 | 10–3 | 2nd | – | |||
| 1954 | Tony Sharpe | 10–10 | 4–8 | 6th | – | |||
| 1955 | Tony Sharpe | 15–5 | 10–4 | 3rd | – | |||
| 1956 | Tony Sharpe | 12–8 | 8–4 | 2nd | – | |||
| 1957 | Tony Sharpe | 12–10 | 8–9 | 5th | – | |||
| Big Eight Conference (1958–1995) | ||||||||
| 1958 | Tony Sharpe | 17–10 | 12–9 | 5th | – | |||
| 1959 | Tony Sharpe | 11–11 | 11–4 | 2nd | – | |||
| 1960 | Tony Sharpe | 9–12 | 6–11 | 7th | – | |||
| 1961 | Tony Sharpe | 9–14 | 7–11 | 6th | – | |||
| 1962 | Tony Sharpe | 15–11 | 10–10 | 5th | – | |||
| 1963 | Tony Sharpe | 10–16 | 5–15 | 6th | – | |||
| 1964 | Tony Sharpe | 9–18 | 7–14 | 6th | – | |||
| 1965 | Tony Sharpe | 12–8 | 12–6 | 2nd | – | |||
| 1966 | Tony Sharpe | 16–9 | 12–8 | 3rd | – | |||
| 1967 | Tony Sharpe | 8–16 | 7–11 | 6th | – | |||
| 1968 | Tony Sharpe | 10–15–1 | 7–13 | 7th | – | |||
| 1969 | Tony Sharpe | 9–15 | 4–12 | 8th | – | |||
| 1970 | Tony Sharpe | 14–12 | 11–8 | 3rd | – | |||
| 1971 | Tony Sharpe | 10–20 | 7–13 | 7th | – | |||
| 1972 | Tony Sharpe | 12–17 | 8–11 | 7th | – | |||
| 1973 | Tony Sharpe | 15–14–1 | 7–11 | 6th | – | |||
| 1974 | Tony Sharpe | 13–27 | 4–16 | 8th | – | |||
| 1975 | Tony Sharpe | 13–20 | 7–8 | 5th | – | |||
| 1976 | Tony Sharpe | 21–24–1 | 0–2 | 7th | – | |||
| 1977 | Tony Sharpe | 29–13 | 5–7 | 3rd (East) | – | |||
| 1978 | John Sanders | 36–20 | 7–7 | 3rd (East) | – | |||
| 1979 | John Sanders | 49–15 | 14–6 | 2nd (East) | – | Regional | ||
| 1980 | John Sanders | 49–15 | 16–4 | 1st (East) | 14 | Regional | ||
| 1981 | John Sanders | 42–22 | 11–11 | 4th | ||||
| 1982 | John Sanders | 44–13 | 15–5 | 2nd | 10 | |||
| 1983 | John Sanders | 44–15 | 8–10 | 5th | ||||
| 1984 | John Sanders | 46–20 | 15–6 | 3rd | 29 | |||
| 1985 | John Sanders | 45–24 | 16–6 | 3rd | 16 | Regional | ||
| 1986 | John Sanders | 35–25 | 14–9 | 3rd | ||||
| 1987 | John Sanders | 36–21 | 12–8 | 3rd | ||||
| 1988 | John Sanders | 48–23 | 12–12 | 4th | ||||
| 1989 | John Sanders | 27–31 | 8–16 | 7th | ||||
| 1990 | John Sanders | 42–26 | 12–12 | 3rd | ||||
| 1991 | John Sanders | 37–22 | 10–14 | 6th | ||||
| 1992 | John Sanders | 31–25 | 11–13 | 5th | ||||
| 1993 | John Sanders | 35–23 | 16–12 | 4th | ||||
| 1994 | John Sanders | 32–28 | 14–16 | 5th | ||||
| 1995 | John Sanders | 35–23 | 13–14 | 4th | ||||
| 1996 | John Sanders | 27–27–1 | 8–17 | 7th | ||||
| Big 12 Conference (1997–2011) | ||||||||
| 1997 | John Sanders | 27–35 | 7–23 | 10th | ||||
| 1998 | Dave Van Horn | 24–20 | 10–13 | 7th | ||||
| 1999 | Dave Van Horn | 42–18 | 16–9 | 5th | 25 | Regional | ||
| 2000 | Dave Van Horn | 51–17 | 21–9 | 2nd | 11 | Super Regional | ||
| 2001 | Dave Van Horn | 50–16 | 20–8 | 1st | 6 | College World Series | ||
| 2002 | Dave Van Horn | 47–21 | 16–11 | 2nd | 8 | College World Series | ||
| 2003 | Mike Anderson | 47–18 | 20–7 | 1st | 13 | Regional | ||
| 2004 | Mike Anderson | 36–23 | 11–16 | 8th | 12 | |||
| 2005 | Mike Anderson | 57–15 | 19–8 | 1st | 5 | College World Series | ||
| 2006 | Mike Anderson | 42–17 | 17–10 | 3rd | 15 | Regional | ||
| 2007 | Mike Anderson | 32–27 | 14–13 | 4th | Regional | |||
| 2008 | Mike Anderson | 41–16–1 | 17–9–1 | 3rd | 20 | Regional | ||
| 2009 | Mike Anderson | 25–28–1 | 8–19 | 10th | ||||
| 2010 | Mike Anderson | 27–27 | 10–17 | 9th | ||||
| 2011 | Mike Anderson | 30–25 | 9–17 | 9th | ||||
| Big Ten Conference (2012–present) | ||||||||
| 2012 | Darin Erstad | 35–23 | 14–10 | 4th | ||||
| 2013 | Darin Erstad | 29–30 | 15–9 | 2nd | ||||
| 2014 | Darin Erstad | 41–21 | 18–6 | 2nd | Regional | |||
| 2015 | Darin Erstad | 34–23 | 9–14 | 8th | ||||
| 2016 | Darin Erstad | 37–22 | 16–8 | 2nd | Regional | |||
| 2017 | Darin Erstad | 35–22–1 | 16–7–1 | 1st | Regional | |||
| 2018 | Darin Erstad | |||||||
| Overall record (1889–2017): 2,166–1,573–19 (.579), Conference: 830–791–2 (.512) | ||||||||
