2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team explained

Year:	2008
Team:	Nebraska Cornhuskers
Sport:	baseball
Conference:	Big 12 Conference
Short Conf:	Big 12
Coachrank:	7
Record:	41–16–1
Conf Record:	17–9–1
Head Coach:	Mike Anderson
Hc Year:	6th
Hit Coach:	Nate Thompson
Htc Year:	2nd
Pitch Coach:	Eric Newman
Pc Year:	1st
Asst Coach1:	Dave Bingham
Ac1 Year:	3rd
Stadium:	Hawks Field

The 2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team was Mike Anderson's sixth year as head coach. The Cornhuskers played their home games at Hawks Field.

Preseason

Potential, Promise, Proven is the Huskers motto for the year. While 8 pitchers from 2007 left for the draft, the 2008 Cornhuskers team is the youngest for Mike Anderson with 15 newcomers plus 5 of last years redshirts.^[1] Nebraska plays 8 teams that made the 2007 NCAA tournament including 5 one seeds.^[2] The baseball team was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 by a vote of the league coaches with 36 points and no first place votes.^[3]

Schedule

! style="" | Regular season|- valign="top" |- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|Feb. 22 || Stanford || Palo Alto, California || Bleich (1-0) || Weber (0-1) || || L 7-17 || 0-1 |- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Feb. 22 || Stanford || Palo Alto, California || Dorn (1-0) || Davis (0-1) || || W 9-2 || 1-1|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|Feb. 23 || Stanford ||colspan=8|Postponed (rain)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|Feb. 24 || Stanford || Palo Alto, California || Inman (1-0) || Bird (0-1) || Stringer (1) || L 2-4 || 1-2|- align="left" bgcolor="bbffbb"|Feb. 29 || || Hawks Field || Anderson (1-0) || Penney (0-1) || || W 3-2 || 2-2|-|- align="left" bgcolor="bbffbb"|Mar. 1 || UC Riverside || Hawks Field || Jennings (1-0) || Larkins (1-1) || || W 10-4 || 3-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 1 || UC Riverside || Hawks Field || Weber (1-1) || Applebee (0-2) || Nesseth (1) || W 5-2 || 4-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 2 || UC Riverside || Hawks Field || Pribanic (1-0) || Orozco (0-1) || || W 13-1 (7) || 5-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 4 || || Hawks Field || Hatasaki (1-0)|| Wrobel (1-3) || || W 11-2 || 6-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 8 || || Hawks Field || Dorn (2-0) || Reap (1-1) || || W 12-2 || 7-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 9 || Northern Colorado || Hawks Field || Nesseth (1-0) || Peery (1-2) || Anderson (1) || W 3-2 || 8-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 9 || Northern Colorado || Hawks Field || Weber (2-1) || Kazell (0-1) || Herr (1) || W 8-5 || 9-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 10 || Northern Colorado || Hawks Field || Pribanic (2-0) || Keating (2-1) || || W 7-0 || 10-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 11 || || Hawks Field || Mariot (1-0) || Johnson (0-2) || || W 7-3 || 11-2|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 14 || || Manhattan, Kansas || Herr (1-0) || Hoge (0-1) || Anderson (2) || W 2-1 || 12-2 (1-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 15 || Kansas State || Manhattan, Kansas || Weber (3-1) || Bayuk (0-2) || || W 11-4 || 13-2 (2-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 16 || Kansas State || Manhattan, Kansas || Nesseth (2-0) || Edwards (1-2) || Anderson (3) || W 5-3 (10) || 14-2 (3-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 18 || || Hawks Field || Jennings (2-0) || Korbal (0-3) || || W 6-1 || 15-2 (3-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|Mar. 19 || Arkansas || Hawks Field || Richards (1-0) || Nesseth (2-1) || || L 4-9 || 15-3 (3-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 21 || || Hawks Field || Herr (2-0) || Duke (3-2) || || W 4-2 || 16-3 (4-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 22 || Oklahoma || Hawks Field || Weber (4-1) || Doyle (4-2) || Nesseth (2)|| W 4-3 || 17-3 (5-0)|- align="left" bgcolor="ffffff"|Mar. 23 || Oklahoma || Hawks Field || || || || Tie 8-8 (10) || 17-3-1 (5-0-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 25 || Northern Colorado || Hawks Field || Jennings (3-0) || Klausing (1-3) || || W 10-0 || 18-3-1 (5-0-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 26 || Northern Colorado || Hawks Field || Bird (1-1) || Banks (0-3) || || W 9-4 || 19-3-1 (5-0-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 28 || || Austin, Texas || Dorn (3-0) || Shinaberry (1-1) || Jennings (1) || W 14-4 || 20-3-1 (6-0-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|Mar. 29 || Texas || Austin, Texas || Weber (5-1) || Wood (2-2) || || W 2-0 || 21-3-1 (7-0-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|Mar. 30 || Texas || Austin, Texas || Boening (2-0) || Pribanic (2-1) || Green (1) || L 12-3 || 21-4-1 (7-1-1)|-|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|April 1 || || colspan=8|Postponed