We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Royals beat White Sox 4-1 for Season-Opening 3-Game Sweep

kc-royalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Edinson Volquez dazzled for eight innings in his Royals debut, Lorenzo Cain made a pair of spectacular catches after driving in a run, and Kansas City beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 Thursday to finish a season-opening sweep.

Salvador Perez added a two-run homer, Kendrys Morales also drove in a run and the AL champion Royals improved to 3-0 for the first time since an opening sweep of Detroit in 2008.

Volquez (1-0) allowed four hits, including Alexei Ramirez’s RBI single, in validating the $20 million, two-year deal he signed in the offseason. Volquez struck out five while walking one.

Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his second save in less than 24 hours.

No. 23 Huskers and Gophers Open Series on Friday Night on BTN

husker baseballLincoln – Following an extra-inning win at Kansas State on Tuesday night, the No. 23 Nebraska baseball team (24-10, 3-3 Big Ten) gets back to Big Ten Conference action this weekend when it hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-17, 2-7 Big Ten) for a three-game series at Hawks Field.

The series is scheduled to open on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. and the game will be carried nationally on the Big Ten Network. Due to the Nebraska Football Spring Game on Saturday, the Huskers and Gophers will meet at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday night, before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Nebraska is 15-1 at Hawks Field this season and has outscored the opposition 92-34. At Hawks Field in 2015, NU’s pitching staff has notched 122 strikeouts compared to 34 walks.

The Gophers enter the series with a 8-15 record away from Siebert Field, including a 7-14 road record. This weekend will be the Gophers third league road series of the year and they are 1-5 on the road in league play, with the lone win coming last weekend at Rutgers.

The Huskers are set to start senior Chance Sinclair on Friday night and he will look to add to his 7-1 career record during Big Ten Play. The third-team preseason All-American has gone at least 6.0 innings in three of his last four starts. Minnesota is scheduled to start right-handed senior Ben Meyer, who is 1-4 on the year with a 5.65 ERA in eight starts. Meyer started the series finale last year against the Huskers in Minneapolis and went 6.2 innings in a no decision. The New Brighton, Minn., native allowed two runs on nine hits and one walk, while striking out four.

Senior Kyle Kubat will climb the hill on Saturday and will be in search of 20th career victory. Kubat is coming off a 4.2 innings outing at Maryland, where he gave up a career-high six runs. Kubat had gone at least 7.0 innings in five of his last six starts heading into last Saturday. The Gophers have not announced a starter for Saturday.

Sophomore Derek Burkamper will look to pick up his fifth win of the season on Sunday after taking a no decision last weekend in Maryland. Burkamper is 4-1 on the year with a 3.14 ERA over 43.0 innings. The Gophers announced that 6-7 sophomore Tim Shannon will start on Sunday. The Hopkins, Minn., native is 1-3 on the year with a 5.82 ERA in seven appearances, including six starts. In three starts during Big Ten play, Shannon is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA over 13 innings.

Friday, April 10 (7:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (4-4) vs. RHP Meyer (1-4)

TV: BTN

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN2Go

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Saturday, April 11 (6:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (4-1) vs. TBA

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Sunday, April 12 (1:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (4-1) vs. RHP Shannon (1-3)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Cain Comes Through in 8th with 2-Run Homer for Royals

kc-royalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning for his third hit and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 7-5 Wednesday night.

Cain homered off Zach Putnam (0-1), the fourth White Sox pitcher, after Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a single for his third hit.

Wade Davis (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Greg Holland, who had 46 saves last year, worked the ninth for his first save. Royals relievers Jason Frasor, Kelvin Herrera, Davis and Holland combined for four scoreless innings, striking out five, after Danny Duffy exited.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the third for the Royals. Homer homered after Mike Moustakas was hit by a pitch and Lorenzo Cain singled.

Rosario’s Pinch Homer lifts Colorado over Milwaukee in 10

colorado-rockiesMILWAUKEE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Wilin Rosario homered in the 10th inning after being scratched from the starting lineup, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

Rosario initially was in the Rockies batting order in place of Justin Morneau, who was hit in the neck by a ball while running the bases on Tuesday night. Morneau took batting practice and talked his way into the lineup, sending Rosario to the bench for the third straight game.

