For Nebraska and coach Mike Anderson, this weekend's highly anticipated Big 12 Conference series between the Cornhuskers and Texas A&M couldn't come soon enough.
After all, Anderson and his players have spent the past few weeks dodging occasional questions about the showdown with the league-leading Aggies. Now, it's finally show time as No. 5-ranked Nebraska (36-8-1, 15-5-1 Big 12) tries to erase a 2 1/2-game deficit in the Big 12 standings in this weekend's three-game set at Haymarket Park against the No. 6 Aggies (41-8, 18-3).
"It has been charged up in anticipation of this for a few weeks," Anderson said. "We've tried not to answer questions about A&M when we had Baylor on the horizon and a lot of different things. We kept trying to stay focused on what we were doing.
"The kids, from a media standpoint, have had to be very careful not to look too far ahead. Now, it's here."
Even if it wasn't Texas A&M bringing its Big 12-record 15-game conference winning streak to Lincoln, Anderson said the Huskers would be eager to get back on the field. Nebraska didn't schedule a mid-week game due to finals week and hasn't played since last Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Louisiana-Lafayette.
"We're excited to get back into conference play. We're excited to get back into play," Anderson said. "We had finals off for the kids this week -- obviously, a good time for the kids to finish up school, but difficult from a baseball standpoint. We've had good workouts, but you'd sure like to get on the field and play."
As Nebraska's pitching coach for eight years, Texas A&M coach Rob Childress knows the challenges his team faces with a big home crowd expected at Haymarket Park. But even with the Huskers' 26-2-1 record on Hawks Field this season, Childress doesn't figure the Aggies will be remotely intimidated.
"I know there are going to be great crowds there this weekend," Childress said. "Our guys won't bow down. They're going to compete and play hard and I know we'll be in, hopefully, all three games until the end."
Childress, whose team could lock up the program's first Big 12 regular-season title since 1999, said he's been intent on trying to defuse the hype surrounding the Nebraska series. He said the Aggies are already well aware of what they could accomplish this weekend.
"I don't have to tell our players that," Childress said. "They know the standings and where we are. What I've tried to tell our guys is that, truth be told, this weekend is no more important than the Texas Tech weekend, the Kansas weekend and the Baylor weekend. They're all the same. They don't count any more or less.
"We just need to go do what we've been doing all year long and that's go compete hard and see where the cards fall at the end of the game and not worry about who's in the other dugout, what field we're playing on -- it's a game. It's about executing a routine and just taking care of our business and not worrying about all the external factors all the opportunities have to make this a big weekend."
While Childress wants to downplay it, the importance of the series could be much larger than just deciding the Big 12 regular-season title. Conceivably, a series victory would also keep A&M on the inside track for a top eight seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would allow the Aggies to potentially host both a regional and a super regional.
The Huskers, obviously, have similar thoughts in mind.
"I know all those things are things people talk about, but we've just really got to take into consideration that it's just another conference series," Childress said. "I understand how important this weekend is to some people, but for us, that's not the way we've approached any weekend all year long.
"It's just not what we do."
A quick glance at the Big 12 statistical leaders shows why both teams have been so successful. Texas A&M leads the league in team batting (.330) and is second in pitching (3.73 ERA), while Nebraska leads the conference in ERA (3.46) and fielding percentage (.972).
Anderson said the key for the Huskers is not getting involved in any slugfests. Nebraska is tied for eighth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 in batting average (.284) and has a league-low 25 home runs, compared to Texas A&M's 61 round-trippers.
"A&M can score in bunches. We don't score runs in bunches that way," Anderson said. "We're pretty systematic -- one run here, two runs there. We've got to make sure we maintain and try not to give up big, big innings."
That's easier said than executed, it seems. Dan Carter (.411, 8 home runs, 54 RBIs) and Jose Duran (.396, 4 HRs, 50 RBIs) lead an A&M lineup that includes six starters batting .325 or better, including Luke Anders (.378, 13 HRs, 45 RBIs) and Darby Brown (.353, 9 HRs, 53 RBIs).
"They go at you," Anderson said of A&M's hitters. "They feel like they can score runs and they can attack."
A&M's young pitching staff has also been impressive. Two freshmen have emerged as the Nos. 1 and 2 starters for the Aggies in left-hander Brooks Raley (6-0, 3.70 ERA) and Barrett Loux (4-1, 4.28 ERA) and the No. 3 starter is a sophomore in Clayton Ehlert (6-2, 2.82 ERA).
