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LJS: Rewired for more power, Huskers get a jump-start

Nebraska isn't going unplugged just because Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly have gone on to pro baseball.

Sure, Pritchard, a mainstay in left field, and Kelly, a standard at second base, produced the most hits and most RBIs for the Huskers last year.

But there is no power outage, said NU's fourth-year head coach Darin Erstad, heading into the Huskers' three-game season-opening series at UNLV.

Of course, the coach is going to say that. But consider that Husker closer Josh Roeder and pitching coach Ted Silva confess Nebraska has plenty of power at the plate.

"I see guys swinging with a lot of confidence and hitting a lot of line drives," Roeder said. "They get your attention in a hurry." Silva said he sees his pitchers hitting the strike zone and hitters smacking the pitches hard. He added that the new, flatter-seam baseball (one-sixteenth of an inch lower) will add life to the offense and make games more exciting. "I see our guys hitting the ball pretty darn hard," he said.

"We've got power from top to bottom and we're not relying on one guy or two guys to get it done," Erstad said. "We have a lot of guys back who had big hits for us in the past. Now, they're naturally stronger from our weight program, they are more confident from experience and smarter at the plate.

"And we've got young guys who can drive a baseball - like Luis Alvarado and Scott Schreiber."

The philosophy is basic. Get the most out of every at-bat, Erstad said.

"You go to the plate, grind it out and pick your spots," he said. "Put a good rip on it. Until you have two strikes, it's their at-bat. With two strikes, we want guys to lock it in, keep strikeouts down and drive to the middle of the field."

First baseman Ben Miller and catcher Tanner Lubach have opened up the field and have power numbers, Erstad said.

"Austin Darby has the same type of thing going, with the ability to go to the opposite gap, but the power to drive a ball over the plate to the inside," he said. Austin Christensen and even new second baseman Jake Schleppenbach have "sneaky doubles to home-run power," he said.

The power will also be more balanced this year.

"Last year, we were more left-handed-dominant in our batting order and we faced a lot of left-handed pitching - really good arms and didn't hit that well or score that much near the end of the season," he said. "I know that a lot of the same lefties are back this year in the Big Ten. But we have more depth and a better ability to balance righties and lefties."

Briefly

* Asked about a prediction by D1 Baseball that Nebraska would play host to a NCAA regional with Arkansas, Stony Brook and Miami, Erstad laughed, "I'll take that regional. I'll take those teams. I'd love a regional here."

* On UNLV, Erstad said: "Solid No. 2 seed in the NCAA regionals last year and a lot of veteran guys, and guys who can pitch. They'll throw a guy Friday (junior lefty Zak Qualls) who we saw two years ago and a guy on Saturday who was a good freshman last year."

* On working with new hitting coach Mike Kirby: "We'll be stealing more, but maybe not much more. Definitely more stealing third. He's got the signs, the bunt plays, the details all worked out and I think the team understands."

* On opening the season: "I love the color red. But I'm am tired of Husker on Husker. We need a different venue, a different opponent."

* On the returning players in the Big Ten and conference competition, where NU was picked No. 2 in a preseason poll: "Indiana has all these guys back. Illinois has everybody back. Ohio State recruited well. Michigan is a team we see as a really good one." He laughed, then joked, "I don't know why we have to play the games."

* On season-opening pitching: "We plan on Kyle Kubat, Chance Sinclair and Max Knutson going no more than 80 pitches. That means we may use everybody, like we did the opening weekends last year."

A closer look at the Big Ten

Illinois: Illini return five pitchers who started last season, including Kevin Duchene.

Indiana: Defending Big Ten champ has some big holes to fill; lost Kyle Schwarber.

Iowa: Hawkeyes went 31-23 in 2014, Rick Heller's first year as coach.

Maryland: Terps are coming off program's first Super Regional appearance.

Michigan: Wolverines are coming off a 30-win season; closer Jacob Cronenworth returns.

Michigan State: Spartans have speedster Cam Gibson, son of ex-MLBer Kirk Gibson.

Minnesota: Gophers return two weekend starters from last year's team that finished fourth.

Nebraska: Huskers will ride the arms of Chance Sinclair and Kyle Kubat.

Northwestern: Wildcats return their top five hitters, including sophomore Matt Hopfner.

Ohio State: Buckeyes return seven position players who started a season ago.

Penn State: Nittany Lions have won just 32 games overall the past two seasons.

Purdue: Boilermakers went 13-37 last year, two seasons removed from a Big Ten title.

Rutgers: Scarlet Knights will rely on the arm of sophomore Gaby Rosa (6-3 last year).

LJS: Rewired for more power, Huskers get a jump
 
LJS: Erstad looks at NU position players

Nebraska position capsules, with quotes from coach Darin Erstad

Outfield

RF Austin Darby, sr. Three strong years, 145 starts in 159 games, and finished last season strong in the NCAA regional. Power is there, with 16 extra-base hits last year and 84 RBIs. Will lead off this season.

CF Ryan Boldt, so. Freshman All-American, NCAA regional and Big Ten all-tourney player has added power. Hit .311 (.437 slugging), with 20 extra-base hits. Was biggest in the Big Ten tourney and NCAA regional; often overlooked on defense.

LF Christian Cox, sr.; Luis Alvarado, fr.; or Elijay Dilday (injured). "Alvarado can drive a baseball. Cox showed us plenty in the NCAA regional and he's improved." Cox is a lefty and Alvarado hits from the right side. Either could bat second.

Others - Freshman Jake Meyers (Omaha Westside) will probably stick with pitching for now, but has plenty of power and speed.

Infielders

1B Austin Christensen, jr. Can hit for power and is also a set-up reliever. Freshman Scott Schreiber has caught the eye of hitting coach Mike Kirby and Erstad. Christensen had a .327 on-base percentage last season and Schreiber was listed as the No. 2 player in Wisconsin in high school.

2B Jake Schleppenbach, so. He has the job for now. The Lincoln Pius X grad had outstanding season at Hutchinson (Kansas) CC last year and has "sneaky doubles and home-run power." Jake Placzek, a junior who bats right, as opposed to the lefty Schleppenbach, will compete. Placzek was a key fill-in for injured players last season, starting at shortstop or third in 56 of 59 games. Currently out with finger injury.

SS Steven Reveles, sr. After he recovered from injury, became sterling shortstop, hitting .262 with .329 on-base percentage and .937 fielding percentage. "He is solid and has beaten some good competition for the job this year." Wes Edrington, so., started at shortstop in 2013 before missing last season with knee injury. Great range and solid arm.

3B Blake Headley, sr. Second-team All-Big Ten at first base last season and returning to third, where he played in 2013 as an impressive replacement for injured Josh Scheffert. "More power and back at third should be comfortable for Blake." Headley has base-stealing ability, too.

Freshmen - Matt Leuty, a left-handed-hitting option anywhere in the infield. Nik Miroshnichenko is "super utility guy who can play anywhere and handle the bat."

Catcher Tanner Lubach, sr. Has shown increase in power, with 14 extra-base hits last season. "Not just opposite field but hitting hard doubles and has home-run power." Handles pitchers well and "has confidence to work with the entire pitching staff and Coach (Ted) Silva." Taylor Fish, jr., played in 24 games and hit .262 last year. Came through with big games when Lubach was injured. Nathan Chunn, so., transfer from Modesto (California) JC, hit .294 last year in 32 games.

DH Ben Miller, so. Also is left-handed reliever. Hit .316 with three doubles and two home runs last season and has improved his swing to where Nebraska is counting on plenty of RBIs.

LJS: Erstad looks at NU position players
 
LJS: Silva looks at NU pitching staff

Nebraska pitching coach Ted Silva gives his take on the Husker staff.

No. 1 starter - Chance Sinclair, RHP, sr. In his first season at NU, was 9-1 with 2.15 ERA; has it all, from speed to control. "He throws strikes, all kinds of them, and I can call any pitch at any time and he will fill the box with anything he throws."

No. 2 starter - Kyle Kubat, LHP, sr. Went 5-2 with 4.55 ERA last year, and is 15-3 with 3.07 ERA in his career. Bothered by slow start in 2013 and midseason injury last year, but has been on Big Ten all-tourney team last two years. "Old reliable. He pitches so good in big games for us. He is aggressive and looks as good as ever."

No. 3 starter - Max Knutson, LHP, so. Made six appearances out of bullpen last year. "Can go deep into a game with his arm strength. Developed well this last summer and fall and is ready to take the ball. Needs to believe in himself."

Closer - Josh Roeder, RHP, sr. Was 3-1 with 2.21 ERA last season. In two years, has 18 saves - second-most in NU history. Had 21 strikeouts and six walks in 22 appearances last year. On preseason Stopper of the Year watch list; had a great summer. "He gives everything he has, and that is a lot. Great mix of pitches and is working with his off-speed pitches for strikes."

Set-up reliever - Colton Howell, RHP, jr. Was 1-0 with 4.02 ERA in 2014. Recorded 18 Ks in 19 2/3 innings, and had five sterling appearances to close the season. "Best arm on the team. Late-inning guy who could hand off to Roeder. His development has him ready for all kinds of roles."

Set-up reliever - Austin Christensen, LHP, jr. Went 3-0 with 4.95 ERA in 2014. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, the first baseman/reliever has a key role this year. "Late-innings type and the first lefty out of the bullpen. Throws strikes with three pitches."