until April 23 (Cold Weather)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 4 || || Hawks Field || Dorn (4-0) || Karns (1-5) || || W 6-2 || 22-4-1 (8-1-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 5 || Texas Tech || Hawks Field || Weber (6-1) || Ramos (1-3) || Jennings (2) || W 5-2 || 23-4-1 (9-1-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 6 || Texas Tech || Hawks Field || Pribanic (4-1) || Bettis (3-2) || Jennings (3) || W 5-3 || 24-4-1 (10-1-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|April 8 || || colspan=8|Canceled (Cold Weather)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|April 11 || || Stillwater, Oklahoma || Oliver (3-2) || Dorn (4-1) || || L 0-1 || 24-5-1 (10-2-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|April 12 || Oklahoma State || Stillwater, Oklahoma || Lyons (6-2) || Weber (6-2) || || L 2-19 || 24-6-1 (10-3-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 13 || Oklahoma State || Stillwater, Oklahoma || Jennings (4-0) || Blanford (3-3) || || W 14-5 || 25-6-1 (11-3-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 15 || Wichita State || Hawks Field || Bird (2-1) || Kelley (4-2) || Herr (2) || W 3-0 || 26-6-1 (11-3-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 18 || || Hawks Field || Dorn (5-1) || Czyz (2-4) || Jennings (4) || W 7-6 || 27-6-1 (12-3-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 19 || Kansas || Hawks Field || Weber (7-2) || Esquibel (3-3) || Herr (3) || W 8-6 || 28-6-1 (13-3-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|April 20 || Kansas || Hawks Field || Walz (3-0) || Pribanic (3-2) || Smyth (7) || L 3-6 || 28-7-1 (13-4-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 22 || Creighton || Hawks Field || Jennings (5-0) || Hauer (6-2) || Nesseth (3) || W 4-3 || 29-7-1 (13-4-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 23 || Creighton || Rosenblatt Stadium || Mariot (2-0) || Moore (4-5) || || W 16-7 || 30-7-1 (13-4-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|April 25 || || colspan=8|Postponed until April 26 (Rain)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 26 || Baylor || Waco, Texas || Nesseth (3-1) || Kenpf (5-2) || Herr (4) || W 6-4 (10) || 31-7-1 (14-4-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 26 || Baylor || Waco, Texas || Weber (8-2) || Tolleson (4-3) || || W 14-1 (7) || 32-7-1 (15-4-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|April 27 || Baylor || Waco, Texas || Kempf (6-2) || Pribanic (3-3) || Thurman (2) || L 3-8 || 32-8-1 (15-5-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 29 || || Hawks Field || Hauptman (1-0) || Percival (1-6) || Nesseth (4) || W 6-4 || 33-8-1 (15-5-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|April 30 || Western Illinois || Hawks Field || Bird (3-1) || Zenesek (1-2) || || W 6-1 || 34-8-1 (15-5-1)|-|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|May 2 || Louisiana–Lafayette || colspan=8|Canceled (Rain)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 3 || Louisiana-Lafayette || Hawks Field || Herr (3-0) || Glass (2-3) || || W 4-3 || 35-8-1 (15-5-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 3 || Louisiana-Lafayette || Hawks Field || Bird (4-1) || Harmon (1-2) || || W 4-3 (14) || 36-8-1 (15-5-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 9 || || Hawks Field || Starling (8-0) || Jennings (5-1) || || L 3-6 (16) || 36-9-1 (15-6-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"|May 10 || Texas A&M || colspan=8|Postponed until May 11 (Rain)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 11 || Texas A&M || Hawks Field || Jennings (6-1) || Thebeau (5-3) || || W 9-8 || 37-9-1 (16-6-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 11 || Texas A&M || Hawks Field || Nesseth (4-1) || Minks (4-1) || || W 13-10 || 38-9-1 (17-6-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 13 || Creighton || Rosenblatt Stadium || Bird (5-1) || Hellhake (3-1) || Hauptman (1) || W 8-1 || 39-9-1 (17-6-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 16 || Missouri || Columbia, Missouri || Crow (12-0) || Jennings (6-2) || || L 8-1 || 39-10-1 (17-7-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 17 || Missouri || Columbia, Missouri || Berger (4-4) || Weber (8-3) || Allen (2) || L 22-9 || 39-11-1 (17-8-1)|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 18 || Missouri || Columbia, Missouri || Zagone (2-3) || Pribanic (3-4) || Gibson (2) || L 3-7 || 39-12-1 (17-9-1)|-|-! style="" | Postseason|- valign="top"|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 21 || Baylor || Oklahoma City || Tolleson (6-4) || Jennings (6-3) || Kempf (2) || L 4-10 || 39-13-1|- align="left" bgcolor="#bbffbb"|May 23 || Kansas State || Oklahoma City || Dorn (6-1) || Bayuk (1-5) || Herr (5) || W 5-2 || 40-13-1|- align="left" bgcolor="FFBBBB"|May 24 || Oklahoma State || Oklahoma City || Lyons (11-2) || Weber (8-4) || Weinhardt (4) || L 5-11 || 40-14-1|-|-| ^[4]

