2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team

American college baseball season March 2026 August 2023 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball Nebraska Cornhuskers logo.svg 150 Big Ten Big Ten 35–23 14–10 Darin Erstad 1st Will Bolt 4th Ted Silva 1st Hawks Field The 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team was the first season of the program's new head coach Darin Erstad and featured a new coaching staff and a roster that included 12 new players. The Huskers entered their first season of Big Ten baseball after 15 seasons in the Big 12 Conference that included three regular-season titles and four tournament crowns. 2011 In their last season in the Big 12 Conference, the Huskers went 30–25 overall and had a ninth-place 9–17 record in conference play, missing out in the Big 12 tournament for the third consecutive season. Cody Asche became a second-team all-American and a first-team all-conference player while Casey Hauptman won second-team all conference honors. They were both drafted in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. At the conclusion of the season, Mike Anderson and the entire coaching staff were terminated on May 22, 2011, and the University of Nebraska hired former Husker and Major League All-Star Darin Erstad on June 2, 2011, as head coach after one season as a volunteer assistant coach. A few days later, Ted Silva was hired as well as former Cornhuskers Will Bolt and Jeff Christy. Preview Key losses Cody Asche – Drafted in the fourth round by Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 MLB Draft Khiry cooper – Would be senior out with a foot injury Logan ehlers – Quit team in fall 2011 and transferred to Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas Matt freeman – Senior in 2011 Casey hauptman – Senior in 2011, drafted in 26th round by N.Y. Mets Patric tolentino – Senior in 2011 Sean yost – Would-be senior with injury Preseason picks The Big Ten coaches picked Nebraska to finish fourth out of the league's 11 teams in 2012. Three Husker juniors were also named to the ‘Players to Watch List’, including right-handed pitcher Travis Huber, right-handed pitcher Tom Lemke and first baseman-designated hitter Kash Kalkowski. Schedule summary The Huskers played 31 home games at Hawks Field and had 13 contests against 2011 NCAA Tournament teams, including a four-game home stand against 2011 College World Series qualifier California. The 56-game schedule started with 10 games on the road before the Huskers hosted their home opener against former Big 12 foe Kansas State on Tuesday, March 6. The Huskers played eight Big Ten Conference series, with three conference schools not on the schedule, including Penn State and Michigan State, as well as Wisconsin, which doesn't have a baseball program. https://huskers.com/news/2012/01/25/huskers-begin-new-era-in-2012 Huskers Begin New Era in 2012 Huskers.com Coaching staff A 14-year MLB veteran and World Series champion, Erstad took over at his alma mater, where he was one of the most successful players in program history. Prior to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 amateur draft, Erstad was a first-team All-American and the Big Eight Co-Player of the Year as a junior in 1995. "It is a great honor to be the head coach of the Nebraska baseball program", Erstad said. "My family and I believe strongly in what the University stands for, and I am excited to have this opportunity to help influence kids’ lives in a positive way and help them turn into young men. I am committed to helping them grow as people."October 2014 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball coaching staffHead coach Darin ErstadAssociate Head coach Will BoltAssistant coach Ted SilvaVolunteer Assistant coach Jeff ChristyDirector of Operations Curtis LedbetterGraduate Assistant Brad Smith Erstad is not the only former Husker on his coaching staff, as he brought on Will Bolt as his associate head coach and Jeff Christy as the team's volunteer assistant. A four-year starter and team captain on Nebraska's 2001 and 2002 College World Series teams, Bolt was a volunteer assistant on the Huskers’ 2005 squad that set a school record with 57 wins and produced the program's first win at the College World Series. Christy was a junior on the 2005 team and caught a school-record 64 games that season. "It is an incredible opportunity to come back to a place where I had so many fond memories as a player and coach", Bolt said. "I am humbled and excited to work at my alma mater, and looking forward to making an impact in a coaching role and helping this program reach its goals. It is an honor to be included on a staff put together by a Husker legend and long-time big leaguer in Coach Erstad."October 2014 For his pitching coach, Erstad plucked Ted Silva away from California where he had coached at UC Irvine and Loyola Marymount over the previous four seasons. As a player, Silva was a first-team All-American at Cal State Fullerton and earned the win in the Titans’ 1995 national championship game against USC in the College World