Set-up reliever - Ben Miller, LHP, so. Started 29 games as DH, with plenty of power and hit .316. "(We) got to see just a bit on the mound last year, but will see more this year."

Starter/reliever - Jake Hohensee, RHP, so. Lincoln East grad was 0-3 with 5.08 ERA last year in 18 appearances. "When he sees the game slow down, he's the guy who can fill any role for us - starter to closer."

Starter/reliever - Derek Burkemper, RHP, so. Was 0-1 with 8.59 ERA last year in just five appearances. "Finally (has) time to work into being a pitcher. No longer just hoping for his ability and could become a weekend starter."

Reliever - Jeff Chesnut, RHP, jr. Went 0-1 with 3.24 ERA in last season. "(Has) quality pitches and throws in that 88-92 mph range."

Newcomers

Reece Eddins, RHP, fr. No. 12 player overall in Missouri last year. "Three-pitch mix. Makes it look easy at 6-5, 203 pounds."

Zack Engelken, RHP, fr. Led Blue Valley West (Overland Park, Kansas) to four state tourney appearances. "Fastball, changeup and has one of the better curveballs."

Nate Fisher, LHP, fr. Yutan team captain in football, basketball and baseball. Journal Star second-team Super-Stater. "Now he can focus on pitching after playing everything in high school. Developing enough stuff."

Byron Hood, RHP, fr. Helped lead Norris to state high school title and Hickman to three state American Legion titles. Two-time Journal Star Super-Stater. "Trying to harness his arm and get his best, which looks very good."

Garrett King, RHP, fr. Drafted in 36th round by New York Mets last summer. "Enough ability and has a four-pitch mix with a lot of strikes."

Jake McSteen, LHP, fr. One of top lefties in Virginia. "Late-game reliever and could become a starter."

Jake Meyers, LHP, fr. Journal Star Super-State honorary captain; considered one of the best outfielders in the state the last few years. "A bulldog. A complete athlete and will separate himself as a pitcher. His dad (Paul) was a great baseball player."

Mitch Steinhoff, LHP, fr. Helped Crete reach state tourney with 96 Ks in 54 1/3 innings. "Good arm and we'll see what he decides for his role on the team."

LJS: Silva looks at NU pitching staff
 
LJS - Q&A with Ryan Boldt: New season, same approach

There was no false advertising here. Ryan Boldt arrived at Nebraska a year ago with weighty expectations, the Minnesota kid who'd been drafted in the 22nd round by the Red Sox and named the No. 2 freshman nationally by Baseball America. Well, all Boldt did was go out and hit .311 and lead the Huskers in runs (47) and triples (six). In Nebraska's final 10 games of 2014, he hit .357, with three doubles, two triples and nine runs. What might the outfielder do now with a year under his belt? We're about to find out, but not before we first talk with him about "Breaking Bad," the goodness of Joe Mauer and his thoughts on his movement in the Husker lineup.

On shifting from the leadoff spot to the No. 3 spot: "It's just a different spot in the lineup. I'm not going to change my approach or what I do - looking for pitches and stuff. I'm still going to try to keep the same mindset and not try to do too much. Let the game come, get some swings off and hopefully good things happen."

Describing Darin Erstad: "Hard to read. … But it's nice being with him every day in the outfield. You get a little inside peek."

Biggest jokesters on the team: "Probably (Kyle) Kubat or Max (Knutson). I don't know if they're pranksters, but they're just kind of off-the-wall. They're left-handed pitchers, so. …"

Something people don't know about him: "I don't know what I do besides baseball. What do I do besides baseball?"

Favorite baseball experience: "Probably Big Ten Tournament last year (in Omaha), championship game, playing in front of 20,000 fans. That was exciting. Awesome. Something I'll never forget."

Guilty pleasure show: "I don't know. I don't really watch 'The Bachelor' or anything. I watch 'Breaking Bad.' I watch 'Scandal.' 'Breaking Bad' is a good show. Great storylines."

About his Minnesota Twins fandom: "The games were always on in my house. Grew up watching them. Went to games in the Metrodome while I was growing up, which was cool. My brother brought me up there a couple times. That's kind of how it all started. My family was a baseball family. A sports family, I guess."

Favorite Twin: "Joe Mauer. He obviously gets things done on the field. He's the local boy, St. Paul and everything, which is kind of cool. He just plays the game the right way. You don't really hear much about him outside of baseball, which is good."

One Hall of Famer or current player he'd be nervous to meet: "I want to meet Mike Trout. That'd be pretty cool. He's the best player in the league, I think."

On trying to pick up where he left off in 2014: "That's baseball. You get away from it for a while, which is good, then you come back right to it and grind for another eight months or however many we play. I enjoy it. It's difficult getting away from it and coming back to it. But I think it's good at the same time to get that break."

On the hope of a new season: "We've got to be ready from the get-go. There's no waiting around. We've got to be ready from Pitch One."

LJS - Q&A with Ryan Boldt
 
LJS: Forever confident Kubat cherishing every last moment

Nebraska senior Kyle Kubat is humble enough to tell you about the time when tears welled in his eyes.

He's glad to tell you because Kubat is, as people often say, comfortable in his skin.

Kubat knows himself well. He knows who he is away from the baseball diamond, and certainly knows who he is on it. That's an underrated quality in an athlete - knowing thyself. Understanding his or her limitations while simultaneously operating with supreme confidence.

A 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed pitcher from Omaha, Kubat knows exactly what he needs to do to send batters back to the dugout shaking their heads in frustration. He also understands precisely how much he adores the game.

Which helps explain his emotional reaction last fall when Nebraska coach Darin Erstad gathered the Huskers for the first team meeting.

"I almost started tearing up a little bit, because I don't want to leave this place," Kubat says.

The past three seasons have been a whirlwind. Now, he says, he won't take any moments for granted.

"I remember being a scared little freshman, and Coach Erstad's talking to us about the season and everything that's going to happen, and that it's all going to be so fast," Kubat says.

Erstad, of course, knew from experience. He knew from being a former Husker and major-league star. Life moves quickly. There are ups and downs.

Kubat now has his own experiences. Think about his college career, about all the bumps and challenging twists that accompanied his big moments. Moments such as last May 24, when his dominating, 8 2/3-inning performance against Michigan sent NU to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

Or moments such as the one in April of 2013, when he pitched five innings of no-hit ball against 10th-ranked Arkansas before teammates Tyler Niederklein and Dylan Vogt finished off the nine-inning no-no.

Kubat, 15-3 with a sparking 3.07 ERA in three seasons at Nebraska, is set to be the No. 2 starter this season. He cherishes the role, especially considering his arm issues of the last two seasons. As a sophomore, he missed the first 33 games. Last season, he was held out the first two series and missed the next weekend after being suspended for a violation of team rules.

Relegated to midweek duty, he returned to the weekend rotation only when senior Christian DeLeon experienced arm troubles late in the season. Kubat finished with a 4.55 ERA, by far the highest of his career.

Through it all, Kubat learned to remain even-keeled and came to better understand that some things in life are beyond his control.

His confidence never wavered. He's always been confident. Nebraska pitching coach Ted Silva likes to tell the story of Kubat's first fall in the program, when the smallish lefty kept the team's veteran hitters off-balance while throwing only 79-81 mph.

"It's nice to have velocity," Kubat says. "At the same time, I stick to who I am and what I'm good at. And I'm not going to change who I am."

Kubat, at his best, mixes his fastball and change-up. He moves pitches inside and out and up and down - he changes eye levels, as pitchers like to say. He entices batters to swing at pitches outside the strike zone. He might overpower a batter on occasion, but generally it's his craftiness that sets him apart.

"He'll mix his fastball and change-up in any count," says NU senior catcher Tanner Lubach. "He's the guy who's fine with throwing his change-up on a 3-1 count. If you're a hitter in there looking for a 3-1 change-up, well, good for you."

Kubat developed his style over a period of several years. He says he took time to process the game and understand how he could operate.

He's a baseball guy, pure and simple. When he was 10, 11, 12 - into his early teens - he would attend College World Series games at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha and stay all day and into the night. He would run to the team buses to get autographs. He would watch games, go play Little League ball, then return to Rosenblatt. It was a charmingly simple existence.

"My mom says I never really ran around (Rosenblatt)," he says. "I sat there, and I watched."

He has favorite pro pitchers - Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer. But he doesn't pattern himself after anybody.

"I never fully try to emulate another person, because then I'm not being who I am," Kubat says. "I'm going to stick to what I do best."

That's all Erstad asks. Erstad says "Kyle just needs to be Kyle."

That should be no problem at all.

LJS: Forever confident Kubat cherishing moment
 
NU: Huskers Open 2015 Campaign in Las Vegas

Friday, Feb. 13 - 8:05 p.m. (CT)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (0-0) vs. LHP Qualls (0-0)
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (REBEL TV)
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, Feb. 14 - 4:05 p.m. (CT)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (0-0) vs. RHP Oakley (0-0)
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (REBEL TV)
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, Feb. 15 - 3:05 p.m. (CT)
Probable Starters: LHP Knutson (0-0) vs. RHP Myers (0-0
TV: None
Stream: Free Radio (Huskers.com) | Video Stream (REBEL TV)
Radio: Husker Sports Network

Huskers Open 2015 at UNLV
After putting together a 41-21 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2008, the Nebraska baseball team looks to build on last year's success in 2015. The process starts on Friday, Feb. 13, at 8:05 p.m. (CT) when the Huskers open the 2015 campaign in Las Vegas, Nev., with the first game of a three-game series against the UNLV Rebels. The Huskers will be looking to avenge a series loss to the Rebels last season in Lincoln, while the Huskers haven't played in Las Vegas since 1987.

