A lethargic effort by the Husker bats led to a 9-1 loss at Kansas State last night. The loss snaps Nebraska’s three-game losing streak. Nebraska was held scoreless until an RBI groundout from Tanner Lubach plated Kash Kalkowski in the fifth. They mustered just five hits on the night. Even a strong offensive effort may not have been enough to overcome a rough night for the Huskers on the mound. Five Husker hurlers combined to allow fourteen hits to the aggressive Wildcat lineup. Tyler King allowed three runs on five hits in the first three innings to take the loss. The defeat drops the Huskers to 11-16 on the season and guarantees a season series loss to K-State, with one meeting remaining later in the season in Lincoln.. The Huskers are back in action this weekend, heading to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes in a three-game set that begins Friday night.

After four days off the Denver Nuggets return to the hardwood tonight to finish their four-game season series against the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets have taken two of three from their regional rivals entiring tonight’s game at the Pepsi Center. Denver enters the night in a dead heat with Memphis for the third seed in the Western Conference with eight games remaining in the regular season. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 PM.

CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — The longtime athletic director at Chadron State College has announced his retirement.

Brad Smith said Tuesday he would step down once his successor is hired. Smith has been the western Nebraska school’s athletic director for 26 years.

Under Smith the Eagles joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II in the early 1990s. President Randy Rhine said Smith has a “fantastic legacy” at Chadron State and that he couldn’t thank him enough for what he’s done for Eagles athletics.

Smith was head football coach from 1987-2004 and remains the school’s winningest coach. He was the RMAC coach of the year in 1996 and 2001 and he shared it in 1999. He coached five conference championship teams and led the Eagles to the playoffs four times.

Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore are the first pair of Huskers to be named to the AP All-American team in the same season. Both received honorable-mention status when the teams were announced yesterday. For Hooper, it’s the second straight season she’s achieved such an honor. The junior from Alliance led the Huskers in scoring and rebounding and made first-team All-Big Ten for the second straight season. She is the first Husker ever to record two seasons of 600+ points and 300+ rebounds. Moore ended her Husker career having started more games, played more minutes, and been part of more victories than any player in program history. The point guard from Covington, Washington led the Huskers in assists and set the career record in that category as well. She was also second on the team in scoring.

The North Platte Community College Softball team (2-19) returns to the diamond on Wednesday April 3 as they take on the Western Nebraska Community College Cougars in a double header at the Dowhower Complex in North Platte. The Knights will play 14 games in seven days. The first pitch will be at 2 p.m. with the second game to follow at 4 p.m. The Knights have faced the Cougars four times already this year falling at home 5-13 and 1-15 on March 6 and 2-3 and 2-11 in Scottsbluff on March 20.

— Nathan Wiesler, NPCC Sports Information

For the second straight Tuesday night, the Husker baseball team is headed to Manhattan to take on Kansas State. The Big Red dropped a 10-8 decision to the Wildcats last week, as their bullpen coughed up a 5-2 lead in the middle innings. Nebraska has won five of their last seven after a tough start to the season, including a three-game sweep of Northwestern at Hawks Field this past weekend. First pitch from the Little Apple tonight is set for 6:30.

The Husker football team has just one practice remaining this spring after yesterday’s two-hour full-pad session at the Hawks Championship Center. Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game marks the end of the spring season. After practice, defensive coordinator John Papuchis spoke to the media and praised his side of the ball for their continued improvement at the spring nears its conclusion. He credited the team’s understanding of the concepts of the defense for the growth being made thus far. Papuchis noted the performance of redshirt freshman defensive end Greg McMullen, who had a strong showing in a scrimmage on Saturday and will have a chance at extended playing time on an unsettled defensive line. The Huskers will practice on Wednesday before Saturday’s spring game at Memorial Stadium.

Husker men’s basketball has another commitment to the class of 2013. Junior college forward Leslee Smith committed to the Huskers yesterday. Smith played last season at Seward County Community College after playing his freshman year at SMU. The 6’8”, 250-pound native of the Virgin Islands averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Broncbusters. The Huskers have one scholarship left to fill out the 2013 class.

The 2013 season for the Colorado Rockies began in defeat yesterday afternoon in Milwaukee. Jonathan Lucroy’s sacrifice fly in the 10^th inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 win over the Rockies. Behind a strong outing from starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin and home runs from Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, the Rockies carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth innning. But newly acquired reliever Wilton Lopez allowed three runs in the eighth to cough up the lead. In the ninth, with the Rockies down to their last out, Dexter Fowler belted a home run to tie the score at 4-4. But the Brewers scored their winning run without the benefit of a hit one inning later. Game two of the three-game set between Colorado and Milwaukee is tonight. ESPN Radio 1410 will bring you the action, with pregame coverage at 6:30 and the first pitch at 7:10.

It’s time to play ball for the Colorado Rockies. And after their worst season in franchise history, the Rockies are excited for the fresh start that Opening Day brings. New manager Walt Weiss writes out his first meaningful lineup card this afternoon as the Rockies visit the Milwaukee Brewers. The Rockies finished 68-94 last year as injuries to Troy Tulowitzki and Jhoulys Chacin, among several others, derailed the season. Chacin will take the mound for the Rockies for his first Opening Day start, and Tulowitzki will be back at shortstop and in the cleanup spot. The Brewers will send their ace righthander Yovanni Gallardo to the bump to face what should be a potent Rockies lineup. First pitch from Miller Park is scheduled for 1:05. ESPN Radio 1410 will bring you all the action, with pregame coverage starting at 12:30.