It's all good for Wehrle, Cornhuskers
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
OMAHA — This is freshman Ryan Wehrle's back yard. Like he's going to bite his nails because it's the College World Series and ESPN and Harold Reynolds are in the house.
In the sixth inning of Nebraska's 5-3 win over Arizona State Friday night, the Husker second baseman severely wounded the Sun Devils with both his glove and bat. Throw a guy out at the plate. Knock a two-RBI single right back at the pitcher's head. It was all Wehrle all the time.
"That has been a dream since I can't remember," said Wehrle of his CWS heroics. "I moved (to Papillion) from small-town Nebraska when I was 10 and we'd come to these games every year. It was just a dream come true."
Wehrle's throw out came in the top of the sixth, when Colin Curtis tried to score on a double to right center by Tuffy Gosewisch. Two Sun Devils had already scored on the hit to give them their only lead of the night.
But it was the greedy attempt to try to score three on that hit with one out that had Arizona State coach Pat Murphy shaking his head.
"It was a great play by the Cornhuskers," Murphy said. "We probably shouldn't have sent (Curtis). That was a mistake forcing the action. You got to figure a team at this level can throw a guy out on that play.
Said NU coach Mike Anderson of the throw: "He didn't try to over-throw that. It was accurate and up the line… That throw was just great in a clutch situation, because you can overthrow it. But he put it on a long hop just like you want."
Wehrle was feeling even better in the bottom of the sixth when he lined a single up the middle against Brett Bordes on a fastball. It scored Andy Gerch and Ryan Bohanan and gave Nebraska a 4-3 lead it would not relinquish.
"I was just put in a good situation at the plate," Wehrle said. "I looked for a good pitch to hit and I put a good swing on it. With the bases loaded and no outs, I knew he had to throw a good pitch."
Wehrle's hit came on the first pitch offered by Brett Bordes, who had come into relieve Zechry Zinicola with the bases full.
"That was big-time," said Husker senior shortstop Joe Simokaitis. "There was no hesitation at all. That's a big thing for him as a freshman and that's also a big thing for this team.
"Teams that hesitate don't go far."
While Wehrle didn't want to get too far ahead in talking about where he and this Husker team are going, he did admit: "I'm sure everyone on the team, with the way we're playing, can't help but dream big."
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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