Senior Chance Sinclair is scheduled to start the season opener, and the third-team preseason All-American (Collegiate Baseball) will be looking to pick up his 10th career win after posting 9-1 record last year. Fellow senior Kyle Kubat is set to take the mound for game two on Saturday at 4:05 p.m., while sophomore Max Knutson is scheduled to make his first career start in the finale on Sunday at 3:05 p.m.

On the Radio
Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM and 94.5 FM in Lincoln - and live on the Internet at Huskers.com or the Official Husker App.

TV Coverage
None of this weekend's games in Las Vegas will be on TV.

Web Streams
All three games between the Huskers and Rebels are scheduled to be streamed live on REBEL TV at unlvrebels.com/videos and will be free.

Veteran Group
Nebraska's senior class includes eight members who all played a role in Nebraska's return to the NCAA Tournament last season. The eight member class is made up of five position players who have combined to start 399 games, while three pitchers have made 94 combined appearances, including 44 starts.

Reloading the Offense
The Huskers enter the 2015 season without two key members of their offense from a year ago in Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly. Both members of Nebraska's 200-hit club, Pritchard and Kelly combined for 31 of NU's 98 doubles, seven of the team's 19 home runs and 104 of the squad's 331 RBIs last season. Pritchard and Kelly were mainstays in the Huskers lineup over the past three seasons, but as the season progresses Head Coach Darin Erstad believes that the 2015 squad has players that can step up and carry the offensive load this season.

Masters on the Mound
Three seniors on NU's 2015 pitching staff enter the season ranked in the top-15 on NU"s career ERA chart. Chance Sinclair enters the year with a 2.15 career ERA, with ranks second to Trevor Bullock's school-record career ERA of 2.13. Josh Roeder ranks third on the list with a 2.28 ERA, while Kyle Kubat enters the season with a 3.07 career ERA, which ranks 12th all time.

Close the Doors
After playing his freshman season at Louisburg College in North Carolina, Josh Roeder joined the Huskers in 2013 and helped solidify the back end of NU's bullpen. During the 2013 season, Roeder saw most of his action in a setup role to Dylan Vogt, but did collect six saves. Roeder took over the closer role in 2014 and saved 12 games. Roeder enters the 2015 season ranked second in NU history with 18 career saves and needs 14 saves in 2015 to break Brett Jensen's school record of 31 saves.

Winning Weekend
The opening weekend of the college baseball season has not gone well for the Huskers of late. Nebraska hasn't posted a winning record during the season's first weekend since 2011 when NU went 4-1 with wins over Missouri State, Washington and Air Force after starting the year with a loss to Texas State.

The Huskers went 0-3 against Gonzaga to open the 2012 season, then went 0-4 in 2013 with losses to CSU Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton (2 games) and USC. Last season, the Huskers went 2-2 to start the year with wins over Pacific and Gonzaga, along with losses to Oregon State and Gonzaga.

29 Hits to Go
After Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly each joined Nebraska 200-hit club last season, senior Austin Darby is 29 hits away from becoming the program's 23rd member.

If he joins the club, Darby would be the fourth Husker to join over the past three seasons, as Chad Christensen ended his career with 247 hits in 2013.

Prior to Christensen, Jake Opitz was the last Husker to join the club in 2008.

Matt Hopper holds the school record with 338 career hits and is one of just two players in school history to have topped 300 hits.

NU 200-Career Hit Club



1. 338 Matt Hopper 2000-03

2. 305 Jeff Leise 2000-03

3. 281 Will Bolt 1999-02

4. 261 Darin Erstad 1993-95

5. 251 Michael Pritchard 2001-14

6. 250 Paul Meyers 1984-86

7. 249 Joe Simokaitis 2002-05

8. 248 Jed Dalton 1992-95

9. 247 Chad Christensen 2010-13

10. 246 Darin Petersen 1992-95

11. 242 Mark Kister 1985-87

12. 240 Alex Gordon 2003-05

13. 238 DJ Belfonte 2007-10

14. 234 Todd Sears 1995-97

15. 231 Daniel Bruce 2002-05

16. 229 Ken Ramos 1987-89

17. 227 Jake Opitz 2005-08

18. 223 Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05

19. 222 John Cole 1999-01

20. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14

21. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99

22. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97

Experienced Lefty
Senior Kyle Kubat enters the season with 28 career starts on the mound, which ranks 14th all time at Nebraska. The lefty from Waterloo, Neb., started eight games in each of his first two seasons before making 12 starts last year.

If Kubat starts at least 12 games in 2015 he will become the first Husker since Johnny Dorn to make at least 40 career start. Dorn ranks second all-time at Nebraska with 58 career starts from 2000 to 2003.

Since 2000, only four pitchers at Nebraska have made at least 40 career starts, including Shane Komine (59), Dorn (58), Jamie Rodrigue (53) and Zach Kroenke (41).

Not Nice to Steal
Senior catcher Tanner Lubach enters 2015 with 33 runners caught stealing, which ranks third all-time at Nebraska. Lubach has been the Huskers' primary catcher each of the past two seasons after transferring to Nebraska following one year at Hutchinson Community College.

Cory Burleson (2009-12) holds the school record with 46 runners caught stealing, while current volunteer assistant Jeff Christy ranks second with 38 runners caught stealing in just two years behind the plate in 2005 and 2006.

Topping 100
Senior Austin Darby is 16 RBIs away from becoming the 44th Husker since 1986 to notch 100 RBIs for their career.

Blake Headley (58) and Tanner Lubach (54) also have a chance to join the club this year, but both would need to have career years, as neither has produced even a 30-RBI season.

Pat Kelly joined the club last year and ended his three-year career with 125 RBIs, while Michael Pritchard fell four RBIs short of 100 career RBIs.

Matt Hopper is the only Husker to ever top the 200-RBI mark, with a school-record 271 RBIs.

Banking on Boldt
After being named the No. 2 freshman in country by Baseball America last season, Ryan Boldt lived up to the hype by earning All-Big Tournament and NCAA Regional All-Tournament honors, as well as Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America accolades.

On the season, Boldt hit .311 with 74 hits, while leading the team in runs (47) and triples (6). His six triples were the most by a Husker since Jeff Leise hit seven in 2003.

Most impressively Boldt was at his best late in the year when games mattered the most. Over NU's final 10 games of the 2014 season he led the team in average (.357), hits (15), doubles (3), triples (2) and runs (9).

Boldt hit leadoff for the Huskers over NU's final 29 games, when they went 22-7, but is expected to hit in the No. 3 or 4 hole in 2015.

Keep Grinding
If you could use one word to describe the 2014 Huskers it would be - "grind". Nebraska was one of the most resilient teams in the country during the 2014 season.

A total of 16 times the Huskers were behind or tied after six innings and came back to win, including two games at the Big Ten Tournament and a game at the NCAA Tournament.

Confidence in the Pen
During the first three years of Darin Erstad's tenure at Nebraska, the Husker bullpen has done its job when it has a lead. Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 79-11 since 2012 when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 81-6 when leading after eight innings and nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 90-4 record.

Like Your Chances with Sinclair
A third-team All-American and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten performer last season, senior Chance Sinclair is scheduled to start Nebraska's season opener on Friday night against UNLV.

Sinclair posted a 9-1 record last season, including a perfect 6-0 record during Big Ten play. The right-hander went 6.0 or more innings in 13 of his 16 starts in 2014, including nine outings of at least 7.0 innings or more and a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State.

Bonus Baseball
For the first time since 2008, the Nebraska baseball qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.

The selection snapped a five-year postseason drought for the Huskers, who made their 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their ninth since 2000. Nebraska made five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1999 to 2003.

The Huskers will now look to make the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back season for the first time since 2007 and 2008. The Huskers made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2005 to 2008.

Get out the Bats
Nebraska has been one of the top offensive teams the past three season both in the Big Ten and nationally. The Huskers hold an 81-10 record under head coach Darin Erstad when they out hit the opposition.

NU: Huskers Open 2015 Campaign in Las Vegas
 
UNLV: Rebels To Open 2015 Season Against No. 23 Nebraska

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball (0-0) opens its 2015 season on Friday at 6:05 p.m. against No. 23 Nebraska (0-0). The Rebels and Huskers will play a three-game series going through Sunday. All three games will be broadcast on Sports Radio 920 The Game, as Dug Dugless will have the call with analysts Josh Towers (Friday and Saturday) and Clay Baker (Sunday). The game will also be streamed at UNLVRebels.com. The Rebels boast a 31-17 opening day record and this will be the third consecutive year that the team will open its season at home. Nebraska is the first ranked team to open against the Rebels since UNLV traveled to Cal State Fullerton. Last season the Rebels took two-of-three games from the Huskers in Lincholn, Neb.