The big right-hander, however, hit a full-count pitch from Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez (0-1) over the wall in center field, giving the Rockies a three-game sweep in the season-opening series.

Colorado closer LaTroy Hawkins (1-0) got the win despite giving up a pair of runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

MLB Starts Sending Warning Letters on Pace of Game

mlb bigNEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has started sending written warnings to players who have violated the new pace of game rules.

MLB spokesman Michael Teeven said Wednesday about 10 letters had been sent since the start of the season last weekend.

Penalties for violating the new rules include fines, which start May 1. Hitters are required to keep one foot in the batter’s box, with exceptions such as after foul balls. Pitchers in most cases are required to start innings before 30 seconds remain on the countdown clocks.

MLB Launches ‘Franchise Four’ Promotion

mlb bigNEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has launched a “Franchise Four” promotion for fans to vote for the players they think had the most impact on each of the 30 teams.

Eight players are listed for each team. Voting, conducted on MLB.com, also will be held for the greatest living players, greatest Negro Leagues players and baseball’s greatest pioneers.

Balloting began Wednesday and ends May 8. Winners will be announced before the All-Star Game in Cincinnati in July 14.

Joe DiMaggio was voted baseball’s greatest living player in 1969 and honored at the sport’s centennial dinner before that year’s All-Star Game in Washington, D.C. Fans voted for nominations then, and winners in several categories were selected by reporters and broadcasters.

Fans selected an All-Century team in 1999.

Players on the current ballot were picked by MLB official historian John Thorn and representatives from the Baseball Writers’ Association of American, the Elias Sports Bureau, MLB.com and the MLB Network.

Lubach Goes 5-for-5 in Extra-Innings Win

husker baseballManhattan, Kan. – Tanner Lubach went 5-for-5 on Tuesday night at Tointon Stadium and drove in the eventual game-winning run with his fifth hit of the night in the 10th inning, as the No. 23 Nebraska baseball team (24-10, 3-3 Big Ten) posted a 5-4 win over the Kansas State Wildcats (13-17, 2-7 Big 12) in 10 innings. Lubach notched five of NU’s 12 hits and drove in a pair of runs, as the Huskers won the 277th all-time meeting between the two teams.

Josh Roeder came in for the 10th and picked up his 10th save of the season with a pair of strikeouts. Roeder is now four saves away from breaking Brett Jensen’s school record of 31 career saves.

In front of 3,081 fans, the largest crowd at Tointon Stadium this season, Lubach came to the plate with two outs in the top of the 10th and delivered a RBI single to left field that put the Huskers on top 5-4. The senior catch, who had three career three-hit games entering the night, notched three singles and two doubles on the night. Lubach is the first Husker to produce five hits in a game since Michael Pritchard last season, when he produced five hits in a 14-5 win over Kansas State in Lincoln on April 15.

Lubach’s two-out RBI single was possible after Jake Schleppenbach and Ben Miller also singled in the top of the 10th. Schleppenbach reached on a one-out single and moved to second when Miller came through with a two-out infield single. Lubach capped his heroic night with a single on a 1-1 offering from reliever Bryce Ward and on the play Schleppenbach scored from second base to put the Huskers on top 5-4.

Extra innings was needed after the Huskers squandered away a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth when the Wildcats scored four runs to even the game. The two teams then went scoreless over the next three innings before Lubach untied the game in the 10th.

Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision after the Wildcats tied the game. NU freshman Garett King went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. King had his streak of batters faced without a walk snapped at 36 over 17.0 innings in the third when he gave up a one-out walk. King’s last walk came in the Indiana State game on March 17 and he hadn’t allowed a walk in each of his last two starts.

KSU’s Kyle Halbohn lasted just 2.1 innings in his fourth start of the season. The junior allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits. Jordan Floyd and Jackson Douglas kept the Wildcats in the game with a combined 5.2 innings of scoreless four-hit relief behind Halbohn.

After going down in order in the first, the Huskers offense picked up steam in the second with three runs on four hits, including a RBI triple by Lubach. Miller got the inning started with an infield single and then scored on Lubach’s triple. Scott Schreiber later added a one-out RBI single and then put himself in scoring position with his third stolen base of the year. After Halbohn got the second out of the inning, Jake Placzek delivered a two-out single that scored Schreiber and gave the Huskers a 3-0 lead.

