Corn Nation

2012 Big Ten Baseball Tournament: Nebraska vs Ohio State - Open Thread

2012-05-25T15:30:12Z

It's another elimination game for both teams as Nebraska faces Ohio State this morning at 11:05 AM. Nebraska gets here by virtue of their 12-3 win over Penn State while Ohio State lost last night 5-4 to Purdue. The Buckeyes kept it close and made it interesting in the ninth inning, scoring one run and placing runners on first and second before Purdue closer Nitt Wiggren closed the door, striking out the final batter.

Nebraska wil start Senior RHP Dexter Spitsnogle. Spitsnogle has not been a regular starter, having only two conference starts on the season. His last start, however, was the finest of his career, going 6.2 innings against Michigan, striking out six and throwing a shutout until the bottom of the seventh.

The winner of this game will face Michigan State in another elimination game after this game is completed.

You have to feel somewhat good about Nebraska's chances today. They've scored 21 runs in the past two games and now that we're a few games into the tourney, the pitching ranks are getting thinner. The good thing (in a twisted way) about the Huskers is that we don't have a shutdown pitcher - we have a number of pitchers of whom are all about the same caliber, and if THE SPITSNOGLE can deliver some quality innings, the Husker offense should be banging in more runs.

The biggest concern facing Nebraska is that the tourney is being played in Columbus, Ohio. Huntington Park isn't the Buckeyes home field, but it's in Columbus just the same.

Join Us Here at CN if for no other reason than baseball is staving off a long, cold offseason of Husker sports. That and it would be sweet to beat Ohio State in any sport!

GO BIG RED!

Without Nebraska, the Big XII is literally redefining the game of baseballl. Obviously, they...

2012-05-25T01:35:41Z

Without Nebraska, the Big XII is literally redefining the game of baseballl. Obviously, they didn't invest any of Nebraska's buyout money on a spellchecker.

2012 Big Ten Baseball Nebraska vs Penn State: Win Or Go Home

2012-05-24T16:03:12Z

Nebraska faces Penn State today in the Big Ten Baseball tournament. Both teams lost yesterday, dropping both to the loser's bracket, which means the loser that loses today will have doubly lost and therefore will be eliminated.

Penn State will start Steven Hill, while Nebraska will go with Ryan Hander.

The game will be televised on BTN and streamed online at BTN2GO.com. You can follow the Live Stats tracker here.

Join us as we hope the Huskers don't end their season just yet. One more win, guys, just one more win.

Jamie Williams Hiring Increases Speculation on Osborne's Eventual Successor

2012-05-24T14:30:02Z

Tom Osborne re-recruited Jamie Williams back to Lincoln this week. The former Husker and NFL tight end is joining the athletic department as associate athletic director of diversity and leadership initiatives after a six year stint at the San Francisco Industry of Art as the founding athletic director for the division II school. Among his responsibilities in Lincoln will be

Manage diversity and inclusion programs within the department.
Create a "leadership development program" for staff and athletes
Oversee the department's long-term "strategic plan."

Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald sees this appointment as the grooming of a successor to Tom Osborne. Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star still thinks Paul Meyers is the heir apparent. For what it's worth, chancellor Harvey Perlman says that there will be a national search when it's time to replace Osborne, and frankly, Osborne isn't going anywhere just yet. And from my perspective, Osborne won't be voluntarily retiring anytime in the near future.

But let's suppose that Osborne gets run over by a bus (or Ndamakong Suh, for that matter)...who would be the other candidates to be Nebraska's next athletic director?

Paul Meyers

He's probably the "stealth" candidate that nobody really knows. Well,not nobody. If you are one of those "boosters of substance" (as Bill Byrne liked to call them), you know Meyers. He's the associate athletic director for development, responsible for all of the fundraising for the athletic department. He's a former all-American Husker baseball player in the 80's. He's probably best known as the "canary in the coalmine" in 2007; his abrupt resignation in 2007 finally clued Perlman into the mess Steve Pederson had created in the athletic department. Osborne talked Meyers back to resume his role, and one could argue he's been groomed to take over ever since.