Friday, Feb. 13 - 6:05 p.m. (PT)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (0-0) vs. LHP Qualls (0-0)
Video Stream: Mountain West Network
Radio: Sports Radio 920 The Game

Saturday, Feb. 14 - 2:05 p.m. (PT)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (0-0) vs. RHP Oakley (0-0)
Video Stream: Mountain West Network
Radio: Sports Radio 920 The Game

Sunday, Feb. 15 - 1:05 p.m. (PT)
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UNLV: Rebels To Open 2015 Season Against Nebraska
 
PG - Weekend Preview: 2015 Kickoff

The 2015 college baseball season is upon us, and it's time to stop talking about it and start watching it. Opening weekend offers a handful of intriguing series to follow, led by No. 6 Texas visiting No. 21 Rice, as detailed below. Also detailed is the best tournament to open the season, the Opening Weekend Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. which will bring four very good programs together to face one another in No. 9 Louisville, No. 19 Cal State Fullerton, South Florida and Alabama State.

No. 13 Oklahoma State will be at No. 20 Arizona State, and Perfect Game's Mike Rooney will be on hand providing first-hand observations from that series. Frankie Piliere, hoping to travel south in search of warmer weather, will be in Greenville, N.C. to take in No. 2 Virginia at East Carolina in winter-like conditions that have already caused several schedule changes for teams playing along the East Coast.



Top 25 in Action

Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Vanderbilt home vs. Santa Clara Nashville, TN
2 Virginia at East Carolina Greenville, NC
3 Texas Christian home vs. Southern Illinois Fort Worth, TX
4 Florida home vs. Rhode Island Gainesville, FL
5 UCLA home vs. Hofstra Los Angeles, CA
6 Texas at No. 21 Rice Houston, TX
7 Louisiana State home vs. Kansas Baton Rouge, LA
8 Houston home vs. Minnesota Houston, TX
9 Louisville Opening Weekend Challenge* Clearwater, FL
10 Miami home vs. Rutgers Coral Gables, FL
11 Florida State home vs. Oakland University Tallahassee, FL
12 Texas Tech home vs. San Francisco Lubbock, TX
13 Oklahoma State at No. 20 Arizona State Phoenix, AZ
14 South Carolina home vs. College of Charleston Columbia, SC
15 Oregon at Hawaii Honolulu, HI
16 Arkansas home vs. North Dakota Fayetteville, AR
17 North Carolina home vs. Seton Hall Chapel Hill, NC
18 UC Santa Barbara home vs. BYU Santa Barbara, CA
19 Cal State Fullerton Opening Weekend Challenge* Clearwater, FL
20 Arizona State home vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State Phoenix, AZ
21 Rice home vs. No. 6 Texas Houston, TX
22 Stanford home vs. Indiana Stanford, CA
23 Mississippi State home vs. Cincinnati, Miami (OH) Starkville, MS
24 Kennesaw State home vs. Liberty, St. John's, Fordham Kennesaw, GA
25 Texas A&M home vs. Holy Cross College Station, TX
*Louisville plays Alabama State (Fri.), South Florida (Sat.) and No. 19 Cal State Fullerton (Sun.)
*Cal State Fullerton plays South Florida (Fri.), Alabama State (Sat.) and No. 9 Louisville (Sun.)



Marquee Matchup:

No. 6 Texas at No. 21 Rice
No. 6 Texas visits Reckling Park and No. 21 Rice for a four-game series to open the 2015 college baseball season this weekend. These proud programs have struggled at times to reach their own lofty standards in recent seasons, however, they both come into the series trending up. Rice features one of the best pitching staffs in the country while Texas brings new found momentum from last year's run to the College World Series.

Wayne Graham has taken Rice from a college baseball afterthought to a national power. Under Graham, the Owls have reached the NCAA tournament an incredible 20 straight seasons, which is the fourth highest active streak in the nation. All seven Rice College World Series appearances have come under Graham's watch, including the 2003 National Championship.

Looking deeper, the last five seasons have not been quite up to the same level that Rice fans have grown accustomed to under Graham. In the first 11 years of the Super Regional era (1999-2009), Rice advanced to an amazing nine Supers and six times advanced to Omaha. In the last five years, Rice has made just one Super Regional appearance and the Owls have not been to the CWS since 2008.

While that trend is somewhat negative, there are two factors that should spark optimism for Rice in 2015. First, this pitching staff may be the best Wayne Graham has ever put together at Rice. Second, Wayne Graham is in fact a legend in our game and it's never good policy to bet against a Hall of Famer. Graham built this program from scratch and it's unlikely that 2008 will be his last trip to Omaha.

It is quite simple to sum up Augie Garrido's career and impact on college baseball: if Augie were a school, his five national titles would be tied for third all-time. Garrido is the master of all masters and he proved that yet again last year.

The Longhorns were in a dark place coming into 2014. Texas had missed the NCAA tournament in two consecutive seasons. And here is the most mind-blowing fact: in 2013 Texas failed to win even one Big 12 series.

Yet here came the 2014 Longhorns with two key seniors, outfielder Mark Payton and Nathan Thornhill, and a bevy of talented but green freshmen. Garrido went old-school with this group and led them to a third place finish in the College World Series.

The only downer in this series is the injury report. Arguably the three best arms in this series will not throw this weekend. Jordan Stephens and John Duplantier of Rice and Morgan Cooper of Texas are all on the shelf for the series. Stephens had Tommy John surgery last March and will pitch later this year while Cooper had his Tommy John surgery last November and he will miss the entire season. Duplantier, a draft-eligible sophomore, has recently experienced general arm soreness and the Rice staff is being cautious with him.

Duplantier's absence is most disappointing as he is a first-round talent with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating breaking ball in the upper-80s. He is Rice's most gifted arm and a dynamic athlete on the mound. At 6-foot-4 and 210-pounds, Duplantier offers both future projection and present premium stuff.

The most intriguing aspect of this matchup pits the elite Rice pitching staff against an experienced and uber-talented Texas lineup. Even without Duplantier and Stephens, the Owls will start proven veterans Blake Fox (12-0 1.46 ERA) and Kevin McCanna (8-3, 2.69 ERA). The lefthanded Fox is a perfect 18-0 at Rice while McCanna was outstanding in the Cape last summer.

The Rice bullpen is similarly strong led by junior closer Matt Ditman (9 saves, 1.83 ERA). The Owls are also excited about the depth of this staff with arms like Austin Orewiler, Trevor Teykl, Austin Solecitto, and Ricardo Salinas ready to go.
C.J. Hinojosa (Texas Athletics)

The Texas lineup will always be undersold as their statistics die in the deep gaps at Discch-Falk Field. However, this group is both skilled and experienced. Most importantly, they are bought into Augie Garrido's team-first approach. Sophomore catcher Tres Barrera handled himself very well hitting while hitting cleanup as a true freshman and the addition of redshirt freshman Bret Boswell gives this lineup exciting depth.

It's conceivable that this group has several future big leaguers but junior outfielder Ben Johnson in particular has upside that seems infinite. Johnson was a Division I football recruit at the quarterback position and his well-rounded athleticism can take over a game on any given day.

The two middle infield pairs in this game - C.J. Hinojosa and Brooks Marlow of Texas, Leon Byrd and Ford Stainback of Rice - are veterans with polish and proven production. The four combine for an invaluable 550 career college starts and their experience will be counted on heavily in what is anticipated to be an emotionally charged series.

All four have played outstanding defense in their careers and adding offensive production will be the key in 2015. Stainback and Byrd regressed in 2014 for Rice and this young lineup will need them to re-establish themselves as run-scoring weapons. Marlow and Hinojosa are excellent at playing the little game and manufacturing runs, however both players have gotten themselves into trouble in the past when trying to artificially create power.

One footnote here is that Wayne Graham has once again opted for the position switch of Byrd to shortstop and Stainback to second base. Even though Stainback has proven steady over 130 career starts at shortstop, the ultra-athletic Byrd offers more range and upside at the position. In 2014, this combination was in place for the first half of the season before Byrd returned to center field and Stainback to shortstop.

It's not often that one questions the Texas pitching staff but the 2015 version gives pause. Parker French is back for senior year and while he has been effective throughout his UT career, he lacks the dominance that might be expected of a Longhorn Friday night arm. If bloodlines mean anything then Kacy Clemens' conversion to full-time pitcher is something to get excited about and all reports have been positive so far.

At the end of the day, Longhorn fans can rest easy for these two reasons: Skip Johnson is still your pitching coach and there is significant young talent on this staff. Johnson is as good as it gets at developing a pitching staff and young arms like Josh Sawyer, Kyle Johnston, Tyler Schimpf, and Connor Mayes all appear ready for the bright lights.

The Rice lineup suffered huge losses to graduation and the draft. Mainstays Skyler Ewing, Shane Hoelscher, Michael Aquino, and Chase McDowell have moved on but the Owls have reloaded as usual. The two names to write down are freshman lefthanded hitting outfielders Tristan Gray and Ryan Chandler. Both are Houston high school products who have run sub-6.6 times in the 60-yard dash and they may be stars in the making.

We are predicting an upset, based on our preseason rankings, that Rice will win the series three games to one. As much as we like the Longhorns down the road, we're not certain they're ready to beat Fox and McCanna right out of the shoot. Augie Garrido relishes those teachable moments born of early season losses and Texas will be there in the end.