The Wildcats, who also were retired in order in the first, responded with a run in the bottom of the second on three hits. Nebraska got the run back in the third though on a deep blast by Blake Headley that cleared the scoreboard in right field. It was Headley’s first homer of the season and the fourth of his career.

King hung zeroes in the fourth and the fifth, but was unable to make it through the sixth. The Wildcats started the frame with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners. King then got a fly ball out before Steve Serratore delivered a RBI ground out that cut NU’s lead to 4-2. With two outs, the Huskers turned the ball to Jeff Chesnut, who promptly gave up a RBI double and a RBI single that tied the game, 4-4. Following a stolen base the Wildcats had the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Chesnut ended the inning with a 6-3 groundout.

The Huskers had the go-ahead run in scoring position in the eighth when Lubach blasted a double off the right field wall. Douglas kept the game tied with a strikeout of Austin Darby to end the frame.

KSU then had the go-ahead run on base in the bottom of the eighth with a one out walk, but Chesnut got consecutive pop outs to second base and the game went to the ninth, tied 4-4.

After the Huskers went down in order in the top of the ninth, the Wildcats has the winning run on base in the bottom of the ninth after Taylor Anderson led off with a single and he was quickly in scoring position following a sacrifice bunt. The Husker then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Alex Bee to setup the double play. With the top of KSU’s order coming to the plate, sophomore Jake Hohensee got a shallow fly out and a ground ball to escape the jam and send the game to extra innings, where Lubach put on a stamp on a career night.

The Huskers will be back in action at Hawks Field on Friday night when they open a three-game series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. and the game will be carried nationally on the Big Ten Network.

Lyles Pitches Rockies to Another Win over Brewers, 5-2

colorado-rockiesMILWAUKEE (AP) — Jordan Lyles pitched six effective innings and the Colorado Rockies hit six doubles for the second consecutive game in a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Lyles (1-0) limited the Brewers to two runs and five hits. He lost four of his final five starts last season.

Jean Segura was hit in the face by Lyles’ changeup in the fifth and stayed sprawled in front of home plate for several minutes. Segura apparently was OK, though, and remained in the game.

Six players doubled for the Rockies, who had 12 hits overall. Colorado had eight extra-base hits and 16 overall in the season opener Monday, a 10-0 victory.

The Rockies, who managed only one hit off Brewers starter Matt Garza through three innings, scored three runs in the fourth. Colorado had four consecutive hits in the inning.

King Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Garett King (Photo from Twitter)
Garett King (Photo from Twitter)

Lincoln – For the second straight week a member of the Nebraska baseball team earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, as Garett King was selected for the honor on Tuesday by the league office after Elijah Dilday was recognized last week.

King went a career-high 8.0 innings and issued only two hits to improve to 3-0 on the year in 5-1 win over Creighton last Tuesday at Hawks Field. The 6-3 right hander struck out five and didn’t issue a walk for the second straight start. King was perfect through the first four innings, before Harrison Crawford led off the fifth with a triple down the right-field line that just escaped the out-stretched glove of Austin Darby. Crawford scored CU’s lone run of the game when Brett Murray lifted a sacrifice fly into center field.

Following the triple, King went on to retire 12 of the final 13 Jays he faced, before junior Jeff Chesnut took the mound in the ninth and retired the Jays in order to finish the win.

A native of Anaheim Hills, Calif., King is scheduled to start for the Huskers tonight at Kansas State. He has made seven appearances this year, including four starts, and has a 2.00 ERA over 27.0 innings of work with 14 strikeouts to four walks.

MLB Sets Spring Training Attendance Record

mlb bigNEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has set a spring training attendance record, breaking the 4 million mark this year and averaging nearly 8,400 fans a game.

The league said Tuesday that attendance was up 11.7 percent from last season’s total of 3,610,738, and the record average was a 3.8 percent increase from a year ago.

This time, the 481 dates drew 4,034,708 fans for an average of 8,388. That topped the previous record of 3,823,479 set in 2013, while the average attendance eclipsed the previous best of 8,078 in 2014.

The Chicago Cubs drew 222,415 fans to Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, the largest spring training attendance total for any team in history.

The Boston Red Sox sold out each of their 15 completed home games. They have sold out all 63 Grapefruit League games at JetBlue Park since its 2012 opening.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File