Bay Area Husker ENews 4-13-07

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans,

Who cares if its Friday the 13th...its just another 'nice' day in paradise out here in the Bay Area. Big day for virtually all of the Husker athletic programs tomorrow! Spring Game fever has come to Lincoln (with a tape delayed broadcastof the game!), and the baseball team takes on Oklahoma on national TV (FSN). And the Baseball Team will be nationally televised twice the following weekend during a homestand against the UT Longhorns. And not to be outdone, several Husker Gymnasts will also be on a delayed TV broadcast of the last two days of the NCAA Finals. Volleyball, Soccer and Softball also have scheduled games this Saturday to cap off a big Red-White gameday. Lots of other news from the homeland to pass along so check out the info below. And check out the info about next performance (on 4/28) of the Mission Chamber Orchestra (conducted by our own Emily Ray) at the end of this email.

Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl

========
ANNUAL SPRING GAME KICKOFF SET FOR 10:30 A.M. PACIFIC TIME...
(Game to be nationally televised on a tape delayed broadcast on the NFL Network channel at 6 p.m. PDT)...

The Huskers went through its final afternoon practice of the 2007 spring season Wednesday inside the Hawks Championship Center.

Lincoln - The Nebraska football team endured its last afternoon workout of the 2007 spring season Wednesday afternoon as they practiced for 2 1/2 hours inside the Hawks Championship Center.

With 13 practices in the books, the Huskers did not scrimmage Wednesday afternoon, but instead fine-tuned team concepts and drills since they will only work out early Thursday morning before Saturday's Red-White Game.

It was a good practice today, Head Coach Bill Callahan said. We really focused and concentrated on team drills. Our red zone was team-oriented, our blitzes and our move-the-ball. Everything that we did today was in a team fashion.

Saturday's 12:30 p.m. scrimmage will run in a similar manner to last year's contest, when the Red squad defeated the White, 35-7. However, Callahan and the Nebraska coaching staff are looking for a more competitive contest in this year's game.

We're going to try to put the No. 1's versus the No. 2's and let them compete, he said. We do that primarily for consistency and continuity. We want our first offense and defense to come out with a lot of confidence. I will say this - our second team will give our (first) team a heck of a battle. I know that. It'll be fun to watch.

The Nebraska Athletic Department also announced Wednesday that Saturday's Red-White Game will be nationally-televised on a tape-delay basis on the NFL Network at 6 p.m. PDT.

Greg Sharpe will call the play-by-play action for the NFL Network. Sharpe will be joined on the telecast by former Husker wide receiver Matt Davison. Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan will also join Sharpe in the booth for part of the telecast to provide insight into the Husker football program.

We are excited that we are able to partner with the NFL Network and show football fans from coast to coast the passion for Nebraska football, Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. This is a unique opportunity to showcase Nebraska on a network that is all football, all the time. We know it will be impressive for the nation to see a great crowd in Memorial Stadium for the Red-White Spring Game.

The Nebraska Red-White game will be the first-ever spring game shown on NFL Network.

========

HUSKER BASEBALL LOOKS FOR WINS AT NO. 12 OU THIS WEEKEND...
(Note that Saturday's first game starts at 1 p.m. PDT and will be carried live on the Fox Sports Network...consult your cable/satellite guide for details)...

Jeff Tezak and the Huskers head to Oklahoma this weekend.

This Week's Schedule
Fri., April 13 at --/23/24 Oklahoma (24-11, 4-5 Big 12) (Just found out that this game was rained out and will be added as the second game of a double header on Saturday following the nationally televised first game)
Sat., April 14 at Oklahoma 1 p.m. Pacific Time
Sun., April 15 at Oklahoma 11 a.m. Pacific TIme
Polls are in the following order: Collegiate Baseball/Baseball America/Sports Weekly

Probable Starters
Fri. NU-Tony Watson, Jr., LHP (3-1, 3.33 ERA, 46 K, 48 IP)
OU-Stephen Portier, So., RHP (4-3, 3.15 ERA, 62 K, 52.1 IP)
Sat. NU-Johnny Dorn, Jr., RHP (5-1, 4.89 ERA, 37 K, 46 IP)
OU-Heath Taylor, Jr., LHP 6-1, 2.86 ERA, 46 K, 50.1 IP)
Sun. NU-TBA
OU-TBA

Follow the Huskers This Week
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (see network list on page 4) and for free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: Saturday and Sunday's games will be on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel is TBA)
TV: Saturday's game at Oklahoma will be carried live on Fox Sports Net (Ch. 37 in Lincoln, Ch. 47 in Omaha)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Video: HuskersNside (Subscription required)

Huskers Look for Wins at No. 23 Oklahoma
The Nebraska baseball team returns to conference action, as the Huskers travel to No. 23 Oklahoma for a three-game series this weekend. The series from L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman commences with a 7 p.m. start Friday night with afternoon games set for both Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).