Mound Matchup:

Scott Effross (Indiana) vs. Cal Quantrill (Stanford)
Cal Quantrill
(Bob Drebin/StanfordPhoto.com)
The college baseball season gives us the gift of some outstanding matchups throughout the spring, and opening weekend looks like no exception this year. Indiana visiting Stanford this weekend is an intriguing matchup on its own, but the Friday night showdown between the team's two aces is arguably the marquee pitcher's duel going on anywhere in the nation.

Indiana junior righthander, Scott Effross has spent a large chunk of his college career pitching out of the bullpen, but he made it quite clear last summer in the Cape Cod League that he could be a starter at an elite level. Effross has the quality four-pitch mix to thrive as a true Friday night ace, and he has the swing-and-miss, lively 90-94 mph fastball to dominate high level lineups. And, his slider and his exceptional command of that pitch is likely going to give the righties in Stanford's lineup some real trouble this Friday night.

What Stanford counters Effross with, however, is an arm that could be the best pitcher in the country by spring's conclusion. And, that arm is sophomore righty, Cal Quantrill. Quantrill assumed the Friday night starter role as a freshman in 2014, but you certainly wouldn't know he was a freshman by watching his poise and command. Sometime during the summer in his stint in the Coastal Plain League Quantrill took his game to yet another level. His velocity jumped to 92-95 mph, he continued to show what was perhaps the best changeup in the nation and he developed a sharp, low-80s slider. Not only will Quantrill enter the season as one of the most feared and polished aces in the country in just his sophomore year, but he's also become one of the most sought after prospects in the 2016 draft.

Both Indiana and Stanford have some question marks in their lineup in 2015, but the matchup of these two elite aces will showcase what make them two highly intriguing teams this spring.



Tournament Spotlight:

Opening Weekend Challenge at Bright House Field (Clearwater, Fla.)
For many of the nation's top teams, opening weekend feels like a time to ease into the season. But, for the teams playing in the Clearwater Tournament in Florida this weekend, there will be no dipping of the toe into the shallow end of the pool. As Louisville, Cal State Fullerton, South Florida, and Alabama State get ready to square off, it's clear that each of them will be diving head first into the deep end of competition.
Kyle Funkhouser (University of Louisville Sports Information)

Although there are highly recognizable teams in this tournament, it also would not be wise to look past Alabama State, who has the talent to upend or at least disrupt one of these powerhouses on opening weekend. The cream of the crop in the SWAC, Alabama State has high-end pitching with arms like Branden Castro, who tops at 96 mph with his fastball, as well as Jorge Pantoja, who lives in the low-90s with his fastball and has the type of stuff to shut down a high-level lineup. And, with experienced weekend aces like T.J. Renda and Joseph Camacho leading the way, this is not a team to be overlooked.

And, when it comes to pitching, few teams have a one-two punch like South Florida brings into this tournament. One of the most dominant pitchers in the nation in 2014, funky righthander, Jimmy Herget has the pedigree to go head to head with aces like Thomas Eshelman and Kyle Funkhouser. Herget posted a 1.26 ERA over 107 1/3 innings in 2014, and went on to impress with Team USA and in the Cape Cod League. A workhorse ace of the highest order, he keeps the Bulls in any game he pitches in. No. 2 starter Casey Mulholland also has high-end stuff, flashing a low-90s fastball and above average changeup.

If it's not clear already, this tournament is going to be about pitching. And, few names are more prominently known in college baseball than those of Thomas Eshelman and Kyle Funkhouser, the aces in this series that will be watched very closely throughout this spring. Eshelman arguably has the most razor sharp command in the nation and was historically dominant in 2014, posting a 1.89 ERA and walking just eight batters in 123 innings of work. Joined in the Fullerton rotation by hard-throwing righty and ace is his own right, Justin Garza, the Titans brings the deepest staff top to bottom into this tournament.

In terms of eyes on him, however, Kyle Funkhouser will be the main attraction this weekend. A projected top half of the first round draft selection, Funkhouser and his 93-96 mph fastball bring a high degree of polish to the mound with him as well. He posted a 1.94 ERA in 120 1/3 innings of work in 2014, striking out 122 batters along the way.

Runs are going to be few and far between this weekend in Clearwater, but scouts and fans are going to be treated to a series full of highest level pitching matchups. And, specifically for Cal State Fullerton and Louisville, it will answer some intriguing questions about just how far their outstanding pitching staffs will be able to carry them in 2015.



National Notes:

• The career of heralded freshman righthander J.B. Bukaukas will begin at the back end of North Carolina's rotation this weekend, taking the ball for the Tar Heels in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Saturday that was bumped up from Sunday due to expected frigid temepratures. Bukauskas is one of the more well-known and exciting players to step foot on a college campus in recent years, as he easily could have taken in the first round of last year's draft given his mid- to upper-90s fastball coming out of high school. Of course starting one's career in the weekend rotation is no easy task at the Division I level, which will make his start, and subsequent 2015 season, especially interesting to follow.

• The cold weather has found its way south this weekend and will play a large role in most to all of the major matchups in the Carolinas this weekend. East Carolina has moved up their Sunday content against Virginia and will play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

• Bailey Ober will not be in the weekend rotation for their showdown against South Carolina. He may available out of the bullpen, however, after experiencing discomfort in his forearm. Charleston will start Taylor Clarke on Friday, Nathan Helvey on Saturday, and Eric Bauer on Sunday.

• Kentucky ace and highly touted draft prospect Kyle Cody is now schedule to take the ball on Saturday against Richmond in a tournament hosted by UNC Wilmington (Buffalo Wild Wings Battles at the Beach) that also includes Ball State.

• There should be plenty of scouts on hand in Stockton, Calif. this weekend for the Pacific-Washington series. Pacific junior outfielder Gio Brusa comes into the series with an oblique issue but still might go. When he is right, the switch-hitting Brusa is one of the most exciting college position player in this draft. He is a veritable tool shed with the size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and athleticism to play at the highest level. Braden Bishop will man center field for Washington and he is a gazelle in the outfield. While his bat is the question mark, Bishop's speed and athleticism are playable and intriguing.

• Another well attended series will be Vanderbilt vs. Santa Clara in Nashville, a series that offers several interesting hitter vs. pitcher matchups. The Broncos' Stevie Berman (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and Jose Vizcaino, Jr. (6-foot-2, 215) are physical hitters who've had success on the West Coast. Obviously all bets are off when facing the Vandy arms of Carson Fulmer, Tyler Ferguson, Hayden Stone and company. How Berman and Vizcaino handle that type of velocity will be telling.

• Speaking of Vanderbilt's arms, Walker Buehler has been removed from the weekend rotation for precautionary measures due to arm soreness, although reports indicate he could be available out of the bullpen. In addition to Buehler and Duplantier here are some of the other notable players that open the season with injury concerns:
Virginia outfielder Joe McCarthy had back surgery and will be out 12 weeks.
Tyler Stubblefield had knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. He should return at some point this season, but was slotted to be Texas A&M's Saturday starter prior to the injury.
Cal Poly's Mark Mathias, the defending Big West Player of the Year, had labrum surgery in December, and while it went well, he'll be out until March and likely will serve as the DH upon his return.
Gio Brusa (Pacific) is experiencing some oblique issues as noted above, but could still take the field.
College of Charleston has decided to use Bailey Ober out of the bullpen to start the year after experiencing forearm tightness in an attempt to work him back to full health. Ober was a Freshman All-American last season and was a big part of Charleston's Super Regional run.
The Mountain Valley Conference Freshman of the Year last season, Danny Collier of New Mexico, is experiencing back issues and it's unsure whether he'll be able to take the field.
LSU will be without two talented members of their freshmen class, infielder Greg Deichmann and lefthander Jake Latz. Deichmann will miss 4-6 weeks due to a stress fractice in his foot while Latz will shut down for the first two weeks due to a recent elbow injury. Latz also missed fall practice due to a stress reaction in his pitching elbow.
Pete Alonso suffered a broken right foot in practice this past week, the same foot he suffered a stress fractuce in during the fall. Alonso followed up a solid freshman season with a huge summer one, hitting .354 with 18 home runs on his way to being named the Northwoods League MVP.
East Carolina will be without do-it-all senior Reid Love for the first week of the season, who injured his left hand. He was expected to open the year as their Friday ace in addition to serving as the team's leadoff hitter.
Florida State first baseman Chris Marconcini is expected to have knee surgery today and will miss 3-6 weeks.

• UC Santa Barbara is one of the favorites to win the Big West and head coach Andrew Checketts considered moving Preseason All-American closer Dillon Tate into the starting rotation. As of opening weekend, Tate and his 99 mph fastball will remain in the bullpen as the Gauchos rotation will consist of Justin Jacome, Shane Bieber, and Domenic Mazza. UCSB sports one the nation's best hashtags in #Chomaha.

• Oklahoma State at Arizona State might be this weekend's bridesmaid for best series. The Cowboys and Sun Devils have two of the more experienced rosters nationally with Oklahoma State losing just the back of their bullpen from a Super Regional team. Arizona State enters two new eras at once as they move from the on-campus Packard Stadium to beer-selling Phoenix Municipal Stadium, and also begin season one under new skipper Tracy Smith. Smith comes to Tempe after two consecutive historic seasons at Indiana, advancing to the CWS in 2013 and earning a Top 8 National Seed in 2014.