Series. https://huskers.com/news/2012/01/25/huskers-begin-new-era-in-2012 Huskers Begin New Era in 2012 Huskers.com Schedule Nebraska Cornhuskers 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball game log http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=103&SPID=33&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120306042313/http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&SPID=33&SPSID=103&Q_SEASON=2011 dead March 6, 2012 2012 Schedule/Results Huskers.com 2009-12-31 y Nebraska Cornhuskers; Regular Season Date Location NU rank Opponent Winning pitcher Losing pitcher Save by Result Record (Big Ten) |- | Feb. 17 || Peoria, Arizona || NR || 2012 Gonzaga Bulldogs Gonzaga University Gonzaga || Peterson, D. (1–0) || Vogt, D. (0–1) || Abbruzza, Z. (1) || 4–7 || 0–1 |- | Feb. 18 || Peoria, Arizona || NR || Gonzaga || Bigelow, D. (1–0) || Niederklein (0–1) || Abbruzza, Z. (2) || 8–10 || 0–2 |- | Feb. 19 || Peoria, Arizona || NR || Gonzaga || Pterson, D. (2–0) || Pierce, B. (0–1) || || 4–5 || 0–3 |- | Feb. 24 || Corpus Christi, Texas || NR || 2012 Utah Utes University of Utah Utah || Hirsch, Z. (1–0) || Adams, Zach (0–2) || Huber, T. (1) || 5–2 || 1–3 |- | Feb. 25 || Corpus Christi, Texas || NR || Utah || Keller, J. (1–0) || Mordini (0–2) || || 15–0 || 2–3 |- | Feb. 25 || Corpus Christi, Texas || NR || 2012 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M–Corpus Christi || Niederklein (1–1) || Keller, T. (0–1) || || 7–1 || 3–3 |- | Feb. 26 || Corpus Christi, Texas || NR || 2012 UNLV Rebels University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV || Pierce, B. (1–1) || Shannon, M. (0–1) || Huber, T. (2) || 8–7 || 4–3 |- | March 2 || Minneapolis, Minnesota || NR || 2012 West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia University West Virginia || Walter, C. (1–1) || Hirsch, Z. (1–1) || Dierdorff, D (1) || 1–4 || 4–4 |- | March 3 || Minneapolis, Minnesota || NR || 2012 New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State University New Mexico State || Pierce, B. (2–1) || Coffman, S. (0–1) || || 6–4 || 5–4 |- | March 4 || Minneapolis, Minnesota || NR || 2012 Minnesota Golden Gophers University of Minnesota Minnesota || Lemke, T. (1–0) || Lubinsky (0–2) || || 10–3 || 6–4 |- | March 6 || Hawks Field || RV || 2012 Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State|| Vogt, D. (1–1) || Conlon, S. (1–1) || Huber, T. (3) || 9–6 || 7–4 |- | March 7 || Hawks Field || RV || 2012 Nebraska–Kearney Lopers University of Nebraska at Kearney Nebraska–Kearney || Hander, R. (1–0) || Ridenour (1–3) || Bublitz, L. (1) || 4–1 || 8–4 |- | March 9 || Hawks Field || RV || #21 California || Scott (3–0) || Huber, T. (0–1) || || 8–11 (11 inn.) || 8–5 |- | March 10 || Hawks Field || RV || #21 California || Keller, J. (2–0) || Flemer (2–1) || || 12–5 || 9–5 |- | March 11 || Hawks Field || RV || #21 California || Porter (2–0) || Lemke, T. (1–1) || || 0–4 || 9–6 |- | March 12 || Hawks Field || NR || #18 California || Niederklein (2–1) || Theofanopoul (0–2) || || 9–5 || 10–6 |- | March 13 || Hawks Field || NR || 2012 South Dakota State Jackrabbits South Dakota State University South Dakota State || Bummer, A. (1–0) || Fiedelman (0–1) || || 12–3 || 11–6 |- | March 15 || Hawks Field || NR || 2012 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech || Hirsch, Z. (2–1) || Maton (3–1) || Pierce, B. (1) || 9–2 || 12–6 |- | March 16 || Hawks Field || NR || Louisiana Tech || Keller, J. (3–0) || Petersen (1–2) || || 22–3 || 13–6 |- | March 17 || Hawks Field || NR || Louisiana Tech || Lemke, T. (2–1) || Gilley (1–2) || || 11–4 || 14–6 |- | March 18 || Hawks Field || NR || Louisiana Tech || Dudley (2–0) || Bublitz, L. (0–1) || Stefan (1) || 5–6 || 14–7 |- | March 20 || Hawks Field || NR || 2012 Northern Colorado Bears University of Northern Colorado Northern Colorado || Kubat, K. (1–0) || Willman, J. (1–3) || || 12–3 || 15–7 |- | March 21 || Hawks Field || NR || Northern Colorado || Hammer, C. (1–0) || Huber, T. (0–2) || || 7–11 || 15–8 |- | March 23 || Hawks Field || NR || 2012 Illinois Fighting Illini University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Illinois || Johnson, K. (4–1) || Lemke, T. (2–2) || || 3–11 || 15–9 (0–1) |- | March 24 || Hawks Field || NR || Illinois || Kubat, K. (2–0) || Kravetz, J. (3–1) || || 18–5 || 16–9 (1–1) |- | March 25 || Hawks Field || NR || Illinois || Hirsch, Z. (3–1) || Ferry, J. (1–1) || || 13–3 || 17–9 (2–1) |- | March 27 || Hawks Field || || Kansas State || Pierce, B. (3–1) || Wivinis, M. (1–1) || Huber, T. (4) || 6–3 || 18–9 (2–1) |- | March 30 || Evanston, Illinois || || 2012 Northwestern Wildcats Northwestern University Northwestern || Lemke, T. (3–2) || Brooke, F. (1–2) || Huber, T. (5) || 7–4 || 19–9 (3–1) |- | March 31 || Evanston, Illinois || || Northwestern || Magallones (5–0) || Keller, J. (3–1) || || 4–8 || 19–10 (3–2) |- | April 1 || Evanston, Illinois || || Northwestern || Morton (1–5) || Hirsch, Z. (3–2) || || 1–6 || 19–11 (3–3) |- | April 3 || Manhattan, Kansas || || Kansas State || King, T. (1–0) || Moore, J (2–2) || || 6–0 || 20–11 (3–3) |- | April 6 || Hawks Field || || 2012 Iowa Hawkeyes University of Iowa