Radio broadcasts of all three games this weekend will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington and for free on the Internet at Huskers.com. Saturday's game may be joined in progress, as the Huskers football has its annual Red/White Game on Saturday. Both weekend games will also be available on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Ch. 140).

Saturday's game against the Sooners will also be carried nationally on FSN, the first of two regular-season Husker games carried as part of the Big 12's baseball television package. Fans should check with their local cable or satellite operator to see if the game will be shown on a live or tape-delayed basis.

The Huskers are 20-13 on the season and 0-1 on their current four-game road trip after losing to No. 11 Wichita State, 5-3, on Wednesday night. NU, which had won eight of its last 11 contests before Wednesday, built a 3-1 lead after strong performances from starter Drew Bowman and Matt Foust, only to see the Shockers rally for four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Offensively, Bryce Nimmo had two hits, scored twice and had a stolen base, while Mitch Abeita went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

=========
HUSKERS ANNOUNCE TIME CHANGES AND TV PLANS FOR TEXAS SERIES FOR THE 4/20-22 WEEKEND...

The University of Nebraska Athletic Department and the Big 12 Conference announced several time changes for the Nebraska-Texas baseball series set for April 20-22 at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The changes allow all three games of the weekend series to be televised nationally and are different than the times listed on the original tickets included season-ticket packages.

Friday's series opener has been pushed back to a 5:05 p.m. (PDT) start and will be carried across the state on Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1 and NET-HD) and simulcast nationally on College Sports Television (CSTV). The NU-UT game is one of five Husker baseball games carried on NET this spring.

Saturday's game will now start at 1:05 p.m. (PDT), as the contest was selected as part of the Big 12's television package with FSN. It is the first time that FSN will broadcast a game from Hawks Field since the park opened in 2002. The game will be shown live on FSN Midwest, FSN Southwest and on FSN Rocky Mountain, while fans in other markets should contact their local cable or satellite operator to see if the game is carried in their area (click here for broadcast info).

Sunday's series finale against the Longhorns has been selected by ESPNU as one of their five nationally televised games during the 2007 regular season. The start time for Sunday's game is now 10:05 a.m. (PDT) and the game can be seen on DirecTV (Ch. 609) and Dish Network (Ch. 148) while Cox Cable customers can watch live on Ch. 220. The earlier start time was necessitated by the Longhorns' scheduled departure flight on Sunday.

=========
OTHER RECENT HUSKER BASEBALL ACTION...

Dan Jennings earned his first career victory, while Jake Opitz and Jeff Tezak drove in two runs apiece, as Nebraska held off Iowa, 7-6, on a soggy Tuesday evening at Hawks Field.

Jennings turned in the best performance of his career in a spot start, allowing one earned run over four pre-determined innings for his first career win. The left-hander from West Des Moines, Iowa, scattered five hits and struck out a career-high four after learning he was going to make his first career start 20 minutes before the game when the tarp was pulled.

Jennings gave us a good start, Anderson said. We know he was going to throw the amount he did whether it was starting or out of the bullpen. We really liked what he gave us and he filled the zone with strikes.

Opitz and Tezak both had two hits in the victory, as Opitz's two-run single in the bottom of the third helped NU overcome an early 2-0 deficit, while Tezak's sixth-inning solo homer gave the Huskers (20-12) a seemingly safe four-run lead.

==

Johnny Dorn allowed two runs over six innings, while Nebraska pounded out 13 hits to record its second consecutive win over No. 13 Oklahoma State, downing the Cowboys, 9-2, at Hawks Field Saturday afternoon.

The 3,186 fans that endured temperatures in the mid-30s watched the Huskers cool off one of the nation's top hitting offenses, holding Oklahoma State to just two runs for the second straight afternoon in picking up its first conference series win of the season. The win also snapped OSU's streak of eight straight series wins dating back to last April.

Dorn picked up his fifth straight decision, striking out eight and scattering five hits to up his record to 5-1 on the season. The right-hander allowed just three hits over his first five innings and combined with Matt Foust to hold OSU to just two runs for the second straight game.

========

Behind a complete-game performance from All-America pitcher Tony Watson, Nebraska took the opening game of its three-game series with No. 13 Oklahoma State with a 5-2 victory Friday afternoon at Hawks Field.

Watson (3-1) was dominant in picking up his second straight win over a ranked foe, fanning a career-best 12 Cowboys without a walk in a 115-pitch performance. He limited a potent Cowboy offense to just two runs, equaling their lowest offensive output of the year.

Watson, whose previous strikeout high was 10 in a win over Kansas last season, fired his second career complete game and first by a Husker pitcher since last April 6, as he improved to 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last three appearances.

Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson, who collected his 200th career win at Nebraska on Friday, said that Watson's performance was a great start to the series against an Oklahoma State offense that was hitting .354 as a team entering Friday's game.

=======

Andrew Brown's eighth-inning double broke a 10-all tie, as the Nebraska baseball team held on for a wild 12-10 victory over Creighton in front Tuesday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Brown, who went 2-for-4 with pair of doubles and two RBIs, gave Nebraska (17-11) the lead for good, sending a 1-2 pitch from Creighton closer Andy Masten into left, scoring Ryan Wehrle with the go-ahead run. Nebraska, which has won six straight games against the Bluejays, then extended its lead to 12-10 moments later on Jake Opitz's RBI single.