• At this time last year we only knew A.J. Reed as a good college player. He was on most preseason All-American teams (Second Team for Perfect Game) but primarily because the pool of two-way players was small. Reed only hit .280 as a sophomore with a pedestrian 4.04 ERA previous to his monster junior season.

Who is the 2015 version of A.J. Reed poised for a big breakout junior season? Each member of the Perfect Game college team took a chance to answer that question:
Thomas Eshelman - far from a sleeper as far as production at the college level, Eshelman enters the season as PG's 113th ranked 2015 overall draft eligible prospect. Pitchers who command the strike zone as effectively well as Eshelman has through his career are often taken earlier in the draft than once expected. Look no further than similar control artists such as Tim Stauffer in 2003 and Wes Roemer in 2007 (Mike Rooney).
Christin and D.J. Stewart - take your pick between the Team USA Stewart teammates (no relation) who posted big numbers last summer. Florida State's D.J. Stewart is the reigning ACC Player of the Year and enters the season as the favorite to once again win the award, while big things are expected out of Christin Stewart and Tennessee (Frankie Piliere).
Chris Shaw - Shaw's power came alive last summer on the Cape swinging a wood bat, leading the circuit with eight home runs after hitting six during his sophomore year at Boston College. And that's only the beginning for the 6-foot-3, 248-pound slugger (Jheremy Brown).
Grayson Long - somewhat of a longshot on this list as he's currently ranked 155th in PG's current list of the top 250 prospects eligible for this year's draft, but his tall, projectable stature, improving stuff and polished changeup are reminscent of another Aggie, Michael Wacha (Patrick Ebert).

• The 2015 college draft class is in a word, murky. Twelve months ago Carlos Rodon was a household name and a no doubter for the first three picks in the draft, with many having him peged as the favorite to go first overall since his dominant freshman season. There is a lot of real estate between Rodon's resume prior to his junior year and that of current Duke righthander Michael Matuella, the default college draft prospect in 2015. Matuella has elite tools and stuff but lacks a track record in both performance and good health. He begins the 2015 season and his path to the draft in front of what undoubtedly will be a large collection of scouts as Duke takes on Cal in Berekley, Calif.

Read Nick Kappel's recent feature on Matuella here.

• Two things to feel good about entering Week 1: All reports on the new baseball have been positive. If nothing else, it appears that we will back to scoring from second base on singles again, and even if home run totals don't improve we're still in a better spot. It's time for the off-side outfielders to back up to normal depth again.

• Similarly, television coverage of college baseball continues to skyrocket thanks mostly to the commitment of ESPN and the new SEC Network. There's nothing better than increased exposure for an outstanding product and this is great news for college baseball.

PG - Weekend Preview: 2015 Kickoff
 
BA - Weekend Preview: Feb. 13-15

This Week:
1. Rice and Texas look for answers on the mound
2. South Carolina faces still challenge from College of Charleston
3. The new balls finally arrive

The season hasn't started, and already Rice is down a man-at least for the time being.

The No. 15 Owls will host No. 10 Texas this weekend without sophomore righthander Jon Duplantier in their rotation. The power starter and No. 1 prospect in the California Collegiate League last summer is battling a sore right shoulder. But with no apparent structural damage, the loss is expected to be temporary, and pitching coach Patrick Hallmark said he relishes the chance to audition some less-experienced arms in this weekend's four-game tussle.

"We know he won't be there this weekend, so we're kind of focused on the mentality you hear in the NFL and other sports: next man up," Hallmark said. "We have a deep pitching staff and a lot of guys who are excited to get the ball, so we're excited to go out there and play the Longhorns."

TOP 25 SERIES
Santa Clara at (1) Vanderbilt
Kansas at (2) Louisiana State
Minnesota at (3) Houston
(4) Virginia at East Carolina
San Francisco at (5) Texas Tech
Rhode Island at (6) Florida
Southern Illinois at (7) Texas Christian
(8) Oklahoma State at (18) Arizona State
Rutgers at (9) Miami
(10) Texas at (15) Rice
Hofstra at (11) UCLA
College of Charleston at (13) South Carolina
Seton Hall at (17) North Carolina
(20) Oregon at Hawaii
Oakland at (21) Florida State
Siena at (22) Central Florida
West Virginia at (24) Clemson
One of those pitchers is freshman righthander Ricardo Salinas, a Houston native who Hallmark said brings precocious maturity and craftiness to the mound. Not overpowering, Salinas' best pitch is a sinking fastball, which he combines with a slurve-like breaking ball that he can tighten like a slider or loosen like a curve. Also armed with a changeup, Salinas has impressed Hallmark with his ability to throw strikes with three pitches.

Salinas will slot behind junior righthander Kevin McCanna (8-3, 2.69 last season) and junior lefthander Blake Fox (12-0, 1.46) this weekend, and he'll be joined in the back end by another rotation newcomer in junior righthander Austin Orweiler, who's pitched entirely out of the bullpen in his Rice career. Hallmark said improved command and a harder curveball influenced Orweiler's move to a starting role.

"He's throwing a lot of strikes," Hallmark said. "The stuff's good. He'll touch 94 mph. If you're sitting back there with a gun, he's probably going to pitch more 89-92, but he can run it up there with a little bit of sink on the fastball and a good, hard spike curveball."

As Duplantier tries to shake off his shoulder soreness, Rice has another pair of pitchers working back from injury. Righthander Jordan Stephens-last year's Friday starter before having Tommy John surgery-touched 93 mph this week in his first action against hitters. Hallmark said Stephens could pitch soon in a limited capacity. Another Tommy John survivor, Josh Pettitte, is further away from game action, having not faced hitters yet. But the righthanded son of Andy Pettitte has looked strong in bullpen work, Hallmark said.

Speaking of pitchers with major league fathers, Roger Clemens' son Kacy will make his first collegiate start for the Longhorns on Saturday after spending his entire freshman season playing first base.

Clemens had labrum surgery in high school, and Texas will monitor him closely as he takes the mound for the first time since then.

"We're built up right now to about five innings, and we try to do 15 pitches an inning and kind of go from that point," said Texas pitching coach Skip Johnson. "You really gather information from when he goes out there to see how his stamina is and how his endurance is and if he gets tired, because the emotional environment of a game versus an intersquad is a lot different. You never really see it until you put him in it, so to speak."

Like Rice, the Longhorns will start a few unknown quantities this weekend. Friday starter Parker French (7-5, 2.41) returns after throwing 105 innings last year, but behind him is Clemens (0 innings), sophomore lefthander Josh Sawyer (10 innings) and junior righthander Chad Hollingsworth, who moved to the rotation at the end of last season.

Though Hollingsworth excelled in his brief starting stint last year (17 scoreless innings), he had surgery in the summer for shoulder impingement and will start this season with a limited workload.

"We didn't throw him all fall, trying to get his rhythm and timing," Johnson said. "His velo has been back up, not where it was early last spring, but you can see it climbing. You just try to keep him in situations where you limit four or five innings right now and see where his bounce-back is; more so than innings pitched, you try to see how he bounces back from one start into the next."

There will certainly be plenty of intrigue on the mound for both programs this weekend, and a matchup of two Top-25 teams should provide an effective early test.

Still, neither program will be rushing to judgment on those pitchers.

"As a coach, you try to preach the process and not the result," Johnson said. "I know we're in an industry and a program that is result-oriented a lot of times. But I think . . . for our staff, because we have a young staff this year, it's to go out there and try to give them the best opportunity and put them in a situation where they're going to succeed."

-Michael Lananna

Top 25 Tournaments
Opening Weekend Challenge, Clearwater, Fla.
(12) Louisville, (23) Cal State Fullerton, Alabama State, South Florida
Mississippi State Classic, Starkville, Miss.
(14) Mississippi State, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio)
Caravelle Resort Tournament, Conway, S.C.
(16) Maryland, Canisius, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky
Atlanta Challenge, Atlanta, Ga.
(19) Kennesaw State, (25) Liberty, Fordham, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, St. John's
Cougars Gear Up For Trip To Columbia

South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook doesn't have to remind his team of the danger the College of Charleston poses. His players already know it.

"They know the type of opponent that's coming in here," Holbrook said. "We reminded them from time to time that we're going to need to be in midseason form come February 13, and that's not an easy task. But, the guys are excited about playing a team the caliber of College of Charleston."

Bailey Ober
Bailey Ober will miss opening weekend.
In the most compelling ranked-vs.-unranked series of the weekend, the No. 13 Gamecocks host a Cougars team fresh off a conference title and super regional appearance in 2014. The two programs have typically played an annual home-and-home midweek series, but, at Holbrook's suggestion, they decided to step up to a full-fledged weekend series to start 2015. The series serves the dual purposes of giving the teams games against a quality opponent while hopefully also drumming up more interest for opening weekend.

"I think it gets everybody in our state and our fans, and I'm sure the College of Charleston fans, excited about this season," Holbrook said. "We'll see where we stand out of the gate. I hope we look back at this series in June and think it was a really good RPI weekend for us, win or lose."

