Ready or not, Omaha, here come the Huskers

They came packing hammers. Hitters, pitchers, even coaches. And with carpenter-like precision, the Nebraska baseball team nailed down its third berth to the College World Series Saturday by beating Miami 6-3 before the largest crowd (8,711) in Haymarket Park history.

Next stop for the No. 3 national seed after its sweep in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series is a game against Cal State Fullerton or Arizona State at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium on Friday.

"I'm just as thrilled as I can be for these guys to have this," coach Mike Anderson said. "They'll have it the rest of their lives."

Thanks to their hammers.

Offensively, the Huskers smacked three home runs, including All-American Alex Gordon's towering, two-run shot off the light pole behind the deepest part of the park in left-center field that gave them a 2-0 first-inning lead.

Senior shortstop Joe Simokaitis also sent a pitch from Miami starter Brandon Camardese deep to left that bounced off the bathroom and completely out of the park to lead off the third. Freshman designated hitter Ryan Bohanan, who had a two-run double in the third inning to knock Camardese from the mound, also hit a line shot out to left for his first career homer leading off the eighth.

"We knew he was going to try to come out and (get us with) a lot of first-pitch strikes," Bohanan said of Camardese, a senior lefty who was 6-0. "If he did that, we knew we were going to be in some trouble, so if he puts that fastball over the plate the first pitch, hammer it. Hit your pitch, don't hit his pitch."

Nebraska also had its hammer on the mound — right-handed freshman Johnny Dorn — pounding doubt into the nation's eighth-most productive offense.

Over 61/3 innings, Dorn scattered five hits and gave up just one run on Jon Jay's fourth-inning homer to notch his 12th straight win.

The Hurricanes missed an opportunity in the seventh when Brendan Katin was called out for obstructing catcher Jeff Christy's ability to catch his pop-up. That left Miami with runners at the corners and one out, and the Hurricanes eventually came up empty-handed when Walter Diaz flew out to right fielder Andy Gerch and Gerch gunned down Danny Valencia at the plate.

After that, Miami scored twice off left-handed junior Brian Duensing in the eighth. But the Huskers called on right-handed junior Brett Jensen, who retired all five batters he faced to earn his 15th save of the season.

In the end, Miami, a 3-1 loser on Friday, was held to four runs in two consecutive NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 1979.

"It's kind of surprising," Dorn said. "But this pitching staff and this defense, this team, is very special. Any kind of offense, I think we can do what we do and just come up with a victory."

It was all a little mesmerizing to Miami leadoff hitter Danny Figueroa, who went 0-for-6 and scored a lone run in the series.

"We're a great hitting team and when we're on, we're on," he said. "You've got to get things going, and we didn't. I give the credit to the pitchers of Nebraska. They came after us great."

Pitching coach Rob Childress witnessed that constant attack from his hidden perch in the dugout, and it moved him to bang his hammer, too.

It's a real one with the words "Attitude Adjuster" painted on the handle.

Nebraska keeps two of them handy. According to Childress, a fan presented one to Anderson during NU's final regular-season series against Kansas State, and when Childress complimented him for the workmanship, the fan showed up the next day with another one.

"We've kept them in the dugout, and we started winning. Took them to the Big 12 Tournament," Childress said. "Everybody uses them if they feel like they need to release some (energy). I think I did it every inning (today)."

His forceful swings were fitting for a team that now has the hammer down as it motors toward Omaha.

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.