Trev Alberts

For as quiet as Meyers seems to be, former Husker linebacker Trev Alberts seems to find himself in the public focus. In 2005, Alberts was fired by ESPN after refusing to show up to work following a decision to use the Gameday crew on the late night show instead of the trio of Rece Davis, Alberts, and Mark May. Alberts took a stand and paid the price. Davis and May later would get that gig, with Lou Holtz replacing Alberts. In 2009, Alberts took over the moribund Nebraska-Omaha athletic department and shocked the college hockey world by luring two-time national champion coach Dean Blais to UNO. He's since deftly steered UNO through realignment in the college hockey world from the CCHA to the WCHA and, starting next season, the National College Hockey Conference.

He also managed to begin transitioning the Mavericks from division II to division 1 in all other sports. That transition resulted in the UNO football and wrestling programs being discontinued. He's received a lot of criticism (if not downright hate) from fans of those two programs. Many people viewed this decision as a personal vendetta (perhaps even being triggered from LIncoln), but frankly, knowing the history of financial problems with the UNO athletic department prior to Alberts' arrival, it's pretty clear to me that Alberts made the correct, though extremely difficult, decision.

Dave Rimington

The former Nebraska and NFL center is now the president of the Boomer Esaison Foundation in New York City. Last summer, he told the Journal-Star that he wasn't going to be Osborne's replacement.

He also said that the choice had already been made, which has since been countered by Harvey Perlman. So take it for what it is.

Steve Pederson

Despite what Cobby says, no. Been there, done that. Not doing that again.

Phil Steele's 2012 Preseason All-Big Ten Team

2012-05-24T11:30:01Z

Phil Steele released his 2012 preseason all-Big Ten team on Wednesday, with three Huskers being named to the first team. Guard Spencer Long was second team all-Big Ten in 2011 as a sophomore, so he's no surprise to jump to the first team. Neither are senior I-back Rex Burkhead and senior punter/kicker Brett Maher, who were first-team selections last season. Sophomores Kenny Bell and Ameer Abdullah earned second team all-Big Ten honors at wide receiver and kick returner respectively.

It's not until you get to the third team before you see any Blackshirts. Seniors Baker Steinkuhler (defensive tackle), Cameron Meredith (defensive end), Will Compton (linebacker), and Daimion Stafford (safety) all get a mention. I'm not going to criticize Steele for these selections, but let's be honest, that's not what we should see from a Bo Pelini defense. If no Blackshirts earn first or second team honors in December, then it's likely that Husker fans will be grumbling over another season of unmet expectations.

Guess who else earned third-team honors? Quarterback Taylor Martinez, which points out the vast dichotomy of opinions on the junior signal caller. Some fans want Martinez benched, while others are honoring him. Also honored on the fourth team was junior offensive lineman Andrew Rodriquez. That's an interesting selection since senior Seung Hoon Choi took most of the snaps with the first team in the spring.

Tight end Ben Cotton was the Huskers' biggest snub on Steele's list. Despite earning honorable mention all-conference honors last season despite missing the final two games due to an injury, he didn't get a mention. Instead, Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz and Michigan State's Dion Sims were recognized. Steele must be anticipating additional playing time for Fiedorowicz that will result in bigger stats in 2012. If both Cotton and fellow tight end Kyler Reed can stay healthy in 2012, I expect both to be candidates for postseason honors. Reed was hampered by ankle and hamstring injuries last season, dropping his touchdown production from eight as a sophomore to just one last season.

Looking through my crystal ball, I wouldn't be surprised to see junior college transfer Mohammed Seisay emerge as a post-season honoree. It would be difficult for anybody to name Seisay to a preseason honoree list before he even plays a single game, but it's not unreasonable to suggest that he could finish the season there. I'd also like to see another offensive lineman emerge, such as sophomore Tyler Moore, or redshirt freshmen Ryan Klachko and Ryne Reeves.

Jon Johnston:

Ha! I noticed Mike set to publish this and decided that I'd piggy back on some of my own opinions. Won't he be shocked when he sees this in the morning!

It's amazing how much power Phil Steele has during the offseason. He releases a list and we all pounce on it like we're in the hold of a ship that's been at sea too long and we're fighting over scraps of food, and all because Steele has the amazing superpower of making us read tiny type every June.

Four preseason teams? Why stop there? Why not go for five or six? Well... I'll tell you (I say, channeling my inner Tevye), it's because if you include a whole gob of players on your preseason list, then you can later say you had them right, and it has served Steele well.