The two runs were enough, as Thad Weber struck out a career-high four Bluejays over 2.1 innings of relief for his first career win. Weber (1-0) got the Huskers out of a sixth-inning, bases-loaded jam and allowed one unearned run on one hit in getting the Huskers to the ninth.

==

Luke Anders' two-out RBI single in the bottom of ninth scored Darby Brown with the winning run, as No. 14 Texas A&M took the rubber game of the three-game series over Nebraska with an 8-7 victory Sunday afternoon.

Anders, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs slapped a Zach Herr pitch into right field, scoring Brown from second as the throw home from right was wide, capping a see-saw battle between the two clubs and giving the Aggies (25-6, 5-4 Big 12) a hard-fought series win.

The setback overshadowed a pair of strong performances by the Huskers, who dipped to 16-11 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Mitch Abeita matched his career high with three RBIs as part of a 2-for-4 afternoon, while Jeff Tezak had three hits and scored twice.

==

Jake Opitz went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, but the Nebraska baseball team could not overcome Texas A&M's six-run second inning, falling to the Aggies, 8-5, Saturday afternoon at Olsen Field.

Opitz and Andy Gerch had two hits apiece for the Huskers (16-10, 3-5 Big 12), who jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Aggies took the lead for good with six runs off of Nebraska starter Charlie Shirek.

Parker Dalton was the hero for the Aggies (24-6, 4-4 Big 12), going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the eighth after Nebraska pulled to within a run. Blake Stouffer also had two hits with a homer and two RBIs, as his homer capped the six-run outburst in the second.

==

All-American Tony Watson scattered four hits over seven innings, while Jeff Tezak drove in four runs, lifting Nebraska to an 11-4 win over No. 14 Texas A&M in College Station Friday evening.

Watson (2-1) picked up his first win since Feb. 16, striking out a season-high eight Aggies without a walk, as he allowed one run over his first six innings of work before running into trouble in the seventh.

"I thought Tony pitched very well," Anderson said. "That was a good night for Tony, and a good night for this team."

Watson was backed by a Nebraska (16-9, 3-4 Big 12) offense that continually applied pressure, scoring at least one run in six different innings, as the Huskers built a six-run lead before salting away the game with four runs in the ninth after Texas A&M (26-6, 3-4 Big 12) pulled to within 7-4.

=========
THREE FORMER HUSKERS ON OPENING DAY ROSTERS...

Alex Gordon will start at third in Kansas City's opening-day lineup.

Former Husker All-Americans Alex Gordon and Darin Erstad begin the season on Major League Rosters, as the 2007 season begins this week. Gordon will become the 25th former Husker to reach the Major Leagues on opening day, as he was added to Kansas City's 40-man roster over the weekend. One of the top prospects in all of professional baseball, Gordon will hit fifth and play third base in Kansas City's opening-day lineup against the Boston Red Sox.

In 2006, he was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year, hitting .325 with 29 homers, 101 RBIs and 111 runs scored in AA Wichita, his first season in professional baseball. A two-time All-American at Nebraska, Gordon was the consensus national player of the year in 2005, hitting .372 with 19 homers, 66 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in helping the Huskers to a school-record 57 wins and a berth in the College World Series.

While Gordon begins his MLB career, another veteran finds himself in a new location, as Darin Erstad signed with the Chicago White Sox in the off-season after 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim. Erstad, who will hit second and start in center field for the White Sox against Cleveland, is a career .286 hitter in 1,320 career games, driving in 625 runs in that span. Last season, injuries limited the former No. 1 overall pick to just 40 games with the Angels.

A third former Husker, Oakland Athletics first baseman Dan Johnson, would have joined them on a 25-man roster, but will open the year on the disabled list after suffering a hip injury last week. Johnson played in 91 games last season for Oakland, hitting .234 with a homer and nine RBIs for the American League West champion Athletics.

=========
HUSKER VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO HOST COLORADO STATE...

Kori Cooper and the Husker volleyball team hosts Colorado State on Saturday.

The Nebraska volleyball team will wrap up the team portion of its spring schedule Saturday afternoon, as the Huskers will host Colorado State at the NU Coliseum. First serve between the Huskers and Rams is set for 1 p.m. (PDT) and will wrap up a busy day of activities surrounding the Red-White Spring Game.

Prior to Saturday's match, the Husker volleyball team will hold a free autograph session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Husker Nation Pavilion, adjacent to Memorial Stadium and the NU Coliseum. National Championship posters will also be on sale for $5 apiece. Saturday's Husker Nation Pavilion will feature student-athletes from several Husker teams in a variety of family-friendly activities prior to the start of the Red-White Spring Game, which will start at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets for Saturday's volleyball match cost $8 (adults) and $4 (children ages 7-18 and seniors), while kids ages six and under and UNL Students with Valid ID are free. Coliseum seating for Saturday is all general admission seating.

