NU's regular season ends with another loss
In the previous two years, confidence has exuded from Nebraska baseball fans at Haymarket Park.
Husker faithful believed somehow, someway, their boys would come through when the oven got hot.
It wasn't that way in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Oklahoma. The 4,927 fans at Haymarket Park were strangely silent with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, even though the winning run stood at second base.
Losing seven Big 12 series in a row has a way of deflating optimism.
Said an understated Nebraska second baseman Jake Mullinax: "We've been having it rough lately."
Indeed, when Joe Simokaitis flew out to center for the last out, Nebraskafell to a dissapointing 35-21 overall and 11-16 in the Big 12.
This weekend, blame can be placed squarely on NU's bats, which rarely hit anything squarely against OU. The Huskers had seven hits Sunday, scored only two runs in the past two games and six for the three-game series.
"Seven hits and one run?" said a disgusted NUhead coach Mike Anderson as he glanced at Sunday's scoreboard. "Six runs on the weekend? You can't win games that way. We got to get it going somehow. It's a new season now."
"New season" means the Big 12 Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The Huskers will be seeded eighth when they go against regular-season conference champion Texas, the first-round game's opening pitch set for 8 p.m.
Though Anderson said he "wouldn't want to speculate," it's widely perceived Nebraska will have to win the Big 12 Tournament to qualify for an NCAAregional. The Huskers have qualified the past five years.
"We're going in trying to win the tournament like we always have, but if we go in thinking this is our only way of making a regional, we're making a big mistake," Anderson said.
NUcould have helped its NCAA hopes by winning Sunday and taking two out of three from No. 18 OU.
But Oklahoma scored runs in the first and third innings off Nebraska starter Dustin Timm. The second Sooner run came when Husker right fielder Daniel Bruce dropped a fly ball, allowing OU's Jeff Scuderi to score an unearned run from second.
Save for that early Oklahoma success, Nebraska pitching was excellent. After Timm - who ultimately took the loss - left the game allowing five hits in four innings, NU'srelievers dominated.
Justin Pekarek, QuintonRobertson and Mike Sillman combined to give up one hit in the final five innings.
This came a day after Husker pitching had shut out the Sooners for 11 innings in a 1-0 victory.
"(Pitching's) done a great job, the last two weekends in a row and in (Tuesday's) Creighton game," Anderson said. "They've pitched well enough to win."
Said the senior Pekarek: "The bats are going to come around. And as (associate and pitching) Coach (Rob)Childress always says, 'They can't win if you throw a shutout.' That's how Ilook at it as a captain on this pitching staff. We have to keep them off the board."
Of course, shutouts in baseball aren't just passed out like candy on Halloween. Three runs hardly seemed too much to ask from the home team on its Senior Day.
Instead, missed opportunities ruled.
In the fifth, Nebraska's Jesse Boyer was stranded on second when Simokatis' hard-hit ground ball was stopped by diving OU first baseman Ole Sheldon, who turned a potential double into the final out.
In the sixth, Nebraska had runners on second and third with one out. Then, John Grose had his knees buckle on a called third strike and, two batters later, Bruce flew out to deep left-center with the bases full.
NUdid scratch home a run in the eighth whenMullinax - who went 2 for 4 with a double - scored on an RBI groundout from Curtis Ledbetter.
Nebraska looked as though it might snag a win when Colin Shockey led the final inning with a bloop single. The next batter, Bruce, failed to move Shockey to second when his bunt attempt carried right to the glove of Sheldon.
Even so, Chad Steele came up next and singled, moving Shockey to third. Steele moved to second on a wild pitch.
But Boyer struck out, Simokaitis flew out and Nebraska's post-game dugout contained some disgusted ballplayers.
Mullinax said the Huskers still feel like they can play with anybody in the conference.
"Our goals are still real high, believe it or not," he said.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@;journalstar.com.
Husker faithful believed somehow, someway, their boys would come through when the oven got hot.
It wasn't that way in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Oklahoma. The 4,927 fans at Haymarket Park were strangely silent with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, even though the winning run stood at second base.
Losing seven Big 12 series in a row has a way of deflating optimism.
Said an understated Nebraska second baseman Jake Mullinax: "We've been having it rough lately."
Indeed, when Joe Simokaitis flew out to center for the last out, Nebraskafell to a dissapointing 35-21 overall and 11-16 in the Big 12.
This weekend, blame can be placed squarely on NU's bats, which rarely hit anything squarely against OU. The Huskers had seven hits Sunday, scored only two runs in the past two games and six for the three-game series.
"Seven hits and one run?" said a disgusted NUhead coach Mike Anderson as he glanced at Sunday's scoreboard. "Six runs on the weekend? You can't win games that way. We got to get it going somehow. It's a new season now."
"New season" means the Big 12 Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The Huskers will be seeded eighth when they go against regular-season conference champion Texas, the first-round game's opening pitch set for 8 p.m.
Though Anderson said he "wouldn't want to speculate," it's widely perceived Nebraska will have to win the Big 12 Tournament to qualify for an NCAAregional. The Huskers have qualified the past five years.
"We're going in trying to win the tournament like we always have, but if we go in thinking this is our only way of making a regional, we're making a big mistake," Anderson said.
NUcould have helped its NCAA hopes by winning Sunday and taking two out of three from No. 18 OU.
But Oklahoma scored runs in the first and third innings off Nebraska starter Dustin Timm. The second Sooner run came when Husker right fielder Daniel Bruce dropped a fly ball, allowing OU's Jeff Scuderi to score an unearned run from second.
Save for that early Oklahoma success, Nebraska pitching was excellent. After Timm - who ultimately took the loss - left the game allowing five hits in four innings, NU'srelievers dominated.
Justin Pekarek, QuintonRobertson and Mike Sillman combined to give up one hit in the final five innings.
This came a day after Husker pitching had shut out the Sooners for 11 innings in a 1-0 victory.
"(Pitching's) done a great job, the last two weekends in a row and in (Tuesday's) Creighton game," Anderson said. "They've pitched well enough to win."
Said the senior Pekarek: "The bats are going to come around. And as (associate and pitching) Coach (Rob)Childress always says, 'They can't win if you throw a shutout.' That's how Ilook at it as a captain on this pitching staff. We have to keep them off the board."
Of course, shutouts in baseball aren't just passed out like candy on Halloween. Three runs hardly seemed too much to ask from the home team on its Senior Day.
Instead, missed opportunities ruled.
In the fifth, Nebraska's Jesse Boyer was stranded on second when Simokatis' hard-hit ground ball was stopped by diving OU first baseman Ole Sheldon, who turned a potential double into the final out.
In the sixth, Nebraska had runners on second and third with one out. Then, John Grose had his knees buckle on a called third strike and, two batters later, Bruce flew out to deep left-center with the bases full.
NUdid scratch home a run in the eighth whenMullinax - who went 2 for 4 with a double - scored on an RBI groundout from Curtis Ledbetter.
Nebraska looked as though it might snag a win when Colin Shockey led the final inning with a bloop single. The next batter, Bruce, failed to move Shockey to second when his bunt attempt carried right to the glove of Sheldon.
Even so, Chad Steele came up next and singled, moving Shockey to third. Steele moved to second on a wild pitch.
But Boyer struck out, Simokaitis flew out and Nebraska's post-game dugout contained some disgusted ballplayers.
Mullinax said the Huskers still feel like they can play with anybody in the conference.
"Our goals are still real high, believe it or not," he said.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@;journalstar.com.
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