Season Facts

• Johnny Dorn's 13 Strike out game against Northern Colorado is his career high.^[5]
• Aaron Pribanic threw back to back complete games against UC Riverside and Northern Colorado becoming the first Husker pitcher to toss consecutive complete games since Aaron Marsden in March 2003.^[6]
• The 14-game win streak Nebraska put together tied for the fourth-longest win streak in school history and the longest since a 15-game win streak in 2000. The Huskers’ streak fell two games shy of the Big 12 record of 16 set by Kansas State (2006) and Texas Tech (2002).^[7]
• The Tie against Oklahoma on March 23 was the first tie for Nebraska since 1996 and the fourth one in league games since the Big 12 established in 1996.^[8]
• The Huskers’ 5-0-1 start in Big 12 play is their best since the league was formed in 1997. The previous start was 5-1 on four occasions, most recently in 2005.^[7]

Awards

• Mitch Abeita
  • All-Big 12 First Team^[9]
  • ABCA All-Midwest Region Team^[10]
• Craig Corriston
  • Big 12 Player of the Week (03/17/2008)^[11]
  • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention^[9]
• Johnny Dorn
  • Big 12’s Co-Pitcher of the Week (03/10/2008)^[12]
  • All-Big 12 First Team^[9]
  • ABCA All-Midwest Region Second Team^[10]
  • Third-Team All-American^[13]
• Dan Jennings
  • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention^[9]
• Bryce Nimmo
  • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention^[9]
• Jake Opitz
  • All-Big 12 First Team^[9]
  • ABCA All-Midwest Region Second Team^[10]
• Nick Sullivan
  • Big 12 Player of the Week (03/24/2008)^[14]
• Thad Weber
  • All-Big 12 Second Team^[9]

