The Hershey Panthers boys basketball team is making their first trip to state since 1994. They’re the seventh seed in the Class C1 state tournament. This morning, the 17-5 Panthers take on the 22-1 Minden Whippets. Q-Country 107.3 has the action live, with pregame coverage starting at 8:45 AM leading to the tipoff at 9 AM.

#10 HERSHEY PANTHERS (17-5) – seventh seed
>> Coach: Dustin Jorgenson>> Scoring averages: 49.8-43.1
Player, Ht., Yr., Pts., Reb.
James Moore, 6-0, Sr., 12.3, 5.7
Bryson Hellmuth, 6-1, Sr., 11.8, 6.3
Jordan Hiatt, 6-1, Sr., 10.8, 6.0
Wesley Layton, 6-3, Sr., 9.0, 5.1
Dylan Johnson, 6-3, Jr., 5.3, 3.1
>> Tournament history: First appearance since 1994 and ninth overall. Won C-1 in ‘93 and was runner-up in ‘94.

#2 MINDEN WHIPPETS (22-1) – second seed
>> Coach: Shannon Lovin
>> Scoring averages: 62.7-39.0
Player, Ht., Yr., Pts., Reb.
Carson Blum, 6-0, Sr., 17.4, 6.6
Derek Kissinger, 6-1, Sr., 13.7, 5.2
Christian Schwenka, 6-4, Sr., 9.1, 6.4
R.J. Watson, 5-11, Jr., 6.6, 1.7
Thomas Sinsel, 5-9, Sr., 4.6, 1.9
>> Tournament history: Last year’s runner-up is making fifth consecutive appearance and 31st overall. Finals record: 5-5, last title Class B in 1958.

The Nebraska baseball team made it four consecutive wins and eight wins in their last nine games with a 4-1 defeat of Nebraska-Kearney yesterday afternoon at Hawks Field in Lincoln. Kale Kiser sparked the offense with a solo home run in the sixth inning that started a three-run frame that provided the winning margin for the Husker. It was Kiser’s second homer in as many games. Richard Stock, Austin Darby, and Chad Christensen also drove in runs for the Big Red. Five Husker hurlers combined to allow just one run on five hits. Dexter Spitsnogle worked the first three innings, and Ryan Hander worked innings four through six to earn the first win of his Husker career. Luke Bublitz worked a clean ninth for the save. The Huskers move to 8-4 with the win. They host California for a four-game series starting Friday.

The Nebraska baseball team made it 34 consecutive home opener victories with a 9-6 defeat of Kansas State at Hawks Field yesterday afternoon. The Big Red used big sticks to score four runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth, erasing an early 2-0 deficit. Kale Kiser’s two-run home run, his first of the season, was the big blow in the third. That shot tied the game, and Chad Christensen’s two-run single later in the frame gave the Huskers the lead for good. In the fifth, Christensen and Kurt Farmer had RBI hits, while Josh Scheffert drove in a pair with a single. Bryan Peters drove in Nebraska’s final run in the eighth. Tyler Niederklein earned the win on the mound, and Travis Huber worked a perfect ninth for the save. The Huskers move to 7-4 on the season. They host Nebraska-Kearney today at 1:35.

With the start of spring practice just four days away, Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini met with members of the media yesterday and spoke on several subjects. Pelini addressed injured players, position changes, and even the increasing possibility of a college football playoff, which he does not currently favor. “There is a lot of theory and theoretical things,” Pelini said. “I could end up on the moon tomorrow. That’s probably not going to happen. Let’s get something that is workable and every proposal that has been put out there has reprocussions.” The Huskers hold a Pro Day for their outgoing NFL prospects on Thursday, and then open up the spring with their first practice on Saturday.