The Huskers are 2-0 on the spring so far, defeating San Diego on March 16 and Wichita State on April 7 in North Platte. That match drew a sellout crowd of 2,400 at North Platte High School. Against the Shockers, All-American Tracy Stalls led Nebraska with 12 kills, while AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Pavan also had 12 kills. Last Saturday's match also featured the return of Christina Houghtelling, who had six kills in her first competitive action since last spring.

Colorado State went 20-10 in 2006 and won the Mountain West Conference title for the seventh straight season en route to reaching the NCAA Tournament.

==
PAVAN AND LARSON TO REPRESENT NU AT COLLEGIATE BEACH EVENT...

Sarah Pavan will team with Jordan Larson at the Collegiate Beach Nationals next weekend.

Nebraska volleyball All-American Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson will team together to represent Nebraska at the POWERADE Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship in San Diego on Sunday, April 22 as CSTV and the AVCA announced the event Wednesday afternoon.

The one-day event features two-player teams from eight of the country's top volleyball programs in a round-robin format. Pavan and Larson are the tournament's top seed. They will be joined by teams from Stanford, Penn State, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, San Diego and Utah.

Pavan, a junior right-side hitter, was the AVCA National Player of the Year and Honda Award winner in 2006, leading the Big 12 in both kills and points per game, while hitting .313 on the season. She reached double figures in kills in 33 of 34 matches, including 10 matches with at least 20 kills. She is a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and a three-time AVCA First-Team All-American.

Larson was a 2006 First-Team AVCA All-American after averaging 4.13 kills and 3.50 digs per game in 2006, helping the Huskers to a 33-1 record and the school's third national title. The only player in the Big 12 ranked in the top 10 in both kills and digs, she was also third in the league in service aces and points per game and totaled a team-best 22 double-doubles.

Along with our great partners the AVCA and AVP, we've taken the next step in developing the Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship, turning it into an annual must-see event, said Tim Pernetti, Executive Vice President, Content, CSTV. We're proud to have created this unique Championship as part of the Collegiate Nationals and are excited to showcase the nation's top college players and teams.

The collegiate beach championship is an exciting event for volleyball, said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. It gives us a venue to spotlight our elite young players and provides the opportunity for year-round exposure for our sport. The innovative thinkers at CSTV and the AVP absolutely served an ace with this idea.

The POWERADE Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship will adhere strictly to NCAA guidelines for college volleyball.

The Tournament will air in different segments on CSTV, beginning on Sunday, May 6 with a tournament preview show. The semifinals are scheduled to air on Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19 with the final airing on Sunday, May 20.

=========
HUSKER ALL-AROUNDER GYMNASTS TAKE ON NCAA FINALS...

Junior Stephen Tétrault competes in his third consecutive all-around finals tonight.
Senior Jason Wassung and junior Stephen Tétrault, both Lincoln natives, will square off against the nation's top all-arounders tonight as they battle for All-America honors at the 2007 NCAA Championships. Tonight's meet also features the team finals, as well as the individual event preliminaries.

Wassung will begin on the parallel bars and rotate with the Oklahoma Sooners, while Tétrault will start on the pommel horse with Minnesota. This is the third consecutive NCAA all-around finals for Tétrault and the second for Wassung.

Sophomore T.J. Schmidt is the third Nebraska native to represent the Huskers tonight as he competes in the individual event preliminaries. Schmidt, who hails from Blair, will compete on the pommel horse and parallel bars.

Friday night's meet will also determine the 2007 team champions, as six teams face off for the national crown. Penn State (218.90) posted the highest qualifying score on Thursday, followed by Oklahoma (218.60), Minnesota (216.90), Stanford (216.35), Illinois (216.30) and Michigan (215.35).

Nebraska's season ended on Thursday at the NCAA team qualifier, as the Huskers finished fifth of six teams in Session II, failing to advance to tonight's finals. However, NU did go out on a high note, posting a season-high team score of 209.10.

The meet can also be watched in a delayed broadcast at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17, on ESPN 2.

==

The Huskers advanced to the NCAA Championships for the fifth consecutive season.

The NCAA announced the field for the 2007 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships in State College, Pa., today, which will include the Huskers for the fifth consecutive season.

Nebraska is 11th of 12 teams to qualify for the three-day event, which begins on Thursday, April 12 with Session I beginning at Noon and Session II at 6 p.m., CST. Nebraska will compete in the second session along with California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Penn State and Temple. The first rotation of the team qualifier features Army, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Stanford.

The top three programs from each session advance to the team finals at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 13 and the meet wraps up with the individual event finals on Saturday, April 14 at 6 p.m.

Nebraska dropped from 10th to 11th in the national ranks this week following a disappointing team score of 203.45 on March 31 at the MPSF Championships in Berkeley, Calif. However, several key individual performances kept the Huskers in the event standings, including two top-10 rankings.

Senior Jason Wassung held on to fourth in the all-around (51.63) for the fourth consecutive week, while also using a season-high 9.10 on the vault at the conference championships to move into 17th (8.78) on that event. It is the first time Wassung has been ranked on the vault since 2005.

Additionally, sophomore T.J. Schmidt remained at sixth on the pommel horse (8.89) and is also ranked 13th (9.12) on the parallel bars.

Ohio State enters the 2007 NCAA Championships ranked first in the nation, followed by two-time defending national champion Oklahoma and Penn State in third.

=========
NEBRASKA SOCCER HOSTS KANSAS FOLLOWING SPRING GAME...

Sophomore Selenia Iacchelli and the Huskers host Kansas on Saturday.

The Nebraska soccer team will get in on a busy spring weekend for Husker athletics this Saturday, April 14 as it plays host to the Kansas Jayhawks at 1:30 p.m. (PDT) at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The game will kick off right outside of Memorial Stadium following the Nebraska football Red-White Spring Game, which is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. (PDT), and will be free to the public.

The Huskers are 2-0-1 this spring, earning wins over South Dakota State and Denver, while posting a tie with Minnesota. Last Friday, Nebraska came back from a 1-0 deficit early in the game against Denver and scored two unanswered goals in the final five minutes of the game to down the Pioneers, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006.

Thus far this spring, the Huskers have enjoyed well-rounded play, with impressive production from both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The NU offense has been especially solid, scoring six goals in three games with five players contributing either a goal or an assist.

However, Nebraska faces a tough opponent in Kansas, which has also had a successful spring run in 2007. The Jayhawks, who scored an early goal to shut down the Huskers in their last meeting in October, have also gone 2-0-1 this season, including wins over Marquette and Washburn.

Also like Nebraska, which has faced the loss of three-time Big 12 Player-of-the-Year Brittany Timko to graduation, Kansas must replace 2006 Hermann Award Semifinalist Holly Gault, who led the Jayhawks to 11 wins last season.

NU's contest against Kansas is one of two final spring games for the Huskers in 2007 and the last match held at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Huskers cap their spring schedule on Saturday, April 21, with a 4 p.m. (PDT) kick off against Colorado in North Platte, Neb.

=========
HUSKERS HOST 11th-RANKED 'HORNS THIS WEEKEND...

Ashley DeBuhr moved up to No. 2 on the NU all-time strikeout chart with 11 Ks at Creighton on Thursday.

The Nebraska softball team will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to ranked opponents when the Huskers welcome 11th-ranked Texas to Bowlin Stadium for a two-game weekend series.

First pitch for Saturday's contest is set for 12 p.m. (PDT) and fans attending the Red-White Spring Football Game will receive free admission into the game by presenting their Spring Game ticket stub at the gate. Sunday's game will be televised by ESPNU and is slated for a Noon start. Both games can also be heard worldwide on Huskers.com.

Although Nebraska has lost four straight to top-25 foes, NU is still 4-5 against ranked squads this season, with four of its losses coming on the road. The Texas contest will mark the Huskers' first home game against a ranked opponent this season.

NU's last home game against a ranked opponent came on April 29, 2006 when the Huskers beat 15th-ranked Texas A&M, 3-2. Nebraska hosted a total of six games against ranked foes at Bowlin Stadium last year, compiling a 5-1 record.

Overall, the Huskers have won 33 of their last 36 home games, including a 13-2 mark this season following a doubleheader sweep of South Dakota State on Monday. Against the Big 12 Conference, Nebraska has been just as good, winning eight in a row and 10 of its last 11 dating back to the start of the 2006 season, including a 4-1 mark against ranked teams.

The pitching staff has been especially stellar, holding its league counterparts to one run or less in seven of the last 11 Big 12 games at Bowlin Stadium, including five shutouts (two straight).

Nebraska was 20-1 at home last season, with its lone loss coming in a 7-2 setback to 17th-ranked Baylor on April 14. That game was carried nationally by CSTV as the Huskers have struggled recently in televised contests, losing five of their last six televised games, including three in a row at home.

The Huskers have also lost five straight to the Longhorns, marking NU's second-longest losing streak to a conference opponent in the Big 12 era (1996-present).

While Nebraska may have struggled recently against Texas, the Huskers have excelled over the last two weeks, winning 10 of their last 12 games.

NU began March 4th with an 8-7 record before posting win streaks of 12 and seven games to improve that record to 27-11 just one month later after the Huskers defeated Kansas, 3-0 on April 4.

Nebraska has currently won three in a row after erupting for a season-high-tying seven runs in a 7-2 victor at Creighton on Thursday.

=========
HUSKERS HONORED AT DIVERSITY IN ATHLETICS AWARDS...

Nebraska boasts a student-athlete graduation rate of 86 percent among African-American females.

The Laboratory for Diversity in Sport at Texas A&M recently awarded the University of Nebraska with a Diversity in Athletics Award for its outstanding African-American female graduation rate.

The Diversity in Athletics Award, which is presented annually, recognizes the NCAA Division I-A athletic departments that excel in the areas of diversity. Departments are recognized in eight categories: diversity strategy, sex diversity of department employees, racial diversity of department employees, value and attitudinal diversity of department employees, graduation rates of African-American male student-athletes, graduation rates of African-American female student-athletes, Title IX compliance (substantial proportionality), and overall excellence in diversity.

The Nebraska Athletic Department received The Diversity in Athletics Award in the Female African-American student-athlete graduation category. Nebraska was one of nine schools out of the 119 Division I-A schools surveyed to receive the prestigious honor.

Graduation rates are based on NCAA data. The University of Nebraska as a whole graduated 40 percent of its female African-American students, but the female African-American student-athlete graduation rate was 86 percent.

The 46 percent difference between the student-athlete graduation rate and the general population rate earned the Nebraska athletic department one of the nine awards in the category.

Overall, only 46 schools earned at least one of the 76 Diversity in Athletics Awards presented by Texas A&M. A complete list of award-winning schools by category and the details of the research information is available in the PDF attachment to this story or at http://lds.tamu.edu/.

=========
REVELLE EARNS DR. BARBARA HIBNER TRAILBLAZER AWARD...
(Note that Rhonda did a stint out here at SJSU during her career!)

Rhonda Revelle (right) is the 2007 recipient of the Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Award, named in honor of Hibner.

Nebraska Senior Woman Administrator and Head Softball Coach Rhonda Revelle has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Award.

The award began in 2000 to honor outstanding support and generous contributions to women's athletics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was renamed last month in honor of Dr. Barbara Hibner, who was a valuable member of the Husker Athletic Department for 28 years before passing away on March 7, 2007.

Rhonda is a most deserving winner of this prestigious award, NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. Not only has she achieved in her own athletic career, but now as both a coach and an administrator she is setting new standards of excellence. We are proud to add her name to the list of notable Nebraskans.

It is fitting that Revelle will receive the first award named in Hibner's honor, as Hibner was an especially important figure to Revelle.

To receive the Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Award is extremely emotional as Dr. Hibner was my role model, my compass, my mentor and my dear friend, Revelle said. It is tremendously humbling, and I will strive to bring honor to her spirit and memory.

Revelle will be presented with the award on Sunday, April 15, prior to leading her Husker softball team in a Noon game against the Texas Longhorns.

A native of Eugene, Ore., Revelle is in her 15th season as Head Softball Coach and in her second year as Senior Woman Administrator. Revelle was a pitcher for the Huskers from 1981 to 1983 and helped lead NU to the inaugural Women's College World Series in 1982.

She graduated from Nebraska with degrees in physical education and health in 1984. Before returning to Lincoln to become head coach of her alma mater in 1993, Revelle spent four years as an assistant coach at San Jose State University in California, where she earned a master's degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management.

While at San Jose State, Revelle helped the Spartans to three consecutive top-20 finishes and two postseason appearances, while serving as pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and camps and clinics director.

Revelle has rejuvenated the Husker softball program and returned it to one of the premiere programs in the country. With Revelle at the helm, Nebraska is one of only nine teams in the nation to make 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and one of only six teams to earn a final top-25 ranking in each of the 12 years the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll has been in existence.

Revelle has guided NU to a pair of berths in the Women's College World Series, while guiding the Huskers to the 1,000th win in school history, making softball the first women's sport at Nebraska to reach the 1,000-win plateau.

In the process, Revelle became the first female coach in Nebraska history to record 500 career victories and 500 wins at Nebraska. She currently ranks as the third-winningest coach in NU history across all sports.

Revelle's impact on softball and in women's athletics is not limited to Nebraska. Revelle is the only coach in the Big 12 Conference with a dual administrative and coaching role, while she also serves as president of the National Fastpitch Association.

A two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, Revelle's impact can be felt off the field as well. Revelle has played an integral role in establishing two fully endowed scholarships for Husker softball that stand as the only two fully endowed scholarships for a female student-athlete at Nebraska.

Revelle has also produced eight CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, as NU leads all softball programs with 24 all-time academic All-Americans.

Off the field, Revelle has been an active member of the community. In 2006, she served as chairperson of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night campaign. That same year she was also chairperson for the Downtown YMCA Strong Kids campaign.

In 2004, Revelle headlined the most successful United Way Combined Campaign at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A selfless promoter of the YMCA and its goals, Revelle has served on several YMCA campaigns and was named the 2003 Downtown YMCA Co-Volunteer of the Year.

Revelle has also been honored by her alma mater, as she is a member of the University of Nebraska Cather Circle and was a 2001 UNL Emerging Leaders Instructor.

Revelle is the seventh winner of the Trailblazer Award. Past winners include Barbara Hibner; the Raimondi Family in 2001; Ione Bowlin in 2002; Betty Geis, in memory of her daughter Julie, in 2003; Carol Frost in 2004; Pinnacle Sports Productions in 2005; and Dr. JoAnne Owens Nausler in 2006.

In addition to the Trailblazer Award being renamed in her honor, the Dr. Barbara Hibner Scholarship Fund for Nebraska Athletics has also been established. Funds donated will provide a scholarship for the Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year. The scholarship will be presented annually at the Academic Awards Recognition Banquet. This year's banquet is scheduled for Sunday, April 15.

=========
10 HUSKERS NAMED ARTHUR ASHE SCHOLARS...

Nebraska's Daniel Christensen was one of 10 Huskers honored as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar.

Ten University of Nebraska student-athletes from seven countries recently earned recognition as Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholars by Diverse Issues in Education. The awards recognize the achievements of student-athletes from diverse cultural backgrounds both on and off their fields of competition and are a tribute to the legacy of Arthur Ashe Jr.

Five Nebraska student-athletes earned first-team honors from the publication, including Sarah Pavan (volleyball), Imke Reimers (women's tennis), Justine Roach (track and field), Issar Yazhbin (track and field) and Daniel Christensen (track and field).

Roach, Yazhbin and Christensen led a contingent of five Nebraska track and field athletes named to the team, including second-teamer Gyorgi Farkas and third-team honoree Tyrell Ross.

The Nebraska soccer team added a pair of honorees with Sari Raber (second team) and Selenia Iacchelli (third team) earning Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar recognition. Husker men's tennis standout Renato Melo added a third-team award to round out Nebraska's strong contingent.

Nebraska's 10 Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholars came to Lincoln from seven countries, including the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Brazil, Israel and Hungary.

To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities.

2007 Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Award Winners

Sarah Pavan (Volleyball), Jr., Kitchener, Ontario - First Team
Imke Reimers (Women's Tennis), Jr., Papenburg, Germany - First Team
Justine Roach (Track & Field), Sr., Leicester, England - First Team
Issar Yazhbin (Track & Field), Sr., Yavne, Israel - First Team
Daniel Christensen (Track & Field), So., Omaha, Neb. - First Team
Sari Raber (Soccer), So., Richmond, British Columbia - Second Team
Gyorgi Farkas (Track & Field), Fr., Budapest, Hungary - Second Team
Selenia Iacchelli (Soccer), So., Edmonton, Alberta - Third Team
Renato Melo (Men's Tennis), So., Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Third Team
Tyrell Ross (Track & Field), RFr., Mullica Hills, N.J. - Third Team
=========

OVER 100 TRY OUT FOR NEBRASKA CHEER SQUAD...

More than 100 women and men participated in Cheer Squad tryouts at Nebraska on Friday.

More than 100 enthusiastic young women and men from 16 states tried out for the opportunity to represent University of Nebraska Athletics at the Cheer Squad tryouts on campus Friday, April 6.

Cheer Squad members will be asked to represent the athletic department at various varsity athletic sporting events, and to serve as ambassadors to the University at other select events.

Each applicant was judged on personal interview, academics, conditioning, fight song routines and cheer skills, and attitude and enthusiasm. Four former cheerleaders assisted with teaching the applicants the Husker routines and also assisted with judging. Two other judges with AACCA certifications and national coaching and judging skills joined with Nebraska officials in the selection process.

Results from Friday's tryouts will not be posted until background checks have been completed. Tryouts for the Scarlets Dance/Cheer Squad will be Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. Tryouts for the Mascot Squad will take place on April 12. Those who make the team and maintain a 2.5 GPA will be eligible for Nebraska's Cheer Squad benefits package, which is among the best in the Big 12 and is competitive nationally.

The number of successful applicants will be based on talent, need and budget as determined by the athletic department sponsor and administration.

=========
NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND...

* Red-White Game Will Answer Some Questions For Huskers

Tens of thousands will turn out for the Husker spring game. It will also be televised. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/13/461fb4b2ace4a

* Columnist: Ganz Should Be Nebraska's Starting QB

A columnist says her heart goes to the veteran Husker. What about you? http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/12/461e5637d1c62

* Injuries Are Plentiful Among NU I-Backs

Hope for all-around good health before autumn. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/06/46165bd8b9841

* Murillo Says Huskers Will Have Depth At Cornerback

Let's hope he is right! http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/03/29/460be589a136b

* Keller Hopes Competition Will Lead To NU Starting Job

The transfer from ASU says there isn't a "quarterback controversy," just a healthy competition. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/03/27/46092fe37b278

* Lawmakers Take Up Debate On Major Water Policy Measure

Water is money. We owe Kansas water. Someone has to come up with the money to buy water rights so Kansas can get its due ... right? http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/10/461bb92d038cc

* Buffett Crossing Tracks Into BNSF Territory

Fine. If wishes were granted, we would wish for Buffett and Bill Gates to take an interest in a nationwide passenger rail system. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/09/461a6e998ef42

* Politician Says He Was Wrongly Pinched In North Platte

You have to read it to believe it. Really. Read it. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/05/461534af79e77

* Altman Says He Won't Leave Creighton Again - Really

The Creighton basketball coach completes something akin to a triple play in baseball. Now, he says he is home to stay. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/04/04/4613e49d88e1f


* UNL Study Says Strike Zone & Dope Tests Cooled MLB Hitting

University of Nebraska historians have done some research that should be of special interest to baseball fans.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/
2007/04/03/46128e2a9ea5e

* Roadside Bomb Kills Nebraska Soldier

Our best thoughts go to Sergeant Cornell's family. You are invited to offer condolences via our Feedback. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/
ART/2007/03/22/4602a4cc3f6d7

* Did Nebraska Have A 'Roswell Episode' Long Ago?