Rankings

Ranking Movement

	Poll	Pre- season	Feb 25	Mar 3	Mar 10	Mar 17	Mar 24	Mar 31	April 7	April 14	April 21	April 28	May 5	May 12	May 19	May 26	June 3	June 10	Final
^[15]	USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll	NR	--*	NR	NR	24	17	10	6	9	8	7	7	6	7	10	--	--	23
^[16]	Baseball America	NR	NR	NR	NR	22	19	11	6	9	8	6	5	5	12	13	20	20	20
^[17]	Collegiate Baseball (Top 30)	38	NR	NR	NR	22	15	9	6	10	10	10	7	6	13	15	22	22	22
^[18]	NCBWA (Top 35)	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	30	22	14	13	13	9	7	6	10	13	20	20	20
^[19]	Rivals.com	NR	NR	NR	NR	21	16	12	6	11	8	9	8	6	8	11	-	-	21
NR = Not Ranked

* USA Today/ESPN did not release a poll after the first weekend of play.

	Player	Position	Round	Overall	MLB Team
^[20]	Aaron Pribanic	RHP	3	98	Seattle Mariners
^[21]	Dan Jennings	LHP	9	168	Florida Marlins
^[22]	Jake Opitz	2B	12	371	Chicago Cubs
^[23]	Johnny Dorn	RHP	15	448	Florida Marlins
^[24]	Thad Weber	RHP	16	493	Detroit Tigers
^[25]	Mitch Abeita	C	19	590	New York Yankees
^[26]	Zach Herr	LHP	38	1155	San Diego Padres

External links

• Thursday Thoughts - Greetings from the future location of home plate for the CWS
• Friday First Takes - No "Sooner Magic"

Notes and References

1. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1388194 Huskers Retooled for 2008 Season
2. http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/10/26/huskerextra/baseball/doc4721517e8d4c3770174333.txt NU's baseball schedule features tourney teams
3. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1393298 Huskers Tabbed for Sixth in Big 12 Preseason Poll
4. http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&KEY=&SPID=33&SPSID=103 Baseball - 2008 Schedule/Results
5. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1407898 Dorn, Huskers Top Northern Colorado
6. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1409461 Pribanic, Belfonte Powers Huskers to 7-0 Win
7. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1418380 Huskers Host Northern Colorado
8. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1417941 Huskers-Sooners Tie Finale
9. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1472635 2008 ALL-BIG 12 BASEBALL AWARDS
10. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1479267 Three Huskers Earn ABCA All-Region Honors
11. Web site: Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Weekly Awards Announced (March 17) . 2008-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080511185712/http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/031708aac.html . 2008-05-11 . dead .
12. Web site: Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Weekly Awards Announced (March 10) . 2008-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190829/http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/031008aab.html . 2008-05-11 . dead .
13. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1479823 Dorn Earns Third-Team All-America Honors
14. Web site: Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Weekly Awards Announced (March 24) . 2008-03-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190225/http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/032408aaa.html . 2008-05-11 . dead .
15. Web site: 2005 College Baseball Polls . 2005-06-29 . WarrenNolan.com . 2010-01-06.
16. Web site: 2008 College Baseball Polls . Baseball America . 2010-01-01.
17. Web site: 2008 NCAA DIV I Baseball Polls . Collegiate Baseball . 2010-01-01.
18. Web site: News from the 2008 College Baseball Season . NCBWA . 2009-12-31.
19. Web site: Rivals.com Top 25 . Rivals.com . 2010-01-11.
20. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478246 Pribanic Taken by Mariners
21. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478358 Jennings Selected in Ninth Round of MLB Draft
22. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478377 Opitz Taken by Chicago Cubs in 12th Round
23. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478378 Dorn Drafted in 15th Round by Florida
24. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478396 Weber Drafted by Tigers in 16th Round
25. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478397 Abeita Chosen by Yankees in 19th Round
26. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1478528 Herr Drafted by Padres