About Kenny Bell's selection to second team - it should be noted that of the Big Ten's top 11 receivers last season, nine were seniors. That leaves a lot of room for a whole new set of talent to take over. Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis is an easy selection on the first team as he had quite an impact last season. Iowa's Keenan Davis had 50 receptions for 713 yards, and garnered the other first team selection as wide receiver.

About those quarterback selections - Michigan's Denard Robinson, Ohio State's Braxton Miller, our own Martinez, and Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase - all dual-threat quarterbacks. That certainly belies the myth of the Big Ten quarterback as some guy that just stands in the backfield directing a pro-style attack, doesn't it? (One could argue that Miller's placement is pretty high, but Urban Meyer brings that kind of ooommpph to a team.)

Iowans, of course, will be angry that James Vandenberg got no recognition. Too bad for Iowa.

It'll be interesting to see what our SB Nation Big Ten brethren think of the running back selections. Burkhead is our super man, no doubt, but if I were a Michigan man, I'd be arguing on behalf of Fitzgerald Toussaint, and the same goes for Penn State and Silas Redd. Neither gained as much yardage as Burkhead, but Toussaint had nearly 100 few carries (283 to 187) and boasted a higher ypc average (5.57 to 4.80), while Redd, he was just getting started last year, really.

The Andrew Rodriguez selection is a mystery to me. Mike mentions Choi, but I'm sure Steele is going with Rodriguez' higher recruit ranking. It's Rodriguez' year to get a killer instinct if he wants to earn any honors. Still, having a three-guard rotation with Long, Choi and Rodriguez doesn't suck.

The other name that's missing - Jeremiah Sirles. He was on just about everyone's preseason list last year and has disappeared. That's largely due to injury (we hope), and Sirles' return to prominence might play an important role in Nebraska's offensive success this season.

Big Ten Baseball Tournament: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Michigan State Spartans - Open Thread

2012-05-23T15:45:05Z

The Nebraska Cornhuskers meet the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2012 Big Ten tournament this morning. The two teams didn't meet during the regular season, so there are no angles on revenge or keeping Sparty down (although that'd be nice).

The game will be televised live on BTN and streamed on BTN2GO, so I expect lively game thread action as you all stream the game at work and try to keep your overlords from finding out.

Starters:

Kyle Kubat, Fr., LHP (5-0) vs. Tony Bucciferro, Sr., RHP (5-3)

Kubat came on strong at the end of the season, earning a starting role just before the Indiana series. He has the most strikeouts in a game of any Husker with seven and has a nice low ERA of 2.25. Tony Buccifferro comes in with a ERA of 2.94.

This is a huge game for the Huskers. The Big Ten tourney is a double-elimination tournament, so it will be vitally important for them to win the first game and stay in the winner's bracket. The Spartans will be tough; their road record on the year is 15-8, compared to Nebraska's at 10-7. At neutral sites (the tourney is in Columbus, Ohio), the teams are 5-4 and 4-4, respectively.

Michigan State's pitching is strong, finishing the season atop the conference with a ERA of 3.08. Their offensive is good, too, finishing the regular season batting at .299 (Nebraska - .314).

Join us for today's game as we cheer on our Huskers!!!!

Warren Buffet To Endow Nebraska's Defensive Line Coach Position

2012-05-23T13:01:18Z

Warren Buffet has been inspired by recent events at Stanford University, where an anonymous donor recently endowed the football team's offensive coordinator coaching position and had it renamed in honor of Andrew Luck, the Cardinal's starting quarterback and top 2012 NFL Draft pick. (No word yet on whether Stanford will be forced to run the same offense forever, but our sources are working on that.)

Known as the "Oracle of Omaha", Buffet has decided to donate an unknown but undoubtedly enormous pot of money to the University of Nebraska's athletic department to create the "Warren Buffet Stuff It Defensive Line Coach" position.

Buffet stated in an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star's Steve Sipple that he hopes to inspire other Nebraska gazillionaires to think about endowing other positions in the athletic department, stepping up the competition as other athletic departments around the nation follow suit.

And it just might be working. Joe Ricketts, founder of Ameritrade and patriarch of the Ricketts family in Omaha is rumored to be considering endowing the defensive secondary position as the "Ricketts' Pick It Secondary Coach".

Joe Moglia, former CEO of Ameritrade is said to have hired a gaggle of PR people to find out "just what the hell might go with Moglia".

