Huskers stun No. 1 Texas
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By Curt McKeever
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Nebraska baseball team couldn't have put a better first entry on a resume it hopes will lead to an NCAA regional berth than what it produced here at the Big 12 Conference Tournament Wednesday night.
With left-hander Justin Pekarek in complete command while extending his consecutive-innings scoreless streak to a school-record 331/3, the Huskers took advantage of a fourth-inning break en route to a 5-2 upset of top-ranked Texas.
"That was the one I've been waiting for. Now we roll," said Pekarek, a senior from Staplehurst and one of three native Nebraskans who sparked NU in its tourney opener at Ameriquest Field.
The eighth-seeded Huskers (36-21) advanced to face fourth-seeded Oklahoma State, which beat Texas A&M 6-5, in a winners' bracket contest today at 8 p.m.
Nebraska, loser of its final seven league series, evened its record against the Longhorns (48-12) this season to 2-2. Pekarek was the winning pitcher in both victories.
Wednesday, he set down the Longhorns' leadoff hitter in the first six innings and also pitched out of trouble in the second and fourth innings during a gutty outing that left improved his record to 8-1.
The Longhorns finally got to Pekarek in the seventh, when Drew Stubbs' one-out double scored Robby Hudson and Ryan Russ to make it 5-2. But before that, Pekarek had them hanging out to dry.
With runners at first and third and one out in the second, Pekarek fanned Hunter Harris, then got Stubbs to hit a fielder's-choice grounder to shortstop Joe Simokaitis.
In the fourth, Texas threatened after J.D. Reininger tripled with one out on a ball left fielder Jesse Boyer tried to get on a diving grab. Undaunted, Pekarek retired Hudson on a nubber to third baseman Alex Gordon before getting Michael Hollimon to bounce another pitch to Gordon for the final out.
"I just felt something," Pekarek said. "We played good and it finally came out on our side tonight."
Nebraska — which matched its all-time high of 16 strikeouts and failed to score with two on and two out in the first inning after Sam LeCure struck out Curtis Ledbetter, was the beneficiary of some much-needed luck in its half of the fourth.
The Huskers loaded the bases with no outs when Jake Mullinax reached on an error by third baseman Reininger, Gordon walked and Ledbetter was hit by a pitch after twice failing to get down a bunt. The right-handed sophomore LeCure, who entered with a 7-2 record and 2.39 ERA, gave himself a great chance to get out unscathed when he retired John Grose on a fly to shallow left field and struck out Colin Shockey.
Daniel Bruce then hit a routine grounder back to Reininger, who booted it for an error that gave NU a 1-0 lead. Chad Steele, the No. 9 hitter, then pulled a 2-0 pitch to right for a two-run single before Boyer laced an RBI double that took a bad hop past first baseman Curtis Thigpen to leave the Huskers up 4-0.
"I was sitting on a fastball and he threw a slider," said Steele, a sophomore from Omaha Gross, of his timely hit. "Fortunately, I was able to stay out in front enough to drive it."
NU went up 5-0 in the seventh, when it again loaded the bases with no outs but needed Bruce to be hit by a two-out pitch from Buck Cody.
But with Mike Sillman, a senior from Millard South, striking out five during an effective 22/3 scoreless innings of relief that left him with his fifth save, the Huskers had produced more than enough to advance with a victory.
"Once ‘Pek' got into that jam, we said it's Sillman time," NU coach Mike Anderson said of making an earlier-than-usual call for his closer. "He did the same thing (as Pekarek) — got that first strike and got into a rhythm."
Nebraska will send another native son, left-handed sophomore Zach Kroenke of Omaha Northwest (7-4, 3.07 earned-run average) to the mound tonight, while OSU will counter with left-handed junior Spencer Grogan (11-2, 2.93).
Grogan, who missed a start at Missouri last weekend because of tendinitis, threw a complete game against NU on May 9 in a 6-2 win by the Cowboys.
The previous day, OSU beat the Huskers 7-4 in a game that Kroenke allowed all seven runs over 61/3 innings.
"Our goal is to take a day off on Friday," said Anderson, a reference to the fact that tonight's winner earns a day of rest instead of having to battle back through the losers' bracket. "We haven't done anything, to be blunt. It's just a start."
One, though, that couldn't have been better.
"Things go our way like that more often," said Pekarek, who has four wins against ranked competition, "we're going to get some more."
Briefly
A school-record nine NU baseball players were named to the Big 12 Conference All-Academic Team.
The list is headed by two-time honorees Daniel Bruce and Curtis Ledbetter. Bruce, an outfielder, was selected to the first team for the second time after posting a 3.8 grade-point average in English.
Joining him on the first team were Husker pitchers Justin Pekarek, Mike Sillman, Jeremy Becker and Dustin Timm.
First baseman Ledbetter, catcher John Grose, second baseman Jake Mullinax and pitcher Phil Shirek were named to the second team.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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