Postseason appearances
Conference tournament
|
NCAA Tournament
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rivalries
Nebraska and Creighton have competed in an in-state rivalry since their first meeting in 1902, a 9-3 Nebraska win. The Huskers and Bluejays play a three-game non-consecutive series each year, switching venues for each game. Creighton originally played home games at the Creighton Sports Complex and occasionally Rosenblatt Stadium, and now plays at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The Huskers defeated the Bluejays 2–1 in the first game the teams played at TD Ameritrade on April 19, 2011.[21] Nebraska leads the series 72-48-2.
Nebraska also competes in a smaller in-state rivalry with Nebraska-Omaha. The Cornhuskers and Mavericks play a two-game non-consecutive series each year.
Memorable games
Nebraska 50, Chicago State 3 (7 inn.) (March 16, 1999)
The Huskers made national headlines in 1999 after posting the most lopsided win in NCAA history, a game that had reporters and coaches calling from across the country to see if the score was correct.
After defeating Chicago State 15–3 in game one of a doubleheader, the Nebraska opened the second game by scoring nine runs in the first inning and went on to win 50–3, setting NCAA records for runs scored (50), margin of victory (47), and RBIs (48). Previously, these records were 42, 41, and 37, respectively, all set by West Chester (Pa.) in a 42-1 victory over Philadelphia Textile on April 7, 1992.
Nebraska scored nine runs in the first inning, ten in the second, four in the third, nine in the fourth, 13 in the fifth, and five in the sixth before the game was called following the top of the seventh because of the 12-run mercy rule. Eight Huskers accounted for nine home runs in the game. Ken Harvey hit two homers and Scott Larsen, Adam Stern, and Brian Kent hit their first career home runs. Besides setting school team records for runs (50), RBIs (48), and hits (35), Harvey, Jim Bailey and Craig Moore each established or tied individual school records. Harvey and Bailey each scored seven runs in the game, while Moore became the third player in school history to drive in ten runs in a game. Bailey, who only had two official at bats, walked five times to tie a 50-year-old school record. Tom Novak held the previous mark of five set against Denver College on April 18, 1949. In the game, Nebraska scored 23 runs before the Cougars had a base runner, as Husker pitchers retired the first nine Cougar hitters. Eleven Huskers had at least two hits and seven had at least three hits.
Jay Sirianni earned the win by pitching to six batters in the first two innings, as four Huskers held Chicago State to just three runs on three hits.
Nebraska 1, Texas 0 (15 inn.) (March 28, 2015) [22][23][24]
Nebraska made national headlines after a series-clinching extra inning win over the Texas Longhorns on March 28, 2015, in a game that consisted of a mid-game no hitter, 12 total hits, one run, and 27 strikeouts.
The Longhorns came into Lincoln as the no. 16 team in the country, one year removed from a College World Series appearance. In front of a crowd of 5,852, the Cornhuskers' pitching staff combined for 19 strikeouts, 3 walks, 4 hits allowed, and 210 pitches thrown in 15 scoreless innings of work, including a stretch of nine no-hit innings. From the fourth to the 14th inning, the Longhorns were unable to record a single hit off of Kyle Kubat, Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell or Jeff Chesnut. These four pitchers were honored with the Louisville Slugger National Players of the week award, the first time in NCAA history the award was given to four pitchers from the same school. Kubat threw 8.0 innings, Hohensee 2.0, Howell 2.2, and Chesnut, who got the win, 2.1.