Several Huskers Named to All-Big Ten Baseball Team

2012-05-23T02:22:43Z

The Big Ten released its annual all-conference baseball teams and individual award winners today. Purdue picked up the majority of the individual awards with Doug Schreiber winning Coach of the Year, catcher Kevin Plawecki Player of the Year and pitcher Joe Haase Pitcher of the Year.

Several Huskers were named to Big Ten All-Conference teams. Nebraska shortstop Chad Christensen, outfielder Rich (Sangria) Sanguinetti and designated hitter Michael Pritchard made the first team.

Third baseman Josh Scheffert made the second team while first baseman Richard Stock, second baseman Pat Kelly and pitcher Kyle Kubat made the third team.

Kelly, Kubat, and outfielder Austin Darby made the All-Freshman Team, while Cody Burleson was honored with a Sportsmanship Award.

It doesn't take much more than looking at this list to figure out where Nebraska needs to improve next season. At the end of 2012, Kubat (FRESHMAN KUBAT TO YOU, SIR!) has established himself as the Huskers' only consistent pitcher. Compare that to Purdue, the conference winner, who placed four pitchers on the All-Conference teams.

Nebraska was fine in offense, secondly only to Purdue this season in team batting average (.318 to .314), but the Huskers were seventh in team pitching with a 4.33 ERA. Not a single starting pitcher other than Kubat and Ryan Hander (started three games) finished with an ERA below 4.00.

The good news - the only Nebraska player on this list that won't be back next season is Cody Burleson.

ALL‐BIG TEN FIRST TEAM

C - Kevin Plawecki, PUR

1B - Jordan Steranka, PSU

2B - Eric Charles, PUR

SS - Chad Christensen, NEB

3B - CAMERON PERKINS, PUR

OF - Willie Argo, ILL

OF - Jordan Keur, MSU

OF - Rich Sanguinetti, NEB

DH - Michael Pritchard, NEB

SP - TJ Oakes, MINN

SP - Jaron Long, OSU

SP - JOE HAASE, PUR

RP - Jonny Hoffman, IND

ALL‐BIG TEN SECOND TEAM

C - Kyle Schwarber, IND

1B - Sam Travis, IND

2B - Ryan Jones, MSU

SS - Justin Scanlon, MSU

3B - Josh Scheffert, NEB

OF - Phil Keppler, IOWA

OF - Patrick Biondi, MICH

OF - Barrett Serrato, PUR

DH - Dillon Dooney, IND

SP - Sasha Kuebel, IOWA

SP - Joe Kurrasch, PSU

SP - Lance Breedlove, PUR

RP - Blake Mascarello, PUR

ALL‐BIG TEN THIRD TEAM

C - Matt Halloran, MINN

1B - Richard Stock, NEB

2B - Pat Kelly, NEB

SS - Thomas Lindauer, ILL

3B - Torsten Boss, MSU

OF - Justin Parr, ILL

OF - Andy Henkemeyer, MINN

OF - Sean Deegan, PSU

DH - Coley Crank, MICH

SP - Joey DeNato, IND

SP - Tony Bucciferro, MSU

SP - Kyle Kubat, NEB

RP - Nick Wittgren, PUR

Unanimous honorees in ALL CAPS

ALL‐BIG TEN FRESHMAN TEAM*

C - KYLE SCHWARBER, IND

1B - SAM TRAVIS, IND

2B - PAT KELLY, NEB

SS - Michael Handel, MINN

3B - CHAD CLARK, IND

OF - CHRIS SUJKA, IND

OF - Jimmy Pickens, MSU

OF - Austin Darby, NEB

DH - Blaise Salter, MSU

SP - Kyle Hart, IND

SP - SASHA KUEBEL, IOWA

SP - Kyle Kubat, NEB

RP - Taylor Kaufman, IOWA

RP - Ben Meyer, MINN

*additional honoree due to tie

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES

Alex Lincoln, ILL

Drew Leininger, IND

Matt Dermody, IOWA

Kolby Wood, MICH

Tony Bucciferro, MSU

Kyle Geason, MINN

Cory Burleson, NEB

Paul Snieder, NU

David Corna, OSU

Ryan Clark, PSU

Joe Haase, PUR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kevin Plawecki, PUR

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Joe Haase, PUR

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Sam Travis, IND

COACH OF THE YEAR

Doug Schreiber, PUR