An interesting look at an interesting story that began in Nebraska a long, long time ago. A UFO episode. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/
2007/03/20/45ff39fc70387


=========
The Mission Chamber Orchestra: Classical Splendor

MCO concludes their "Sounds to Remember" season with pianist Jon Nakamatsu!

The Mission Chamber Orchestra brings its adventurous 2006/2007 season to an end with a tribute to the classics. One of the most sought-after pianists of his generation, Jon Nakamatsu, a California native, joins MCO to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 1. The evening will also include Mozart's eloquent Symphony no. 38, and an overture by the young Spanish contemporary of Beethoven, Juan Arriaga.

Beethoven Piano Concerto #1

It is believed that Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 2 was actually written before this one. The Piano Concerto no. 1 is larger in scale than the Concerto no. 2, and richer in its orchestral coloring, with clarinets, trumpets and drums added to the Concerto no. 2's flute, oboes, bassoons, horns and strings. It is surely the more highly individualized of the two concertos, and yet it may be in this work that Beethoven steered closest in both outline and spirit to the typical Mozart concerto: the specific model might well have been the best-known of Mozart's own concertos in the same key, No. 21 in C major, K. 467.

Mozart Symphony no. 38, "Prague"
By the winter of 1786-87, Mozart's music had become wildly popular in Prague. When he traveled there to rehearse his opera Don Giovanni, he took with him a new symphony, which was performed at an all-Mozart concert. This symphony is somewhat unusual in that it has only 3 movements, lacking a minuet, instead of the standard 4. Various explanations have been offered for this fact, from the view that Mozart believed it was traditional in Prague not to have a dance movement in a symphony to the notion that some critics were beginning to insist that the minuet was out of place in a symphony, and that Mozart was therefore forward-looking in omitting it. It was recently discovered that the lively and brilliant finale was composed first, possibly even as a substitute finale for a work in the same key, though in the end Mozart placed it as the witty capstone to its own brilliant symphony.

Arriaga Overture to Los Esclavos Felices
Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola (January 27, 1806 – January 17, 1826) was an early 19th-century Spanish composer who has been called the "Spanish Mozart." Arriaga acquired this nickname after he died because, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he was also a child prodigy and an exceptionally gifted composer who died young. Coincidentally, he was born on what would have been Mozart's fiftieth birthday.

Written as an opera, Arriaga wrote Los esclavos felices ("The Happy Slaves") in 1820 when he was thirteen. It was successfully produced in Bilbao. Unfortunately, only the overture survives. Arriaga's music is "elegant and accomplished and notable for its harmonic warmth" (New Grove Concise Dictionary of Music). There is nothing characteristically Spanish in Arriaga's music. Rather it is international (European) music from the formative period between the late classical music of Mozart to the early Romanticism of the young Beethoven.

All three works on the program are from the classical period (1750-1825.) Artwork from Monta Vista High School art students will be displayed during the Arriaga overture.

Schedule and Venue
The concert begins at 8:00PM, on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Le Petit Trianon Theatre, located at 72 N. 5th Street, San Jose. Parking is available in nearby lots.

A pre-concert lecture will begin at 7:15pm. There will also be a 15 minute post-concert question and answer session during which audience members can ask questions of the conductor, soloist, or orchestra members.

About the Mission Chamber Orchestra

http://www.missionchamber.org/

Since 1996 the Mission Chamber Orchestra, 35-45 musicians conducted by Emily Ray, has been presenting concerts of classical music in small venues to bring symphonic literature up close to its audiences. Featuring the works of living composers (MCO has premiered several works) as well as the great masters, MCO's concerts are presented in a relaxed atmosphere and frequently offer visual art in combination with its music. Typically three to four concerts are presented at Le Petit Trianon in downtown San Jose each season.

The Mission Chamber Orchestra has recorded two compact discs: Dreams, a collection of soothing music mainly from the 19th century repertoire, and Reflections on the Hudson, a recording of orchestral works by Palo Alto composer Nancy Bloomer Deussen. Both discs contain Ms. Deussen's Ascent to Victory, commissioned by MCO.

=========
Visit our Bay Area Huskers website for additional Husker information, Links, Upcoming Events, Past Events, Watch Sites, and the Schedule of Games. Also order Merchandise online, and get information on Husker Scholarships. Check out the History of the Huskers and meet our Directors.

Say hello today, email us, sign up for our newsletter, and become a member of the Bay Area Huskers Alumni Chapter.