The Nebraska baseball team’s search for a Friday starter is officially on.

The Florida Marlins announced Friday that they’ve signed junior left-hander Dan Jennings, their ninth-round pick in the June 6 Major League draft.

The 6-foot-3 West Des Moines, Iowa, native went 6-3, with four saves and a 3.39 earned-run average in 23 appearances for NU in 2008. This summer, he made one relief outing for the Cotuit (Mass.) Kettleers of the collegiate Cape Cod League, earning a win while giving up two runs in three innings.

Jennings was the starter for Nebraska’s Big 12 Conference Tournament and NCAA regional openers, but spent most of the season as a mid-week starter and weekend reliever. He figured to be the top candidate to start next season.

Jennings was the one of two Husker junior pitchers taken in the top 10 rounds. Aaron Pribanic, NU’s Sunday starter in 2008, was a third-round choice of Seattle and has indicated he’ll sign with the Mariners before the Aug. 15 deadline.

NU’s other two weekend starters this season — Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber — were seniors.

Nebraska has two right-handed pitching recruits who still could wind up in school after being drafted. Curtis Petersen, from Aubrey, Texas, was picked by Florida in the fourth round, and Grand Island’s Kash Kalkowski was a 49th-round selection of Tampa Bay.

— Curt McKeever