It may only be week one, but both programs are cognizant that a series win here would look good on Selection Monday. The Gamecocks figure to be in the race for regional hosts and national seeds, while College of Charleston could always use the assurance of a marquee non-conference series win in the event it fails to snag the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid.

College of Charleston head coach Monte Lee doesn't burden his players with RPI talk, but that doesn't mean he's bringing his team to Columbia without an eye toward June.

"When you get to a regional," Lee said, "you don't want your guys to be a part of that type of atmosphere, in front of that kind of crowd, against that level of competition and not to have already seen it and competed against it. So that's really the biggest reason. We want to put our guys in a regional, super regional atmosphere, which is what you're going to get at South Carolina."

See Also: College Preview Capsules - No. 13 South Carolina

The Cougars will be without standout star sophomore righthander Bailey Ober in the rotation (for more details, click here), but Lee feels comfortable starting a trio of juniors in Taylor Clarke, Nathan Helvey and Eric Bauer. Righthander Clarke, the returning Friday starter and a 10-game winner in 2014, has quality stuff in his own right, throwing a fastball up to 94 mph. Lee also feels Clarke's breaking ball has gotten sharper now that he's two years removed from Tommy John surgery. Helvey and Bauer, a righty and a lefty, respectively, both have experience starting on weekends and command three-pitch mixes.

The Cougars ranked in the top five nationally in home runs in each of Lee's first four seasons at the helm, from 2009-12. But like with many teams around the country, the BBCOR era forced them to reassess the makeup of their offense-though even last year, they still ranked 31st in the nation and second in the CAA with 36 homers-and get away from having too many one-dimensional sluggers.

"Our team last year was based on pitching and defense," Lee said. "I think we kind of got away from having so many guys that were offensive, and didn't (in the past) seem like we ever had enough pitching or made some errors defensively because we had so many guys that could hit. So, we kinda tried to change that. We tried to recruit more shortstops, more center fielders, more athletic players that could play multiple positions."

Last year's Cougars featured six regulars-all four infielders and two outfielders-who had been shortstops in high school. The end result was what Lee called the best pitching-and-defense team of his tenure, even if it was admittedly his weakest offense overall, ranking sixth in the CAA in scoring at 4.8 runs per game. Although top hitter and shortstop Gunnar Heidt was lost to the draft (13th round, Blue Jays), the Cougars return six regulars and Lee does expect this team to be more offensive. Junior third baseman Carl Wise and sophomore first baseman Nick Pappas both have the raw power to reach double-digits in homers, and Lee has been impressed by freshman outfielder Ryan Brown's ability to put together quality at-bats, already planning to install him as the Cougars' new leadoff hitter.

"I don't think we're a power team," he said. "I think we're more of a line drive, gap-to-gap team, but I do think we'll hit more home runs than we did last year. I just think everybody's a year older and a little bit stronger and a little more comfortable."

Holbrook will counter with lefthander Jack Wynkoop on Opening Day, opting to go with the junior over sophomore righty Wil Crowe. Crowe shows more impressive stuff overall, but Holbrook noted that Wynkoop, typically a fastball-changeup oriented pitcher, has improved his breaking ball from a year ago, along with his velocity picking up a touch. The Wynkoop-Crowe order isn't set it in stone, but Holbrook likes the junior's savvy in addition to his stuff.

"(Wynkoop's) been throwing very well," Holbrook said. "He's a junior. He's been in the program three years now. He's pitched really, really well. They've both pitched really well. To be honest with you, it was a decision that we just went back and forth on. We feel like we have two No. 1 guys."

New Balls, Please

After all the months of wondering what effect the new, lower-seam baseballs will have, of hearing anecdotes from fall practices, etc., players, coaches and fans alike finally start to get some answers this weekend. One weekend of games, especially one in which many games will be played in cold weather, won't be enough of a sample to make a determination one way or the other, but everyone who follows college baseball is anxious to see the early returns.

"I think we'll hit more home runs," Lee said. "I think everybody across the country is going to hit more home runs with this ball. How much? I don't know. I think it's yet to be seen. It definitely does carry a lot more."

Coaches have had varying opinions of how much difference there'll be-some feel it'll be significant, others say it's been business as usual-but multiple coaches have remarked on the absence of one particular element: complaints, which is a far cry from when the BBCOR bats were introduced in 2011. That conversation was much more front and center among players.

Although the change was implemented to help offenses-fans are surely tired of being reminded of last year's record-low 0.39 home runs per game nationally-the news isn't all bad for pitchers, either.

"The hitters like 'em a lot more because they go a lot farther," Houston righthander Jake Lemoine said. "But, your fastballs will pick up a little bit of speed. You'll probably gain maybe one mph on your fastball. You gotta throw your offspeed with more conviction. But I mean, I love the feel of them. I like them a lot better than the balls from last year."

Rice pitching coach Patrick Hallmark also noted that some of the Owls' hurlers have shown improved sink on their fastballs since the new balls came along, in addition to the fact that the lower seams reduce the risk of blisters.

"Ryan McCarthy is a kid who comes out of the pen for us, and he's always had a pretty straight fastball," Hallmark said, "and he's throwing a great sinker. We'll probably throw him this weekend. I don't know if that's the seams being lower necessarily or just the pitcher evolving, maybe a little bit of both. But we're certainly excited about some of these guys getting more movement on their fastballs, and we haven't heard any complaints. Even guys like (Matt) Ditman, who relies on a curveball so much, he likes the new ball better.

"It just feels better in their hand. You hear that a lot, too."

But at the end of the day, the change was made to make college baseball more offensive. As UCLA coach John Savage points out, that can come by other means than just helping guys hit more home runs.

"I think you're going to see it be much more offensive than you have the last couple years," Savage said. "I think the ball is getting through the infield faster. I think the ball is clearly carrying more. But even more than the carry, I think the ball's just flat hotter. I really do. Infield-wise, I think mobility and range and all those things are of high, high importance now, defensively. I see the ball jumping off the bat quite different. They can say, 'Oh, it's 380-395. It'll carry 15-20 more feet.' I'm not even really talking about that. I'm just talking about really changing the game. I think it's going change the game quite a bit. That's what I've seen in the fall, and that's what I've seen in January."

Around The Nation

Tracy Smith
Tracy Smith (Photo courtesy Arizona State)
• Along with Rice-Texas, there's only one other series pitting ranked teams against each other. No. 18 Arizona State kicks off the Tracy Smith era-and christens its new home, Phoenix Municipal Stadium-by hosting eighth-ranked Oklahoma State. No team is challenging itself more in non-conference play than the Sun Devils, who open the season with seven straight games against Big 12 schools. They'll host Oklahoma, a potential regional team, in a midweek game next Wednesday, followed by a home series against No. 7 Texas Christian.

It's enough to make Smith feel like his team should be an honorary Big 12 member.

"Yeah, we're going to sew that (the Big 12 logo) into our uniforms," Smith quipped. "The good part about that is, we're going to know right off the bat what our deficiencies are, what our strengths are. It serves as great preparation as we get into the Pac-12."

• Two tournaments will feature Top 25 teams going head to head. No. 19 Kennesaw State and No. 25 Liberty, both ranked in the preseason Top 25 for the first time ever, will kick off the season against each other Friday afternoon as part of the Atlanta Challenge. Then on Sunday, the Opening Weekend Challenge in Clearwater, Fla., culminates with No. 12 Louisville facing No. 23 Cal State Fullerton, when the Titans expect to throw freshman lefty John Gavin in his collegiate debut against Louisville sophomore Josh Rogers.

• Coastal Carolina opens its new ballpark, Springs Brooks Stadium, Friday afternoon against Old Dominion. It will also face No. 16 Maryland, which begins its first season in the Big Ten, later in the weekend. Long the Big South Conference's preeminent program under coach Gary Gilmore, the Chanticleers plummeted to a 24-33 record in 2014 while watching Liberty run away with the league title. But now they get to come home to a sparkling new park after two years of playing their home games off campus at cavernous Pelicans Ballpark, home of the high Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

"It's been two years since we've played a game in here or even practiced really in a full stadium," senior lefhander Austin Kerr told the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun News. ". . . It's just been a long process and we're just glad it's coming to an end. We're ready to be in here."

BA - Weekend Preview: Feb. 13-15
 
ESPN: Top five places to be this weekend

1. No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 21 Arizona State
Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Phoenix)

These are two teams that have very high ceilings for the 2015 season and a lot of really good pitching that could carry them all the way to Omaha. OSU's staff doesn't dazzle you with gloss but weekend starters John Perrin (8-5, 2.38) and Tyler Buffett (2-1, 2.95) have plenty of upside. But they'll be going against lefties Brett Lilek (4-5, 2.68) and Ryan Kellogg (8-3, 3.67). Slight advantage to the Sun Devils for also having stopper extraordinaire Ryan Burr (12 saves). Both batting orders were youthful last season and will have some growing pains.

2. No. 6 Texas at No. 17 Rice
Reckling Park (Houston)

Want to go to a pitching clinic? The Longhorns return the services of Parker French (7-5, 2.41), who was a 21st-round draft pick last June but chose to return for his senior year. The Owls counter with Blake Fox, who has gone 18-0 in his two years as an Owl. But Sunday's finale should be the most interesting with the back-stories for both projected starters. UT's No. 4 starter is Kacy Clemens -- son of Roger -- who played third base last season but has been groomed to be the Burnt Orange's mid-week starter on the hill. He has yet to pitch as a collegian. Opposing him will be Rice righty Jordan Stephens (2-0, 2.57) who was All-CUSA in 2013 but sat most of last season because of injury.