Iowa || Hippen (3–3) || Lemke, T. (3–3) || Brown (5) || 3–4 || 20–12 (3–4) |- | April 7 || Hawks Field || || Iowa || Pierce, B. (4–1) || Dermody (1–4) || Niederklein (1) || 9–4 || 21–12 (4–4) |- | April 8 || Hawks Field || || Iowa || Huber, T. (1–2) || Brown (1–1) || || 9–8 || 22–12 (5–4) |- | April 10 || Hawks Field || || 2012 Creighton Bluejays Creighton University Creighton || Keller, J. (4–1) || Musec (3–2) || || 5–3 || 23–12 (5–4) |- | April 13 || Columbus, Ohio || || 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State University Ohio State || Long (3–1) || King, T. (1–1) || || 2–10 || 23–13 (5–5) |- | April 14 || Columbus, Ohio || || Ohio State || Vogt, D. (2–1) || McKinney (4–4) || Huber, T. (6) || 5–4 || 24–13 (6–5) |- | April 15 || Columbus, Ohio || || Ohio State || Hirsch, Z. (4–2) || Kuchno (5–2) || || 17–9 || 25–13 (7–5) |- | April 20 || Hawks Field || || Purdue || Mascarello (7–1) || Niederklein (2–2) || || 5–8 || 25–14 (7–6) |- | April 21 ||Hawks Field || || Purdue || Pierce, B. (5–1) || Breedlove (6–3) || || 8–3 || 26–14 (8–6) |- | April 22 || Hawks Field || || Purdue || Podkul (2–0) || Hirsch, Z. (4–3) || Wittgren (8) || 3–8 || 26–15 (8–7) |- | April 24 || TD Ameritrade Park || || Creighton || Hander, R. (2–0) || Musec (3–3) || Huber, T. (7) || 4–1 || 27–15 (8–7) |- | April 27 || Hawks Field || || 2012 Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners California State University, Bakersfield Cal State Bakersfield || Bublitz, L. (1–1) || Carter (1–2) || || 3–2 (11 inn.) || 28–15 (8–7) |- | April 28 || Hawks Field || || Cal State Bakersfield || McKenzie (4–4) || Pierce, B. (5–2) || || 2–10 || 28–16 (8–7) |- | April 29 || Hawks Field || || Cal State Bakersfield || colspan=5|Cancelled (Rain) |- | May 5 || Bloomington, Indiana || || 2012 Indiana Hoosiers Indiana University Indiana || Kubat, K. (3–0) || DeNato (7–2) || || 13–2 || 29–16 (9–7) |- | May 6 || Bloomington, Indiana || || Indiana || Hart (4–4) || Pierce, B. (5–3) || Hoffman (4) || 5–7 || 29–17 (9–8) |- | May 7 || Bloomington, Indiana || || Indiana || Martin (1–3) || Hirsch, Z. (4–4) || Hoffman (5) || 6–9 || 29–18 (9–9) |- | May 8 || TD Ameritrade Park || || Creighton || Blach (4–5) || Lemke, T. (3–4) || || 1–8 || 29–19 (9–9) |- | May 11 || Hawks Field || || Minnesota || Kubat, K. (4–0) || Oakes (7–3) || Vogt, D. (1) || 4–3 || 30–19 (10–9) |- | May 12 || Hawks Field || || Minnesota || King, T. (2–1) || Snelten (4–4) || Pierce, B. (2) || 8–7 || 31–19 (11–9) |- | May 13 || Hawks Field || || Minnesota || Bublitz, L. (2–1) || Lubinsky (3–4) || Vogt, D. (2) || 6–5 || 32–19 (12–9) |- | May 15 || Hawks Field || || 2012 Wichita State Shockers Wichita State University Wichita State || Mateychick (4–1) || Hirsch, Z. (4–5) || || 2–13 || 32–20 (12–9) |- | May 17 || Ann Arbor, Michigan || || 2012 Michigan Wolverines University of Michigan Michigan || Kubat, K. (5–0) || Ogden (3–4) || || 15–2 || 33–20 (13–9) |- | May 18 || Ann Arbor, Michigan || || Michigan || Sinnery (5–5) || Pierce, B. (5–4) || || 5–6 || 33–21 (13–10) |- | May 19 || Ann Arbor, Michigan || || Michigan || Lemke, T. (4–4) || Brosnahan (3–4) || || 7–3 || 34–21 (14–10) |- |- ! style="Nebraska Cornhuskers;" | Postseason |- y Nebraska Cornhuskers; Big Ten Tournament Date Location NU rank Opponent Winning pitcher Losing pitcher Save by Result Record (Big Ten) |- | May 23 || Columbus, Ohio || || Michigan State || Bucciferro (6–3) || Kubat, K. (5–1) || Wieber, T (9) || 9–10 || 34–22 (14–10) |- | May 24 || Columbus, Ohio || || Penn State || Hander, R. (3–0) || Hill (5–4) || || 12–3 || 35–22 (14–10) |- | May 25 || Columbus, Ohio || || Ohio State || King (5–5) || Spitsnogle (0–1) || || 2–6 || 36–23 (14–10) |- Season summary The Nebraska baseball team met the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the first time on February 17 and dropped its opening game of the 2012 season by a score of 7–4. Playing the first game of a three-game series at the Peoria Sports Complex (the Spring training home of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres in Peoria, Arizona), the Huskers took a 4–3 lead into the seventh inning. Nebraska was unable to hold on though, as a three-run eighth inning from the Zags doomed the Huskers. https://huskers.com/news/2012/02/18/huskers-drop-opener-to-gonzaga Huskers Drop Opener to Gonzaga Feb 17, 2012 Huskers.com The first victory of the season fell through their hands on in game 2 as Gonzaga rallied for a 10–8 victory to take game two of the three-game series. The Huskers took an 8–5 lead into the top of the ninth, but the Bulldog bats came alive with five runs to steal the win after committing seven errors in the game. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=205383111 https://web.archive.org/web/20131215163320/http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101&SPID=33&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=205383111 dead December 15, 2013 Huskers Fail to Closeout [sic] Zags Feb 18, 2012 Huskers.com The ninth inning was again unkind to Nebraska in the finale as the Bulldogs erased a 4–2 deficit with three runs in the top of the ninth to steal victory for the second straight game. https://huskers.com/news/2012/02/19/huskers-drop-series-finale-in-arizona Huskers Drop Series Finale in Arizona Feb 19, 2012 Huskers.com The next weekend the Huskers traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, to play in the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field. In game 1, Zach Hirsch picked up his first win as a husker and Head Coach Darin Erstad earned his first win as the Huskers' head coach in a 5–2 win over the Utah Utes. https://huskers.com/news/2012/02/25/huskers-start-tournament-with-5-2-win Huskers Start Tournament with 5–2 Win Feb 24, 2012 Huskers.com The next day, Nebraska beat Utah again and Texas A&M Chorpus Christi with a combined score of 22–1. https://huskers.com/news/2012/02/26/huskers-outscore-opponents-22-1-in-two-games Huskers Outscore Opponents 22–1 in Two Games Feb 25, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers finished the tournament with a perfect 4–0 record as they came from behind to beat UNLV in the first ever meeting between the 2 teams. The offense scored 35 runs on 54 hits over the three days and 8 Huskers joined the all tournament team – Cory Burleson, Josh Scheffert, Bryan Peters, Kurt Farmer, Chad Christensen (MVP), Rich Sanguinetti, Richard Stock, and Jon Keller.https://huskers.com/news/2012/02/26/christensen-completes-husker-comeback Christensen Completes Husker Comeback Feb 26, 2012 Huskers.com On March 2, Nebraska went north to play in the Dairy Queen Classic, one of the longest running tournaments in the nation, in Minnesota played at the Metrodome. It was the fifth time they have competed in the event. http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/022912aaa.html Gophers Set to Host Dairy Queen Classic This Weekend Feb 29, 2012 Gophersports.com The Huskers dropped their opening game of the Dairy Queen Classic by a score of 4–1. The Huskers totaled six hits on the day and worked seven walks off the WVU pitching staff, but were doomed by the 10 runners they left on base. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/02/huskers-fall-in-dq-classic-opener Huskers Fall in DQ Classic Opener March 2, 2012 Gophersports.com New Mexico State was the next team to face as Nebraska entered the ninth down 4–2 when the bats came alive and Rich Sanguinetti ended the game with a two-run walk-off home run with 2 outs capping a dramatic ninth inning for the Huskers with for a 6–4 win over the Aggies. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/03/sanguinettis-homer-caps-huskers-four-run-ninth Sanguinetti's Homer Caps Huskers’ Four-Run Ninth March 3, 2012 Gophersports.com The Huskers won their last game defeating conference foe, Minnesota 10–3 in a non conference game. On offense, after scoring only seven runs through the first two games, the Husker offense exploded for seven runs in the first four frames against the Gophers. Three Huskers earned all-tournament honors, including Richard Stock at first base, Austin Darby in the outfield and Michael Pritchard at designated hitter. Pritchard also earned the tournament's Silver Stick Award as the weekend's most valuable hitter. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/05/huskers-blast-gophers-10-3 Huskers Blast Gophers, 10–3 March 4, 2012 Huskers.com After a 6–4 road stint, the huskers headed home for a 17-game homestand starting with Kansas state. A pair of four-run innings carried Nebraska to a 9–6 win over the Kansas State Wildcats at Hawks Field in front of 4,169 fans. It is their 34th straight home opener win dating back to 1979 and moved to 11–0 in home openers at Hawks Field. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/07/huskers-pounce-wildcats Huskers Pounce Wildcats March 6, 2012 Huskers.com The next day, Kale Kiser hit a home run for the second straight day and junior Ryan Hander picked his first win of the year as the team moved to 8–4 with a 4–1 win over Division II Nebraska-Kearney. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/07/kisers-homer-carries-nu-to-4-1-win Kiser's Homer Carries NU to 4–1 Win March 7, 2012 Huskers.com thumb|right|275px|The Huskers celebrating a home run by Chad Christensen against the California Golden Bears That weekend, 2011 College World Series qualifier California Bears came to town for a four-game series. In game one, the Huskers found themselves in a hole, falling behind 0–7, but a pair of runs in both the eighth and ninth innings capped an 8–8 comeback, extending the game into extra innings, but the Huskers were unable to pull out a win after the Bears plated three runs in the top of the 11th inning to win 11–8. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/10/huskers-rally-but-fall-in-extra-innings Huskers Rally, but Fall in Extra Innings March 9, 2012 Huskers.com In game 2, Nebraska had an offensive show in front of 5,298 fans with a 12–5 win over the Bears blasting three home runs on the day, including a grand slam by Rich Sanguinetti. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/11/three-home-runs-propel-huskers-to-12-5-win Three Home Runs Propel Huskers to 12–5 Win March 10, 2012 Huskers.com The Bears responded and Nebraska was unable to find a rhythm in game 3 in a 4–0 loss with only 3 hits on the game https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/11/bears-blank-huskers-4-0 Bears Blank Huskers, 4–0 March 11, 2012 Huskers.com but rebounded in the series finale breaking through with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning evening the series with a 9–5 victory for a 2–2 series split. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/12/huskers-rebound-with-9-5-win-over-no-18-cal Huskers Rebound with 9–5 win over No. 18 Cal March 12, 2012 Huskers.com thumb|left|275px|Nebraska wearing camo hats against Louisiana Tech The Huskers played for the 5th day in a row and 1st of 5 games in week 5 against South Dakota State by a score of 12–3 hammering out 15 hits before Louisiana tech came for a 4-game series. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/13/scheffert-blasts-huskers-past-jackrabbits Scheffert Blasts Huskers Past Jackrabbits March 13, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska won game 1 9–2 as Cory Burleson hit an inside-the-park home run, the first one by a Husker since Jake Mullinax hit one against West Virginia at the 2004 Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/16/huskers-open-series-with-9-2-win Huskers Open Series with 9–2 Win March 15, 2012 Huskers.com The next day there was plenty of offense against the Bulldogs with 24 hits in a 22–3 win which is the most runs in over eight years, as they also scored 22 in a win over Kent State at the Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M, on Feb. 22, 2004. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/16/huskers-hammer-out-24-hits-in-22-3-win Huskers Hammer Out 24 Hits in 22–3 Win March 16, 2012 Huskers.com Behind a career-high five hits from Josh Scheffert, the Nebraska baseball team posted its fifth straight win with an 11–4 victory over the Louisiana. The Huskers pounded out 17 hits on the afternoon and scored 42 runs on 52 hits through the first three games of the series https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/17/scheffert-leads-huskers-to-fifth-straight-win Scheffert Leads Huskers to Fifth Straight Win March 17, 2012 Huskers.com but the Bulldogs responded with a 6–5 victory to avoid a sweep. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/18/huskers-come-up-short-in-series-finale Huskers Come Up Short in Series Finale March 18, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers hosted Northern Colorado in a 2-game midweek series before conference games begin. On March 20, a seven-run fourth inning powered Nebraska to a 12–3 win in game one https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/21/kalkowski-drives-in-four-in-12-3-win Kalkowski Drives in Four in 12–3 Win March 20, 2012 Huskers.com but was unable to overcome a four-run eighth inning by the Bears resulting in a 6–4 loss splitting the series a game a piece. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/21/huskers-and-bears-split-two-game-series Huskers and Bears Split Two-Game Series March 21, 2012 Huskers.com Conference play opened on March 23 against Illinois and fell behind early but were unable to battle back in an 11–3 loss. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/24/huskers-drop-series-opener-to-illini Huskers Drop Series Opener to Illini March 23, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska rebounded in game 2 with an 18–5 win over the Fighting Illini to tie the series. Trailing 3–0 going into the bottom of the second, NU plated 11 runs on seven hits, as the first nine batters of the inning reached base and scored. All but one of the Huskers' starters had at least one hit on the day. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/25/huskers-thump-illini-18-5 Huskers Thump Illini, 18–5 March 24, 2012 Huskers.com The rubber match went to the Huskers as they put together one of its best games of the season with a 13–3 win over the Illinois to win in the first ever Big Ten series. The Huskers outscored Illinois by a combined score of 31–8 in the final two games of the series to open conference play with a series win for the first time since 2008 when they swept Kansas State in Manhattan. Husker fans topped the 5,000 mark in all three games, with a combined 15,697 fans coming out to see the Huskers open conference play. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/25/huskers-win-series-with-13-3-rout-of-illinois Huskers Win Series with 13–3 Rout of Illinois March 25, 2012 Huskers.com thumb|right|300px|A Cornhuskers player squares up to bunt during a March 24 game against Illinois The team wrapped up its 17-game home stand with a 6–3 win over the Kansas State Wildcats in a mid week game. The Huskers started and ended the home stand with wins over the Wildcats. Now 18–9 on the season and 2–1 in Big Ten play, the Huskers went 12–5 on the home stand. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/28/huskers-end-home-stand-with-6-3-win-over-ksu Huskers End Home Stand with 6–3 Win over KSU March 27, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska headed to Northwestern for their first road conference series on March 30. They opened the series with a 7–4 win over the Wildcats https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/31/huskers-open-series-at-northwestern-with-7-4-win Huskers Open Series at Northwestern with 7–4 Win March 30, 2012 Huskers.com but a season-high six errors from the Husker defense combined with 12 strikeouts from the NU offense resulted in an 8–4 loss in game 2 while none of the Wildcats' eight runs were earned off the Husker pitching staff. It is the Huskers' first loss this season when out-hitting their opponent as the Huskers out-hit the Wildcats, 7–6. https://huskers.com/news/2012/03/31/errors-prove-costly-in-husker-loss Errors Prove Costly in Husker Loss March 31, 2012 Huskers.com A complete game from Northwestern's Zach Morton was too much for the Huskers with only six hits in game 3 dropping the series in a 6–1 loss. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/01/huskers-drop-series-at-northwestern Huskers Drop Series at Northwestern April 1, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska looked to sweep the season series with KSU as they traveled to Manhattan, Kan. They picked up their 20th win of the season to sweep the Kansas State Wildcats with a 6–0 win as five pitchers combined for the four-hit shutout. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/04/husker-complete-season-sweep-of-kansas-state Husker Complete Season Sweep of Kansas State April 3, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers returned home to host the 12–14 Iowa Hawkeyes in their 3rd conference series. A four-run fifth inning propelled the Iowa Hawkeyes to a 4–3 series-opening win over the Nebraska. The Huskers took a 2–0 lead into the fifth and cut Iowa's lead to one with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but were unable to plate a run over the final four innings to tie the game. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/07/huskers-drop-series-opener-to-hawkeyes Huskers Drop Series Opener to Hawkeyes April 6, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers evened the series in game 2 with a strong outing from Brandon Pierce in his first career conference start to help the Huskers post a 9–4 win. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/07/huskers-even-series-with-9-4-win Huskers Even Series with 9–4 Win April 7, 2012 Huskers.com A game-tying two-RBI triple from Pat Kelly followed by a walk-off single from Kale Kiser completed a dramatic ninth-inning comeback by the Huskers, as the Huskers rallied for a 9–8 win to take the series. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/08/kiser-caps-four-run-ninth-with-walk-off-winner Kiser Caps Four-Run Ninth with Walk-Off Winner April 8, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers hosted Creighton in the first of three meetings on April 10. A career-high 8 innings from sophomore Jon Keller carried Nebraska in a 5–3 victory over the Bluejays. Keller improved to 4–1 on the year, as he gave up just two runs (one earned) on three hits, while striking out six. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/11/keller-baffles-bluejays Keller Baffles Bluejays April 10, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska traveled to Columbus, Ohio to play the 20–12 Ohio State who is tied with Nebraska at second place in the Big Ten. A rough first inning put Nebraska in a 7–0 hole that they were never able to climb out of in game 1 at Bill Davis Stadium as the Buckeyes went on to win the game 10–2. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/14/huskers-stumble-in-series-opener-at-ohio-state Huskers Stumble in Series Opener at Ohio State April 13, 2012 Huskers.com Game 2 got postponed due to rain and played a double header on Sunday. Home runs from Kale Kiser, Kash Kalkowski, and Josh Scheffert accounted for all five of Nebraska's runs a 5–4 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to end their 7-game win streak. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/15/huskers-use-long-ball-to-take-game-one-of-dh Huskers Use Long Ball to Take Game One of DH April 15, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska swept a doubleheader with a 17–9 score to win its first conference road series since taking 2-of-3 from Baylor in Waco, Texas, during the 2008 season. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/15/huskers-bury-buckeyes-sweep-double-header Huskers Bury Buckeyes, Sweep Double Header April 15, 2012 Huskers.com Without a midweek game, Nebraska welcomed the #16 Purdue Boilermakers who entered the series with a 9-game win streak. After falling behind 4–0 to start game 1, Nebraska evened the score at 5–5 in the bottom of the fourth, but Cameron Perkins' second home run of the game in the top of the fifth proved to be the eventual winner in an 8–5 game. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/21/huskers-rally-but-fall-to-boilermakers Huskers Rally, But Fall to Boilermakers April 20, 2012 Huskers.com For the 4th conference series, the Huskers rebounded after falling in the opener. In front of a season-high crowd of 6,257 fans at Hawks Field on Saturday afternoon, the Huskers evened its series with Purdue with an 8–3 win. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/21/stock-leads-huskers-to-8-3-win Stock Leads Huskers to 8–3 Win April 21, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers dropped the series finale by a score of 8–3 in front of another 6,000+ fans at Hawks Field. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/22/huskers-drop-series-finale-to-no-16-purdue Huskers Drop Series Finale to No. 16 Purdue April 22, 2012 Huskers.com thumb|right|300px|Nebraska vs Creighton on April 24th at TD Ameritrade Park The baseball team headed 50 miles to TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska to play their second game of the series. Behind a pair of hits from four different Huskers and a three-hit game from the Nebraska pitching staff, Nebraska earned its second win of the season over the Creighton Bluejays with a 4–1 win. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/25/husker-arms-silence-bluejay-bats Husker Arms Silence Bluejay Bats April 24, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska hosted its final non-conference series of the season when the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners visited Hawks Field. Senior Kale Kiser came through with his second walk-off hit of the season in the bottom of the 11th inning of game 1 to propel the Huskers to a 3–2 win over the Roadrunners. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/28/kiser-delivers-walk-off-single-in-the-11th Kiser Delivers Walk-Off Single in the 11th April 28, 2012 Huskers.com The Roadrunners then tied the series with a 10–2 win in front of 5,111 fans in game 2. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/29/huskers-drop-nightcap-to-roadrunners Huskers Drop Nightcap to Roadrunners April 29, 2012 Huskers.com The rubber match was cancelled due to rain which kept the series tied giving Nebraska a record of 28–16 after the weekend. https://huskers.com/news/2012/04/29/husker-baseball-cancelled Husker Baseball Cancelled April 29, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers went on the road the next weekend to play the Indiana Hoosiers, who entered the series as one of the hottest teams in the conference in second place in the Big Ten. Behind a seven-strikeout performance from freshman Kyle Kubat and three home runs from the Husker offense, Nebraska put an end to the Indiana Hoosiers' four-game winning streak with a 13–2 win https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/05/kubat-handcuffs-hoosiers-in-13-2-win Kubat Handcuffs Hoosiers in 13–2 Win May 5, 2012 Huskers.com but couldn't take the series the next day as walks and miscues cost the Huskers in a 7–5 game. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/06/walks-and-miscues-cost-huskers-in-7-5-loss Walks and Miscues Cost Huskers in 7–5 Loss May 6, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska failed to win the series as Indians bats were tough on NU's pitching with 16 hits in a 9–6 game. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/06/huskers-drop-series-at-indiana Huskers Drop Series at Indiana May 6, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers looked to sweep Creighton for the first time since 2008 in their last meeting of the year on May 8 but were unable to finish the sweet as the Jays used 16 hits to produce an 8–1 win. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/09/huskers-fail-to-finish-season-sweep-of-jays Huskers Fail to Finish Season Sweep of Jays May 8, 2012 Huskers.com The Huskers headed back home to hose their last conference series against Minnesota. A two-run home run from freshman Pat Kelly and a six innings of solid work on the mound from freshman Kyle Kubat led Nebraska to their 30th win of the season with a 4–3 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/12/freshmen-carry-huskers-to-series-opening-win Freshmen Carry Huskers to Series-Opening Win May 11, 2012 Huskers.com Sophomore Michael Pritchard went 0–4 ending his hitting streak at 25 games which ties Derek Dukart (1994) for the third longest hitting streak at NU since 1958. Freshman Pat Kelly's 7th home run of the season propelled Nebraska to victory for the second straight game the Golden Gophers, as the Huskers held on to an 8–7 victory. His seven home runs this season are the most by a NU freshman since Alex Gordon hit seven in 2003. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/12/kelly-pierce-lead-huskers-to-series-win Kelly, Pierce Lead Huskers to Series Win May 12, 2012 Huskers.com Behind three solo home runs, Nebraska secured the Huskers' first sweep of a conference foe since NU swept Texas Tech at Hawks Field to end the 2010 season and put an exclamation point on Senior Day. The Huskers won each game by one run and put themselves into fourth place in the Big Ten standings. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/13/huskers-sweep-gophers-on-senior-day Huskers Sweep Gophers on Senior Day May 13, 2012 Huskers.com Wichita State came to Lincoln for the Huskers last home game of the season as the Shockers spoiled Nebraska with a 19-hit performance coasting to a 13–2 win. https://huskers.com/news/2012/05/16/huskers-fall-in-home-finale Huskers Fall in Home Finale May 15, 2012 Huskers.com Nebraska went on the road for their last regular season games against the Michigan Wolverines. The Huskers punched their ticket to the Big Ten Tournament with a 15–2 win over Michiganas they strung together a conference-high 20 hits. They were then held to just five runs in a 6–5 loss to the Wolverines in game 2. They secured the No. 4 seed at the Big Ten Tournament with a 7–3 win over the Michigan ending the season with a 14–10 conference record. The Huskers opened the post season against Michigan State. They nearly completed one of the biggest comebacks in program history but a leaping catch by Michigan State second baseman Ryan Jones on a line drive off the bat of Pat Kelly secured a 10–9 win for the Spartans at Huntington Park. The Huskers entered the bottom of the ninth inning down 10–2, but five two-out runs had the Huskers in position to tie the game. They got sent to the losers bracket and played Penn State in game 2 and the Huskers responded with 12–3 victory racking up 18 hits as Stock extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Along with Michael Prichard's 25-game hitting streak earlier this season, it marks the first time in school history that a pair of teammates have each produced hitting streaks of 20 game or more in the same season. Nebraska was then set up to play Ohio State in an elimination game. The Buckeyes ended the Huskers season with a 6–2 win. The Huskers out hit the Buckeyes, 9–8, but NU stranded 10 runners on the afternoon and committed three errors in the field. Statistics Hitting Player G BA AB H 2B 3B HR TB SLG R RBI BB SO SB Michael Pritchard 57 .387 212 82 10 0 0 92 .434 51 22 21 10 6 Josh Scheffert 50 .358 179 64 12 0 8 100 .559 37 41 15 24 5 Richard Stock 52 .351 211 74 20 3 4 112 .531 40 45 8 18 1 Austin Darby 42 .324 139 45 9 0 2 60 .432 24 15 16 25 7 Rich Sanguinetti 55 .323 217 70 11 2 2 91 .419 44 43 16 35 7 Pat Kelly 45 .313 163 51 6 2 8 85 .521 27 37 6 24 5 Chad Christensen 57 .311 228 71 9 2 10 114 .500 49 48 19 36 8 Kash Kalkowski 48 .310 174 54 8 0 4 74 .425 25 37 4 17 7 Blake Headley 25 .304 46 14 0 0 0 14 .304 6 6 6 10 1 Cory Burleson 44 .273 132 36 7 0 1 46 .348 25 22 9 32 3 Kale Kiser 54 .259 158 41 7 1 6 68 .430 37 37 38 17 6 Kurt Farmer 25 .250 68 17 1 1 2 26 .382 15 10 11 10 2 Bryan Peters 30 .241 79 19 3 1 0 24 .304 18 11 7 10 2 Ty Kildow 23 .182 22 4 0 0 0 4 .182 8 0 4 8 2 Sam Stucky 13 .172 29 5 1 0 0 6 .207 7 1 4 12 0 Total 58 .315 2057 647 104 12 47 916 .445 413 375 184 288 62 Pitching Player App GS W L SV ERA CG ShO IP H R ER BB SO Dylan Vogt 25 0 2 1 2 1.84 0 0 53.2 46 15 11 14 34 Kyle Kubat 15 8 5 1 0 2.63 0 0 51.1 56 18 15 19 31 Ryan Hander 16 4 3 0 0 2.97 0 0 33.1 29 11 11 10 25 Aaron Bummer 20 0 1 0 0 3.26 0 0 19.1 16 8 7 10 22 Travis Huber 20 0 1 2 7 3.32 0 0 21.2 25 11 8 10 17 Brandon Pierce 23 6 5 4 2 4.21 0 0 57.2 55 34 27 37 35 Tom Lemke 14 8 4 4 0 4.57 0 0 45.1 64 26 23 10 20 Dexter Spitsnogle 8 5 0 1 0 4.87 0 0 20.1 22 12 11 6 14 Jon Keller 13 10 4 1 0 5.37 0 0 52.0 66 41 31 25 33 Tyler King 27 2 2 1 0 5.40 0 0 28.1 27 26 17 18 21 Zach Hirsch 14 13 4 5 0 5.52 0 0 60.1 80 39 37 14 32 Luke Bublitz 21 0 2 1 1 6.15 0 0 26.1 37 19 18 7 19 Tyler Niederklein 19 2 2 2 1 7.11 0 0 38.0 48 30 30 14 19 Jeff Stovall 10 0 0 0 0 8.68 0 0 9.1 20 10 9 5 6 Total 58 58 35 23 13 4.40 0 2 517.0 591 300 253 199 328 Honors and awards Chad Christensen All-Big Ten First Team Austin Darby All-Big Ten Freshman Team Pat Kelly All-Big Ten Third Team All-Big Ten Freshman Team Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American NCBWA First-Team Freshman All-American Baseball America First-Team Freshman All-American Perfect Game Second-Team Freshman All-American Kyle Kubat All-Big Ten Third Team All-Big Ten Freshman Team Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Michael Pritchard All-Big Ten First Team All-Midwest Second Team NCBWA Third-Team All-American Rich Sanguinetti All-Big Ten First Team Josh Scheffert All-Big Ten Second Team Richard Stock All-Big Ten Third Team Rankings 2012 NCAA Division I baseball rankings 2012 19 http://collegebaseball360.com/category/college-baseball-polls/coaches-poll/ College Baseball 360 College Baseball 360 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/ Baseball America Baseball America http://www.baseballnews.com/polls/divI/archives/2012/index.htm Collegiate Baseball Collegiate Baseball http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/news/index.html NCBWA NCBWA NR NR RV RV NR NR NR NR RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR Cornhuskers in the 2012 MLB draft Player Position Round Overall MLB organization Travis Huber 23 700 Minnesota Twins Kale Kiser 23 711 Chicago White Sox Richard Stock 23rd 713 Cleveland Indians Khiry Cooper 25 781 Boston Red Sox Chad Christensen 35 1067 Miami Marlins References 30em Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball seasons Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers base