Huskers – Page 122 – North Platte Post Archive

Husker Football Season Tickets Available

Posted on June 17, 2014June 17, 2014

With the completion of the first two phases of Seat Yourself, a new online, ticketing program for the upcoming football season, Husker fans now have the opportunity to view and purchase remaining season tickets for the 2014 season.

Individuals interested in purchasing any of the remaining available seats can go to Huskers.com/tickets or call the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800 8 BIG RED. This season fans have the opportunity to get a view of the field from the seats that are available on Huskers.com.

Season tickets for the 2014 season are $56 per game, or $392 for the seven-game season ticket package. Fans who purchase season tickets save a total of $113 over the actual single-game prices. Ticket buyers must use a credit card at the time of purchase. For seats that require an annual donation, fans can choose to pay that amount at the time of purchase when buying over the phone at 800 8 BIG RED. Fans who choose to order online at Huskers.com/tickets will be billed for their annual donation if applicable. Contributions are due in full by July 7, 2014.

The 2014 season will be a celebration of Nebraska’s 125^th season of college football. The schedule will include four Big Ten Conference home games, as well as a long-awaited prime-time matchup against Miami on Sept. 20 when the 1994 team will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of winning the national championship. Nebraska opens the 2014 season on Aug. 30 against Florida Atlantic. Nebraska’s NCAA-record sellout streak entering the Florida Atlantic game sits at 333 consecutive games dating back to 1962. New Memorial Stadium fan amenities include a new sound system, complete WiFi connectivity in and around the stadium, an IPTV system and a new game-day application for smart phones.

Donors, season ticket holders and new season ticket holders who placed their names on the request lists were assisted with tickets and upgrades as part of the Seat Yourself program. The 2014 football ticket process was an extremely successful launch for Seat Yourself, which will expand to other Husker venues in the future.

Huskers Track & Field Athletes Earn All-America Honors

Posted on June 17, 2014

Lincoln- The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the official list of 2014 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Americans on Monday. Ten Huskers earned first-team All-America accolades for their performances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., last weekend, while an additional 11 Huskers claimed second-team honors and six earned honorable-mention accolades.

National Champion Miles Ukaoma led the group of first-team honorees that also included the men’s 4×400 Relay of Levi Gipson, Jake Bender, Drew Wiseman and Cody Rush, Patrick Raedler (long jump), Chad Wright (discus), Ellie Ewere (triple jump), Maggie Malone (javelin) and Jazmin McCoy (long jump).

With Monday’s announcement, Nebraska upped its All-American total to 628. The men’s team alone has produced 176 outdoor All-America awards, while the women have 155 All-America awards.

First-Team All-America honors were awarded to those who finished among the top eight in an individual or relay event as part of a team; Second-Team All-America honors went to those who finished between ninth and 16th; and Honorable Mention honors were given to the remaining finishers.

Men’s All-Americans

Jake Bender- 4×400 Relay (First Team)
Jodi-Rae Blackwood- 4×100 Relay (Second Team), 400 Hurdles (Honorable Mention)
Levi Gipson- 4×400 Relay (First Team)
Mate Koroknai- 400 Meter Hurdles (Second Team)
Tibor Koroknai- 400 Meter Hurdles (Second Team)
Will Lohman- Hammer Throw (Honorable Mention)
Dexter McKenzie- 4×100 Relay (Second Team)
Sean Pille- 110 Meter Hurdles (Honorable Mention)
Patrick Raedler- Long Jump (First Team)
Cody Rush- 4×400 Relay (First Team), 400 Meters (Second Team)
Tim Thompson- 4×100 Relay (Second Team)
Miles Ukaoma- 400 Meter Hurdles (First Team)
John Welk- 4×100 Relay (Second Team)
Drew Wiseman- 4×400 Relay (First Team)
Chad Wright- Discus (First Team), Shot Put (Second Team)

Women’s All-Americans
Ellie Ewere- Triple Jump (First Team)
Mollie Gribbin- Long Jump (Honorable Mention)
Veronica Grizzle- Hammer Throw (Second Team)
Annie Jackson- Shot Put (Second Team)
Maggie Malone- Javelin (First Team)
Anne Martin- Heptathlon (Second Team)
Jazmin McCoy- Long Jump (First Team)
Carlie Pinkelman- Shot Put (Honorable Mention)
Tierra Williams- Long Jump (Honorable Mention)

Kelly and Sinclair Earn ABCA All-Region Honors

Posted on June 13, 2014

Lincoln – A pair of Nebraska baseball players earned all-region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association on Friday afternoon, as Pat Kelly was a first-team pick at second base and Chance Sinclair was one of three starting pitchers that earned second team honors in the Midwest Region.

Kelly led the Huskers in hits (76), RBIs (55) and home runs (4) as a junior in 2014, while also fielding at a .990 clip. His 55 RBIs were the most by a Husker since 2010 when Adam Bailey drove in 57 runs. A 12^th-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in last week’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, Kelly has declared that he will not return for his senior season at Nebraska.

Kelly became the 22^nd player in school history to notch 200 career hits, and ended his three-year career ranked 20^th in school history with 212 hits. He started the past 135 straight games for the Huskers, including every game of the past two seasons. Defensively, he leaves Nebraska ranked seventh in school history with 468 assists.

Sinclair transferred to Nebraska after spending two seasons at Neosho County CC and was part of NU’s weekend rotation all season in 2014. The Spring Hill, Kan., native led the Huskers with a 9-1 record, while also posting a 2.15 ERA. During Big Ten play, Sinclair was a perfect 6-0 in eight starts with a 2.10 ERA, including a 10-strikeout performance in his final home start of the year against Illinois on May 15. It was the most strikeouts in a conference game by a Husker since Thad Weber sat down 11 against Kansas on March 18, 2008.

Sinclair started Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament opener, its first since 2008, at the Stillwater Regional and had a no hitter through 6.0 innings against Cal State Fullerton.

On the year, Sinclair went 6.0 or more innings in 13 of his 16 starts, including nine outings of at least 7.0 innings or more and a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State on April 5. Sinclair’s complete game against Ohio State was one of three by the Husker pitching staff that weekend, as Christian DeLeon and Aaron Bummer also tossed complete games. No other staff in the country threw three 9.0-inning complete games in a weekend series during the 2014 season.

Sinclair also earned third-team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection following his first year at Nebraska.

Huskers Post NCAA’s Largest Basketball Attendance Increase Since 2007

Posted on June 13, 2014

Lincoln – For the Nebraska men’s basketball program, the 2013-14 season was a record-setting one at the box office, as the Huskers enjoyed the largest average attendance increase in college basketball over the last seven years.

The Huskers ranked 13th in the final NCAA attendance rankings released Friday, averaging a school-record 15,419 fans per game as 246,702 fans saw Husker basketball during the first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska increased its average attendance by 5,067 fans per game in 2013-14, the largest single-season increase by a Division I program in men’s basketball since Virginia averaged 5,725 more fans per game during the 2006-07 season, its first season at John Paul Jones Arena. Nebraska’s attendance increase marks only the eighth time (by seven schools) where attendance has increased by more than 5,000 fans per game since the 1999-2000 season.

The 2013-14 season is also the highest Nebraska has been ranked in average attendance since the NCAA expanded the attendance list from 10 teams beginning with the 1977-78 season. NU’s previous best was 18th in 1978-79, and the Huskers had ranked in the top-20 three other times, most recently in 1993-94.

Nebraska broke its single-game attendance five times in 2013-14, capped by a school-record crowd of 15,998 against ninth-ranked Wisconsin in the regular-season finale on March 9. The Huskers easily shattered since-season records for both average attendance (13,537) and total attendance (213,715), both of which were set during the 1992-93 season.

Nebraska was one of seven Big Ten teams to rank in the top-18 nationally in average attendance. The Big Ten led the nation in average attendance for the 38th consecutive season with13,354 fans per game, setting a record for the highest average attendance by any conference in NCAA history.

Reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Tim Miles begins his third season at Nebraska after leading the Huskers to a 19-13 record and the school’s first NCAA appearance since 1998 last season. The Huskers return all five starters from a team that finished fourth in the Big Ten with an 11-7 Big Ten mark, including All-American candidate Terran Petteway, who averaged a Big Ten-high 18.1 points per game while adding 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Junior wing Shavon Shields also earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors after averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per contest. In all, the Huskers return over 80 percent of its scoring, including seven of its top eight scorers, and top-five rebounders from a year ago.

Owens Named Nebraska Director of Basketball Operations

Posted on June 13, 2014

Lincoln – Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced Friday that Teddy Owens has been named Director of Operations for the Husker basketball program.

“Teddy will be terrific as our Director of Operations. It is a challenging job, but one he will handle well,” Miles said. “In this role, we rely on him to be a liaison for our program both on campus and in the community, and Teddy possesses both the personality and organization skills to make sure our program is running smoothly.”

Owens served as administrative coordinator for the Huskers during the 2013-14 season, assisting Coach Miles and his staff in daily operations, on-campus recruiting, student-athlete outreach, social media initiatives and other program events such as Legends Weekend and the Husker Buddies youth camp.

Owens replaces Jayden Olson, who was named an assistant coach at North Dakota State earlier this spring.

Before joining the Nebraska staff in July of 2013, Owens spent two seasons working as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma under Lon Kruger. While at Oklahoma, he was in charge of on-campus recruiting tours for recruits and family members, created recruiting pieces, assisted in individual workouts and practices and helped coordinate Oklahoma’s summer basketball camps. The Sooners went 20-12 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012-13.

In addition to his work at Oklahoma, Owens spent three seasons as the basketball coach at Lincoln Christian in Tulsa, Okla., compiling a 48-27 record leading the school to a pair of Class 2A state tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. He also was an assistant coach at Holland Hall Preparatory and Tulsa Edison High Schools. He served as a student manager at Oklahoma State during the 2003-04 season, when the Cowboys went 31-4, won the Big 12 title and reached the Final Four.

Owens received his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Oklahoma State and his master’s degree in human relations from Oklahoma in May of 2013. He is the son of former Kansas basketball coach Ted Owens, who went 348-182 in 19 seasons at Kansas from 1965 to 1983. The elder Owens won six Big Eight titles and reached the Final Four with the Jayhawks in 1971 and 1974.

He and his wife Ashley have one son, Layton Bracket.

Taylor Martinez’s Brother Leaving Nebraska Team

Posted on June 8, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Former Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez’s brother is leaving the team after just one year in the program.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini confirmed that Drake Martinez has left the team.

Drake Martinez was recruited as a safety, but didn’t get a chance to play last fall because of health issues, including having his tonsils removed.

Martinez’ father, Casey, says Drake lost quite a bit of weight and strength because of the health issues.

Casey Martinez says Drake recovered most of his strength but wanted a fresh start at a new school.

Nebraska also currently has several players competing for playing time at safety.

Three Huskers Picked on Final Day of MLB Draft

Posted on June 7, 2014

Lincoln – Three members of the 2014 Nebraska baseball team, along with two Husker signees were picked on the final day of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Saturdayafternoon.

Pat Kelly, Aaron Bummer and Zach Hirsch were each picked on Saturday after helping the Huskers reach the NCAA Tournament in 2014 for the first time since the 2008 season. Husker signees Luis Alvarado and Garett King were also selected, joining fellow signees Monte Harrison and Jakson Reetz, who picked on Thursday and Friday.

Kelly was the first to hear is name called when he was picked by his home state Minnesota Twins with the fifth pick in the 12^th round. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, including first-team honors the past two seasons, Kelly is a native of Red Wing, Minn.

Kelly is the first Husker selected in the top-15 rounds of the draft since 2011, when Cody Asche was a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. Kelly is also the third Husker taken by the Twins in the last three drafts, joining Chad Christensen (2013) and Travis Huber (2012).

Bummer and Hirsch were both taken in the 19^th round, with Bummer being selected with the third pick by the Chicago White Sox, while Hirsch went eight picks later to the Milwaukee Brewers. Hirsch was the second player with Husker ties picked by the Brewers, as Milwaukee snagged Harrison with the 50^th overall pick in the second round on Thursday night.

Alvarado became the third Husker signee picked in the draft when the Boston Red Sox took him with the second-to-last pick in the 33^rd round. King then came off the board as the 10^th pick in the 36^th round by the New York Mets.

Saturday marked the first time since 2010 that the Huskers have had three players taken in the first 20 rounds of the draft. Michael Mariot (8th – Kansas City), Ryan Hughes (16^th– Oakland) and Mike Nesseth (17^th – Philadephia) were each picked in the first 20 rounds of the 2010 draft.

Kelly’s selection marked the 36-straight year that at least one Husker has been picked in the MLB Draft.

Pat Kelly | JR | 2B (Minnesota Twins – 12^th Round)

Kelly has been one of the top hitters in the Big Ten the last two seasons, while also ranking as one of the best infield defenders in the league. He led the Huskers in hits (76), RBIs (55) and home runs (4) in 2014. Kelly led the Huskers in hits each of the past two seasons and his 55 RBIs in 2014 were the most by a Husker since 2010 when Adam Bailey drove in 57 runs. Defensively he committed just three errors all season in 315 chances, a fielding percentage of .990.

Kelly became the 22^nd player in school history to notch 200 career hits, and ended his junior year ranked 20^th in school history with 212 hits. He has also started the past 135 straight games for the Huskers, including every game of the past two seasons.

Aaron Bummer | JR | LHP (Chicago White Sox – 19^th Round)

Saturday marked the second time Bummer has been selected in the draft, as he was a 31^st-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2011 out of high school, but instead chose to come to Nebraska.

Bummer worked as a reliever during his freshman season in 2012 and started in the bullpen as a sophomore before joining NU’s weekend rotation during Big Ten play in 2013. The 6-2 lefty worked exclusively as a starter in 2014, throwing 89.0 innings over 15 starts. He led the Huskers in 2014 in strikeouts with 56, including a team-best 16 strikeouts looking.

Through his junior season, Bummer has posted a 11-6 record with a 3.06 ERA. He also tossed his first career complete game during the 2014 season, as he capped a series sweep of Ohio State at Hawks Field.

Zach Hirsch | SR | LHP (Milwaukee Brewers – 19^th Round)

After working as a starter during his sophomore season in 2012, Hirsch made the move to the bullpen in 2013 and was one of the top relief arms in the country this season. A third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2014, Hirsch was also one of 50 relievers nationally to be named to the Midseason Stopper-of-the-Year List.

Hirsch led the Huskers with a 1.72 ERA in 2014 and held opposing batters to a .193 average. The 6-4 lefty’s 31 appearances were the most by a Husker since Brett Jensen made 33 appearances in 2005.

Hirsch struck out a career-high 50 batters in 52.1 innings of work, while posting a 5-2 record and four saves. His 50 strikeouts ranked third on the team to starters Aaron Bummer (56) and Chance Sinclair (52).

Luis Alvarado | HS (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy) | RHP/INF/OF (Boston Red Sox – 33^rd Round)

Alvarado was a late addition to Nebraska’s signing class, as he signed a letter of intent in April. The 6-5 native of Salinas, Puerto Rico, has an athletic frame and could play in the field or pitch for the Huskers.

Tabbed as an second-team underclass All-American in 2013 by Perfect Game, Alvarado earned first-team All-Canada/Puerto Rico honors in 2014. The scouting service ranked Alvarado as the No. 3 high school player in Puerto Rico and the No. 165 high school recruit overall.

Alvarado attended Montverde Academy in Florida in 2013, before returning to Puerto Rico for his senior season.

Garett King | HS (Orange County Lutheran) | RHP (N.Y. Mets – 36^th Round)

The Nebraska coaching staff was able to pull King away from Anaheim, Calif., to sign with the Huskers last fall. The 6-3 righty was tabbed as the No. 18 right-handed pitcher in the state of California by Perfect Game and the No. 187 righty in the country. King was a 2014 California Region honorable-mention pick by Perfect Game in 2014 after earning underclass high honorable-mention All-American honors last season.

As a junior in 2013, King helped the Lancers to a runner-up finish in the Trinity League in after the team won the title in 2012. He also competed at the 2013 PG WWBA World Championships with Team Evoshield in Jupiter, Fla.

2014 MLB Draftees

Monte Harrison | Round 2 (Milwaukee Brewers)

Jakson Reetz | Round 3 (Washington Nationals)

Pat Kelly | Round 12 (Minnesota Twins)

Aaron Bummer | Round 19 (Chicago White Sox)

Zach Hirsch | Round 19 (Milwaukee Brewers)

Luis Alvarado | Round 33 (Boston Red Sox)

Garett King | Round 36 (New York Mets)

Reetz Taken in Third Round by Nationals

Posted on June 6, 2014

Lincoln – After Monte Harrison was picked in the second round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night, another Nebraska baseball signee was selected on Fridayafternoon, as Firth, Neb., native Jakson Reetz was picked in the third round by the Washington Nationals.

