Boyer prefers leadoff spot
If the Nebraska baseball team is looking for a new leading man, Jesse Boyer is still auditioning.
The Huskers' leadoff hitter for the first 13 contests this season, Boyer returned to that spot Tuesday for the first time in the last seven games to key NU's 15-6 win against Northern Iowa at Haymarket Park.
"That's where I'd like to hit," said Boyer, who went 3-for-4 and matched career highs with four runs and three stolen bases. "You get on, and with Alex (Gordon) and (Curtis) Ledbetter, we're going to roll."
Boyer's big night left him having reached base in his last 10 trips to the plate.
Hitting seventh in the order during Nebraska's 9-1 win at Oklahoma State Monday, he went 3-for-3, walked and got hit by a pitch while scoring twice.
Tuesday, he singled, stole a base and scored in the Huskers' four-run first. In the second, he doubled, stole a base and scored. In the fourth, he walked, stole a base and scored.
Boyer reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth before capping his effort by singling in a run before scoring in the seventh.
"When he's hot and getting on the bases, we're going to put pressure on the defense," second baseman Jake Mullinax said. "With his speed and talent to hit the ball gap-to-gap, and put the ball on the ground, that's big for us. When we get a leadoff hitter on base, we're pretty good at getting him around."
Over the past two games, Boyer, a 6-foot-1 junior from Littleton, Colo., has raised his batting average from .296 to .326. Over the last 11, he's hit .351 (13-for-37) and has become the team's stolen base leader (he's 11-for-15).
"If Jesse could get a better feel for the game and use his speed with it, boy, he could really be dangerous," Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said. "He's not been doing anything special (lately) - just putting it in play and using his speed."
Boyer's hot stretch has come at a time when normal leadoff hitter Colin Shockey is struggling. Shockey is hitting .306, but he went 1-for-12 in three games against Oklahoma State and his average has dropped 43 points in his last 11 games.
Anderson gave Shockey Tuesday off but said Shockey will definitely be somewhere in the lineup during the final eight games of the regular season.
Tuesday marked only the sixth time since Boyer was moved from the leadoff spot that he hit first. Much of the season, he's been in the seventh, eighth or ninth spots.
"I was definitely struggling with passive-aggressive," Boyer said of his early-season chances in the leadoff spot. "You want to help the team as much as you can and when you don't you feel really bad."
Recently, Boyer was inspired by a talk with senior co-captain John Grose and junior shortstop Joe Simokaitis, who told him "this is as much your team as it is ours."
"I just feel comfortable," he added.
And more aggressive.
"He's not as defensive (a hitter), and that was the key to him losing that spot," Anderson said. "We need somebody up there who's going to put pressure on."
While improving its record to 32-16, Nebraska produced its highest hit (17) and run total since Feb. 22. Gordon, Ledbetter, Mullinax, Grose and Chad Steele also produced multi-hit games.
"The last two games have been good for us," Mullinax said. "We've been swinging the bats well, especially with two outs.
"We want to turn our season around now. You could kind of see that confidence."
n Senior Mike Sillman made his first Husker appearance in the field at a position other than pitcher as he played right field in the ninth inning. The Panthers didn't hit a ball to the outfield in that inning. Sillman has also been used as a pinch runner during his career.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
The Huskers' leadoff hitter for the first 13 contests this season, Boyer returned to that spot Tuesday for the first time in the last seven games to key NU's 15-6 win against Northern Iowa at Haymarket Park.
"That's where I'd like to hit," said Boyer, who went 3-for-4 and matched career highs with four runs and three stolen bases. "You get on, and with Alex (Gordon) and (Curtis) Ledbetter, we're going to roll."
Boyer's big night left him having reached base in his last 10 trips to the plate.
Hitting seventh in the order during Nebraska's 9-1 win at Oklahoma State Monday, he went 3-for-3, walked and got hit by a pitch while scoring twice.
Tuesday, he singled, stole a base and scored in the Huskers' four-run first. In the second, he doubled, stole a base and scored. In the fourth, he walked, stole a base and scored.
Boyer reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth before capping his effort by singling in a run before scoring in the seventh.
"When he's hot and getting on the bases, we're going to put pressure on the defense," second baseman Jake Mullinax said. "With his speed and talent to hit the ball gap-to-gap, and put the ball on the ground, that's big for us. When we get a leadoff hitter on base, we're pretty good at getting him around."
Over the past two games, Boyer, a 6-foot-1 junior from Littleton, Colo., has raised his batting average from .296 to .326. Over the last 11, he's hit .351 (13-for-37) and has become the team's stolen base leader (he's 11-for-15).
"If Jesse could get a better feel for the game and use his speed with it, boy, he could really be dangerous," Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said. "He's not been doing anything special (lately) - just putting it in play and using his speed."
Boyer's hot stretch has come at a time when normal leadoff hitter Colin Shockey is struggling. Shockey is hitting .306, but he went 1-for-12 in three games against Oklahoma State and his average has dropped 43 points in his last 11 games.
Anderson gave Shockey Tuesday off but said Shockey will definitely be somewhere in the lineup during the final eight games of the regular season.
Tuesday marked only the sixth time since Boyer was moved from the leadoff spot that he hit first. Much of the season, he's been in the seventh, eighth or ninth spots.
"I was definitely struggling with passive-aggressive," Boyer said of his early-season chances in the leadoff spot. "You want to help the team as much as you can and when you don't you feel really bad."
Recently, Boyer was inspired by a talk with senior co-captain John Grose and junior shortstop Joe Simokaitis, who told him "this is as much your team as it is ours."
"I just feel comfortable," he added.
And more aggressive.
"He's not as defensive (a hitter), and that was the key to him losing that spot," Anderson said. "We need somebody up there who's going to put pressure on."
While improving its record to 32-16, Nebraska produced its highest hit (17) and run total since Feb. 22. Gordon, Ledbetter, Mullinax, Grose and Chad Steele also produced multi-hit games.
"The last two games have been good for us," Mullinax said. "We've been swinging the bats well, especially with two outs.
"We want to turn our season around now. You could kind of see that confidence."
n Senior Mike Sillman made his first Husker appearance in the field at a position other than pitcher as he played right field in the ninth inning. The Panthers didn't hit a ball to the outfield in that inning. Sillman has also been used as a pinch runner during his career.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
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