Lincoln – This weekend the Nebraska baseball team (18-7, 3-0 Big Ten) will host the No. 16 Texas Longhorns (17-8, 5-1 Big 12) at Hawks Field for the first time since 2011, when both teams were still members of the Big 12 Conference. This weekend’s series, which opens on Friday night at 6:35 p.m., will mark the second series between the two teams since the Huskers left for the Big Ten Conference following the 2011 season, as the Huskers made a trip to Austin for a three-game series in 2013.
During the 15 years from 1997 to 2011 that both teams were in the Big 12, the Huskers and Longhorns were league’s top two teams, combining to win 10 (Texas – 7, Nebraska – 3) regular-season titles and eight tournament titles (four each). The teams also combined for 10 appearances at the College World Series.
Two of Nebraska’s home series with Texas rank among the top five in conference series attendances at Hawks Field – the 2005 series ranks third with an attendance of 22,595 and the 2007 series ranks fourth at 21,898.
Both teams enter the series playing good baseball, as the Huskers are 9-1 over their past 10 games, while the Longhorns have posted a 8-2 record. The Huskers are in the backend of a 16-game homestand and have posted a 11-1 record over the first 12 games of the stretch.
The Longhorns are just 5-5 away from Austin this season. In two road series the Longhorns are 4-4, as they went 2-2 at both Rice and Stanford. UT’s other two road games were midweek contests in the state of Texas, including a win at Texas State and a loss at UT Arlington.
Senior Chance Sinclair will get the ball for the Huskers on Friday night and will look to win his third straight start following wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Michigan. The third-team preseason All-American has gone at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts and has 10 strikeouts to two walks. The Longhorns are scheduled to counter with senior Parker French, who started against the Huskers on Friday night two years ago in Austin. The 6-2 Dripping Springs, Texas, native enters Friday with a 2-1 record and a 1.69 ERA in six starts. As a sophomore in 2012, French earned the win after allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a 8-2 Texas victory.
Senior Kyle Kubat will climb the hill on Saturday and will be in search of 20th career victory. Kubat is coming off a win over Michigan where he struck out a career-high nine batters and is now 4-0 on the year with a 1.60 ERA. UT is scheduled to start sophomore Kacy Clemens, son of seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens. The 6-2 right hander is 2-1 on the year with a 4.68 ERA in six appearances, including five starts. Over 25.0 innings, Clemens has struck out 11, but walked 13. Clemens started 63 games at first base last season as a freshman and didn’t make an appearance on the mound.
Sunday’s pitching matchup is scheduled to be Nebraska’s Derek Burkamper against Texas’ Chad Hollingsworth. Burkamper is 3-1 on the year and the sophomore has gone at least 5.0 innings in each of his five starts this season. Hollingsworth is also 3-1 on the year with a 2.97 ERA in five starts, with 12 strikeouts to eight walks in 30.1 innings. Hollingsworth earned the win in the second game between the Huskers and Longhorns in 2013, as he got the last out of the top of the ninth before the Longhorns posted a walk-off win in the bottom of the frame.
Friday, March 27 (6:35 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (3-3) vs. RHP French (2-1)
TV: NET
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Saturday, March 28 (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (4-0) vs. Clemens (2-1)
TV: BTN
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Sunday, March 29 (12:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (3-1) vs. Hollingsworth (3-1)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network