3. USF Opening Weekend Challenge
Bright House Field (Clearwater, Florida)
Teams: No. 11 Louisville, No. 19 Cal State Fullerton, South Florida and Alabama State

Obviously the marquee matchup will be when the Cardinals and Titans face off on Sunday. Oddly, the roles have switched for these two programs. The Cards have been to Omaha the last two years. The Titans haven't been to the promised land since 2009. Here's to hoping both teams save their All American aces for Sunday. Kyle Funkhouser vs. Thomas Eshelman would be tasty.

South Florida returns just about its entire roster and has Mark Kingston taking the reigns as head coach. Once woebegone Alabama State has become a huge success story under coach Mervyl Melendez, who spent years bringing Bethune-Cookman to multiple NCAA tournaments.

4. College of Charleston at No. 10 South Carolina
Carolina Stadium (Columbia, South Carolina)

Last we saw the Cougars, they were eliminating Florida and Long Beach State on their way to an appearance in the Super Regionals. Well they still feature 10-game winners in Taylor Clarke and Bailey Ober on the mound, both of whom can pose problems to the Carolina batting order. But the Gamecocks have elite talent, especially Friday-Saturday starters Will Crowe (8-3, 2.75) and Jack Wynkoop (7-6, 2.86), which should counter the Cougars' arms just fine. The edge goes to the Gamecocks' batting order, who gets back 1B Kyle Martin (.336-5-38), RF Connor Bright (.311) and 2B Kyle Schrock (.299-5-20). CofC hit a boney-armed .255 last season.

5. Nebraska at UNLV
Wilson Stadium (Las Vegas)

Both of these teams are just off the rankings radar but are certain contenders in the Big 10 and Mountain West, respectively. It's a great contrast of styles as the Cornhuskers have a senior-heavy team and All-Big 10 candidates on the mound like Chance Sinclair (9-1, 2.15) and Josh Roeder (12 saves) to throw at the Rebels. But UNLV could be one of the better offenses around behind 1B Morgan Stotts (.337), Edgar Montes (.296) and OF Joey Armstrong (.302).

ESPN: Top five places to be this weekend
 
ESPN: Baseball Power Rankings (Preseason)

Yes, it's already been eight months. Pinch yourself, college baseball fans, the first pitches of the 2015 season are soon to be thrown. We're about to embark on our road to Omaha, which will be as hard-fought as ever. To get you ready, here is a look at the first Top 20 Power Rankings of the season. We'll be here every week to update who is playing the best baseball and who is dropping off the radar.

Let's play ball.



1. Vanderbilt (51-21, 17-13 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 1

Starters Returning: 8
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 2

Of Note: Carson Fulmer, Walker Buehler and Tyler Ferguson form the best rotation in the country and top hitters like Bryan Reynolds, Dansby Swanson and Rhett Wiseman lead an offense with dangerous potential. What's not to like?



2. TCU (48-18, 17-7 Big 12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 3

Starters Returning: 4
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: It's time to hop on the Frog train, people. They'll get back Golden Spikes candidates RHP Preston Morrison and RHP Riley Ferrell. The infield is strong with Keaton Jones and Derek Odell, plus super-frosh catcher Evan Skoug.



3. Virginia (53-16, 22-8 ACC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 2

Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: This is one big, motivated team. The Cavaliers are still pitching-heavy, especially with Nathan Kirby and Brandon Waddell in the rotation. They'll also have solid gloves and team leaders in 3B Kenny Towns and SS Daniel Pinero.



4. Oklahoma State (48-18, 18-6 Big 12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: T-7

Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: You'll soon see why Pistol Pete is smiling. The Cowboys have a loaded staff and are a team on the rise. A lot of talented pitchers need to reach potential, like Garrett Williams and Tyler Nurdin, who will back aces Jon Perrin and Tyler Buffett.



5. North Carolina (35-27, 15-15 ACC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 15

Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: From 59 wins in 2013 down to 35 wins last year. But cry no tears because the rebuilding is over and the Heels are ready to get back to their old winning ways. Pitchers Trent Thornton and Benton Moss will be All-ACC types.



6.South Carolina (44-18, 18-12 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 10

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 6

Of Note: Lots of familiar names have moved on, but coach Chad Holbrook has a good talent pool to dip into, starting with pitchers Wil Crowe and Jack Wynkoop. First baseman Kyle Martin returned for his senior year and will bolster the batting order.


7. UCLA (25-30, 12-18 Pac-12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 9

Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: Rollercoasters always rise again. Look for an ascending season from the Bruins, who feature a great rotation, led by ace James Kaprielian and closer extraordinaire David Berg. The infield is A-plus with the return of 3B Kevin Kramer.



8. Arizona State (33-24, 19-11 Pac-12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 21

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: Like Moses leading them out of the desert, Indiana maestro Tracy Smith will have ASU back again. Pitchers Brett Lilek, Ryan Kellogg and reliever Ryan Burr give "Skip" a trident of potential All-Americans. A new stadium doesn't hurt, either.



9. Florida (40-23, 21-9 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 5

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: All that feisty Gator youth of a year ago has now grown up. Six of the 10 returning pitchers are sophomores, led by A.J. Puk, the SEC Freshman of the Year. CF Harrison Bader and SS Richie Martin provide ample speed and great gloves.



10. Louisville (50-17, 19-5 AAC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: T-7

Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 2

Of Note: The Cardinals make a serious move to the ACC. But they'll be able to adapt with the help of big time guns like Kyle Funkhouser and Anthony Kinston on the bump. Zach Lucas and Sutton Whiting make a stout double play combo.



11. Houston (48-18, 14-9 AAC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 11

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: Year five for Todd Whitting could have the best team of his tenure. Pitchers Aaron Garza and Jake Lemoine are one of the best one-two pitching combos in the country. Keep an eye on leadoff hitter Kyle Survance (31 SBs), who is a dynamo.



12. Texas Tech (45-21, 14-10 Big 12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 13

Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: A breakthrough season for the Red Raiders should carry over into 2015. Tim Proudfoot and Bryant Burleson are the best middle infield combo in the country, and 1B Eric Gutierrez is a home run threat to pace the offense.



13. LSU (46-16-1, 17-11-1 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: NR

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 1
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 4

Of Note: The Bayou Bengals are a wild-card pick here. They will rely heavily on the No. 1 ranked recruiting class, including having RHP Alex Lange and LHP Jake Latz in their weekend rotation. At least SS Alex Bregman is still around to be a leader.



14. Rice (42-20, 23-7 Conference USA)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 17

Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: Pitching heavy, the Owls will lean on LHPs Blake Fox (18-0 career record) and Kevin McCanna to get certain wins. All-CUSA RHP Jordan Stephens returns after sitting out 2014. On the downside, four of the top five hitters have moved on.


15. Nebraska (41-21, 18-6 Big Ten)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: NR

Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 5

Of Note: This is it Big Red fans. Darin Erstad has his most experienced team yet and should crack the 40-win mark again. He has legit All-American candidates in RHP Chance Sinclair, relief ace Josh Roeder and leadoff man Ryan Boldt.



16. Stanford (35-26, 16-14 Pac-12)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 22

Starters Returning: 3
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: Coach Mark Marquess loves having a deep pitching staff and an All-American ace. Sophomore RHP Cal Quantrill looks like the next great Cardinal stud. OF Zach Hoffpauir hit .324 and started at safety on the Cardinal football team.



17. Mississippi State (39-24, 18-12 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 25

Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 4

Of Note: Relievers Ross Mitchell and Trevor Fitts are bullpen standouts who could start, as well. CWS vets Wes Rea and Jake Vickerson are still around to provide leadership. John Holland, a Florida State transfer, will be an infield whiz.



18. Loyola Marymount (32-24, 17-10 WCC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: NR

Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 4

Of Note: Mid-major mite! The Lions are a dark horse Omaha team, having a rotation that could make a Pac-12 coach jealous in Colin Welmon, Tylor Megill and Trevor Megill. Frosh All-Americans Austin Miller and David Fletcher are the top two hitters.



19. Ole Miss (48-21, 19-11 SEC)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 18

Starters Returning: 3
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 3

Of Note: There are some losses from the CWS team, but the Rebels still have Christian Trent and Sam Smith in the rotation and lumberjacking Sikes Orvis (14 HRs) to reload the offense. Incoming 2B Tate Blackman is a difference-maker.



20. Cal State Fullerton (32-24, 14-10 Big West)
USA Today Coaches' Poll rank: 19

Starters Returning: 1
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15-plus inns.): 4

Of Note: The success of the Titans hinges on whether the arms of Thomas Eshelman, Justin Garza, Tyler Peitzmeier, and Willie Kuhl stay healthy and pitch to potential. Look for lots of new faces from the 10th-ranked recruiting class.

Five on deck: Florida State (43-17, 20-12 ACC), Oregon State (45-14, 23-7 Pac-12), Texas (46-21, 13-11 Big 12), Maryland (40-23, 15-14 ACC), UC Santa Barbara (34-17-1, 12-12)

ESPN: Baseball Power Rankings (Preseason)
 
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