A Moment for Nebraska Baseball
3 comments so far
August 24, 2007 by
Here at the Big Red Network, we’ve made a very conscious effort to provide football content every weekday (and every day in season). Our every day season begins Monday and there will be loads of football talk over the next four months or so to chew on. But as a former Lincolnite and Nebraska alum, I don’t want to miss my last chance to make some comments on baseball before the summer ends.
While the stretch of time from late 2001 to at least mid-2005 will not go down as cherished parts of Nebraska football lore, the lull in gridiron success may well have been the kindling needed to help catch the spark that is Husker baseball.
Coming off a top ten finish and College World series appearance in 2001, the Huskers repeated both feats in 2002. They were upset in the NCAA regionals in 2003 but still managed another top ten finish. All of the attention being paid to Callahan in his inaugural season might have spared the 2004 squad some embarrassment as it finished eighth place in the Big 12. But they then followed up that disappointment with a Big 12 title in baseball and another College World Series appearance. And 2006 meant another trip to Omaha for the men in Red. The Huskers have begun a tradition of baseball success and because of some warts on the football program there were actually some fans willing to notice it.
Some former Huskers have also helped the cause of increasing enthusiasm for baseball in Nebraska. Erstad won a World Series in 2002 and Gold gloves in 2002 and 2004. Alex Gordon (of Lincoln) has been touted as the next George Brett in Kansas City and Joba Chamberlain has been the toast of the Big Apple since his call-up to the Yankees. He’s given up just 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs in his first 8 innings and has thrown over 100 miles per hour fastballs and racked up 14 strikeouts.
All of these means that the average Nebraskan (particularly those in Lincoln and Omaha) is going to be that much more into Nebraska baseball. With the new baseball park in Lincoln, there’s a generation with a whole new level of interest and exposure to baseball than ever before. That seems likely to pay dividends in the future. While Nebraska will always be a football-first state, the fans have shown they can embrace other NU programs (like volleyball) that perform. We may be witnessing over the decade or two, the birth of Nebraska as a perennial power in college baseball. And that’s worth some attention…at least until football begins.
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Tyler Aug 24 07
The jury is still out on Mike Anderson though. I can't tell if the problem is his, bad apples in the cart or a mixture of the two. I hope he really cleans things up and set expectations to the kids this offseason. The new pitching coach sounds promising.
Agreed: NU as a Football, Volleyball, and Baseball powerhouse would be great. Nevermind that we have a very good track program too. Unfortunately, few follow track. So the big 3 will get all the attention.
Unsure: I wonder if Basketball will get a good draw again too. I think we've got a heckuva coach who is doing the right things and needs time to get his type of horses as well (just like HCBC).
Steve Aug 24 07
You wonder how much kids play college baseball for the coach versus for the program. These college baseball coaches don't have the profile that football or basketball coaches do. While I'm sure coaching matters (particularly during a game), you'd think that the name of the game is recruiting and building NU as a baseball "brand" would seem to matter most. So if you want that culture, it's a slow build over time and that depends a great deal on the state getting behind it.
Basketball is unique in that I think if you get the right coach you can almost start from scratch. Schools like St. Joseph or Gonzaga can seemingly pop out of nowhere. In that sense, you'd think all NU needs is the right guy and they can create a successful program in fairly short order.
OU7times Aug 26 07
Baseball? What's baseball? Hey, just wanted to lt all you "Cornshuckies" know that you still have time to bet NU (at even money) to win the Big 12 North or... you could HEDGE your bet by betting Mizzou at 2-1 to win the Big 12 North, at the same time. If Mizzou wins, and I don't think they will, you could stumble into a profitable situation. At worst I think you would break even. No one else seems to be a real threat.