Picked 93^rd overall in the draft, Reetz is the first high school player from the state of Nebraska to be picked in the top five rounds since 1996 when Omaha native Buddy Carlyle was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Reds.

Reetz was tabbed as the No. 2 high school catcher and the No. 30 overall high school player in the country by Perfect Game. A three-time Lincoln Journal Star Super-State selection, Reetz hit .486 with 13 doubles and eight home runs, while driving in 37, as a senior at Norris High School. Reetz was one of two Norris products to sign with the Huskers last fall, joining Byron Hood.

Reetz was a first-team Perfect Game All-American in 2014, after earning first-team Underclass All-American honors in 2013. Last summer, Reetz was named MVP of the 2013 Perfect Game USA All-America Game at Petco Park in August. He was the second straight Husker signee to earn the award, as 2014 Freshman All-American Ryan Boldt took the honor in 2012.

Reetz earned a spot on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team last summer, becoming the first player in the state to earn a spot on the U18 team and only the second player to compete for Team USA, joining Alex Gordon (2004 National Team).

Harrison and Reetz have until July 18 to sign a contracts with their respective teams.

With the first 10 rounds in the books, the 2014 draft concludes on Saturday starting at Noon with rounds 11-40, streamed live on MLB.com.

2014 MLB Draftees with Huskers Ties

Round 2 (Milwaukee Brewers) – Monte Harrison (Signee)

Round 3 (Washington Nationals) – Jakson Reetz (Signee)

Uplifting Athletes Road Race Set for July 20

Posted on June 6, 2014

Runners can now register to be a part of the second Nebraska Football Uplifting Athletes Road Race. The event is set for Sunday, July 20, and includes both a one-mile fun run and a competitive 5K race.

In its inaugural year, the Nebraska Uplifting Athletes Road Race had approximately 700 runners participate and organizers are hoping to increase that to more than 1,000 participants this summer. All proceeds from the race benefit pediatric brain cancer research, and in 2013 the event helped raise approximately $15,000.

The Sunday morning event will start at 8 a.m. with the one-mile run, with the 5K to begin immediately following completion of the fun run. The race will start and finish on Stadium Drive near the 501 Building. Nebraska football student-athletes will be on hand to provide support and encouragement throughout both races and there will be a chance for interaction with players before and after each race. The Lincoln Track Club will help coordinate the event for the second straight year.

The 5K will travel through Innovation Campus and around the Devaney Center/Hendricks Training Complex, while the one-mile fun run will take place on the UNL campus. Registration is currently open at www.upliftingathletes.org. The cost is $25 for the one-mile run and $30 for the 5K. Each participant will receive a race-day T-shirt and wrist bracelet.

Those interested should register now to ensure a spot in running for a cure to battle pediatric brain cancer.

Huskers Football and Baseball Commit Selected in Second Round by Brewers

Posted on June 6, 2014

Lincoln – Nebraska baseball and football signee Monte Harrison was selected 50^th overall in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night by the Milwaukee Brewers. Harrison was the ninth pick in the second round and it’s the highest that an incoming Husker has been picked since Bubba Starling was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2011. Starling went on to sign a professional contract with the Royals.

Scheduled to play both football and baseball at Nebraska, Harrison was tabbed as a first-team All-American by Perfect Game in 2014. The 6-2 product of Lee’s Summit West High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo., was ranked as the 31^st best high school prospect in the country and the No. 4 outfielder nationally by Perfect Game.

As a junior in 2013, Harrison hit .457, while driving in 33 runs and scoring 36. He had 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs and also stole 25 bases.

On the football field, Harrison helped his team to a 13-1 record and a Class 5 state title. Harrison’s explosiveness helped Lee’s Summit West dominate during its playoff run, winning all five games by at least 28 points. Harrison finished the season with 60 receptions for 1,007 yards, an average of 16.8 yards per catch, and had 13 receiving touchdowns. Harrison also rushed for 198 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass.

Harrison now has until July 18 to sign a contract with the Brewers.