Nebraska had runners in scoring position in the tenth, 11th, 12th, and 13th innings but were unable to score until Austin Darby's walk-off single in the 15th scored Tanner Lubach from second.
The following day the Huskers finished a sweep of the Longhorns, allowing just three runs in 33 innings (1 run on Friday, 0 runs on Saturday, and 2 runs on Sunday) over the course of the series. During this three-game stretch, Nebraska's pitching staff recorded 33 strikeouts with just 5 walks.
Honors and awards
Dick Howser Trophy[25]
The Dick Howser Trophy is presented annually to the best amateur baseball player in the country by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
- Alex Gordon: 2005
Golden Spikes Award[26]
The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually to the most outstanding collegiate baseball player in the country by USA Baseball.
- Alex Gordon: 2005
All-Americans
- The Huskers have produced 16 first-team All-Americans. Ten came while Nebraska played in the Big 12, with Alex Gordon and Shane Komine earning the honor twice.[27][28]
|
|
|
|
Alumni
Major League players
38 former Huskers have played at least one Major League Baseball game.[29][30][31]
| Name | Years | MLB | Team(s) |
| Drew Anderson | 2001–03 | 2006 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Cody Asche | 2008–10 | 2013–present | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Stan Bahnsen | 1965 | 1966–82 | New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Montreal Expos, California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies |
| Troy Brohawn | 1992–94 | 2001–03 | Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Andrew Brown | 2006–07 | 2011-12 | St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies |
| Tim Burke | 1978–80 | 1985–92 | Montreal Expos, New York Mets, New York Yankees |
| Bob Cerv | 1947–50 | 1951–62 | Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros |
| Joba Chamberlain | 2005–06 | 2007–Present | New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland |
| Brian Duensing | 2002–05 | 2009–Present | Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs |
| Steve Edlefsen | 2006-07 | 2011-12 | San Francisco Giants |
| Darin Erstad | 1993–95 | 1996–2009 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros |
| Alex Gordon | 2003–05 | 2007–Present | Kansas City Royals |
| Kip Gross | 1986 | 1990–93, 1999–2000 | Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros |
| Ken Harvey | 1997–99 | 2001–05 | Kansas City Royals |
| Eric Helfand | 1988 | 1993–95 | Oakland Athletics |
| Buddy Hunter | 1966 | 1971–75 | Boston Red Sox |
| Dan Jennings | 2006-08 | 2012 | Miami Marlins |
| Dan Johnson | 2000–01 | 2005–08,10–12 | Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox |
| Kevin Jordan | 1990 | 1995–2001 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Shane Komine | 1999–2001 | 2006–07 | Oakland Athletics |
| Zach Kroenke | 2003–05 | 2010–2011 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Ryan Kurosaki | 1971–73 | 1975 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Ad Liska | 1925 | 1929–33 | Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies |
| Dave McDonald | 1962 | 1969–71 | New York Yankees, Montreal Expos |
| Bill McGuire | 1983–85 | 1988–89 | Seattle Mariners |
| Gary Neibauer | 1965–66 | 1969–73 | Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies |
| Pete O'Brien | 1978–79 | 1982–93 | Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners |
| Ken Ramos | 1987–89 | 1997 | Houston Astros |
| Marc Sagmoen | 1992–93 | 1997 | Texas Rangers |
| Todd Sears | 1995–97 | 2002–03 | Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres |
| Bob Sebra | 1981–83 | 1985–90 | Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds |
| Adam Shabala | 1999–2000 | 2005 | San Francisco Giants |
| Dwight Siebler | 1957–58 | 1963–67 | Minnesota Twins |
| Steve Stanicek | 1980–82 | 1987, 1989 | Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies |
| Adam Stern | 1999–2001 | 2005–07, 2010 | Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers |
| Jamal Strong | 1999–2000 | 2003–05 | Seattle Mariners |
| Tony Watson | 2004–07 | 2011-Present | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Thad Weber | 2007-08 | 2012 | Detroit Tigers |
Current Minor League players17 former Huskers currently play in the Minor League.[32]
|
Other noteworthy players
|
Records
| NCAA record | Big 12 record |
Individual
|
Game Batting
Pitching
|
'Season Batting
Pitching
|
Career Batting
Pitching
|
Team
Game
| Stat | Record | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longest game (innings) | 22 | Colorado | 4/26/74 |
| At bats | 77 | Colorado | 4/26/74 |
| Runs | 50 | Chicago State | 4/16/99 |
| Runs allowed | 37 | Oklahoma State | 4/8/95 |
| Margin of victory | 47 | Chicago State | 4/16/99 |
| Combined runs | 55 | Oklahoma State | 4/8/95 |
| Runs in an inning | 17 | Washington | 3/20/95 |