"I guess the best thing you could say for Rob is that it's a Rob Childress pitching staff," Anderson said. "You're going to see a lot of fastballs, a lot of sliders and guys that throw the ball in the zone.
"They've had some offensively support at times, but you look at their numbers and you look at the thing that they're doing from the pitching standpoint and the offense gets a lot of credit, but he's got guys doing it."
Anderson said Nebraska's hitters will need to be very selective against the Aggies. Getting behind in the late innings a definite n0-no as A&M's bullpen features Kyle Thebeau (5-2, 1.56 ERA, 3 saves) and Travis Starling (7-0, 3.78 ERA, 9 saves).
"They're highly competitive. They'll go out and they'll finish games," Anderson said. "Rob has a closer and he will obviously have middle guys and he'll use them very, very well."
Baylor coach gives nod to Huskers in series with A&M
While most coaches tend to shy away from handicapping matchups between other conference opponents, Baylor's Steve Smith didn't hold back in his analysis of this weekend's key Big 12 series between Nebraska and Texas A&M.
In short, Smith said he gives Nebraska the nod this weekend based on home-field advantage and pitching experience. The Aggies are scheduled to start freshman Brooks Raley on Friday, freshman Barret Loux on Saturday and sophomore Clayton Ehlert Sunday. The Huskers counter with senior starters Johnny Dorn and Thad Weber, followed by a junior in Sunday starter Aaron Pribanic.
No. 5-ranked Nebraska (36-8-1, 15-5-1 Big 12) is 26-2-1 this season in games played at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. No. 6 Texas A&M (41-8, 18-3) leads the Huskers by 2 1/2 games in the conference standings and has won a league-record 15 consecutive Big 12 games.
"A&M is very good offensively, but I think it will be a real test for the two freshman starters on the mound to go to Lincoln in a series of this magnitude," Smith said Thursday during the Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "That will be a challenge for them. I think Nebraska is extremely tough, mentally -- they compete really well -- and they've got two seniors on the mound and they're playing at home.
"When I was asked that question before, that's kind of how I worked it out. I would give the advantage to Nebraska."
A&M swept Smith's Baylor squad during the regular season, losing to the Aggies 2-1 at College Station, Texas, before falling 11-1 and 13-12 in 11 innings the next two days in Waco, Texas, during the mid-April series. The Bears lost two of three at home to Nebraska the following weekend as the Huskers swept a doubleheader 6-4 in 10 innings and 14-1 in seven innings on April 26 before the Bears claimed the series finale 8-3.
NU-A&M Series
Friday
- Nebraska (Johnny Dorn, 5-1, 2.69 ERA) vs. Texas A&M (Brooks Raley, 6-0, 3.77 ERA), 6:35 p.m.
Saturday
- Nebraska (Thad Weber, 8-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Texas A&M (Barrett Loux, 4-1, 4.28 ERA), 2:05 p.m. (NET)
Sunday
- Nebraska (Aaron Pribanic, 3-3, 4.16 ERA) vs. Texas A&M (Clayton Ehlert, 6-2, 2.82 ERA), 1:05 p.m.
Big 12 Standings
Big 12 Overall
Texas A&M 18-3-0 41-8-0
Nebraska 15-5-1 36-8-1
Oklahoma State 14-7-0 35-13-0
Missouri 11-10-0 32-16-0
Texas 12-12-0 29-19-0
Baylor 10-14-0 28-22-0
Kansas 8-13-0 29-22-0
Kansas State 7-14-0 23-25-0
Oklahoma 6-14-1 29-20-1
Texas Tech 6-15-0 21-26-0
Tuesday's Games
Missouri 5, Creighton 4
Kansas State 7, Arizona State 6
Texas A&M 13, Sam Houston State 9
Wednesday's Games
Rice 4, Oklahoma State 2
Dallas Baptist 16, Texas Tech 7
Friday's Games
Missouri at Kansas, 6 p.m.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m.
Kansas State at Oklahoma, 6:35 p.m.
Texas A&M at Nebraska, 6:35 p.m.
Saturday's Games
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.
Texas A&M at Nebraska, 2:05 p.m. (CSTV/NET)
Missouri at Kansas, 6 p.m.
Kansas State at Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
Sunday's Games
Kansas State at Oklahoma, 1 p.m.
Missouri at Kansas, 1 p.m.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.
Texas A&M at Nebraska, 1:05 p.m.