| Hits | 35 | Chicago State | 3/16/99 |
| Doubles | 10 | Creighton | 4/23/08 |
| Triples | 6 | Wayne State | 3/1/85 |
| Home Runs | 9 | Chicago State | 3/16/99 |
| Total Bases | 73 | Chicago State | 3/16/99 |
| RBIs | 48 | Chicago State | 3/16/99 |
| Walks | 19 | Northwest Missouri State | 3/4/87 |
| Fort Hays State | 3/18/89 | ||
| Stolen bases | 13 | Nebraska-Omaha | 3/16/95 |
| Strikeouts | 22 | UL-Lafayette | 2/20/09 |
| Walks allowed | 20 | Wichita State | 4/8/87 |
| Hits allowed | 26 | Oklahoma State | 4/8/95 |
Season
| Stat | Record | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 57 | 2005 |
| Consecutive wins | 26 | 1983 |
| Losses | 35 | 1997 |
| Batting average | .339 | 1985 |
| Slugging % | .548 | 1985 |
| At bats | 2,448 | 2005 |
| Runs | 676 | 1985 |
| Hits | 787 | 2001 |
| Doubles | 154 | 2002 |
| Triples | 38 | 1980 |
| Home runs | 94 | 1985 |
| Total bases | 1,228 | 1985 |
| RBIs | 603 | 1985 |
| Walks | 565 | 1988 |
| Stolen bases | 196 | 1984 |
| Strikeouts | 454 | 1997 |
| ERA | 2.64 | 1965 |
| Complete games | 31 | 1980 |
| Strikeouts of opponent | 538 | 2005 |
| Shutouts | 15 | 1979 |
| Consecutive Scoreless Innings | 43.1 | 2004 |
| Saves | 23 | 2005 |
| Fielding % | .981 | 2013 |
See also
References
- ↑ "University of Nebraska Athletics Brand Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- 1 2 "Hawks Field at Haymarket Park". Huskers.com. February 11, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Huskers Host Bears for Doubleheader". Huskers.com. March 4, 2013.
- ↑ 2008 Nebraska Baseball Media and Recruiting Guide: Records Archived 2009-05-12 at WebCite
- ↑ "Van Horn set standard for NU". The Grand Island Independent. Archived from the original on October 1, 2002. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "2001 College World Series". Huskers.com. June 30, 2001. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "First College World Series". Huskers.com. June 5, 2001. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Huskers Journey to Omaha for 2002 CWS". Huskers.com. June 11, 2002. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Van Horn Selected as Baseball America's NCAA Coach of the Year". Huskers.com. June 18, 2001. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "2003 Season in Review". Huskers.com. July 1, 2001. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Huskers Head to Big 12 Tournament". Huskers.com. May 24, 2004. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Baseball Wraps up Historic Season". Huskers.com. June 23, 2005. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ McKeever, Curt (July 12, 2007). "Anderson pleased, but not satsified [sic], with season". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "2008 Big 12 Baseball Postseason Awards Announced". Big 12 Sports. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Dorn Earns Third-Team All-America Honors". Huskers.com. May 20, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Osborne Announces Change in Baseball Program". Huskers.com. May 22, 2011.
- ↑ "Erstad Named Nebraska Head Baseball Coach". Huskers.com. June 2, 2011.
- ↑ "Silva Named Pitching Coach at Nebraska". Huskers.com. June 16, 2011.
- ↑ "Bolt Returns to Nebraska as Associate Head Coach". Huskers.com. June 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Christy Joins Husker Baseball Staff". Huskers.com. July 5, 2011.
- ↑ Rawnsley, David. "Omaha's new crown jewel". Perfect Game USA. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ↑ "Huskers Walk Off #16 Longhorns, 1-0, in 15 Innings". Huskers.com. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
- ↑ "Get Out the Brooms, Huskers Sweep #16 Texas". Huskers.com. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
- ↑ Dixon, Michael. "Husker pitchers make history with four named on National Players of the Week list". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
- ↑ "Dick Howser Trophy on Baseball Almanac." Dick Howser Trophy on Baseball Almanac. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/dick_howser_trophy.shtml
- ↑ "Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball on Baseball Almanac." Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball on Baseball Almanac. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_goldenspikes.shtml
- ↑ 2008 Nebraska Baseball Media and Recruiting Guide: History Archived 2009-05-12 at WebCite
- ↑ "First-Team All-Americans". Huskers.com. June 24, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "University of Nebraska Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues". Baseball Almana. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Huskers in Major League Baseball". Huskers.com. September 2, 2011.
- ↑ "MLB Player Index". MLB.com. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Huskers In Professional Baseball". Huskers.com. July 7, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.